The 10 Greatest Wrestling World Heavyweight Champions of all time

Just to clear this up, this isn’t a review arranging the Greatness of the real Wrestlers when everything is said in done, yet ONLY about how surprising they were as NWA World Champions during their title rules.

Here are the 10 NWA Champions with the best standards (not arranged by length):

10. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Ricky Steamboat won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship once, when he vanquished Ric Flair at the NWA Chi-Town Rumble 1989 PPV.

He protected the title enough against Terry Funk and Ric Flair, before losing it back to Flair at NWA WrestleWar 1989.

9. “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes

Dusty Rhodes is a 3 time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, coming about to winning the title in 1979, 1981 and 1986.

He vanquished “Appealing” Harley Race at his fundamental two title wins and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair at his last one.

Find bliss in the incredible past Dusty Rhodes

October 12, 1945 – June 11, 2015

8. Quality Kiniski

Quality Kiniski won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on one ocassion, when he vanquished the extraordinary Lou Thesz in 1966.

He would lose the belt to Dory Funk Jr. following 3 years in 1969.

Find bliss in the incredible past Gene Kiniski

November 23, 1928 – April 14, 2010

7. Pat O’Connor

Pat O’Connor won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship once in 1959 by vanquishing by then legend Dick Hutton.

O’Connor held the belt for 2 and a half years, before losing it to amazing “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers.

Find fulfillment in the incredible past Pat O’Connor

August 22, 1924 – August 16, 1990

6. Terry Funk

Terry Funk won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on one ocassion, when he squashed Jack Brisco in late 1975.

Funk held the title for genuinely longer than a year sooner losing it to Harley Race in mid 1977.

Terry is one of 2 Wrestlers on this outline, who regardless of everything wrestled in 2015, and we can not square one more match in 2016…

5. Dory Funk Jr.

Terry’s Brother Dory Funk Jr. won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship once, when he beat Gene Kiniski in 1969, 6 years before his family won the title.

In like manner, much equal to his kinfolk years at some point later, Dory lost the belt to the awesome Harley Race.

Like Terry, Dory Funk Jr (age 74) is likewise as of not long ago wrestling in 2015, just he is commonly battling in 6 man Tag matches for AJPW, where he doesn’t need to do a lot of veritable ring work.

4. Jack Brisco

Jack Brisco won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on 2 events, once in 1973 and following a year in 1974.

He as of late vanquished Harley Race for the belt, by then lost it to AJPW Promoter Giant Baba in Japan, before winning it again from Baba just 7 days at some point later.

A year after his resulting title win, he lost the belt for good when he was squashed by a youthful Terry Funk.

3. “Engaging” Harley Race

Harley Race is a past various events NWA World Heavyweight Champion, coming about to winning the Championship in 1973, 1977, 1979 (2x), 1980, 1981, 1983 and 1984.

He vanquished some extraordinary Wrestlers for the title, similar to Dory Funk Jr., Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes, Giant Baba (2x), Tommy Rich, and Ric Flair (2x).

Just 1 individual held the NWA World Title more as a rule than Harley Race …

2. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair

… and that individual is Ric Flair, who won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship a record of various events.

Some spot in the extent of 1981 and 1993, Flair squashed enemies like Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Kerry Von Erich, Ron Garvin, Ricky Steamboat, Sting, Tatsumi Fujinami, and Barry Windham.

Soul had his last match in 2011, wrestling his archnemesis Sting in TNA.

1. Lou Thesz

Evidently extraordinary among other Professional Wrestlers, Lou Thesz is a 5 time NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Thesz held the title

from 1949 to 1955,

from 1955 to 1956,

from 1956 to 1957,

again in 1957,

also, one final time

from 1963 to 1966.

Find rapture in the extraordinary past Lou Thesz

April 24, 1916 – April 28, 2002