10 Most Prestigious Wrestling Championship Belts Ever

6. The AWA World Heavyweight Championship (AWA)

Date established: 18 May 1960; Day retired: 12 December, 1990 # Of Reigns: 38 Wrestler with Most Reigns: Verne Gagne (10) Longest Reign: Verne Gagne (2,625 Days) Shortest Reign: Verne Gagne, Might Igor Vodic, & Dick the Bruiser (7 days each) This is the belt carried by some of the most well-known and prolific professional wrestlers in the United States. The Gagne family wasn€™t looking for gimmicky people; they wanted the best wrestlers in the country to compete for this belt. As such, the belt was carried with the prestige of a true athlete€™s prize. Some of the biggest names in technical wrestling once carried this belt proudly, including Jerry Lawler, €˜Mr. Perfect€™ Curt Hennig, Larry Zbyszko, Mad Dog Vachon, Nick Bockwinkel, and of course, Verne Gagne. To older wrestling fans and wrestling historians, these are some of the most important names in the history of the sport, and many of them were some of the finest wrestlers in history. One of the most infamous stories surrounding this belt is that Verne Gagne refused to drop the title to Hulk Hogan because Hogan wasn€™t enough of a wrestler in Gagne€™s eyes. That speaks to the title€™s prestige as a wrestler€™s belt, and lives up to the belt€™s reputation as one that isn€™t meant for €˜gimmicky€™ guys who can€™t work a match. Sadly, the AWA World Heavyweight Championship would earn another reputation: one based on ego and family ties. Many observers claim that the belt€™s perpetual association with Verne Gagne led to the belief that he was constantly manipulating things to keep the belt around his waist, to the detriment of others and to keeping things fresh. So while things didn€™t necessarily end on a high note, the AWA Championship enjoyed a thirty-year run that was highlighted by some of the finest wrestling, and it was carried by some truly outstanding wrestlers.