The Salt Lake Wrestling Club version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship for tag teams that was promoted between 1955 and 1959 in the Salt Lake Wrestling Club territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Local promoter Dave Reynolds promoted the championship primarily in Utah, but would occasionally runs shows in Idaho and Washington state. Since the promotion was a member of the NWA, the Salt Lake Wrestling Club was entitled to promote their local version of the championship, as the NWA bylaws did not restrict the use of that championship in the same way they restricted the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to one nationally recognized championship. In 1957 there were no less than 13 distinct versions of the NWA World Tag Team Championship promoted across the United States. Because the championship was a professional wrestling championship, it was not contested for in legitimate sporting events, but instead determined by the decision of the bookers of a wrestling promotion.
The team of Guy Brunetti and Joe Tangaro were the first recognized champions in the Utah/Idaho region, being introduced as champions no later than December 29, 1955. Records are unclear as to how they won the championship. The championship was active until 1959 with at least 28 different championship reigns. In 1959 the team of Chico Garcia and Chet Wallick became the final champions, as the championship was abandoned when the Salt Lake Wrestling Club was going out of business. Brunetti and Tangaro ended up holding the championship three times, tied with Frank Jares and Great Sasaki for most championships as a team. The Bat held the championship four times, with four different partners, more than any other wrestler. Brunetti and Tangaro's third championship reign lasted at least 95 days, the longest of any reign. Brunetti and Tangaro's three reigns combined to be at least 237 days long. Due to lack of dates for some championship changes it is impossible to determine who held the championship for the shortest period of time; Bill Melby and Blue Avenger's 14 day reign from November 21 to December 10, 1956, is the shortest confirmed reign, but the possibility exists that a shorter reign actually happened.
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 —Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign[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 heldLocationEventNotes1 and Joe Tangaro1 The location of the match was not captured as part of the documentation.Live eventRecords are unclear on how Brunetti and Tangaro became champions2 and Roy Shire1Ogden, UtahLive eventStill listed as champions on July 9, 19563 and Roger McKay1 Live eventStill listed as champions on November 5, 19564 and Roy Shire2 Spokane, WashingtonLive event 5 and Great Sasaki1Idaho Falls, IdahoLive event 6 and Joe Tangaro2Salt Lake City, UtahLive event 7 and Great Sasaki2Salt Lake City, UtahLive event 8 and Joe Tangaro3Ogden, UtahLive event 8 and Great Sasaki3 Live event N/AN/AN/AChampionship vacated when the Great Sasaki returns to Japan9 and Cliff Thiede1Idaho Falls, IdahoLive eventDefeated Frank Jares and Yvon Quimet in the finals of a tournament to win the vacant championship. Still listed as champions on February 15, 1957101 Live event 11 and Great Sasaki1Ogden, UtahLive event 122Ogden, UtahLive event 13 and Great Sasaki2 Live event 14 and Stretch Parks1Idaho Falls, IdahoLive event 15 and The Bat1Salt Lake City, UtahLive eventStill listed as champions on August 26, 195716 (2) and Eric the Great1 Live event 17 and Rey Urbano1 Live event 18 and Paul DeGalles1 Live event 19 and Tony Silipini1Salt Lake City, UtahLive event 20 and The Bat (3)1Salt Lake City, UtahLive event 21 and Reggie Siki1Twin Falls, IdahoLive eventChampionship change was repeated in Idaho Falls on August 4, 195822 and Prince Maiava1Idaho Falls, IdahoLive event 23 and Ox Anderson1Salt Lake City, UtahLive event 24 and Blue Avenger1Salt Lake City, UtahLive event 25Mighty Milo and Lou Newman1Salt Lake City, UtahLive event 26 (2) and The Bat (4)1 Live event N/AN/AN/AChampionship held up after a match against Bill Melby and Kit Fox ended inconclusively.27 and Kit Fox1 Live eventCould have been awarded the championship after The Bat and Tony Borne break up.28 and Chet Wallick1Twin Falls, IdahoLive eventThe championship match was possibly repeated on June 11 in Idaho Falls. Still listed as champions as of July 1, 1959N/AN/AN/AChampionship was no longer defended in the territory.
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 Joe Tangaro 3 2 and Tony Silipini 1 913 and Reggie Siki 1 484 and Stretch Parks 1 and The Bat 1 466 and Ox Anderson 1 357 and Prince Maiava 1 32 and Great Sasaki 2 9 and Great Sasaki 3 and Blue Avenger 1 1411 and Kit Fox 1 12 and Roy Shire 2 13 and The Bat 1 14 and Paul DeGalles 1 15 2 16 and Eric the Great 1 and Roger McKay 1 and Chet Wallick 1 and The Bat 1 and Cliff Thiede 1 and Rey Urbano 1 Mighty Milo and Lou Newman 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 3 3 3 1 91 1 915 2 836 4 7 1 488 1 1 1 4611 1 3512 1 32 1 32 2 Great Sasaki 2 16 2 17 3 Blue Avenger 1 14Great Sasaki 3 20 2 21 2 2 23 3 24 1 25 2 2 27 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Eric the Great 1 Mighty Milo 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