10 Things You Didn't Know About The NWA World Heavyweight Championship
8. ...But 4 Champions Held It For Less Than 24 Hours
...but what was that about complex and unique?
Indeed, for all the machine-like men that held the title for marathon stints, there were performers that only found themselves wrapped in controversy rather than strapped with the famous ‘10 Pounds Of Gold’.
Shane Douglas' instant dismissal of it in 1994 was the most infamous, but several other men - one even named in Douglas' iconic acceptance speech - also have one-day reigns attached to their wrestling records.
Jack Veneno and Ray Gonzalez both had disputed reigns in 1982 and 2005 respectively when victories in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic were chalked off the nights they occurred. And 1980s title steward Ric Flair even tasted controversy as a result.
The Veneno victory was mired in controversy, with Flair's loss only booked to appease a dangerously rabid home crowd. In storylines, the National Wrestling Alliance announced that Veneno was unwilling to defend the title outside of the Dominican Republic, justifying the immediate switch back to 'The Nature Boy'.