1970s

1960s << | >> 1980s

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World Champions at the Beginning of the Decade:

* Singles titles only. Italicized letters indicate that the title is billed as an NWA title but not officially recognized by the head office.

  • Heavyweight: Dory Funk Jr.
  • Junior Heavyweight: Danny Hodge
  • Light Heavyweight: Carlos Elio Colisetti
  • Middleweight: El Solitario
  • Welterweight: Karloff Lagarde
  • Women: Fabulous Moolah

1970

08-07 ~ 09 Las Vegas, NV
The annual convention is held.

1971

08-06 ~ 08 México City, México
The annual convention is held. Around this time, the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, parent company of the World Wide Wrestling Federation, rejoins the NWA.

09
Eddie Graham takes over the Tampa booking office when Clarence Luttrell, member since 1950-09, retires.

10 Detroit, MI
Dick the Bruiser’s Indiana-based World Wrestling Association starts running shows in opposition to Ed Farhat (The Sheik), a local NWA member. The promotional war lasts for three years.

10-29 Detroit, MI
Harry Light, a local member from 1949-10 to 1961, passes away.

12-25 Atlanta, GA
WTCG starts airing the weekly Saturday program for Georgia Championship Wrestling at 6:00pm.

1972

08-01 Savannah, GA
Ray Gunkel, the majority owner of the Atlanta booking office, passes away. His widow Ann leaves the company and starts All South Wrestling Alliance on 10-24 with more than 20 wrestlers, including Georgia state heavyweight, tag team, and brass knuckles champions, from the NWA office.

11-22 Atlanta, GA
Paul Jones (local member) and Lester Welch, along with Lester’s brother Roy Welch (Tennessee member) form Mid-South Sports, Inc.

1973

02-03
A special board meeting is held to admit Shōhei Baba of All Japan Pro Wrestling into the organization. With Junzō Hasegawa of JPWA still in the organization, NWA now has two members in Japan.

04-01 Charlotte, NC
Jim Crockett Sr., member since 1951-03 and founder of the Southern Wrestling Alliance, passes away. Jim Crockett Jr. eventually takes over the territory.

04-20 Yoshii, Gunma, Japan
JPWA holds its final card, and most of the roster joins All Japan Pro Wrestling. JPWA president Junzō Hasegawa, however, continues to hold the NWA membership at least until 1976 in order to allow Shōhei Baba (AJPW) to have an additional vote.

05-24 Kansas City, KS
Harley Race wins the world heavyweight title for the first time, ending Dory Funk Jr.’s four-year reign.

06-03 Amarillo, TX
Dory Funk Sr., former world junior heavyweight champion and local member since the 1950s, passes away. His sons Dory Jr. and Terry continue to run the territory.

09
Jim Barnett, a Sydney, Australia member, buys out Lester & Roy Welch for the stake in Mid-South Sports, Inc.

1974

03-29
Mid-South Sports, Inc. is renamed Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc.

11
The promotional war in Georgia ends when Ann Gunkel’s ASWA closes.

11 Knoxville, TN
George & John Cazana, affiliates of the Nashville booking office headed by Nick Gulas & Roy Welch, sell their promotion to Ron Fuller, Welch’s grand-son. Knoxville office separates from the Nashville office and becomes the Southeastern Championship Wrestling.

12-02 Kagoshima, Japan
Giant Baba defeats Jack Brisco to become the first Asian to win the NWA world heavyweight title.

1975

02-20 Tampa, FL
A plane crash kills Bobby Shane and injures Buddy Colt, Dennis McCord (Austin Idol), and Gary Hart.

08-01 ~ 03 New Orleans, LA
The annual convention is held. Sam Muchnick steps down as the president, and Jack Adkisson of Dallas, TX (Fritz Von Erich) is elected unanimously. Jim Barnett becomes the booker of the world heavyweight title. NWA now has three member promotions in Japan: Junzō Hasegawa (JPWA), Shōhei Baba (AJPW), and the newly admitted Hisashi Shinma (New Japan Pro-Wrestling). NJPW is not allowed to book the world heavyweight champion, however.

10-04 Wilmington, NC
A plane crashes while approaching the airport runway with Johnny Valentine, Ric Flair, Tim Woods, Bobby Bruggers, David Crockett on board (Read more at Slam Wrestling).

12-10 Miami Beach, FL
Terry Funk, a last-minute substitute for his brother Dory Funk Jr., defeats Jack Brisco to win the world heavyweight title.

1976

06-11 St. Louis, MO
Toots Mondt passes away.

08-07 Lake Tahoe, NV
The annual convention is held. Eddie Graham of Tampa, FL is elected as the president.

10-29 Atlanta, GA
WTCG, which carries the weekly Saturday program for Georgia Championship Wrestling, starts the cable broadcasting through the satellite system.

11-10 Columbus, OH
Al Haft, one of the founding members of the NWA, passes away.

1977

02-14 Memphis, TN
Jerry Jarrett, the local matchmaker since Roy Welch has become ill, leaves the Nashville booking office headed by the longtime member Nick Gulas. WHBQ, which has aired the weekly Saturday program for Gulas/Welch for 17 years, cancels the show on 03-12, and WMC starts airing Jarrett’s weekly studio shows the following Saturday.

03-15 New York, NY
Antonino Rocca passes away.

05-09 Memphis, TN
Nick Gulas runs his final Memphis show only drawing 484.

09-27 Trenton, TN
Roy Welch, member since 1949-11, passes away.

1978

01-25 Miami, FL
World heavyweight champion Harley Race wrestles WWWF champion Billy Graham to a 60-minute draw in a double title match.

02-23 Jacksonville, FL
World heavyweight champion Harley Race wrestles Bob Backlund, who has won the WWWF title three days before, to a draw in a double title match.

04
Eddie Graham steps down as the NWA president. Vice President Bob Geigel of Kansas City, KS fills the vacancy and is officially elected as the president at the annual convention several months later.

08?
Bob Geigel (Kansas City) is elected to his first term as the NWA president.

10
Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk sell the West Texas territory to Dick Murdoch and Bob Windham (Blackjack Mulligan).

1979

08
Bill Watts ends his longtime partnership with Leroy McGuirk of Tulsa, OK, takes over Louisiana and Mississippi, and incorporates Mid-South Sports, Inc. in New Orleans, LA on 09-11.

08-27 Atlanta, GA
WTCG, a cable station that carries the weekly Saturday program for Georgia Championship Wrestling, becomes Superstation WTBS.

World Champions at the End of the Decade:

* Singles titles only. Italicized letters indicate that the title is billed as an NWA title but not officially recognized by the head office.

  • Heavyweight: Harley Race
  • Junior Heavyweight: vacant
  • Light Heavyweight: Alfonso Dantes
  • Middleweight: Satoru Sayama
  • Welterweight: Americo Rocca
  • Women: Fabulous Moolah

1960s << | >> 1980s

Other Video Clips from the 1970s