NWA World Tag Team Championship (Salt Lake Wrestling Club version)


The Salt Lake Wrestling Club version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship for tag teams that was promoted between 1955 and 1959 in the Salt Lake Wrestling Club territory of the National Wrestling Alliance. Local promoter Dave Reynolds promoted the championship primarily in Utah, but would occasionally runs shows in Idaho and Washington state. Since the promotion was a member of the NWA, the Salt Lake Wrestling Club was entitled to promote their local version of the championship, as the NWA bylaws did not restrict the use of that championship in the same way they restricted the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to one nationally recognized championship. In 1957 there were no less than 13 distinct versions of the NWA World Tag Team Championship promoted across the United States. Because the championship was a professional wrestling championship, it was not contested for in legitimate sporting events, but instead determined by the decision of the bookers of a wrestling promotion.
The team of Guy Brunetti and Joe Tangaro were the first recognized champions in the Utah/Idaho region, being introduced as champions no later than December 29, 1955. Records are unclear as to how they won the championship. The championship was active until 1959 with at least 28 different championship reigns. In 1959 the team of Chico Garcia and Chet Wallick became the final champions, as the championship was abandoned when the Salt Lake Wrestling Club was going out of business. Brunetti and Tangaro ended up holding the championship three times, tied with Frank Jares and Great Sasaki for most championships as a team. The Bat held the championship four times, with four different partners, more than any other wrestler. Brunetti and Tangaro's third championship reign lasted at least 95 days, the longest of any reign. Brunetti and Tangaro's three reigns combined to be at least 237 days long. Due to lack of dates for some championship changes it is impossible to determine who held the championship for the shortest period of time; Bill Melby and Blue Avenger's 14 day reign from November 21 to December 10, 1956 is the shortest confirmed reign, but the possibility exists that a shorter reign actually happened.

Title history

Key
SymbolMeaning
No.The overall championship reign
ReignThe reign number for the specific wrestler listed.
EventThe event in which the championship changed hands
N/AThe specific information is not known
—Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign
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.

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.

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.

Footnotes

Concurrent championships

;Sources for 13 simultaneous NWA World Tag Team Championships