10 Things You Didn't Know About The NWA World Heavyweight Championship

10. The First THREE Champions Didn't Win The Title By Pinfall

History within wrestling is often slightly less prestigious than the empty sentiment peddled by greedy promoters, but the most recent title switches between NWA Heavyweight Champions have been whistle-clean compared to the murky inaugural trio of trades.

Inaugural champion Orville Brown was awarded the title in July 1948 after the recently-founded Alliance simply selected him following a victory over Central States Heavyweight Champion Sonny Myers. Brown held the belt for 501 days until a tragic automobile accident ended his career in November 1949.

Iconic wrestling star Lou Thesz was the unanimous choice to take that title having already won another version of the World's Heavyweight Title that ran parallel to Brown's original reign. The unification occurred when Thesz won the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium World Heavyweight Championship, with Thesz' triple crown confirming his position as the new top dog.

It was thus a role he wasn't particularly keen to move away from 2,300 days later. Losing by count-out and disqualification in a 2-out-of-3-falls match against Leo Nomellini in 1955, the disputed finish allowed for both to claim ownership of the title until Thesz conclusively won the rematch to give the title it's first ever clean decision.