10 High Profile Wrestlers With Forgotten NWA Championship Runs

10. Ken Shamrock

Ken Shamrock is one of the most legitimate tough guys ever to step foot in a pro wrestling ring. With a background in shoot fighting in an era that pre-dates the term MMA, Shamrock’s time in Pancrase, UFC, and Pride made him bulletproof in the world of sports entertainment. Not only that but it also made him a perfect fit for the NWA Championship.

With a high-profile run in the WWF from 1997 to 1999, 'The World’s Most Dangerous Man' was a household name by the time he had left Vince McMahon. However, one accolade that had avoided him his entire pro wrestling career was the World Heavyweight Championship.

When the NWA entered into a licensing deal with Jeff Jarrett's TNA, reigning NWA Champion, Dan Severn, was stripped of the title as he was unable to appear at the inaugural NWA: TNA show. A “Gauntlet for the Gold” Battle Royal was declared to crown a new champion in his place.

Fending off 19 other competitors - including Jarrett, Buff Bagwell, Scott Hall, and Rick Steiner - Shamrock became the first NWA Champion of the TNA era on 19 June 2002. Shamrock would defend the title a number of times in the weeks that followed before losing the belt to Ron Killings and bringing his 49 days as champ to an end.