10 Most Bizarre Wrestling Title Lineages
8. NWA World's Heavyweight Championship
Until very recently, the lineage of the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship was less bizarre, more rather depressing consequence of monopolised capitalism.
Once the preeminent accomplishment in the entire game, the NWA Champ - a hard, legitimate, incredibly skilled bastard and or super-charismatic mega-draw - once roamed the earth to defend the honour of the governing body in arduous, 60 minute epics. Lou Thesz, Harley Race, Ric Flair: between them, from shoot tough guy credentials to sexual prowess, the composite picture is formed of the alpha male. Vince McMahon then bought everything up, rendering the concept and image of the old NWA so antiquated that WCW cut ties with it. Adrift, the NWA hoped to shore up in Philadelphia, but Shane Douglas threw its prize on the ground, thus accelerating its inevitable demise.
The first wilderness years and crop of under-the-radar champs ensued, before a wildly incongruous link was formed between the traditional outfit and the almost anti-wrestling TNA in the 2000s. The oxymoronic NWA:TNA restored the prestige of the lineage through Champions Sting, Jeff Jarrett and Christian Cage.
The termination of the business arrangement created another rift in the lineage of - again - weirdly ill-fitting names. We're all looking for inspiration for lockdown quizzes, so for the grapple fans out there, how about 'NWA World's Heavyweight Champion or Bloke Down The Pub?'
But then, in 2018, incredibly, Cody helped revive the brand by making that title mean something all over again in his big-time match against Nick Aldis, following which the brand embarked on an improbable - but well-received - reboot.