The Indianapolis version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship, which was actively used between 1951 and 1960, was a professional wrestling championship exclusively for two-man tag teams.[1][2] As a member of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the NWA Indianapolis territory was entitled to create an NWA World Tag Team Championship that they could promote within the boundaries of their territory, in this case Indiana, making it a "regional" championship despite being labeled a "world championship".[3] Because the use of the championship was not restricted to one overall championship, a large number of different, regional championships bore the name "NWA World Tag Team Championship" between 1949 and 1992.[3] In 1957 as many as 13 different versions were promoted across the United States.[Championships] As it is a professional wrestling championship, it is not won or lost competitively but instead 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.[4]
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Indianapolis version)
The Indianapolis NWA World Tag Team Championship was introduced in 1951 as promoters Jim Barnett, Fred Kohler, Dick Patton, and Balk Estes decided to bring Ben and Mike Sharpe in from the West Coast to be their first champions. While the Sharpe brothers were being promoted as having won a tournament, no records of such a tournament has been found, making it likely they were simply announced as champions when they arrived in Indianapolis.[1][2] In late 1951 the team of Rudy Kay and Al Williams, who worked for NWA Indianapolis on a regular basis, defeated the Sharpe brothers to cement the championship lineage in Indianapolis, while the Sharpe brothers returned to the West Coast.[1][2] The team of Boris and Nicoli Volkoff won the championship on three occasions, setting a record for both teams and individuals.[1][2]Reggie Lisowski and Stan Lisowski's first reign as champions lasted at least 243 days, the longest of any individual reign, and their two combined reigns totaled at least 342 days, as least 150 days longer than the second-longest combined reigns.[1][2] Due to the fact that no dates were captured as part of the championship documentation, it is impossible to determine which team had the shortest reign.[1][2]
^Documentation of the specific date of a title change is not found but documentation of the champion holding the title on that date/in that period.
^The exact date that the Sharpe brothers won and lost the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted between 1 day and at least 81 days.
^ abcdefghiThe location of the match was not captured as part of the documentation.
^The exact date that Kay and Williams won and lost the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted between 1 day and 855 days.
^The exact date that Brunetti and Tangaro won and lost the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The exact date that Lisowski and Neilson won the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted at least 243 days.
^The exact date that the Volkoffs lost the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The exact date that King and Gilbert won the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted between 1 day and 24 days.
^The exact date that the Sheik and Poffo won the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted at least 194 days.
^The exact date that the Volkoffs lost the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted between 151 days and 180 days.
^The exact date that the Lisowskis won the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted between 109 days and 138 days.
^The exact date that Brunetti and Tangaro lost the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted between 1 day and 55 days.
^The exact date that the Fargos won and lost the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted between 1 day and 355 days.
^The exact date that Borne and Tolos won/lost the championship is uncertain which means that the reign lasted between 1 day and 254 days.
^The exact date that the championship was abandoned, which means that the reign lasted at least 148 days.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyDuncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "(Indianapolis) Indiana: NWA World Tag Team Title [Kohler, Patton & Estes]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^ abHornbaker, Tim (2007). "The Origins of a Wrestling Monopoly". National Wrestling Alliance, The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling. ECW Press. ISBN978-1-55022-741-3.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "(Los Angeles) California: NWA World Tag Team Title [Nichols, Doyle & Eaton]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "(San Francisco) California: NWA World Tag Team Title[Joe Malcewicz]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "(Kansas & Western Missouri) West Texas: NWA World Tag Team Title [Karras & Geigel]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "(Chicago) Illinois: NWA World Tag Team Title [Kohler]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Ohio & Upstate New York: NWA World Tag Team Title [George & Bruins]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Georgia: NWA World Tag Team Title [Gunkel & Barnett]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Iowa / Nebraska: NWA World Tag Team Title [George & Clayton]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Idaho / Utah: NWA World Tag Team Title [Reynolds]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "(Amarillo) Texas: NWA World Tag Team Title [Sarpolis & Funk]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "(Minneapolis) Minnesota: NWA World Tag Team Title [Karbo & Gagne]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Texas: NWA World Tag Team Title [Siegel, Boesch & McLemore]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "(Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: NWA World Tag Team Title [Gulas & Welsh]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
