The Indianapolis version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship, which was actively used between 1951 and 1960, was a professional wrestling championship exclusively for two-man tag teams. As a member of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the NWA Indianapolis territory was entitled to create an NWA World Tag Team Championship that they could promote within the boundaries of their territory, in this case Indiana, making it a "regional" championship despite being labeled a "world championship". Because the use of the championship was not restricted to one overall championship, a large number of different, regional championships bore the name "NWA World Tag Team Championship" between 1949 and 1992. In 1957 as many as 13 different versions were promoted across the United States. As it is a professional wrestling championship, it is not won or lost competitively but instead by the decision of the bookers of a wrestling promotion. The title is awarded after the chosen team "wins" a match to maintain the illusion that professional wrestling is a competitive sport.
The Indianapolis NWA World Tag Team Championship was introduced in 1951 as promoters Jim Barnett, Fred Kohler, Dick Patton, and Balk Estes decided to bring Ben and Mike Sharpe in from the West Coast to be their first champions. While the Sharpe brothers were being promoted as having won a tournament, no records of such a tournament has been found, making it likely they were simply announced as champions when they arrived in Indianapolis. In late 1951 the team of Rudy Kay and Al Williams, who worked for NWA Indianapolis on a regular basis, defeated the Sharpe brothers to cement the championship lineage in Indianapolis, while the Sharpe brothers returned to the West Coast. The team of Boris and Nicoli Volkoff won the championship on three occasions, setting a record for both teams and individuals. Reggie Lisowski and Stan Lisowski's first reign as champions lasted at least 243 days, the longest of any individual reign, and their two combined reigns totaled at least 342 days, as least 150 days longer than the second-longest combined reigns. Due to the fact that no dates were captured as part of the championship documentation, it is impossible to determine which team had the shortest reign.
Title history Key SymbolMeaningNo.The overall championship reignReignThe reign number for the specific wrestler listed.EventThe event in which the championship changed handsN/AThe specific information is not known[Note #]Indicates that the exact length of the title reign is unknown, with a note providing more details. Indicates that there was a period where the lineage is undocumented due to the lack of written documentation in that time period.Indicates that a title change took place "no later than" the date listed.Documentation of the specific date of a title change is not found but documentation of the champion holding the title on that date/in that period. No.ChampionsReignDateDays heldLocationEventNotes11 The location of the match was not captured as part of the documentation.Live eventRecords are unclear on how they became champions2Rudy Kay and Al Williams1 Live eventBilled as champions on a show in Elwood, Indiana3 and Joe Tangaro1 Live eventDuring a show in Logansport, Indiana on May 12, 1954, the team was billed as the "Midwest Tag Team Champions", believed to be the same championship.4 and Stan Lisowski1 Live eventSupposedly had "recently" defeated Brunetti and Tangaro and Brunetti for the championship51Milwaukee, WisconsinLive eventThe Lisowski brothers were still recognized as champions in Indianapolis, but not Wisconsin6 and Johnny Gilbert1 Live eventbilled as champion on a show in Angola, Indiana on this date7Sheik of Araby and Angelo Poffo1 Live eventBilled as champions on a show in Valparaiso, Indiana on this date82Indianapolis, IndianaLive event 9 and Stan Lisowski2Live event 10 and Joe Tangaro2Indianapolis, IndianaLive eventStill billed as champions on December 5, 195711(Jackie and Don)1 Live eventThe Fargos would defend the Mid-America version in and around Indiana until at least April 16, 1958122 Live eventFirst billed as champions on a show in Elwood, Illinois; still billed as champions on January 29, 1959131Indianapolis, IndianaLive eventDefeated Dick Afflis and Angelo Poffo in tournament final to win the vacant championshipN/AN/AN/AThe championship was replaced by the AWA World Tag Team Championship when the Indiana territory left the NWA.
Team reigns by combined length Key SymbolMeaning¤The exact length of at least one title reign is uncertain, so the shortest possible length is used. RankTeamNo. of reignsCombined days1 and Stan Lisowski 2 2Sheik of Araby and Angelo Poffo 1 3 3 4 1 5 and Joe Tangaro 2 6 (Jackie Fargo and Don Fargo) 1 and Johnny Gilbert 1 1 Rudy Kay and Al Williams 1
Individual reigns by combined length Key SymbolMeaning¤The exact length of at least one title reign is uncertain, so the shortest possible length is used. RankWrestlerNo. of reignsCombined days1 2 2 3Sheik of Araby 1 1 5 3 3 7 1 1 9 2 2 11 1 1 1 Rudy Kay 1 1 1 1 1
Footnotes
Concurrent championships Sources for 13 simultaneous NWA World Tag Team Championships NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Buffalo Athletic Club version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Iowa/Nebraska version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Indianapolis version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Salt Lake Wrestling Club version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)
References