IWA World Heavyweight Championship
Encyclopedia
The IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

 world heavyweight championship
Championship (professional wrestling)
A Championship or "title" in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries...

 contested for in the Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

 professional wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...

, the International Wrestling Association
International Wrestling Association
The International Wrestling Association is a wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Hispanic division was created in 1999. The company was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 2001, but again became a member in 2007...

. The championship was established in 2000, as the IWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Unification with the "Capitol World Heavyweight Championship"

On December 15, 2007, Scott Hall
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...

 failed to attend a titular defense which led to the local box and wrestling commission's decision to vacate the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship
WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship
The WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the top title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. The championship was established in July 1982, as the WWC World Heavyweight...

 and award it to the number one contender who at the moment was Biggie Size. On December 30, the Universal championship was declared vacant following the events where Biggie Size was declared the champion following Hall's absence to Lockout. The commission's decision was announced during the company's holiday recess and Biggie Size retained the championship belt
Championship belt
A championship belt is a large, extravagantly designed belt used primarily in combat sports such as boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling to signify the champions of the promotion or company, much like a cup or trophy in other sports...

 in custody.
On January 6, 2008, Hector Meléndez
Jack Melendez
Hector Meléndez, better known by his stage name "Moody" Jack Meléndez, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestling sportscaster. He is known in the United States as the Spanish play-by-play announcer for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the personal ring announcer for The Latin American Xchange, a...

 who had been managing La Rabia, the stable where Biggie Size performed abandoned the company citing differences with the company's personnel. Following Melendez's exit from the company the stable abandoned the company no-showing the a special event scheduled for January 6, 2008. On January 6, Biggie Size appeared in the International Wrestling Association's Histeria Boricua
IWA Histeria Boricua
IWA Histeria Boricua is a yearly event that the International Wrestling Association has to kick off the year every January since 2001.-Histeria Boricua 2000:*Luna Vachon over Sumie Sukai*Taka Michinoku and Funaki beat Pepe Padro and Andy Anderson...

 event, with the championship belt still in his possession and challenged Blitz, the current IWA World Heavyweight Champion to a unification match
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...

. The match took place later n the event with Blitz winning both belts. Following this match WWC's merchandise manager, Jose Roberto Rodríguez, who had been allowed entry into the building, publicly demanded that the belt was returned to WWC personnel, but at the moment the IWA's personnel had replaced the belt with Revolution X-Treme Wrestling's championship belt (at the moment in Savio Vega
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...

's possession) and had transferred the Universal Championship to a secure location, which led to a discussion between personnel from both companies and Rodríguez's expulsion from the event. After the events conclusion police officers were deployed and the IWA retained physical possession of the championship. Following this the belt was returned to WWC personnel following an ultimatum, which claimed that the company would take legal action if it wasn't returned within forty-eight hours. However both the International Wrestling Association and the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...

 recognized the unification match, and considered Blitz the first Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion in Puerto Rico.

International exposure

Beginning in 2009, the IWA Undisputed World Unified Heavyweight Championship began becoming involved in several inter-promotional "champion vs. champion" contests. The first of these took place on January 6, 2009, where Carlos "Chicano" Cotto
Carlos Cotto
Carlos Omar Cotto Cruz is an Puerto Rican professional wrestler, also known by his ring names, El Chicano and El Ilegal.-Personal life:...

 was booked to defend the title against Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...

's Legends Champion, Booker T
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...

. The contest was part of an annual event titled "Histeria Boricua". The conclusion came when Cotto inverted a "Book End" attempt, scoring a pinfall victory. On February 14, 2009, the promotion held an special event named "Noche de Campeónes". In this card, Cotto defended the championship against Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....

. During the final stages of the fight, Noel Rodríguez intervened, injuring the referee. Both wrestlers continued performing, with Cotto scoring an pinfall victory after reverting a finisher and receiving the count from a substitute referee. On April 18, 2009, Cotto was challenged to an unification contest by Joe Bravo
Joe Bravo
Wilkyns Nuñez, better known by his ring name Joe Bravo, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler best known for performing with the International Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Council.-International Wrestling Association :...

, who held the DWE Dominican National Championship, the major title of Dominican Wrestling Entertainment based in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

. Bravo won with the help of a heel referee, becoming a dual champion. The next titleholder to challenge for the belt was Jerry Lynn
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy "Jerry" Lynn is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

, Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...

's World Champion
ROH World Championship
The Ring of Honor World Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Ring of Honor. The championship has also been through other companies in cooperation with ROH through the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance , the governing body of many independent wrestling...

, who unsuccessfully competed against Bravo and Chicano in a three-way match. This was part of the "Juicio Final 2009" card. On May 29, 2009, Bravo defended the IWA and DWE championships in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

, defeating El Cuervo as part of a Revolution X-Treme Wrestling card. On November 1, 2009, Bravo and the incumbent WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion, Shane Sewell, performed in a DWE event, with the DWE Dominican National Championship being held up after the creative team booked a no contest. This marked the first instance that the two major champions worked together while holding full recognitions by both promotions.

Title history

Wrestler: Times: Date: Days
held
Place: Notes:
IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship
Glamour Boy Shane
Shane Sewell
Shane Sewell is a Canadian professional wrestler and referee. He is perhaps best known for his stint in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as both a referee and wrestler.-International Wrestling Association:...

1 October 28, 2000 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...

Tournament Final.
Ricky Banderas
Ricky Banderas
Gilbert Cosme better known by his ring names El Mesías and Ricky Banderas, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He began his career in the International Wrestling Association based on Puerto Rico...

1 February 10, 2001 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Glamour Boy Shane 2 April 7, 2001 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Ricky Banderas 2 April 21, 2001 Gurabo, Puerto Rico
Gurabo, Puerto Rico
Gurabo is a municipality in eastern Puerto Rico located in the central eastern region, north of San Lorenzo; south of Trujillo Alto; east of Caguas; and west of Carolina and Juncos. Gurabo is spread over 9 wards and Gurabo Pueblo...

Gran Apolo
Germán Figueroa
Germán Figueroa is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler, better known as Nuevo Gran Apolo, or simply Apolo. Figueroa began performing in Puerto Rico's independent circuit, before entering the International Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Council...

1 June 16, 2001 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Pain 1 September 29, 2001 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Glamour Boy Shane 3 October 20, 2001 Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo...

Gran Apolo 2 October 27, 2001 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Title held up December 8, 2001 Orocovis, Puerto Rico
Orocovis, Puerto Rico
Orocovis is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range, north of Villalba and Coamo; south of Morovis and Corozal; southeast of Ciales; east of Jayuya; and west of Barranquitas...

Stripped by the company's general manager.
Primo Carnero 1 March 2, 2002 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Savio Vega
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...

1 March 2, 2002 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Gran Apolo 3 April 13, 2002 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Primo Carnero 2 April 27, 2002 Levittown, Puerto Rico
Levittown, Puerto Rico
Levittown, Puerto Rico, a suburb of the San Juan MSA and part of the municipality of Toa Baja, is one of the largest planned communities in Puerto Rico. It was developed by Levitt and Sons in 1963....

Gran Apolo 4 May 12, 2002 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Primo Carnero 3 May 18, 2002 Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....

Ricky Banderas 3 June 15, 2002 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Rey Fenix
Ray Gonzalez
Ramón González Rivera, better know by his ring name Ray González, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler who has wrestled in Mexico, Japan, as well as with the XWF in the United States, and the World Wrestling Council along with the International Wrestling Association of Puerto Rico...

1 September 14, 2002 Carolina, Puerto Rico
Gran Apolo 5 November 9, 2002 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Ricky Banderas 4 January 6, 2003 Carolina, Puerto Rico
Ray Gonzalez 2 April 5, 2003 Carolina, Puerto Rico
Gran Apolo 6 July 19, 2003 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Glamour Boy Shane 4 September 20, 2003 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Bison Smith
Bison Smith
Mark Smith was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bison Smith. He best known for his appearances with Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan and International Wrestling Association in Puerto Rico...

1 November 1, 2003 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Glamour Boy Shane 5 December 13, 2003 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Humongous
Ryan Wilson
Ryan Wilson is an American professional wrestler who formerly worked for World Wrestling Entertainment in the Ohio Valley Wrestling developmental promotion as Jacob Duncan where he was a former OVW Heavyweight Champion...

1 January 6, 2004 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Title held up February 7, 2004 Caguas, Puerto Rico
Glamour Boy Shane 6 February 7, 2004 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Vacated March 6, 2004
Ray Gonzalez 3 March 6, 2004 Carolina, Puerto Rico Won the title when Shane abandoned the promotion.
Gran Apolo 7 September 4, 2004 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Ray Gonzalez 4 November 27, 2004 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Glamour Boy Shane 7 December 18, 2004 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Ricky Banderas 5 February 12, 2005 Caguas, Puerto Rico Title was held-up and returned to Glamour Boy Shane.
Title held up February 12, 2005 Caguas, Puerto Rico
Glamour Boy Shane 8 February 12, 2005 Caguas, Puerto Rico
Chicano
Carlos Cotto
Carlos Omar Cotto Cruz is an Puerto Rican professional wrestler, also known by his ring names, El Chicano and El Ilegal.-Personal life:...

1 April 8, 2005 Caguas, Puerto Rico
Slash Venom 1 August 20, 2005 Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico
Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico
Aguas Buenas, commonly known as "La Ciudad de las Aguas Claras" or "the city of clear waters, is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range, north of Cidra, south of Bayamón, Guaynabo and San Juan; east of Comerio; and north-west of Caguas...

Chicano 2 October 1, 2005 Carolina, Puerto Rico
Savio Vega 2 November 11, 2005 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Lightning
Thunder and Lightning (professional wrestling)
Thunder and Lightning is a Puerto Rican professional wrestling tag team consisting of masked wrestlers Reynaldo Rodriguez and Alex Cruz under the ring names Thunder and Lightning respectively.- World Wrestling Council :Both members trained in various small independent Puerto Rico wrestling...

1 June 17, 2006 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Mikael Judas
Mikael Judas
Michael Cole is an American professional wrestler best known by the ring name Mikael Judas and for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Murphy.-Professional wrestling career:...

1 July 29, 2006 Bayamón, Puerto Rico ref name="wrestling-titles"/>
Ray Gonzalez 5 September 2, 2006 Caguas, Puerto Rico
Title held up September 9, 2006 Caguas, Puerto Rico
Ray Gonzalez 6 September 16, 2006 Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...

Glamour Boy Shane 9 December 9, 2006 Bayamón, Puerto Rico Defeated Ray Gonzalez & Lightning in a three way match to win the title.
Ray Gonzalez 7 January 13, 2007 Cayey, Puerto Rico
Vacated April 13, 2007 Gonzalez abandoned the company
Chicano 3 April 28, 2007 Cayey, Puerto Rico Defeated Joe Bravo in a match for the vacated title.
Bison Smith 2 July 15, 2007 Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
Yabucoa is a small town in the south eastern tip of Puerto Rico located in the southeastern region, north of Maunabo; south of San Lorenzo, Las Piedras and Humacao; and east of Patillas and about one hour from San Juan. Yabucoa is spread over 9 wards and Yabucoa Pueblo...

Blitz 1 September 30, 2007 Caguas, Puerto Rico
"Unified" January 6, 2008 Bayamón, Puerto Rico The title is renamed to Undisputed World Unified Heavyweight Championship following a unification match.
Ricky Vega
Ricky Vega
Ephraim Vega is an Puerto Rican American professional wrestler and is best known working Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Machete, and in independent promotions under the name Ricky Vega. Vega was a standout high school football star, and was named to All-Section, All-conference,...

1 February 16, 2008 Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Toa Baja is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over 5 wards and Toa Baja Pueblo . It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.Toa Baja considered to be a...

Blitz 2 May 17, 2008 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Joe Bravo
Joe Bravo
Wilkyns Nuñez, better known by his ring name Joe Bravo, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler best known for performing with the International Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Council.-International Wrestling Association :...

1 July 19, 2008 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Blitz 3 September 6, 2008 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Chicano 4 October 4, 2008 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Dennis Rivera
Dennis Rivera
Dennis Alexis Rivera Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is one half of the first Undisputed Tag Team Champions in Puerto Rico, being recognized by both major promotions, the International Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Council, as champions during a single...

1 November 1, 2008 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Chicano 5 November 15, 2008 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Joe Bravo 2 April 18, 2009 Bayamón, Puerto Rico Unification match that also included Bravo's Dominican Wrestling Entertainment Dominican National Championship.
Title held up May 9, 2009 Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Hatillo is a municipality located on Puerto Rico's north coast, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Lares and Utuado to the south, Camuy to the west, and Arecibo to the east. According to the 2000 US Census Hatillo is spread over 9 wards and Hatillo Pueblo...

Stripped by the company's general manager.
Joe Bravo 3 May 16, 2009 Bayamón, Puerto Rico Defeated Jerry Lynn and Chicano in a three way match.
Miguel Pérez, Jr.
Miguel Pérez, Jr.
Miguel Perez, Jr. is a professional wrestler who competed as a member of the Los Boricuas stable led by Savio Vega from June 1997 to October 1998 in the World Wrestling Federation.-ECW and WWF:Pérez is the son of Miguel Pérez, Sr...

1 August 29, 2009 Cataño, Puerto Rico
Cataño, Puerto Rico
Cataño is a municipality located on northern coast of Puerto Rico bordering the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent to the north and east by San Juan; north of Bayamón and Guaynabo; east of Toa Baja and west of Guaynabo and is part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area. Cataño is spread over 7 wards and...

Joe Bravo 4 October 10, 2009 Bayamón, Puerto Rico Unified with the IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
The IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship is a secondary professional wrestling title defended in the Puerto Rican International Wrestling Association....

.
Glamour Boy Shane 10 January 6, 2010 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Ricky Cruzz 1 April 17, 2010 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Rick Stanley 1 June 26, 2010 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Dennis Rivera 2 October 16, 2010 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Escobar
Eric Perez
Eric Alexander Pérez is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler who currently performs under the ring name Eric Escobar. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment , where he spent most of his career in developmental territories...

1 January 06, 2011 Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Hiram Tua 1 April 2, 2011 Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Chris Angel
Chris Angel (wrestler)
Chris Angel is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in the International Wrestling Association, where he became the only local wrestler to win the IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship in his debut and first to win the IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight...

1 July 30, 2011 Bayamón, Puerto Rico First wrestler to win the championship undefeated in singles competition among both major promotions.
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