10 Unrecognised Wrestling Championship Reigns

8. Killer Kowalski - NWA Champion

Walter €œKiller€ Kowalski is best known today as a legendary trainer in the wrestling business. He trained countless sports entertainers before his passing in 2008 -- chief among them, Triple H. However, before his time as a teacher, Killer Kowalski was a feared competitor. Standing 6€™7€ and weighing nearly 300 pounds, Kowalski struck fear into the hearts of his many opponents. However, there was only one man that could make the fans cheer in support of Kowalski. That man was none other than Nature Boy Buddy Rogers. Rogers was so hated by the fans, that Kowalski looked like a docile, kind-hearted soul by comparison. The most famous interaction between these two legendary superstars took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on November 22, 1961. Kowalski and Rogers entered into battle on that day, competing for the prestigious NWA World Heavyweight Championship -- really the only major title up for grabs at the time. During that era, World Championship bouts were contested under 2 out of 3 falls rules. However, Kowalski won the gold after just one fall, as Rogers had broken his ankle early in the bout and could not continue. Despite the victory, Kowalski was not officially recognized as the NWA Champion. He was only considered the champ in just a handful of states, while everyone else continued to acknowledge the injured Rogers as their NWA Champion. Because of this disputed title reign, the history books to not recall Killer Kowalski as ever having officially held the proverbial Ten Pounds of Gold. Rogers would go on to settle any doubt in regard to the controversial reign, by defeating Kowalski on January 21st in 1963. Interestingly, Kowalski tried to claim that the bout was never meant to be a championship contests, as the title was not on the line.