My all time favorite title in wrestling history is the NWA (World) TV title.  It was by far the best looking title IMO and it had amazing champions.  If I ever bought a replica title, it would be that one:

I had nothing to do with designing the IWA Mid-South heavyweight title but I always loved the fact that Ian Rotten had it made in the same style as the NWA TV Title.  I guess I’m just a fan of the red, blue and silver combination.

The WWE is going to launch the WWE Network tomorrow night and I see that they have done a lot of new documentary style programming to fill the network.  A lot of the new material seems to be Countdown shows like Top 10 matches of Starrcade or Top 10 Moments on Saturday Night’s Main Event (not saying those are actual shows they are doing but giving examples.)  I would love it if they did a documentary on the NWA TV title and the best champions to hold that title.  I would fork out the money for the network right now if they did that.

I’ll even do some leg work and give the list right now.

Top 5 NWA (World) TV Champions Of All Time

5.  Mike Rotunda – He was not the most charismatic wrestler in the ring (somehow both of his sons under WWE contract got it in spades though) but I loved his Varsity Club character.  Teaming with Rick Steiner and “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, they would wear their college wrestling singlets (Syracuse, Michigan and Oklahoma) while being managed by Kevin Sullivan.  Rotunda won the title from Nikita Koloff on January 26, 1988 and held the title until losing it to Rick Steiner at Starrcade 1988 on December 26, 1988.  Mike Rotunda won the title back from Steiner at the Chi-Town Rumble on February 20, 1989 but only held the title for 39 days in that reign before losing it to Sting on March 31, 1989.  Mike Rotunda is actually considered a 3 time NWA TV champion because of the lineage of this title going back to the Mid Atlantic TV title before becoming the NWA World TV title.  He defeated Bad Leroy Brown on Christmas night 1982 to win the Mid Atlantic TV title and held the belt for 59 days before losing to Dick Slater on February 22, 1983.

4.  “Stunning” Steve Austin – As a member of Paul E. Dangerously’s Dangerous Alliance, Steve Austin was one of the greatest NWA TV Champions of all time.  It had turned into WCW by then so technically he was WCW World TV Champion but you get the point.  Austin had 2 reigns as champion.  He first the won title by defeating “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton on June 3, 1991 and held the title for almost an entire year before losing to Barry Windham.  Less than a month later, he regained the title and held it for another 100+ days before losing it for good to Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat at Clash of the Champions XX.  His matches against Steamboat were amazing.  When people think of Austin, they will always think of “Stone Cold” and giving people the middle finger, Austin 3:16, drinking beer and being one of the biggest stars in the history of wrestling.  I prefer the World TV Champion, US Champion, WCW World Tag Team Champions with Brian Pillman as the “Hollywood Blondes” version.

3.  Lord Steven (William) Regal – Regal was definitely my favorite of the “WCW” era of TV Champions.  Managed by “Superstar” Bill Dundee who went by Sir William, Regal held on to his title all the time due to the matches going to a 10 minute time limit draw.  I would love when he rolled out of the ring and would put his hand behind his back and ask Dundee, “the time Sir William” so he knew how much longer he had to survive to retain the title.  It was a tremendous gimmick and definitely made the TV title unique by having the short time limit.  Regal first won the title by defeating Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat at Fall Brawl 1993.  He held the title for over 200 days before losing to Larry Zbyszko.  Less than a month later, Regal regained the title and held it for 3 months before losing to Johnny B. Badd at Fall Brawl 1994.  Regal then went 2 years before winning the title for a 3rd time.  He beat Lex Luger on August 20, 1996.  He held the title for 6 months before losing to Prince Iaukea.  Regal won the title for the 4th and final time by defeating The Ultimo Dragon at Slamboree 1997.  Ultimo won the title back 2 months later bringing an end to one of the greatest WCW and/or NWA TV Champions of all time.

2.  Tully Blanchard – There are not enough words in the English language to describe the love I have for Tully Blanchard as a wrestler.  One of the all time greatest heels as I have already blogged about.  Tully was the first NWA TV Champion to catch my eye and make me love the title.  His promos were outstanding.  His matches were better.  Tully first won the title from Mark Youngblood before it was the NWA “World” TV title on March 28, 1984.  Blanchard held the title for 353 days before losing it to “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.  It was during the month and a half that Rhodes had the title that it become branded as the “World” TV title.  Tully won the title back from Dusty and held it for a little over 2 months before losing it back to Dusty during The Great American Bash 1985 tour.  Blanchard had a third NWA TV Title reign after beating Dusty at Starrcade 1986 in a famous First Blood Match.  His last reign was for 263 days before he lost to Nikita Koloff.  Tully spent just under 2 years total as the NWA TV Champion and was arguably the greatest one of all time.

Before I reveal my choice for #1 which anyone that knows me already knew before I wrote this, I want to mention some of the other great wrestlers that held the title that didn’t make my list.  Sting.  Dusty Rhodes.  Ricky Steamboat.  Nikita Koloff.  The Great Muta.  Barry Windham.  Chris Benoit.  Booker T.  Rick & Scott Steiner.  Fit Finlay.  Chris Jericho.  Going back to the roots of the title as the Mid-Atlantic TV Title and you get Roddy Piper, Greg Valentine, RIC FLAIR.  It is quite an impressive list.  I would love for the WWE to bring back the TV title and have it defended on RAW and Smackdown.  They don’t need US and Intercontinental champions especially since Dean Ambrose never defends the US title anyway.  Unify those belts and then have a TV champion.  But without further delay…

1. “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson – Double A is probably 1B on my all time favorite wrestler list behind fellow Four Horsemen Ric Flair.  He was the muscle for the Horsemen and when he was World Tag Team Champions with somebody, then he was the NWA TV Champion.  Arn first won the title from Wahoo McDaniel in a tournament final.  The tournament was necessary because Dusty Rhodes vacated the title after the infamous attack inside the steel cage where the Horsemen broke his ankle after Dusty tried to save Ric Flair from being attacked by the Koloffs.  Arn held the title for 248 days before losing it to The American Dream who finally got his revenge for that broken ankle.  It would be several tag titles and a trip to WWF over the next 3 years before Arn won his second NWA TV Title.  Arn defeated The Great Muta on January 2, 1990 in one of my favorite Arn Anderson matches of all time.  One of the few times in his career where he was portrayed as the heavy underdog.  He held the title for 336 days before losing to Tom Stink…I mean Tom Zenk (Z-Man.)  He regained the title a couple of months later.  Not sure why he had to lose to Stink other than to keep him from having the title for an entire year.  His third reign last 132 days before he lost the title to “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton and it was during that 3rd reign when the NWA TV Title got renamed the WCW TV Title.  Arn would win the title for a 4th time beating Johnny B. Badd on January 8, 1995.  He held the title another 161 days before having to drop it to an Ultimate Warrior clone that had even less talent than the Warrior if you can believe that.  Unreal to have the last reign of the greatest champion the title ever knew end at the hands of a no talent bum.  Over his 4 NWA TV Title reigns, Arn held the title for 2.5 years.

Make this documentary WWE and bring back the TV title!