IWA World Heavyweight Championship (WCW Australia)

The IWA World Heavyweight Championship was 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...

in the Australia

Professional wrestling in Australia

Professional wrestling in Australia makes up a small but growing part of Australian culture. Unlike the North American or Japanese products which have large, globally renowned organisations such as World Wrestling Entertainment, New Japan Pro Wrestling or Total Nonstop Action Wrestling with several...

n World Championship 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...

from its founding in 1964 until 1971.

Although a part of WCW, the championship carried the IWA initials, for the International Wrestling Alliance. The IWA was WCW's sanctioning body for its championships.

WCW joined 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...

in August 1969, but still recognized this title as its world title. In 1971, the title was abandoned, the NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship

NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship

The NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship was the top singles professional wrestling title in the Australian World Championship Wrestling promotion from 1972 until the promotion's 1978 closure....

was established as WCW's new top championship, and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship

NWA World Heavyweight Championship

The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...

was recognized in WCW as the world title.

24 different men held the championship, combining for 51 individual title reigns.

Title history

Wrestler:	Times:	Date:	Location:
Killer Kowalski Killer Kowalski Władek "Killer" Kowalski was a Canadian professional wrestler. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the NWA and WWF, and was a known heel wrestler...	1	October 1964	?
Dominic DeNucci Dominic DeNucci Dominic DeNucci is an Italian-American professional wrestler. He is also an accomplished trainer, counting former World Heavyweight champions Mick Foley and Shane Douglas, as well as referee Brian Hildebrand, among his students.-Early career:...	1	7 November 1964	Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
Ray Stevens Ray Stevens (wrestler) Carl Ray Stevens , better known as Ray "The Crippler" Stevens or Ray "Blond Bomber" Stevens, was an American professional wrestler. Stevens was a wrestling superstar since the early years of the television era until he retired during the early 1990s...	1	January 1965	Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Dominic DeNucci	2	January 1965	Melbourne, Victoria
Mitsu Arakawa	1	May 1965	?
Hercules Cortez	1	June 1965	?
Killer Kowalski	2	June 1965	?
Spiros Arion Andres Labrakis Andres Labrakis is a Greek retired professional wrestler who had extensive and successful careers in both Australia and the United States. Known as Spiros Arion and The Golden Greek, he debuted in 1961 and retired in 1978.- Europe :...	1	6 August 1965	Sydney, New South Wales
Karl Krauser Karl Istaz Karl Istaz was a professional wrestler and trainer born in Antwerp, Belgium, best known by his ring name Karl Gotch. The German suplex is named after Gotch....	1	1965	Melbourne, Victoria
Spiros Arion	2	1965	?
Killer Kowalski	3	December 1965	Honolulu, Hawaii
Dominic DeNucci	3	12 February 1966	Sydney, New South Wales
Toru Tanaka Charles Kalani, Jr. Charles "Charlie" J. Kalani, Jr. was an American professional wrestler, professional boxer, college football player, soldier, actor, and Martial Artist who, in fighting rings, was also known as Professor Toru Tanaka, or simply, Professor Tanaka.-Early life:He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the son...	1	3 June 1966	Sydney, New South Wales
Mark Lewin Mark Lewin -Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...	1	9 July 1966	Melbourne, Victoria
Skull Murphy	1	13 August 1966	Melbourne, Victoria
Bearcat Wright Bearcat Wright Edward "Bearcat" Wright was an African-American professional wrestler who became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. He wrestled during the time of Bobo Brazil, and despite racial tension in the United States became wildly popular as both a heel and a babyface...	1	19 August 1966	Sydney, New South Wales
The Destroyer	1	3 September 1966	Melbourne, Victoria
Spiros Arion	3	29 October 1966	Melbourne, Victoria
Ray Stevens	2	2 December 1966	Sydney, New South Wales
Billy White Wolf Adnan Al-Kaissie Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie , better known professionally as Adnan Al-Kaissie, is a former iraqi professional wrestler and a manager best known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy, Billy White Wolf, or General Adnan...	1	11 February 1967	Melbourne, Victoria
Killer Kowalski	4	May 1967	Melbourne, Victoria
Tex McKenzie	1	July 1967	Melbourne, Victoria
Skull Murphy	2	12 August 1967	Melbourne, Victoria
Bearcat Wright	2	19 August 1967	Melbourne, Victoria
Killer Kowalski	5	1 September 1967	Melbourne, Victoria
Mario Milano Mario Milano Mario Bulfone, better known by his ring name Mario Milano is a former professional wrestler. Milano got his start in wrestling in Venezuela and later competed in the United States and Australia.-Early career:...	1	8 September 1967	Sydney, New South Wales
King Curtis Iaukea King Curtis Iaukea Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he...	1	30 September 1967	Sydney, New South Wales
Mark Lewin	2	13 October 1967	Sydney, New South Wales
Ripper Collins	1	October 1967	?
Mario Milano	2	October 1967	?
Killer Karl Kox Herb Gerwig Herb Gerwig was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name of Killer Karl Kox, who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance as well as international promotions such as All Japan Pro Wrestling, the International Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling during the...	1	January 1968	Melbourne, Victoria
Spiros Arion	4	January 1968	Melbourne, Victoria
Gorilla Monsoon Gorilla Monsoon Robert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...	1	16 February 1968	Sydney, New South Wales
Spiros Arion	5	22 March 1968	Sydney, New South Wales
Baron Mikel Scicluna Mikel Scicluna "Baron" Mikel Scicluna was a Maltese-born professional wrestler who gained his fame during the 1960s and 1970s.-Professional wrestling career:...	5	15 June 1968	Sydney, New South Wales
Mario Milano	3	August 1968	Melbourne, Victoria
Toru Tanaka	2	20 September 1968	Sydney, New South Wales
Tex McKenzie	2	15 November 1968	Sydney, New South Wales
Skull Murphy	3	18 November 1968	Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... , South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
Bob Ellis	1	7 February 1969	Sydney, New South Wales
Killer Karl Kox	2	14 February 1969	Sydney, New South Wales
Spiros Arion	6	21 February 1969	Sydney, New South Wales
The Spoiler Don Jardine Don Jardine was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as "The Spoiler".-Career:Jardine began wrestling in the mid-1950s,making his wrestling debut in 1955 at the age of 15...	1	4 April 1969	Sydney, New South Wales
Mario Milano	4	9 May 1969	Sydney, New South Wales
WCW joined 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... in August 1969, still recognizing this world title.
Killer Karl Kox	3	19 September 1969	Sydney, New South Wales
Billy Robinson Billy Robinson Billy Robinson is a British professional wrestler and catch wrestling instructor. Robinson was well known in Japan where he has trained mixed martial arts fighters in catch wrestling...	1	31 October 1969	Sydney, New South Wales
King Curtis Iaukea	2	19 December 1969	Sydney, New South Wales
Dominic DeNucci	4	January 1970	Sydney, New South Wales
King Curtis Iaukea	3	April 1970	?
Stan Stasiak Stan Stasiak George Stipich , better known by his ring name Stan Stasiak, was a Canadian professional wrestler and fifth World Wide Wrestling Federation Champion. He is the father of professional wrestler Shawn Stasiak.-Career:...	1	December 1970	?
King Curtis Iaukea	4	December 1970	?
The title was retired in 1971 and replaced with the NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship The NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship was the top singles professional wrestling title in the Australian World Championship Wrestling promotion from 1972 until the promotion's 1978 closure.... . WCW then recognized the NWA World Heavyweight Championship NWA World Heavyweight Championship The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and... as the world title.

Title history

See also