The Iowa/Nebraska version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was a National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) professional wrestling tag team championship that was active between 1953 and 1958. The championship was controlled by the NWA's Iowa booking office under Pinkie George and the Nebraska booking office under Max Clayton. Both George and Clayton were founding members of the NWA in 1948 and served on the Board of Directors that decided to let any NWA member, known as a NWA territory to create a local version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship. The Iowa/Nebraska version was one of at least 13 championships bearing that name in 1957. As with all professional wrestling championships, this championship was not won or lost competitively but instead based on the decisions of the bookers of a wrestling promotion which determines the outcome of the matches.
A version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was promoted in Nebraska as early as May 4, 1949, but it is possible that it was the San Francisco version that Mike and Ben Sharpe defended in the region. The Iowa/Nebraska lineage was firmly established in the summer of 1953, no later than on August 11 of that year, when Bill Melby and Billy Darnell were recognized as champions in Iowa and Nebraska. Melby and Darnell also held the Chicago version at the time, but when they lost the championship to Ben and Mike Sharpe on October 17, 1953, only the Iowa/Nebraska version changed hands. In 1958 it was decided to replace the NWA World Tag Team Championship with the Big Time Wrestling World Tag Team Championship, which in turn would be replaced with the AWA World Tag Team Championship in 1960 when a number of promotions left the NWA to form the American Wrestling Association (AWA).
Four teams share the record for the most championship reigns (2), as the teams of Ben and Mike Sharpe, Boris and Nicol Volkoff, The Kalmikoffs (Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff), and Reggie Lisowski and Art Neilson were the only teams to hold the title more than once. Due to the lack of specific dates for many of the championship changes, it is impossible to clearly establish which team had the shortest reign, while the longest reign probably belongs to Guy Brunetti and Joe Tangaro who held the championship for at least 98 days.
Title history Key SymbolMeaningNo.The overall championship reignReignThe reign number for the specific wrestler listed.EventThe event in which the championship changed handsN/AThe specific information is not known[Note #]Indicates that the exact length of the title reign is unknown, with a note providing more details. Indicates that there was a period where the lineage is undocumented due to the lack of written documentation in that time period.Indicates that a title change took place "no later than" the date listed.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. No.ChampionsReignDateDays heldLocationEventNotes11 N/ALive eventThe Sharpes were billed as champions upon arrival. Could have been the San Francisco version that was defended in the region. Still billed as champions in Nebraska on January 18, 19502 and Billy Darnell1 Chicago, IllinoisLive eventMelby and Darnell won the Chicago version on July 15, 1953, Recognized in Iowa on August 11, 195332Chicago, IllinoisLive eventStill billed as champions on December 9, 19534 and Art Neilson1 The location of the match was not captured as part of the documentation.Live eventThe team defeated Melby and Darnell for Chicago version February 13, 1954. Change recognized in Iowa with the storyline being that they "recently" defeated the Sharpe Brothers.5 and Roy McClarty1Moline, IllinoisLive event 6 and Art Neilson2 Live eventStill billed as champions on August 22, 19557 and Joe Tangaro1 Live eventWas reported as having defeated Lisowski and Nelson, but no record of such a match has been found8 and Danny Plechas1Des Moines, IowaLive eventChampionship match was repeated on February 18, 1956 in Moline, Illinois. Still billed as champions on March 1.10 (Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff)1 Live eventStill billed as champions on August 5, 1956111 Live event 12 and Roy McClarity1Des Moines, IowaLive eventStill billed as champions on January 21, 195713 (Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff)2 Live eventBilled as champions on a show in Omaha, Nebraska142 Live eventRecognized in Iowa, later recognized as champions in Nebraska on April 25, 1958N/AN/AN/AReplaced with the Omaha version of the World Tag Team Title Championship.
Team reigns by combined length Key SymbolMeaning¤The exact length of at least one title reign is uncertain, so the shortest possible length is used. RankTeamNo. of reignsCombined days1 and 2 2(Ivan Kalmikoff and Karol Kalmikoff) 2 3 and 1 4 2 5 and 1 6 and 1 2 and 1 and 1
Individual reigns by combined length Key SymbolMeaning¤The exact length of at least one title reign is uncertain, so the shortest possible length is used. RankWrestlerNo. of reignsCombined days1 2 2 4 2 2 6 1 1 8 2 2 11 1 1 13 2 14 1 1 2 2 1 1
Footnotes
Concurrent championships Sources for 13 simultaneous NWA World Tag Team Championships NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Buffalo Athletic Club version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Iowa/Nebraska version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Indianapolis version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Salt Lake Wrestling Club version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)
References