British Heavyweight Championship

For the boxing championship, see List of British heavyweight boxing champions.

The British Heavyweight Championship is a top British wrestling championship found throughout the country's circuit.

Many versions of the British Heavyweight Championship exist in the independent circuit of the United Kingdom at any given time but the scene is usually dominated by one company’s version. When another company becomes dominant the title often manages to unify itself or is brought into that company.

Title histories

This is the combined list of different versions of the British Heavyweight Titles, each of which was probably the most significant version at the time. Each version may or may not be connected to another. However, all title changes are either actual or "official" unless indicated otherwise.

British Wrestling Association 1930-1950

Wrestler: Times: Date: Place: Notes:
Atholl Oakeley 1 1930 Won a series of matches to become the first champion.
Vacant 1935 After Oakeley retired due to injury
Bill Garnon 1 1935 London, England
M. Fazal 1 1937
Alan Muir 1 1938
Michael O'Leary 1 1939
Vacant Michael O'Leary was killed during the outbreak of the war, he died undefeated.
Bert Assirati 1 27/01/1945 Manchester Assirati had been claiming the title since 1940.
Vacant 1950 After Assirati left for India.


Disputed claims 1934-1938
Wrestler: Times: Date: Place: Notes:
Bill Garnon 1 1934 London Some claim Garnon's first reign began one year earlier
Douglas Clark 1 02/11/1934 Manchester
George Gregory 1 1938 Won by default when Clark fails to appear for a scheduled defence.
Vacant Until Bert Assirati is recognised as champion

Joint Promotions 1952-1982 & 1985-1989

Wrestler: Times: Date: Place: Notes:
Ernie Baldwin 1 ??/01/1952 Newcastle Defeated Dave Armstrong in a tournament final.
Alf Rawlings 1 1953
Dai Sullivan 1 1953
Ernie Baldwin 2 1953
Tony Mancelli 1 09/09/1955
Vacant 1955
Bert Assirati 2 19/10/1955 Defeated Ernie Baldwin
Vacant 1958 Stripped by Joint Promotions; Assirati would continue to claim the title in BWF
Billy Joyce 1 15/04/1958 London Defeated Gordon Nelson.
Ernie Baldwin 3 ??/11/1959 Glasgow
Billy Joyce 2 ??/12/1959
Dennis Mitchell 1 ??/12/1959
Billy Joyce 3 15/07/1960 Bradford
Geoff Portz 1 09/03/1964 Bradford
Billy Joyce 4 26/03/1964 Middlesbrough
Albert Wall 1 17/02/1966 Nottingham
Gwynn Davies 1 20/02/1966 Nottingham
Billy Joyce 5 17/03/1966 Nottingham
Ian Campbell 1 04/05/1966 Perth
Billy Joyce 6 28/06/1966 Edinburgh Became the undisputed champion when Shirley Crabtree vacated the BWF version.
Billy Robinson 1 18/01/1967 Manchester
Vacant ??/02/1970 When Robinson left for North America.
Albert Wall 2 13/04/1970 Nottingham Defeated Steve Veidor.
Gwynn Davies 2 01/18/1971 Loughborough
Albert Wall 3 08/05/1971 Manchester
Vacant 1974 When Wall retired temporarily.
Gwynn Davies 3 15/02/1975 Manchester
Tony St. Clair 1 28/05/1977 Manchester
Giant Haystacks 1 22/11/1978 London
Tony St. Clair 2 25/04/1979 London Moved to #All Star Wrestling in 1982 with the title
Vacant 1985 Recognition was withdrawn by Joint Promotions in 1985
Ray Steele 1 14/04/1985
Pat Roach 1 26/04/1986
Dalbir Singh 1 02/10/1986
Vacant 1989 All-Star's Tony St. Clair becomes undisputed champion after Singh joins All-Star and renounces his claim.

Disputed Branch: British Wrestling Federation 1958-1966

Wrestler: Times: Date: Place: Notes:
Bert Assirati 2 1958 Stripped by Joint Promotions - Continued to claim title and was recognized by BWF
Vacant 1960 Assirati stripped by BWF while recovering from injury.
Shirley Crabtree 1 1960 Won a tournament
Vacant 1966 No replacement was crowned, making Joint Promotions' Billy Joyce an Undisputed Champion.

All Star Wrestling 1982-present

Wrestler: Times: Date: Place: Notes:
Tony St. Clair 2 25/04/1979 London Came to All Star in 1982 with the title from Joint Promotions
Kendo Nagasaki 1 1988
Tony St. Clair 3 1988 Becomes undisputed champion after Joint Promotions' champion Singh joins All Star in 1989 and renounces his claim.
Dave 'Fit' Finlay 1 05/02/1990 Croydon
Dave Taylor 1 06/04/1991 King's Lynn
Tony St. Clair 4 04/05/1993 Croydon Vacated in 1995.
Dave Taylor 2 ??/08/1995 Croydon Defeated Marty Jones in a tournament final.
Marty Jones 1 1996 Croydon
Vacant Upon Marty Jones' late 1990s retirement
Karl Krammer 1 circa 1998 Claiming title by 1998
Doug Williams 1 Claiming title by 2001. Would later take the title to the Universal title tournament.
Robbie Brookside 1 29/09/2002 Liverpool Williams was still considered the Universal champion
Drew McDonald 1 07/06/2005 Croydon
Steve Sonic 1 17/01/2006 Croydon
Vacant 26/05/2006 Sonic would relinquish the title to return to WWE's developmental promotion OVW.
James Mason 1 12/11/2006 Mason defeated Drew McDonald, Doug Williams, and Robbie Brookside in a 4-way elimination match to win the vacant title.
Broady Steele 1 02/09/2007 Liverpool [1]
Robbie Brookside 2 11/02/2008 Liverpool
Vacant ??/05/2009 Due to knee injury
Rampage Brown 1 16/05/2009 Hanley Wins 4-way elimination final of an 8-man tournament against James Mason, Doug Williams, and Karl Kramer.
Dean Allmark 1 02/10/2010 Hanley
Rampage Brown 2 25/03/2012 Croydon

Disputed Branch: The Wrestling Alliance 1999-2003

Wrestler: Times: Date: Place: Notes:
Rob Brookside 1 1999 Recognised as champion by TWA
Drew McDonald 1 ??/03/2001
Justin Starr 1 07/05/2001 Weymouth
Vacant 12/07/2001 Following a controversial finish in the Starr/MacDonald rematch.
Vacant 16/12/2001 Brookside was suspended and stripped of the belts-after sanctioning his own defences resulting in a breach of contract.
Justin Starr 2 17/01/2002 Southampton
Doug Williams 1 26/01/2002 Bognor Regis FWA Champion, Williams defeated Justin Starr to win recognition by The Wrestling Alliance.
Rob Brookside 2 26/01/2002 Bognor Regis
Vacant 01/02/2002 Exmouth Rumble match would be held the same night to declare new champion.
Justin Starr 3 01/02/2002 Exmouth Won a royal rumble match
Ricky Knight 1 11/07/2002 Weymouth
Justin Starr 4 ??/11/2002 Bristol
Vacant Due to injury
Alex Shane 1 23/03/2003 Defeated James Mason for the vacant belt.
Vacant 25/03/2003 TWA's owner, Scott Conway would strip the title from Shane following his actions in a match against Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
Vacant Conway closes the company and emigrates to Thailand.

Universal British Heavyweight Championship

On 10 July 2002 All-Star's Champion, Doug Williams along with other top title holding wrestlers entered into a tournament to be recognized as Universal British Heavyweight Champion by The Wrestling Alliance, Frontier Wrestling Alliance, World Association of Wrestling, All Star Wrestling, and Premier Promotions. Doug Williams would first defeat the then-TWA British Heavyweight Champion, Justin Starr (though Starr would continue to be recognized as champion), before going on to defeat The Zebra Kid in a tournament final to become the Universal British Heavyweight Champion.

The Universal version of this title would not last long with all the promotions splitting out their British Heavyweight titles, but Williams continued to be recognized as the Universal British Heavyweight Champion.

See also other versions

References

  1. ↑ "ALL STAR WRESTLING GRAPPLEVINE presented by RUSSELL PLUMMER MONDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER 2007" bigtimewrestlinguk.com

External links

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