Bonus Drive Thru: Jim Cornette on If The NWA Champion Was More Important Than The NWA Belt 

Terry Funk would have been an awesome long term champion; but he dropped the belt, because it cost him his marriage to his wife. Terry has spoke about it in shoot interviews. After dropping the NWA World Title, he got back with and remarried his wife until she passed away.

I think that makes the most since. Mostly. Since the NWA was defended on a regular basis outside the American territories it's legacy, it's panache if you weell, carried more weight than say the WWWF or AWA championships. (And let's say championships not belt because of discussions referring to the actual strap and plate.) Those three were defended occasionally outside of their American regions and in Japan. And a particular wrestler also contributed some of that. My example is Bruno Sammartino. He was over as World Champion the occasions he defended outside of the Northeast. Like when he came to S.F. before Shires rejoined the NWA. Yeah he worked against Ray Stevens, who was a monster draw at the time, but Bruno as champ brought more to the table than either Kiniski or Gagne, the respective NWA and AWA champs., during that period. I related to when he spoke about those NWA champs coming in because if they were the champs over his local star, Lawler in Corny's case, they must be REALLY good. But for some local mark WHO as a star was more important than WHO as a great wrestler.

Dory was the wrestler's wrestler . When he was champion people acceptedthat he was the best in the world but that was a different time . Legitimately certain approaches to combat work and others are not so good . The fan at that time also had an appreciation for real wrestling andhow it was done . Dory Jr never did much that was not the way a well trained combatant trying his best to win would not do . Because of this he was taken very seriously and his feud with equally sound Jack Brisco remains legendary to this day . I put Dory in the John Wayne category . TERRY ON THE OTHER HAND , Did not have the Stallone look but had the Stallone over the top story telling ethic in his work because at about that time wrestling fans were moving away from demanding a sporting event and responded well to mythic style , say more cinematic ?

Dory Jr. was one of my favorites when I first started watching wrestling. I remember he was a heel and had the $10,000? challenge that no one could beat him in 10 minutes. I think he was Mid Atlantic champion at the time, but don't remember for sure. All I remember is he looked like he was 70 years old, but was beating the ass of every one he got in the ring with.

Right , but No matter how badass Dory was no one these days would accept the truth about him being a superior wrestler because he doesn't look like a current style movie hero .

Harley was and still is a boss and made you believe and Dory was great too.

Pfft. A fake little fraud like john wayne wasn't fit to even carry Harley Race's jock.

I have seen pictures of Harley Race holding a Maple leaf Flag festooned NWA title belt . Besides , why should it matter ? The NWA Belt was replaced by a lookalike a long time ago . 4.5 lbs of gold was a powerful temptation

That's Nice It because the majority of the pictures of the NWA World Heavyweight Champion that hold the domed globe during the 1973-1986 era, have the 1957-1965 Canadian flag design.

Joe Legue O

So what? Then the original belt is wrong, because for the entire usage period of the original belt, we used (and still use) a maple leaf flag.

The canadian flag is not wrong. We have had the maple leaf since 1965

David Saunders ok

this guy most be real young and never saw when wrestling had territories he don't know what he missed