The NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship was created in 1953 in the Houston, Texas National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territory Southwest Sports, promoted by Ed McLemore. The first champion was "Wild" Bull Curry, who defeated Danny McShain in the finals of a tournament.[1][2] The "Brass Knuckles" title was originally created for Curry, who used a very hard hitting, brawling hardcore style of wrestling, with a "no disqualification" stipulation for all championship matches.[4] Over the years Bull Curry would win the championship a record setting 24 times, with Mark Lewin and Bruiser Brody tied for second most reigns at eight total.[1][2] Due to a lack of documentation, especially from the 1950s to the 1970s, it is possible that Curry won the championship more than 24 times.[1][2]
In 1966, Fritz Von Erich bought Southwest Sports from McLemore, and continued to promote the brass knuckle championship in the renamed "Big Time Wrestling" promotion.[1][2] In 1982 Big Time Wrestling was rebranded as "World Class Championship Wrestling", including all the championships dropping the "NWA" prefix for "WCCW".[1][2] In 1986 WCCW left the NWA completely and was renamed "World Class Wrestling Association" WCWA and renamed all championships as well. Abdullah the Butcher was the last wrestler to win the championship in Texas, defeating The Great Kabuki on July 4, 1986.[1][2] The championship was not promoted again until WCWA announced that Tony Atlas had won the championship at a non-WCWA show in Montreal, Canada. No record exists of Montreal show, leading to the possibility that the Atlas title victory was fictitious and used to explain why the championship was no longer used.[1] Over the years the championship has been vacated several times, often with a tournament held to determine the next champion, only details of the 1968 tournament, won by Kurt Von Hess,[5] and the 1969 tournament, won by Baron Von Raschke have been found.[6]
The NWA Brass Knuckles Championship Tournament was a one-night single elimination tournament held on August 6, 1968, for the vacant NWA Brass Knuckles Championship.[5]
The NWA Brass Knuckles Championship Tournament was a one-night single elimination tournament held in Dallas, Texas on June 3, 1969, for the vacant NWA Brass Knuckles Championship.[6]
^Hornbaker (2016) p. 550: "Professional wrestling is a sport in which match finishes are predetermined. Thus, win–loss records are not indicative of a wrestler's genuine success based on their legitimate abilities – but on now much, or how little they were pushed by promoters"[3]
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 209 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 189 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least -19823 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 334 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 5 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 64 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 147 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 265 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 37 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 45 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least -104 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 194 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 18 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 45 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 133 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 34 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 146 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 215 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 18 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 210 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least -323 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 379 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 108 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 75 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 11 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 243 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 20 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 146 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 212 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 31 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 17 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 13 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 30 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 139 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 89 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 29 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 80 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 163 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 66 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 29 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 189 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 140 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 179 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 445 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 31 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 34 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 100 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 553 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 85 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 25 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 49 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 14 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 2 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 122 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 20 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 73 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 232 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 54 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 156 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 135 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 129 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 427 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 273 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 368 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 393 days.
^The date the championship was lost is uncertain, the reign lasted at least 1 day.
Hornbaker, Tim (2016). "Statistical notes". Legends of Pro Wrestling - 150 years of headlocks, body slams, and piledrivers (Revised ed.). New York, New York: Sports Publishing. ISBN978-1-61321-808-2.
