NWA National Tag Team Championship

The NWA National Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team championship in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling professional wrestling promotion from 1980 until 1986.

NWA National Tag Team Championship
The NWA National Tag Team Championship title belt
Details
PromotionGeorgia Championship Wrestling
Date establishedNovember 27, 1980
Date retiredJanuary 1, 1986
Statistics
First champion(s)The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy)
Final champion(s)The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson
Most reignsThe Fabulous Freebirds and The Road Warriors (3 reigns)
Longest reignArn and Ole Anderson (248 days)
Shortest reignKing Kong Bundy and Masked Superstar (4 days)

History

edit

The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions the Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts, and Terry Gordy) won a tournament to determine the first champions, defeating Stan Frazier and Robert Fuller in the final. They were introduced as the Georgia and National Tag Team Champions and carried a trophy to the ring representing the National title as they wore belts which represented the Georgia title.

The National Tag Team Championship continued to be represented by a trophy until Thanksgiving Night in 1981, when the promotion awarded newly made belts (modeled after the old Georgia tag team belts, which the National title replaced) to the winners of its annual turkey night tag team tournament. The father and son duo of Bob Armstrong and Brad Armstrong defeated Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in the final to win the vacant NWA National Tag Team Championship.

When the World Wrestling Federation's Vince McMahon bought Georgia Championship Wrestling's TV timeslot (after GCW's contract with Turner Broadcasting System expired without renewal: Black Saturday), the titleholders were Ron Garvin and Jerry Oates. After Oates and Garvin declined to sign with McMahon, McMahon discontinued the title.

A new wrestling promotion containing some former Georgia Championship Wrestling personnel - Championship Wrestling from Georgia - reactivated the title, and recognized Garvin & Oates as the titleholders, keeping the Georgia Championship Wrestling lineage unbroken. Jim Crockett Promotions bought the TBS wrestling timeslot from the WWF in 1985 -- and Championship Wrestling from Georgia (including CWG's Saturday morning TBS timeslot, as well) - keeping the title active. The title was written out of JCP storylines when titleholders Ole Anderson and Arn Anderson were stripped of the belts, and JCP replaced them by establishing its 'new' United States Tag Team Championship, and a tournament to crown its 'first' champions.[1]

Title history

edit
Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific team—reign numbers for the individuals are in parentheses, if different
Days Number of days held
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days
 1  The Fabulous Freebirds
(Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy)
 November 27, 1980  live event Atlanta, Georgia  1  60 Defeated Stan Frazier and Robert Fuller in tournament final.
 2  Ted DiBiase and Stan Frazier  January 26, 1981  live event Augusta, Georgia  1  5
 3  The Fabulous Freebirds
(Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy)
 January 31, 1981  live event Atlanta, Georgia  2  130
 4  Ted DiBiase (2) and Steve Olsonoski  June 10, 1981  live event Marietta, Georgia  1  26
 5  Terry Gordy (3) and Jimmy Snuka  July 6, 1981  live event Augusta, Georgia  1  83 Tommy Rich and Ted DiBiase defeated Gordy and Snuka on July 19, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia, but the belts were returned after the NWA found out that Michael Hayes counted the pinfall.
 6  Michael Hayes (3) and Otis Sistrunk  September 27, 1981  live event Atlanta, Georgia  1  13
Vacated  October 10, 1981 Sistrunk quit the company, date listed is first TV taping without Sistrunk.
 7  The Armstrongs
(Bob and Brad Armstrong)
 November 26, 1981  live event Atlanta, Georgia  1  57 Defeated Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in tournament final and won a $30,000 cash prize.
 8  Super Destroyer and Masked Superstar  January 22, 1982  live event Columbus, Georgia  1  45
 9  Super Destroyer (2) and Big John Studd  March 8, 1982  live event N/A  1  116 Masked Superstar gave his half of title to Studd.
 10  The Fabulous Freebirds
(Michael Hayes (4) and Terry Gordy (4))
 July 2, 1982  live event Chattanooga, Tennessee  3  58
 11  The Wild Samoans
(Afa and Sika)
 August 29, 1982  live event Atlanta, Georgia  1  125
Vacated  January 1, 1983 Storyline was that the Samoans refused to defend against Tommy Rich and Paul Orndorff, in reality they left GCW for the World Wrestling Federation.
 12  The Road Warriors
(Animal and Hawk)
 June 11, 1983  live event Atlanta, Georgia  1  176 Won a fictitious tournament.
 13  The Sawyers
(Buzz and Brett Sawyer)
 December 4, 1983  live event Canton, Ohio  1  55
 14  The Road Warriors
(Animal and Hawk)
 January 28, 1984  live event Athens, Georgia  2  99 Awarded the championship when Buzz Sawyer was fired.
 15  King Kong Bundy and Masked Superstar (2)  May 6, 1984  live event Atlanta, Georgia  1  4 [2]
Vacated  May 10, 1984 Masked Superstar was said to be injured, to cover for him working in Japan.
 16  The Road Warriors
(Animal and Hawk)
 May 20, 1984  live event Atlanta, Georgia  3  45 Defeated Junkyard Dog and Sweet Brown Sugar in a tournament final.
 17  Ron Garvin and Jerry Oates  July 4, 1984  live event Columbus, Georgia  1  79 After the WWF purchased GCW on Black Saturday, a successor promotion, Championship Wrestling from Georgia, kept the titles on Garvin & Oates.
 18  The Hollywood Blonds
(Rip Rogers and Ted Oates)
 September 21, 1984  live event Atlanta, Georgia  1  44
 19  The Lighting Express
(Brad Armstrong (2) and Tim Horner)
 November 4, 1984  live event N/A  1  6
Vacated  November 10, 1984 Horner was injured and unable to defend the championship
 20  The Long Riders
(Bill Irwin and Scott Irwin (3))
 November 18, 1984  live event Atlanta, Georgia  1  54 Defeated Brad Armstrong and Jacques Rougeau in a tournament final, also won a $100,000 cash prize.
 21  Ole Anderson and Thunderbolt Patterson  January 11, 1985  live event Cleveland, Ohio  1  78
Vacated  March 30, 1985 Ole Anderson turned on Thunderbolt Patterson and broke up the team.
 22  The Minnesota Wrecking Crew
(Ole Anderson (2) and Arn Anderson)
 April 28, 1985  live event Charlotte, North Carolina  1  248 Defeated Patterson and Manny Fernandez in a match where both Ole and Patterson's half of the titles were at stake, with Arn becoming the new title holder.
Deactivated  January 1, 1986 Ole was injured by the Road Warriors and Dusty Rhodes in a match; replaced with the NWA United States Tag Team Championship.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  2. ^ F4W Staff (May 6, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 6): Verne Gagne Vs. Danny Hodge, 1st Annual Von Erich Parade of Champions show". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 10, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)