# NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version)

The Florida version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship was the major singles professional wrestling championship in the National Wrestling Alliance's Florida territory, Championship Wrestling Florida. It existed from 1962 until 1987, when the title was abandoned. It was revived by NWA Florida in 1996. At various times, different NWA affiliated promotions used their own regional version of the title including promotions based in Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas.

## 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 | Eddie Graham | March 17, 1962 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 68 | Won tournament to become the first champion | |
| — | Vacated | May 24, 1962 | — | — | — | — | Eddie Graham was injured and unable to defend the championship | |
| 2 | Boris Malenko | July 25, 1962 | N/A | N/A | 1 | 127 | Awarded after Malenko injured Graham to cause the title to become vacant | |
| 3 | Eddie Graham | November 29, 1962 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 2 | 82 | | |
| 4 | Hiro Matsuda | February 19, 1963 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 163 | | |
| 5 | Eddie Graham | August 1, 1963 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 3 | 149 | | |
| 6 | Bob Orton | December 28, 1963 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 1 | 66 | | |
| 7 | Bob Ellis | March 3, 1964 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 93 | | |
| 8 | Bob Orton | June 4, 1964 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 2 | 208 | | |
| 9 | Tarzan Tyler | December 29, 1964 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | | | |
| — | Vacated | April 1965 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated for undocumented reasons | |
| 10 | Bob Orton | June 17, 1965 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 3 | 252 | Won a tournament | |
| 11 | Tarzan Tyler | February 24, 1966 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 2 | 12 | | |
| 12 | The Missouri Mauler | March 8, 1966 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | | | |
| 13 | Johnny Weaver | 1967 | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | | | |
| 14 | The Missouri Mauler | 1967 | CWF Show | Florida | 2 | | | |
| 15 | Johnny Weaver | July 1968 | CWF Show | Charlotte, North Carolina | 2 | | | |
| 16 | Red Bastien | July 1968 | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | | | |
| 17 | The Missouri Mauler | January 1969 | CWF Show | Florida | 3 | | | |
| 18 | Jack Brisco | February 11, 1969 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | | | |
| 19 | The Missouri Mauler | 1969 | CWF Show | Florida | 4 | | | |
| 20 | Jack Brisco | July 8, 1969 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 2 | | | |
| — | Vacated | November 1969 | — | — | — | — | Vacated after Jack Brisco left the territory to work in Japan | |
| 21 | Danny Miller | January 3, 1970 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 10 | | |
| 22 | The Missouri Mauler | January 13, 1970 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 5 | 49 | | |
| 23 | Bob Orton | March 3, 1970 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 4 | 39 | | |
| 24 | Dale Lewis | April 11, 1970 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 1 | 66 | | |
| 25 | Hiro Matsuda | June 16, 1970 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 2 | 58 | | |
| 26 | Great Mephisto | August 13, 1970 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 50 | | |
| 27 | Hiro Matsuda | October 2, 1970 | CWF Show | Tallahassee, Florida | 3 | 34 | | |
| 28 | Great Mephisto | November 5, 1970 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 2 | 96 | | |
| 29 | Rene Goulet | February 9, 1971 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 42} | | |
| 30 | The Grappler | March 23, 1971 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 22 | | |
| 31 | Terry Funk | April 14, 1971 | CWF Show | Miami, Florida | 1 | 7 | | |
| 32 | Dick Murdoch | April 21, 1971 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 48 | | |
| 33 | Jack Brisco | June 8, 1971 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 3 | 108 | | |
| — | Vacated | September 24, 1971 | — | — | — | — | Vacated after a match against Dick Murdoch ended in controversial fashion. | |
| 34 | Bobby Duncum | October 7, 1971 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 7 | Won tournament | |
| 35 | George Gaiser | October 14, 1971 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 40 | | |
| 36 | Bobby Shane | November 23, 1971 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 84 | | |
| — | Vacated | February 15, 1972 | — | — | — | — | Vacated after a match against Tim Woods ended in controversial fashion | |
| 37 | Tim Woods | February 29, 1972 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 116 | won the rematch | |
| 38 | The Zodiac | June 24, 1972 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 5 | | | |
| 39 | Dale Lewis | July 1972 | CWF Show | Florida | 2 | | | |
| 40 | The Zodiac | August 1, 1972 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 6 | 11 | | |
| 41 | Tim Woods | August 12, 1972 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 2 | 24 | | |
| 42 | Buddy Colt | September 5, 1972 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 14 | | |
| 43 | Tim Woods | September 19, 1972 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 3 | 42 | | |
| 44 | Buddy Colt | October 31, 1972 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 2 | 21 | | |
| 45 | Tim Woods | November 21, 1972 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 4 | 27 | | |
| 46 | Buddy Colt | December 18, 1972 | CWF Show | Orlando, Florida | 3 | 22 | | |
| 47 | Mark Lewin | January 9, 1973 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 28 | | |
| 48 | Buddy Colt | February 6, 1973 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 4 | 22 | | |
| 49 | Mr. Kleen | February 28, 1973 | CWF Show | Miami, Florida | 1 | 12 | | |
| 50 | Paul Jones | March 12, 1973 | CWF Show | Orlando, Florida | 1 | 29 | | |
| 51 | Ron Fuller | April 10, 1973 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 77 | | |
| 52 | Johnny Valentine | June 26, 1973 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 49 | | |
| 53 | Bill Dromo | August 14, 1973 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 22 | | |
| 54 | Dusty Rhodes | September 5, 1973 | CWF Show | Miami Beach, Florida | 1 | 27 | | |
| 55 | Thunderbolt Patterson | October 2, 1973 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 7 | | |
| 56 | Dusty Rhodes | October 9, 1973 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 2 | 7 | | |
| — | Vacated | October 16, 1973 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated after a match against Paul Jones ended inconclusively | |
| 57 | Dusty Rhodes | October 23, 1973 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 3 | 105 | Defeated Paul Jones in rematch | |
| 58 | Jos LeDuc | February 5, 1974 | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | 35 | | |
| 59 | Dusty Rhodes | March 12, 1974 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 4 | 128 | | |
| — | Vacated | July 18, 1974 | — | — | — | — | Vacated after Pak Song defeated Rhodes | |
| 60 | Dusty Rhodes | July 20, 1974 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 5 | 5 | Defeated Pak Song in rematch | |
| 61 | Pak Song | July 25, 1974 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 1 | 19 | | |
| 62 | Jerry Brisco | August 13, 1974 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | | | |
| 63 | Bill Watts | 1974 | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | | | |
| 64 | Jos LeDuc | November 11, 1974 | CWF Show | West Palm Beach, Florida | 2 | 22 | | |
| 65 | The Stomper | December 3, 1974 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 77 | | |
| 66 | Bob Armstrong | February 18, 1975 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 14 | | |
| 67 | The Stomper | March 4, 1975 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 2 | 13 | | |
| 68 | Pepper Gomez | March 17, 1975 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | 89 | | |
| 69 | Killer Karl Krupp | June 14, 1975 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | | | |
| 70 | Mike George | 1975 | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | | | |
| 71 | Killer Karl Krupp | 1975 | CWF Show | Florida | 2 | | | |
| 72 | Harley Race | August 25, 1975 | CWF Show | West Palm Beach, Florida | 1 | 21 | | |
| 73 | Dusty Rhodes | September 15, 1975 | CWF Show | West Palm Beach, Florida | 6 | 8 | | |
| 74 | Harley Race | September 23, 1975 (NET) | CWF Show | Florida | 2 | | | |
| 75 | Jerry Brisco | November 1975 | CWF Show | Florida | 2 | | | |
| 76 | Masked Destroyer | November 16, 1975 (NET) | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | | | |
| 77 | Billy Robinson | December 29, 1975 | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | 106 | | |
| 78 | The Assassin | April 13, 1976 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 21 | | |
| 79 | Dusty Rhodes | May 4, 1976 | CWF Show | West Palm Beach, Florida | 7 | 35 | | |
| 80 | The Assassin | June 8, 1976 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 2 | 144 | | |
| 81 | Steve Keirn | October 30, 1976 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | | | |
| 82 | Ox Baker | 1976 or 1977 | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | | | |
| 83 | "Superstar" Billy Graham | 1977 | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | | | |
| 84 | Steve Keirn | 1977 | CWF Show | Florida | 2 | | | |
| 85 | Ivan Koloff | May 24, 1977 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 126 | | |
| 86 | Pedro Morales | September 27, 1977 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 161 | | |
| 87 | Dick Slater | March 7, 1978 (NLT) | CWF Show | Florida | 1 | 51 | | |
| 88 | Jerry Brisco | April 27, 1978 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 3 | 4 | | |
| 89 | Dick Slater | May 1, 1978 | CWF Show | Florida | 2 | 48 | | |
| 90 | Dusty Rhodes | June 18, 1978 | CWF Show | Sarasota, Florida | 8 | 45 | | |
| 91 | The Spoiler | August 2, 1978 | CWF Show | Miami Beach, Florida | 1 | 21 | Won a double title match as Spoiler was the NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion | |
| 92 | Wahoo McDaniel | August 23, 1978 | CWF Show | Miami Beach, Florida | 1 | 81 | | |
| 93 | Dick Slater | November 12, 1978 | CWF Show | Orlando, Florida | 3 | 48 | | |
| 94 | Terry Funk | December 30, 1978 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 2 | 21 | | |
| 95 | Thor the Viking | January 20, 1979 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | 70 | | |
| 96 | Jimmy Garvin | March 31, 1979 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | 58 | | |
| 97 | King Curtis Iaukea | May 28, 1979 | CWF Show | West Palm Beach, Florida | 1 | | | |
| 98 | Ernie Ladd | October 1979 | CWF Show | Lafayette, Louisiana | 1 | | | |
| 99 | Sweet Brown Sugar | October 26, 1979 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | 29 | | |
| 100 | Leroy Brown | November 24, 1979 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | 84 | | |
| 101 | Dusty Rhodes | February 16, 1980 | CWF Show | Jacksonville, Florida | 9 | | | |
| — | Vacated | July 1980 | — | — | — | — | Vacated so that Rhodes could focus on a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship | |
| 102 | Dick Slater | August 3, 1980 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 4 | 177 | | |
| 103 | Mike Graham | January 27, 1981 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 7 | | |
| 104 | Dick Slater | February 3, 1981 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 5 | 1 | | |
| 105 | Sweet Brown Sugar | February 4, 1981 | CWF Show | Ft. Myers, Florida | 2 | 76 | | |
| 106 | Rene Goulet | April 21, 1981 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 2 | | | |
| 107 | Bobby Jaggers | June 1981 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | | | |
| 108 | Jack Brisco | November 22, 1981 | CWF Show | Orlando, Florida | 4 | 34 | | |
| 109 | David Von Erich | December 26, 1981 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | 202 | | |
| 110 | Derek Draper | July 16, 1982 | CWF Show | Lakeland, Florida | 1 | 9 | | |
| 111 | Sweet Brown Sugar | July 25, 1982 | CWF Show | Orlando, Florida | 3 | 17 | | |
| 112 | Jimmy Garvin | August 11, 1982 | CWF Show | Florida | 2 | 81 | | |
| 113 | Dusty Rhodes | October 31, 1982 | CWF Show | Orlando, Florida | 10 | 22 | | |
| 114 | Kevin Sullivan | November 22, 1982 | CWF Show | West Palm Beach, Florida | 1 | | Defeated Barry Windham to win the championship | |
| — | Vacated | 1982 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacant after Sullivan tries to give it to Jake Roberts in gratitude for his interference. | |
| 115 | Barry Windham | December 18, 1982 | CWF Show | Sarasota, Florida | 1 | 89 | Defeated Greg Valentine in tournament final | |
| 116 | Frank Dusek | March 17, 1983 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 44 | | |
| 117 | Ron Bass | April 30, 1983 | CWF Show | Ft. Myers, Florida | 1 | 147 | | |
| 118 | Mike Rotunda | September 24, 1983 | CWF Show | St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | 60 | | |
| 119 | Ron Bass | November 23, 1983 | CWF Show | Miami, Florida | 2 | 180 | | |
| 120 | Mike Rotunda | May 21, 1984 | CWF Show | West Palm Beach, Florida | 2 | 9 | | |
| 121 | Angelo Mosca | May 30, 1984 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 74 | | |
| 122 | Jim Neidhart | August 12, 1984 | CWF Show | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 1 | 13 | | |
| 123 | Pez Whatley | August 25, 1984 | CWF Show | Sarasota, Florida | 1 | 25 | | |
| 124 | Kevin Sullivan | September 19, 1984 | CWF Show | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | 2 | 3 | | |
| 125 | Pez Whatley | September 22, 1984 | CWF Show | Miami, Florida | 2 | 116 | | |
| 126 | Rick Rude | January 16, 1985 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 84 | aired on a TV tape delay on January 23, 1985 | |
| 127 | Brian Blair | April 10, 1985 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 46 | | |
| 128 | Hercules Hernandez | May 26, 1985 | CWF Show | Orlando, Florida | 1 | | | |
| — | Vacated | July 1985 | — | — | — | — | Hernandez was fired for a dressing room fight with Wahoo McDaniel | |
| 129 | Rick Rude | July 21, 1985 | CWF Show | Orlando, Florida | 2 | 73 | defeated Mike Graham in tournament final | |
| 130 | Wahoo McDaniel | October 2, 1985 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 2 | 48 | | |
| 131 | Lex Luger | November 19, 1985 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 57 | | |
| 132 | Jesse Barr | January 15, 1986 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 30 | | |
| 132 | Lex Luger | February 14, 1986 | CWF Battle of the Belts 2 | Orlando, Florida | 2 | 158 | | |
| 134 | Masked Superstar | July 22, 1986 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 1 | 7 | | |
| 135 | Lex Luger | July 29, 1986 | CWF Show | Tampa, Florida | 3 | 171 | | |
| 136 | Kevin Sullivan | January 16, 1987 | CWF Show | Daytona, Florida | 3 | 15 | | |
| 137 | Bad News Allen | January 31, 1987 | CWF Show | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | 1 | 25 | | |
| 138 | Kevin Sullivan | February 25, 1987 | CWF Show | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | 4 | | | |
| — | Deactivated | March 1987 | — | — | — | — | Championship abandoned after promotion was purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions | |