As of December 1, 2009.
| # | Wrestler | Times | Date | Days Held | Location | Event | Notes |
| 01 1 | Orville Brown | 01 1 | 01948-01-05 January 5, 1948 | 692 | Des Moines, IA | Live event | Defeated Sonny Myers. In July 1948, the current version of National Wrestling Alliance is founded and Brown is recognized as the first official NWA World champion. Brown was previously the Midwest Wrestling Association champion. |
| 02 2 | Lou Thesz | 01 1 | 01949-11-27 November 27, 1949 | 1941 | N/A | N/A | Awarded when Brown suffers career-ending injuries in an automobile accident on November 1, 1949. The title is also unified with the World Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association). Thesz became the Undisputed Champion of all of wrestling by winning the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium World Heavyweight Title, the remaining major World Championship at the time other than the NWA World Title, on May 21, 1952. |
| 02.5 - | Leo Nomellini | 01 1† | 01955-03-22 March 22, 1955 | 0 | San Francisco, CA | Live event | Defeated Thesz by countout in the second round and disqualification in the third round. California Athletic Commission recognized the title change by disqualification, but both wrestlers continue to claim the title. |
| 02.6 - | Lou Thesz | 02 2† | 01955-07-15 July 15, 1955 | 244 | Toronto, ON | Live event | Defeats Nomellini in a rematch. |
| 03 3 | Whipper Billy Watson | 01 1 | 01956-03-15 March 15, 1956 | 239 | Toronto, ON | Live event | |
| 04 4 | Lou Thesz | 02 2(3) | 01956-11-09 November 9, 1956 | 217 | St. Louis, MO | Live event | |
| 04.5 - | Édouard Carpentier | 01 1† | 01957-06-14 June 14, 1957 | 0 | Chicago, IL | Live event | Carpentier was awarded the title by disqualification when Thesz could not continue the match due to a back injury. For 71 days, the NWA recognized the title as being in dispute between Carpentier and Thesz. |
| 04.6 - | Lou Thesz | 04 4† | 01957-07-24 July 24, 1957 | 113 | Montreal, Quebec | Live event | Thesz won a rematch against Carpentier by disqualification. The NWA initially continued to recognize Carpentier as the champion, but voids any recognition of Carpentier as champion when he withdrew the claim for the title when Montreal promoter Eddie Quinn quit the NWA in August 1958. Some territories such as Boston (AAC), Nebraska and Los Angeles (NAWA/WWA) continued to recognize Carpentier. The AAC recognized Killer Kowalski when he defeated Carpentier in Boston. Nebraska later recognized Verne Gagne when he defeated Carpentier in Omaha. The NAWA/WWA recognized Carpentier as World Champion in July 1959 and Freddie Blassie when he defeated Carpentier in 1961. |
| 05 5 | Dick Hutton | 01 1 | 01957-11-14 November 14, 1957 | 421 | Toronto, ON | Live event | |
| 06 6 | Pat O'Connor | 01 1 | 01959-01-09 January 9, 1959 | 903 | St. Louis, MO | Live event | The AWA, under Verne Gagne, seceded from the NWA and declared O'Connor their first World Champion in May 1960. This was considered a compromise gesture by the AWA given that Gagne held Édouard Carpentier disputed version of the title. O'Conner was given 90 days to defend the AWA title against number one contender Gagne and when he did not, the title was awarded to Gagne. |
| 07 7 | Buddy Rogers | 01 1 | 01961-06-30 June 30, 1961 | 414 | Chicago, IL | Live event | On August 2, 1962, Bruno Sammartino defeated Rogers in Toronto, but refused to accept the title because Rogers had wrestled with an injury. |
| 07.5 - | Bobo Brazil | 01 1† | 01962-08-18 August 18, 1962 | 73 | Newark, NJ | Live event | Brazil refused the title because of a groin injury that Rogers had claimed to have. However, on September 6, 1962, Brazil is declared champion because a doctor had determined that Rogers hadn't suffered an injury. This title change isn't recognized by the NWA. |
| 07.6 - | Buddy Rogers | 02 2† | 01962-10-30 October 30, 1962 | 86 | Toledo, OH | Live event | Killer Kowalski defeated Rogers on November 21, 1961 in Montreal after Rogers broke is ankle in the first fall but was only recognized as champion in some states. Rogers defeated him on January 21, 1963 in New York, but Kowalski claimed the match wasn't for the title. |
| 08 8 | Lou Thesz | 03 3(5) | 01963-01-24 January 24, 1963 | 1079 | Toronto, ON | Live event | Promoters in the northeast United States refuse to recognize Rogers' one-fall loss to Thesz, thus breaking away from the NWA to form a new promotion, the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Rogers is declared the first WWWF World Heavyweight Champion soon after. |
| 09 9 | Gene Kiniski | 01 1 | 01966-01-07 January 7, 1966 | 1131 | St. Louis, MO | Live event | |
| 10 10 | Dory Funk | 01 1 | 01969-02-11 February 11, 1969 | 1563 | Tampa, FL | Live event | |
| 11 11 | Harley Race | 01 1 | 01973-05-24 May 24, 1973 | 57 | Kansas City, MO | Live event | |
| 12 12 | Jack Brisco | 01 1 | 01973-07-20 July 20, 1973 | 500 | Houston, TX | Live event | |
| 13 13 | Giant Baba | 01 1 | 01974-12-02 December 2, 1974 | 6 | Kagoshima, Japan | Live event | |
| 14 14 | Jack Brisco | 02 2 | 01974-12-08 December 8, 1974 | 367 | Toyohashi, Japan | Live event | |
| 15 15 | Terry Funk | 01 1 | 01975-12-10 December 10, 1975 | 424 | Miami, FL | Live event | |
| 16 16 | Harley Race | 02 2 | 01977-02-06 February 6, 1977 | 926 | Toronto, ON | Live event | |
| 17 17 | Dusty Rhodes | 01 1 | 01979-08-21 August 21, 1979 | 5 | Tampa, FL | Live event | |
| 18 18 | Harley Race | 03 3 | 01979-08-26 August 26, 1979 | 66 | Orlando, FL | Live event | |
| 19 19 | Giant Baba | 02 2 | 01979-10-31 October 31, 1979 | 7 | Nagoya, Japan | Live event | |
| 20 20 | Harley Race | 04 4 | 01979-11-07 November 7, 1979 | 302 | Amagasaki, Japan | Live event | |
| 21 21 | Giant Baba | 03 3 | 01980-09-04 September 4, 1980 | 5 | Saga, Japan | Live event | |
| 22 22 | Harley Race | 05 5 | 01980-09-09 September 9, 1980 | 230 | Ohtsu, Japan | Live event | |
| 23 23 | Tommy Rich | 01 1 | 01981-04-27 April 27, 1981 | 4 | Augusta, GA | Live event | |
| 24 24 | Harley Race | 06 6 | 01981-05-01 May 1, 1981 | 51 | Gainesville, GA | Live event | |
| 25 25 | Dusty Rhodes | 02 2 | 01981-06-21 June 21, 1981 | 88 | Atlanta, GA | Live event | |
| 26 26 | Ric Flair | 01 1 | 01981-09-17 September 17, 1981 | 476 | Kansas City, MO | Live event | On February 9, 1982 in Miami, The Midnight Rider (Dusty Rhodes under a mask due to being under suspension in Florida) defeated Flair for the title but returned it when NWA President Bob Geigel asked Rider to unmask or return the belt as NWA rules then forbade masked wrestlers from holding it. In September 1982, Jack Veneno defeated Flair in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic but as he refused to defend the title outside his native country the title was returned to Flair on September 7, 1982.[1] |
| 26.5 - | Carlos Colón | 01 1† | 01983-01-06 January 6, 1983 | 17 | San Juan, PR | Live event | This title change isn't recognized by the NWA.[1] |
| 26.6 - | Ric Flair | 02 2† | 01983-01-23 January 23, 1983 | 138 | Miami, FL | Live event | Victor Jovica defeated Flair on February 8, 1983 in Couva, Trinidad but the decision was reversed three days later because Jovica's feet were on the rope during the pin.[1] |
| 27 27 | Harley Race | 07 7 | 01983-06-10 June 10, 1983 | 167 | St. Louis, MO | Live event | |
| 28 28 | Ric Flair | 02 2(3) | 01983-11-24 November 24, 1983 | 118 | Greensboro, NC | Starrcade (1983) | This was a Steel Cage match. |
| 29 29 | Harley Race | 08 8 | 01984-03-21 March 21, 1984 | 2 | Wellington, New Zealand | Live event |
| 30 30 | Ric Flair | 03 3(4) | 01984-03-23 March 23, 1984 | 44 | Kallang, Singapore | Live event | |
| 31 31 | Kerry Von Erich | 01 1 | 01984-05-06 May 6, 1984 | 18 | Irving, TX | Parade of Champions 1 | |
| 32 32 | Ric Flair | 04 4(5) | 01984-05-24 May 24, 1984 | 793 | Yokosuka, Japan | Live event | |
| 33 33 | Dusty Rhodes | 03 3 | 01986-07-26 July 26, 1986 | 14 | Greensboro, NC | The Great American Bash (1986) | |
| 34 34 | Ric Flair | 05 5(6) | 01986-08-09 August 9, 1986 | 412 | St. Louis, MO | Live event | |
| 35 35 | Ron Garvin | 01 1 | 01987-09-25 September 25, 1987 | 62 | Detroit, MI | Live event | |
| 36 36 | Ric Flair | 06 6(7) | 01987-11-26 November 26, 1987 | 452 | Chicago, IL | Starrcade (1987) | |
| 37 37 | Ricky Steamboat | 01 1 | 01989-02-20 February 20, 1989 | 76 | Chicago, IL | Chi-Town Rumble | |
| 38 38 | Ric Flair | 07 7(8) | 01989-05-07 May 7, 1989 | 426 | Nashville, TN | WrestleWar (1989) | |
| 39 39 | Sting | 01 1 | 01990-07-07 July 7, 1990 | 188 | Baltimore, MD | The Great American Bash (1990) | |
| 40 40 | Ric Flair | 08 8(9) | 01991-01-11 January 11, 1991 | 69 | East Rutherford, NJ | Live event | |
| 41 41 | Tatsumi Fujinami | 01 1 | 01991-03-21 March 21, 1991 | 59 | Tokyo, Japan | WCW/New Japan Supershow I | Briefly unified with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
| 42 42 | Ric Flair | 09 9(10) | 01991-05-19 May 19, 1991 | 112 | St. Petersburg, FL | SuperBrawl I |
| 42.5 - | Vacated | - | 01991-09-08 September 8, 1991 | 0 | N/A | N/A | Flair was stripped of the title upon signing with the WWF. |
| 43 43 | Masahiro Chono | 01 1 | 01992-08-12 August 12, 1992 | 145 | Tokyo, Japan | Live event | Defeated Rick Rude in tournament final. |
| 44 44 | The Great Muta | 01 1 | 01993-01-04 January 4, 1993 | 48 | Tokyo, Japan | WCW/New Japan Supershow III | Muta's IWGP Heavyweight Title was also on the line; briefly unified with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. |
| 45 45 | Barry Windham | 01 1 | 01993-02-21 February 21, 1993 | 147 | Asheville, NC | SuperBrawl III | |
| 46 46 | Ric Flair | 10 10(11) | 01993-07-18 July 18, 1993 | 45† | Biloxi, MS | Beach Blast (1993) | [2] |
| 46.5 - | Vacated | - | September 1993 | 0 | N/A | N/A | Vacated when WCW left the NWA. WCW continued to recognize Flair as their WCW International World Heavyweight Champion. |
| 47 47 | Shane Douglas | 01 1 | 01994-08-27 August 27, 1994 | 0 | Philadelphia, PA | NWA/ECW Supershow | Defeated 2 Cold Scorpio in tournament final. |
| 47.5 - | Vacated | - | 01994-08-27 August 27, 1994 | 0 | N/A | NWA/ECW Supershow | Vacated when Douglas refused the NWA Title in favor of the Eastern Championship Wrestling Title, a title of which he already was in possession.ECW withdraws from the NWA, and becomes Extreme Championship Wrestling. |
| 48 48 | Chris Candido | 01 1 | 01994-11-19 November 19, 1994 | 97 | Cherry Hill, NJ | SMW/NWA Championship Wrestling America | Defeated Tracy Smothers in tournament final. |
| 49 49 | Dan Severn | 01 1 | 01995-02-24 February 24, 1995 | 1479 | Erlanger, KY | Live event | [3] |
| 50 50 | Naoya Ogawa | 01 1 | 01999-03-14 March 14, 1999 | 195 | Yokohama, Japan | Live event | |
| 51 51 | Gary Steele | 01 1 | 01999-09-25 September 25, 1999 | 7 | Charlotte, NC | 51st Anniversary Show | Pinned Ogawa in a three-way match also involving Brian Anthony. |
| 52 52 | Naoya Ogawa | 02 2 | 01999-10-02 October 2, 1999 | 274 | Thomaston, CT | Live event | |
| 52.5 - | Vacated | - | 02000-07-02 July 2, 2000 | 0 | N/A | N/A | Ogawa vacated the title. |
| 53 53 | Mike Rapada | 01 1 | 02000-09-19 September 19, 2000 | 56 | Tampa, FL | Live event | Defeated Jerry Flynn in tournament final. |
| 54 54 | Sabu | 01 1 | 02000-11-14 November 14, 2000 | 38 | Tampa, FL | Live event | |
| 55 55 | Mike Rapada | 02 2 | 02000-12-22 December 22, 2000 | 123 | Nashville, TN | Live event | |
| 56 56 | Steve Corino | 01 1 | 02001-04-24 April 24, 2001 | 172 | Tampa, FL | Live event | |
| 56.5 - | Held up | - | 02001-10-13 October 13, 2001 | 0 | N/A | N/A | Title is held up following a match against Shinya Hashimoto. |
| 57 57 | Shinya Hashimoto | 01 1 | 02001-12-15 December 15, 2001 | 84 | McKeesport, PA | Live event | This was a four-way iron man match, also involving Steve Corino, Dylan Knight and Gary Steele. |
| 58 58 | Dan Severn | 02 2 | 02002-03-09 March 9, 2002 | 80 | Tokyo, Japan | Live event | Match ended in controversy, as the referee gave a fast count. |
| 58.5 - | Vacated | - | 02002-05-28 May 28, 2002 | 0 | N/A | N/A | Severn is stripped of the title after failing to make a defense in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Title made exclusive to TNA. |
| 59 59 | Ken Shamrock | 01 1 | 02002-06-19 June 19, 2002 | 49 | Huntsville, AL | Weekly PPV #1 | Defeated Malice in the finals of a Gauntlet for the Gold. |
| 60 60 | Ron Killings | 01 1 | 02002-08-07 August 7, 2002 | 105 | Nashville, TN | Weekly PPV #8 | |
| 61 61 | Jeff Jarrett | 01 1 | 02002-11-20 November 20, 2002 | 203 | Nashville, TN | Weekly PPV #22 | Unified with the WWA World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Sting on May 25, 2003 in Auckland, New Zealand. |
| 62 62 | A.J. Styles | 01 1 | 02003-06-11 June 11, 2003 | 133 | Nashville, TN | Weekly PPV#49 | This was a three-way match, also involving Raven. |
| 63 63 | Jeff Jarrett | 02 2 | 02003-10-22 October 22, 2003 | 182 | Nashville, TN | Weekly PPV#67 | |
| 64 64 | A.J. Styles | 02 2 | 02004-04-21 April 21, 2004 | 28 | Nashville, TN | Weekly PPV#91 | This was a Steel Cage match. |
| 65 65 | Ron Killings | 02 2 | 02004-05-19 May 19, 2004 | 14 | Nashville, TN | Weekly PPV#95 | This was a four-way match, also involving Raven and Chris Harris. |
| 66 66 | Jeff Jarrett | 03 3 | 02004-06-02 June 2, 2004 | 347 | Nashville, TN | Weekly PPV#97 | This was a King of the Mountain match, also involving A.J. Styles, Raven, and Chris Harris. |
| 67 67 | A.J. Styles | 03 3 | 02005-05-15 May 15, 2005 | 35 | Orlando, FL | Hard Justice (2005) | [4] |
| 68 68 | Raven | 01 1 | 02005-06-19 June 19, 2005 | 88 | Orlando, FL | Slammiversary (2005) | This was a King of the Mountain match, also involving Abyss, Monty Brown, and Sean Waltman.[5] |
| 69 69 | Jeff Jarrett | 04 4 | 02005-09-15 September 15, 2005 | 38 | Oldcastle, Ontario | International Incident | |
| 70 70 | Rhino | 01 1 | 02005-10-23 October 23, 2005 | 2 | Orlando, FL | Bound for Glory (2005) | He won the right to face Jarrett in a Gauntlet for the Gold match after designated challenger Kevin Nash fell ill and withdrew.[6] |
| 71 71 | Jeff Jarrett | 05 5 | 02005-10-25 October 25, 2005 | 110 | Orlando, FL | Impact! | Aired November 3, 2005. |
| 72 72 | Christian Cage | 01 1 | 02006-02-12 February 12, 2006 | 126 | Orlando, FL | Against All Odds (2006) | [7] |
| 73 73 | Jeff Jarrett | 06 6 | 02006-06-18 June 18, 2006 | 126 | Orlando, FL | Slammiversary (2006) | This was a King of the Mountain match. Jarrett won due to interference by referee Earl Hebner. Jim Cornette stripped Jarrett of the belt later that week, then returned it to him the following week on the condition that he face the winner of a #1 contender match being held at Victory Road on July 16, 2006.[8][9] |
| 74 74 | Sting | 02 2 | 02006-10-22 October 22, 2006 | 28 | Plymouth, MI | Bound for Glory (2006) | [10] |
| 75 75 | Abyss | 01 1 | 02006-11-19 November 19, 2006 | 56 | Orlando, FL | Genesis (2006) | [11] |
| 76 76 | Christian Cage | 02 2 | 02007-01-14 January 14, 2007 | 119 | Orlando, FL | Final Resolution (2007) | This was a Three-Way Elimination match, also involving Sting.[12] |
| 76.5 - | Vacated | - | 02007-05-13 May 13, 2007 | 0 | N/A | N/A | Cage is stripped of the championship when the NWA and TNA sever their business relationship. The NWA regains control of the title. |
| 77 77 | Adam Pearce | 01 1 | 02007-09-01 September 1, 2007 | 336 | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Live event | Defeated Brent Albright in the finals of the Reclaiming the Glory Tournament. Pearce competed as a substitute for Bryan Danielson, who defeated Pearce in the semifinals but withdrew from the tournament due to a detached retina. |
| 78 78 | Brent Albright | 01 1 | 02008-08-02 August 2, 2008 | 49 | New York City, NY | Death Before Dishonor VI | [13] |
| 79 79 | Adam Pearce | 02 2 | 02008-09-20 September 20, 2008 | 35 | Philadelphia, PA | Glory By Honor VII | [14] |
| 80 80 | Blue Demon, Jr. | 01 1 | 02008-10-25 October 25, 2008 | 402+ | Mexico City, Mexico | Live event | Blue Demon, Jr. is the first Mexican wrestler to ever win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[15] |
As of December 1, 2009.