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7 Great NWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Champions

Dory Funk Jr., Terry Funk, Gene Kiniski, Lou Thesz, Buddy Rogers, Harley Race and Pat O'Connor

Congratulations to the 2016 Legacy Inductees: 2016 WWE Hall of Fame

Today In NWA Wrestling History (March 15th)

March 15th 1956 

Toronto, ON, Canada

Whipper Billy Watson defeated Lou Thesz to win the World Heavyweight Championship (Original version) & the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. 

Watson held the World championship for 239 days and this was his only NWA World title reign.  He lost the title back to Thesz in St. Louis MO on November 9th 1956

Lou Thesz

Today April 28, 2002. One of the greatest American wrestlers of all time, NWA legend Lou Thesz (b. Lajos Tiza, later changed to Aloysius Martin Thesz, 4.24.16 in Banat, MI) passes away from complications of a triple bypass surgery at age 86.

NWA World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Champion (Los Angeles Version)
World Heavyweight Champion (Montreal Version)
Texas Heavyweight Champion
AWA (Boston) World Heavyweight Champion
AWA (Ohio) World Heavyweight Champion
NWA International (Japan) Heavyweight Champion
NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion
NWA Southern (Mid-America) & Pacific Coast (Vancouver) Tag Team Champion
IWE (Japan) TWWA World Heavyweight Champion
UWA (Mexico) World Heavyweight Champion
WWA (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight Champion

Wrestling Icons - Lou Thesz

Here courtesy of the Wrestling Channel is a great interview with one of if not the biggest legend in 20th wrestling, Lou Thesz.
He was a 6 time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and one of the last men known as "shooters" or "hookers", wrestlers who could legitimately wrestle another man into submission in the old catch style.

Superbrawl 1993 and 1994 - Legends Reunion

From the 1993/94/95 WCW PPV the "inductions" of wrestling legends into the "WCW Hall of Fame".  I dont know if they even have these plaques up anywhere anymore, if they ever did.  Its a shame because they were doing it right by getting "ALL" of the legends induction as soon as possible and giving them the respect they so deserved.

You cant really argue with any of the inductees of any of classes.  I was kind of surprised how nervous and sloppily Gordon Solie handled the first year...maybe he wasn't used to being live on tv in front of that size of crowd or maybe WCW just threw him out there and just wanted it fast and over.
1995 clip starts at about 3:50. This ended after 1995 when Gordon Solie resigned from WCW in protest over the induction of Angelo Poffo. Gordon felt he was unqualified for the Hall of Fame and was only inducted as a favor to one WCW top draws Randy Savage, since Angelo was his father.

Your Match of the Night - Black and White Edition

From June 1952, this match between World Champion Lou Thesz and former NWA World Champion "Wild Bill" Longson. The older man in the white longsleeve shirt is also a former World Champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis and was also one of the best "shoot" wrestlers of the early 20th century.