# NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Championship

The NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling regional championship in Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling (GCCW). It was a secondary title, complementing the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Championship, and one of several state championships recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance. The title was deactivated with the retirement of "Cowboy" Bob Kelly on September 3, 1976.
There have been a total of 33 recognized champions who have had a combined 78 official reigns, with Bob Kelly holding the most at eighteen. The longest reigning champion was Lee Fields, who held the title for 281 days. The shortest reigning champion was The Avenger, who held the title for only four days.

## Key

| Reign | The reign number for the specific set of wrestlers listed |
| Event | The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the titles were won |
| N/A | The specific information is not known |
| — | Used for vacated reigns so as not to count it as an official reign |
| (n) | Indicates that a title change took place "no later than" the date listed. |
| | Indicates that there was a period where the lineage is undocumented due to the lack of written documentation |

## Title history

| No. | Champion | Reign | Date | Days held | Location | Event | Notes |
| 1 | Bobby Fields | 1 | July 3, 1958 | 63 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | Defeated The Great Malenko in a tournament final. |
| 2 | Mario Galento | 1 | September 4, 1958 | 5 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 3 | Tom Drake | 1 | September 9, 1958 | 56 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 4 | Lee Fields | 1 | November 4, 1958 | 56 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 5 | Joe McCarthy | 1 | December 30, 1958 | 14 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 6 | Lee Fields | 2 | January 13, 1959 | 28 | Laurel, MS | Live event | This was a boxing match. |
| — | Vacated | — | February 10, 1959 | — | Laurel, MS | Live event | Championship vacated when Lee Fields is stripped for fighting outside the ring during a title defense against Rocket Monroe and using a folding chair to attack his opponent. |
| 7 | Pancho Villa | 1 | March 31, 1959 | 14 | Laurel, MS | Live event | Defeated Lee Fields in a tournament final. |
| 8 | Lee Fields | 3 | April 14, 1959 | 35 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 9 | John Smith | 1 | May 19, 1959 | N/A | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| — | Vacated | — | October 1959 | — | Jackson, MS | Live event | Championship vacated following a controversial match between Lee Fields and The Mighty Yankee. |
| 10 | Pancho Villa | 2 | November 1959 | | Laurel, MS | Live event | Defeated Lee Fields in a tournament final. |
| 11 | Lee Fields | 4 | December 15, 1959 | 70 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 12 | Joe McCarthy | 2 | February 23, 1960 | | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| — | Vacated | — | March 1960 | — | N/A | N/A | Championship vacated when McCarthy is stripped of the title for refusing to accept a challenge by Al Galento. |
| 13 | Al Galento | 1 | March 22, 1960 | 13 | Laurel, MS | Live event | Defeated Jack Curtis, Jr. to win the vacant title. |
| 14 | Lee Fields | 5 | April 4, 1960 | 281 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 15 | Pancho Villa | 3 | January 10, 1961 | N/A | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 16 | Dick Dunn | 1 | March 2, 1964 | N/A | Laurel, MS | Live event | Defeated Bobby Fields in a one-night 10-man tournament final. |
| 17 | Bobby Fields | 2 | April 6, 1968 | 151 | N/A | N/A | Billed as champion upon arrival. |
| 18 | "Cowboy" Bob Kelly | 1 | September 4, 1968 | 47 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 19 | Rocket Monroe | 1 | October 21, 1968 | 61 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 20 | Bob Kelly | 2 | December 21, 1968 | 117 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 21 | Mitsu Sito | | April 17, 1969 | 27 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 22 | Bob Boyer | 1 | May 14, 1969 | 85 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 23 | Rocket Monroe | 2 | August 7, 1969 | 21 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 24 | The Blue Yankee | 1 | August 28, 1969 | 7 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 25 | Bob Kelly | 3 | September 4, 1969 | 21 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 26 | The Blue Yankee | 2 | September 25, 1969 | 123 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 27 | Bob Kelly | 4 | January 26, 1970 | 80 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 28 | Mike Boyette | 1 | April 16, 1970 | 98 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 29 | The Blue Yankee | 3 | July 23, 1970 | 28 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 30 | Bobby Whitlock | 1 | August 20, 1970 | 28 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 31 | The Avenger | 1 | September 17, 1970 | 4 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 32 | Bob Kelly | 5 | September 21, 1970 | 35 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 33 | Rocket Monroe | 3 | October 26, 1970 | 31 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 34 | Ken Lucas | 1 | November 26, 1970 | 14 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 35 | Rocket Monroe | 4 | December 10, 1970 | 42 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 36 | Bobby Fields | 3 | January 21, 1971 | | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| — | Vacated | — | 1971 | — | N/A | N/A | Championship vacated for unknown reasons; Fields may have been forced to forfeit the title due to a pre-match stipulation when he failed to defeat Sam Bass in less than 5 minutes Hattiesburg, Mississippi on February 25, 1971. |
| 37 | Terry Garvin | 1 | March 18, 1971 | 7 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | Defeated Bob Kelly in a tournament final. |
| 38 | Bob Kelly | 6 | March 25, 1971 | 49 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 39 | Eddie Sullivan | 1 | May 13, 1971 | 28 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 40 | Bob Kelly | 7 | June 10, 1971 | 119 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 41 | Eddie Sullivan | 2 | October 7, 1971 | 35 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 42 | Ken Lucas | 2 | November 11, 1971 | 14 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 43 | Eddie Sullivan | 3 | November 25, 1971 | 60 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 44 | Bob Kelly | 8 | January 24, 1972 | 21 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 45 | Donnie Fargo | 1 | February 14, 1972 | 31 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 46 | Bob Kelly | 9 | March 16, 1972 | 120 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 47 | The Spoiler | 1 | July 14, 1972 | 4 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 48 | Arman Hussein | 1 | July 18, 1972 | | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| — | Vacated | — | August 1972 | — | N/A | N/A | Championship vacated for failing to defend the title. |
| 49 | Gorgeous George Jr. | 1 | August 31, 1972 | 14 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | Won a battle royal to win the vacant title. |
| 50 | The Spoiler | 2 | September 14, 1972 | 39 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 51 | Arman Hussein | 2 | October 23, 1972 | 24 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 52 | The Mysterious Medic | 1 | November 16, 1972 | 28 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 53 | Bob Kelly | 10 | December 14, 1972 | 35 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 54 | The Mysterious Medic | 2 | January 18, 1973 | 21 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 55 | Bob Kelly | 11 | February 8, 1973 | 63 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 56 | The Wrestling Pro | 1 | April 12, 1973 | 4 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 57 | Arman Hussein | 3 | April 16, 1973 | 59 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 58 | Rocket Monroe | 5 | June 14, 1973 | 70 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 59 | Ken Lucas | 3 | August 23, 1973 | 39 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 60 | Norvell Austin | 1 | October 1, 1973 | 24 | Laurel, MS | Live event | |
| 61 | Ken Lucas | 4 | October 25, 1973 | 49 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 62 | Duke Miller | 1 | December 13, 1973 | 35 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 63 | Bob Kelly | 12 | January 17, 1974 | 98 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 64 | The Wrestling Pro | 2 | April 25, 1974 | | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| — | Vacated | — | June 1974 | — | N/A | N/A | Championship vacated for unknown reasons. A 10-man tournament is held in Laurel, Mississippi on July 1, 1974, however, the winner is unknown. |
| 65 | Jack Donovan | 1 | August, 1974 (n) | | Unknown | Live event | |
| 66 | Bob Kelly | 13 | February 20, 1975 | 14 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 67 | Chris Colt | 1 | March 6, 1975 | 7 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 68 | Bob Kelly | 14 | March 13, 1975 | 49 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 69 | Rip Tyler | 1 | May 1, 1975 | 8 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 70 | Big Bad John | 1 | May 9, 1975 | 13 | Meridian, MS | Live event | |
| 71 | The Bounty Hunter #1 | 1 | May 22, 1975 | 98 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | This was during a battle royal in which Big Bad John had been put the title on the line. |
| 72 | Bob Kelly | 15 | August 28, 1975 | 14 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 73 | Melvin Kimball | 1 | September 11, 1975 | 14 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| 74 | Bob Kelly | 16 | September 25, 1975 | 84 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| — | Vacated | — | December 18, 1975 | — | N/A | N/A | Championship vacated when Kelly leaves the Gulf Coast territory. |
| 75 | Duke Miller | 2 | January 22, 1976 | 105 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | Defeated Eddie Sullivan in a tournament final. |
| 76 | Bob Kelly | 17 | May 6, 1976 | 49 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| — | Vacated | — | June 24, 1976 | — | N/A | N/A | Title held up and a tournament is held to decide a new champion. |
| 77 | Sweet Daddy Banks | 1 | July 1, 1976 | 14 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | Won an 8-man tournament to win the vacant title. |
| 78 | Bob Kelly | 18 | July 15, 1976 | 50 | Hattiesburg, MS | Live event | |
| — | Deactivated | — | September 3, 1976 | — | — | N/A | Championship is vacated upon Bob Kelly's retirement and subsequently abandoned. |

## List of top combined reigns

| ¤ | The exact length of several title reigns are uncertain, so the shortest possible length is used. |
List of combined reigns :
| Rank | Champion | No. of reigns | Combined days |
| 1 | Bob Kelly | 18 | 1,065 |
| 2 | Lee Fields | 5 | 470 |
| 3 | Bobby Fields | 3 | 249 |
| 4 | Rocket Monroe | 5 | 225 |
| 5 | The Blue Yankee | 3 | 158 |
| 6 | Duke Miller | 2 | 140 |
| 7 | Eddie Sullivan | 3 | 123 |
| 8 | Ken Lucas | 4 | 116 |
| 9 | Mike Boyette | 1 | 98 |
| 10 | Bounty Hunter #1 | 1 | 98 |
| 11 | Arman Hussein | 3 | 97 |
| 12 | Bob Boyer | 1 | 85 |
| 13 | The Wrestling Pro | 2 | 64¤ |
| 14 | Tom Drake | 1 | 56 |
| 15 | Dick Dunn | 1 | 54¤ |
| 16 | The Mysterious Medic | 2 | 49 |
| 17 | The Spoiler | 2 | 43 |
| 18 | Donnie Fargo | 1 | 31 |
| 19 | Pancho Villa | 3 | 28¤ |
| 20 | Bobby Whitlock | 1 | 28 |
| 21 | Mitsu Sito | 1 | 27 |
| 22 | Norvell Austin | 1 | 24 |
| 23 | Joe McCarthy | 2 | 23¤ |
| 24 | Gorgeous George Jr. | 1 | 14 |
| 25 | Melvin Kimball | 1 | 14 |
| 26 | Big Bad John | 1 | 13 |
| 27 | Al Galento | 1 | 13 |
| 28 | Rip Tyler | 1 | 8 |
| 29 | Terry Garvin | 1 | 7 |
| 30 | Chris Colt | 1 | 7 |
| 31 | Mario Galento | 1 | 5 |
| 32 | The Avenger | 1 | 4 |
| 33 | John Smith | 1 | N/A |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Documentation of the specific date of a title change is not found but documentation of the champion holding the title on that date/in that period.
* ↑ The exact date on which the title was won is not known, which means their title reign lasted between 15 and 44 days.
* ↑ The exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means their title reign lasted between 9 and 25 days.
* ↑ The exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means their title reign lasted between 35 and 56 days.
* ↑ The exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means their title reign lasted between 14 and 44 days.
* ↑ The exact date on which the title was vacated is not known, which means their title reign lasted between 60 and 64 days.
* ↑ The exact date on which the title was won is not known, which means their title reign lasted between 31 and 195 days.