# NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship

The NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title for lighter wrestlers, board-controlled by the National Wrestling Alliance since December 1949.
It originally was used by various promotions across the Southeastern United States, most prevalently in NWA Mid-America based Tennessee. In August 1974, it was renamed the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version).
The title was revived by the NWA in December 1999, and is used in the NWA Mid-South promotion, based in Humboldt, Tennessee.

## Title history

Key :
| No. | Overall reign number |
| Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
| Days | Number of days held |
| No. | Champion | Championship change | Championship change | Championship change | Reign statistics | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. |
| No. | Champion | Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | Notes | Ref. |
| 1 | Joe Gunther | May 25, 1939 (NLT) | GCCW show | New Orleans | 1 | N/A | Recognized in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. | |
| — | | N/A | — | — | | | | |
| 2 | Tommy Ward | March 20, 1950 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | Recognized in Florida and Georgia. | |
| — | | N/A | — | — | | | | |
| 3 | Karl Kowalski | September 18, 1950 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | Recognized in Georgia. | |
| — | | N/A | — | — | | | | |
| 4 | Henry Harrell | April 19, 1952 | GCCW show | Jackson, Mississippi | 1 | N/A | Defeated Tex Riley in a tournament final. | |
| 5 | Herb Welch | July 1952 | GCCW show | Knoxville, Tennessee | 1 | N/A | | |
| 6 | Al Galento | August 21, 1952 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1 | N/A | | |
| 7 | Tex Riley | October 1952 | GCCW show | Kingsport, Tennessee | 1 | N/A | | |
| 8 | Jesse James | N/A | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | | |
| — | | N/A | — | — | | | | |
| 9 | Red Roberts | January 1953 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | Recognized in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. | |
| 10 | Ray Piret | March 17, 1954 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 1 | 341 | | |
| 11 | Sonny Myers | February 21, 1955 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 1 | 155 | | |
| 12 | Frank Jares | July 26, 1955 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 1 | 301 | | |
| 13 | The Masked Bat | May 22, 1956 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 1 | 7 | | |
| 14 | Frank Jares | May 29, 1956 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 2 | 56 | | |
| 15 | Jesse James | July 24, 1956 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 2 | 14 | | |
| 16 | Frank Jares | August 7, 1956 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 3 | 20 | | |
| 17 | Herb Welch | August 27, 1956 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 2 | 23 | | |
| 18 | The Great Malenko | September 19, 1956 | GCCW show | Mobile, Alabama | 1 | 27 | | |
| 19 | Herb Welch | October 16, 1956 | GCCW show | Mobile, Alabama | 3 | 132 | | |
| 20 | Tor Yamata | February 25, 1957 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 1 | 112 | | |
| 21 | Cyclone Anaya | June 17, 1957 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 1 | 65 | | |
| 22 | Mario Galento | August 21, 1957 | GCCW show | Mobile, Alabama | 1 | N/A | | |
| — | Vacated | September 1957 | — | — | — | — | Vacated due to Galento not defending. | |
| 23 | Cyclone Anaya | September 1957 | GCCW show | N/A | 2 | N/A | | |
| 24 | Tor Yamata | October 1, 1957 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 2 | 41 | | |
| 25 | Ray Stevens | November 11, 1957 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 1 | N/A | | |
| 26 | Tor Yamata | January 1958 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 3 | N/A | | |
| 27 | Herb Welch | March 17, 1958 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 3 | N/A | | |
| — | | N/A | — | — | | | | |
| 28 | Fred Blassie | May 1958 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | | |
| — | | N/A | — | — | | | | |
| 29 | Ray Stevens | June 1958 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 2 | N/A | | |
| 30 | Corsica Jean | July 22, 1958 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 1 | N/A | | |
| 31 | Ray Stevens | October 1958 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 3 | N/A | | |
| — | Vacated | October 1958 | — | — | — | — | Stevens left the territory. | |
| 32 | Yvon Robert | 1958 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 1 | N/A | | |
| 33 | Jesse James | January 12, 1959 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 3 | 261 | | |
| 34 | Jackie Fargo | September 30, 1959 | GCCW show | Mobile, Alabama | 1 | 89 | | |
| 35 | Mike Clancy | December 28, 1959 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 1 | 360 | | |
| 36 | Bill Monroe | December 22, 1960 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1 | 5 | | |
| 37 | Len Rossi | December 27, 1960 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 1 | 207 | | |
| 38 | Don Greene | July 22, 1961 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1 | 170 | | |
| 39 | Len Rossi | January 8, 1962 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 41 | | |
| 40 | Taro Sakuro | February 18, 1962 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1 | 109 | | |
| 41 | Joe Lanza | June 7, 1962 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1 | N/A | | |
| — | | N/A | GCCW show | — | | N/A | | |
| 42 | Jackie Fargo | August 1962 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 2 | N/A | | |
| — | | N/A | GCCW show | — | | N/A | | |
| 43 | Hans Steiner | September 1962 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | | |
| — | | N/A | GCCW show | — | | N/A | | |
| 44 | Len Rossi | May 1963 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | | |
| 45 | Frankie Cain | May 1963 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | N/A | | |
| — | | N/A | GCCW show | — | | N/A | | |
| 46 | Alex Perez | January 1964 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | | |
| 47 | Rocky Smith | November 1964 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | | |
| 48 | Alex Perez | February 8, 1965 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | N/A | | |
| 49 | Rocky Smith | November 1965 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 2 | N/A | | |
| — | Vacated | December 16, 1965 | GCCW show | — | — | — | Held up after a match against Hiro Matsuda | |
| 50 | Rocky Smith | December 23, 1965 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 3 | 26 | Defeated Matsuda in a rematch. | |
| 51 | Alex Perez | January 18, 1966 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 3 | 80 | | |
| 52 | Al Costello | April 8, 1966 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 1 | 20 | | |
| 53 | Karl von Brauner | April 28, 1966 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1 | 90 | | |
| 54 | Jackie Fargo | July 27, 1966 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 3 | N/A | | |
| — | | N/A | GCCW show | — | | N/A | | |
| 55 | Len Rossi | April 1967 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 4 | N/A | | |
| 56 | The Great Yamaha | August 19, 1967 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1 | 12 | | |
| 57 | Len Rossi | August 31, 1967 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 5 | 201 | | |
| 58 | Tojo Yamamoto | March 19, 1968 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1 | 512 | | |
| — | | N/A | GCCW show | — | | 0 | | |
| 59 | Siki Samara | August 13, 1969 | GCCW show | Mobile, Alabama | 1 | 0 | Samara was awarded the title. | |
| 60 | Jimmy Jones | August 13, 1969 | GCCW show | Mobile, Alabama | 1 | 7 | | |
| 61 | Siki Samara | August 20, 1969 | GCCW show | Mobile, Alabama | 2 | 0 | | |
| 62 | Siki Samara | August 20, 1969 | GCCW show | Mobile, Alabama | 2 | N/A | | |
| — | | N/A | GCCW show | — | | N/A | | |
| 63 | Len Rossi | March 1970 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 6 | N/A | | |
| 64 | Sputnik Monroe | July 1, 1971 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1 | N/A | | |
| 65 | Len Rossi | August 1971 | GCCW show | N/A | 7 | N/A | | |
| — | Vacated | 1973 | GCCW show | — | — | — | Rossi suffers a broken ankle. | |
| 66 | Tommy Gilbert | 1973 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 1 | N/A | | |
| 67 | Lou Thesz | 1973 | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | | |
| 68 | Tommy Gilbert | 1973 | GCCW show | N/A | 2 | N/A | | |
| 69 | Ron Garvin | December 1973 (NLT) | GCCW show | N/A | 1 | N/A | | |
| 70 | Tommy Gilbert | January 1974 | GCCW show | Birmingham, Alabama | 3 | N/A | | |
| 71 | Lou Thesz | March 18, 1974 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 23 | | |
| 72 | Tommy Gilbert | April 10, 1974 | GCCW show | Nashville, Tennessee | 4 | 5 | | |
| 73 | Jerry Lawler | April 15, 1974 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 49 | | |
| 74 | Ricky Gibson | June 3, 1974 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 7 | | |
| 75 | Jerry Lawler | June 10, 1974 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 14 | | |
| 76 | Jackie Fargo | June 24, 1974 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 4 | 14 | | |
| 77 | Jerry Lawler | July 8, 1974 | GCCW show | Memphis, Tennessee | 3 | 12 | | |
| 78 | Jackie Fargo | July 20, 1974 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 5 | 7 | | |
| 79 | Jerry Lawler | July 27, 1974 | GCCW show | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 4 | N/A | | |
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