The Chicago version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship promoted by the Chicago-based Fred Kohler Enterprises, a member of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The championship was for two-man tag teams only. While the NWA Board of Directors mandated that there would only be one NWA World Heavyweight Championship, they did not regulate the use of championships labeled "NWA World Tag Team Championship", allowing any member that so desired to create their own local version. As a result, as many as 13 different, regional versions were active in 1957, the highest number of active NWA World Tag Team Championships in existence at the same time.
The championship was introduced in 1953 when the promoters awarded the championship to Lord James Blears and Lord Athol Layton. The championship was promoted from 1953 until 1960 when Fred Kohler left the NWA to help form the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and thus the AWA World Tag Team Championship became the top tag team championship in the Chicago area. The Chicago promotion would later be bought by Dick Afflis, who merged it with his Indianapolis-based territory. The last NWA World Tag Team Championship was won by the Shires brothers, Roy and Ray, on April 9, 1960. The Volkoffs, Boris and Nicoli, held the championship four times, the record for the Chicago version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship. Art Neilson and Reggie Lisowski held the championship for 371 days, the longest individual reign in the championship's seven-year history. Being a professional wrestling championship, it is not won or lost competitively, but instead determined 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.
Title history Key No.The overall championship reignReignThe reign number for the specific wrestler listed.EventThe event promoted by the respective promotion in which the title changed handsN/AThe specific information is not known —Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign Indicates that there was a period where the lineage is undocumented due to the lack of written documentation in that time period. No.ChampionsReignDateDays heldLocationEventNotes1 and 1N/AN/AAwarded2 and Billy Darnell1Chicago, Illinoislive eventDefeated Blears and Martino Angelo who substituted Layton who had suffered an injury.31Chicago, Illinoislive eventN/AN/AN/AVacated when the Sharpe brothers stop working for the company4 and Billy Darnell2live eventThe location of the match was not captured as part of the documentation.Melby and Darnell were awarded the championship.5 and Art Neilson1live eventDefeated Melby and Jack Witzig who substituted for an injured Darnell6 and Roy McClarity1Moline, Illinoislive event7 and Joe Tangara1live event8 and Danny Plechas1Moline, Illinoislive event9 and Stan Lisowski1live eventN/AN/AN/AChampionship vacated for undocumented reasons10 and Roy McClarity1live eventDes Moines, IowaWon the championship in a match against Nicolai and Boris VolkoffN/AN/AN/AChampionship vacated for undocumented reasons111Milwaukee, Wisconsinlive eventWon the vacant championship in a match against Reggie and Stan Lisowski12 and Stan Lisowski2live event132Milwaukee, Wisconsinlive event14 and Édouard Carpentier1Milwaukee, Wisconsinlive event153live event16 and Stan Lisowski3Chicago, Illinoislive event174Chicago, Illinoislive event18 and Don Fargo1Chicago, Illinoislive eventN/AN/AN/AChampionship vacated for undocumented reasons19 and Ray Shire1Indianapolis, Indianalive eventdefeated Angelo Poffo and Dick Afflis in a tournament final20 and Dick Afflis1live event21 and Ray Shire2live eventN/AN/AN/AChampionship retired when promoter Fred Kohler left the NWA to help for the American Wrestling Association, replacing the championship with the AWA World Tag Team Championship
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 days1Nicolai and Boris Volkoff 4 2Reggie Lisowski and Art Neilson 1 3713Roy and Ray Shire 2 4Pat O'Connor and Roy McClarity 1 5Reggie and Stan Lisowski 3 6Bill Melby and Billy Darnell 2 7Gene Kiniski and Dick Afflis 1 588Jackie and Don Fargo 1 9Mike DiBiase and Danny Plechas 1 10Verne Gagne and Édouard Carpentier 1 11Ben and Mike Sharpe 1 Bobby Bruns and Roy McClarity 1 Guy Brunetti and Joe Tangara 1 Lord James Blears and Lord Athol Layton 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 days1Reggie Lisowski 4 2Boris Volkoff 4 Nicolai Volkoff 4 4Art Neilson 1 5Ray Shire 2 Roy Shire 2 7Pat O'Connor 1 Roy McClarity 1 9Stan Lisowski 3 10Bill Melby 2 Billy Darnell 2 12Dick Afflis 1 58Gene Kiniski 1 5814Don Fargo 1 Jackie Fargo 1 16Danny Plechas 1 Mike DiBiase 1 18Édouard Carpentier 1 Verne Gagne 1 20Ben Sharpe 1 Bobby Bruns 1 Guy Brunetti 1 Joe Tangara 1 Lord Athol Layton 1 Lord James Blears 1 Mike Sharpe 1 Roy McClarity 1
See also National Wrestling Alliance NWA World Tag Team Championship
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