# MCW Heavyweight Championship

The MCW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) promotion. The title was created and debuted on October 11, 1998, at a MCW live event. In 2003, MCW ceased operations; at its last show MCW Last Dance on July 16, the MCW Heavyweight Championship was unified with the FTW Heavyweight and the MEWF Heavyweight Championships, when then–MCW Heavyweight Champion Danny Doring defeated MEWF Heavyweight Champion Romeo Valentino and self-proclaimed FTW Heavyweight Champion Chris Chetti. MCW reopened in 2005 and held its first show on October 1, 2005, titled Fort Meade Wrestling. The MCW Heavyweight Championship was reinstated on March 26, 2006, at MCW's The Phenomenal Final Four event, where Julio Dinero won a tournament to become the champion.
Title reigns are determined either by professional wrestling matches between wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines, or by scripted circumstances. Wrestlers are portrayed as either villains or heroes as they follow a series of tension-building events, which culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches for the championship. Title changes happen at live events, which are usually released on DVD. The inaugural champion was Romeo Valentino, who defeated Corporal Punishment in the finals of a tournament to win the championship on October 11, 1998, at an MCW live event. As of November 2020, The Bruiser holds the record for most reigns, with eleven. At 435 days, Christian York's second reign is the longest in the title's history. The current champion is Joseph Keys, who is in his first reign. Overall, there have been 59 reigns shared between 33 wrestlers.

## Title history

Key :
| No. | Overall reign number |
| Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
| Days | Number of days held |
| + | Current reign is changing daily |
| No. | Champion | Championship change | Championship change | Championship change | Reign statistics | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. |
| No. | Champion | Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | Notes | Ref. |
| | Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) | Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) | Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) | Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) | Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) | Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) | Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) | Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) |
| 1 | Romeo Valentino | October 11, 1998 | Live event | Baltimore, MD | 1 | 53 | Valentino defeated Corporal Punishment in a tournament final to become the inaugural champion. | |
| 2 | King Kong Bundy | December 3, 1998 | Live event | Denton, MD | 1 | 35 | | |
| 3 | Romeo Valentino | January 7, 1999 | Live event | Glen Burnie, MD | 2 | 91 | | |
| 4 | Headbanger Mosh | April 8, 1999 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 70 | | |
| 5 | Tom Brandi | June 17, 1999 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 80 | | |
| 6 | The Bruiser | September 5, 1999 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 52 | | |
| 7 | Romeo Valentino | October 27, 1999 | Live event | Glen Burnie, MD | 3 | 38 | | |
| 8 | The Bruiser | December 4, 1999 | Live event | Sandy Spring, MD | 2 | 228 | | |
| 9 | Jimmy Cicero | July 19, 2000 | Live event | Glen Burnie, MD | 1 | 123 | | |
| 10 | Adam Flash | November 19, 2000 | Live event | Odenton, MD | 1 | 17 | | |
| 11 | Jimmy Cicero | December 6, 2000 | Live event | Glen Burnie, MD | 2 | 163 | | |
| 12 | Adam Flash | May 18, 2001 | Live event | Wye Mills, MD | 2 | 168 | | |
| 13 | The Bruiser | November 2, 2001 | Live event | Chestertown, MD | 3 | <1 | | |
| 14 | Jerry Lawler | November 2, 2001 | Live event | Chestertown, MD | 1 | 8 | | |
| 15 | The Bruiser | November 10, 2001 | Live event | Hampstead, MD | 4 | 91 | | |
| 16 | Orlando Jordan | February 9, 2002 | Live event | Lexington, KY | 1 | 7 | | |
| 17 | The Bruiser | February 16, 2002 | Live event | Harrington, DE | 5 | 347 | | |
| 18 | Danny Doring | January 29, 2003 | Live event | Glen Burnie, MD | 1 | 168 | | |
| — | Deactivated | July 16, 2003 | Last Dance | Glen Burnie, MD | — | — | Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) ceases operations, and the championship is unofficially unified with the FTW Heavyweight and the MEWF Heavyweight Championships after Doring defeated Valentino and Chetti. | |
| 19 | Julio Dinero | March 26, 2006 | The Phenomenal Final Four | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 105 | MCW officially reopened in February 2006. Dinero defeated Genesis in a tournament final to win the newly revived championship. | |
| 20 | Adam Flash | July 9, 2006 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | 3 | 364 | | |
| 21 | Joey Matthews | July 8, 2007 | Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup VII | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 171 | | |
| 22 | Christian York | December 26, 2007 | Holiday Homecoming 2007 | Glen Burnie, MD | 1 | 423 | | |
| 23 | Ruckus | February 21, 2009 | Anniversary 2009 | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 258 | | |
| 24 | Kent Brink | November 6, 2009 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 267 | | |
| 25 | Ryan McBride | July 31, 2010 | Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup 2010 | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 210 | | |
| 26 | Tyler Hilton | February 26, 2011 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 82 | | |
| 27 | Cobian | May 19, 2011 | Live event | Baltimore, MD | 1 | 134 | | |
| 28 | Ronnie Zukko | September 30, 2011 | Live event | Severn, MD | 1 | 91 | | |
| 29 | Tyler Hilton | December 30, 2011 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | 2 | 98 | | |
| 30 | Nui Tofiga | April 6, 2012 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | 1 | 204 | | |
| — | Vacated | October 27, 2012 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | — | — | The championship was vacated for undocumented reasons. | |
| 31 | Ryan McBride | October 27, 2012 | Live event | Dundalk, MD | 2 | 118 | | |
| 32 | Christian York | February 22, 2013 | Anniversary | Dundalk, MD | 2 | 435 | | |
| 33 | Drolix | May 3, 2014 | Xtreme Measures | Waldorf, MD | 1 | <1 | | |
| 34 | Matt Hardy | May 3, 2014 | Xtreme Measures | Waldorf, MD | 1 | 154 | | |
| 35 | Drolix | October 4, 2014 | Tribute to Legends | Waldorf, MD | 2 | 126 | | |
| 36 | The Bruiser | February 7, 2015 | Anniversary MMXV | Joppa, MD | 6 | 259 | | |
| 37 | Ryan McBride | October 24, 2015 | Autumn Armageddon Tour | Windber, PA | 3 | 336 | During this reign Maryland Championship Wrestling was changed to MCW Pro Wrestling. | |
| | MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) | MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) | MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) | MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) | MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) | MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) | MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) | MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) |
| 38 | Drolix | September 24, 2016 | Tribute to Legends 2016 | Joppa, MD | 3 | 126 | This was a Dog collar match. | |
| 39 | Big Sean Studd | January 28, 2017 | Broken Anniversary MMXVII | Joppa, MD | 1 | 245 | | |
| 40 | The Bruiser | September 30, 2017 | Tribute to the Legends 2017 | Joppa, MD | 7 | <1 | This was a "Stairway to Hell" match. | |
| 41 | Joey Matthews | September 30, 2017 | Tribute to the Legends 2017 | Joppa, MD | 2 | 62 | | |
| 42 | The Bruiser | December 1, 2017 | Seasons Beatings 2017 | Joppa, MD | 8 | 78 | This was a no disqualification match. | |
| 43 | Joey Matthews | February 17, 2018 | Horsemen Anniversary | Joppa, MD | 3 | 7 | | |
| 44 | The Bruiser | February 24, 2018 | Winter Blast 2018 | Hollywood, MD | 9 | 28 | | |
| 45 | Joey Matthews | March 24, 2018 | Breakthrough: Proving Grounds | Joppa, MD | 4 | 21 | This was a steel cage match. | |
| 46 | The Bruiser | April 14, 2018 | Spring Fever 2018 | Hollywood, MD | 10 | 91 | This was a steel cage match. | |
| 47 | Dante Caballero | July 14, 2018 | Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup XVIII - Day 2 | Joppa, MD | 1 | 433 | | |
| 48 | Rhett Titus | September 20, 2019 | Future of Honor Honor Games | Joppa, MD | 1 | 119 | This was an "Honor Games" match, also including Austin Gunn, Brian Johnson, Greg Excellent, Joe Keys and Ken Dixon. | |
| 49 | Kekoa | January 17, 2020 | Winter Blast 2020 | Joppa, MD | 1 | 309 | This was a three-way match, also involving Brandon Scott. | |
| 50 | The Bruiser | November 21, 2020 | Bruiser Strong: Tribute to a Legend | Joppa, MD | 11 | <1 | Given the title by Kekoa as a tribute to his memory. | |
| — | Vacated | November 21, 2020 | Bruiser Strong: Tribute to a Legend | Joppa, MD | — | — | The title was vacated following The Bruiser’s death on November 16, 2020, after a lengthy battle with Leukemia. | |
| 51 | Brian Johnson | September 17, 2021 | Bruiser Strong 2021 | Joppa, MD | 1 | 104 | This was a 30-entrant Bruiser Strong Rumble. Johnson was entrant number one, last eliminating Moses. | |
| 52 | Ken Dixon | December 30, 2021 | MCW Last Call | Joppa, MD | 1 | 254 | Dixon won a 4 way match earlier in evening to earn Title Match in NO DQ Main Event against Johnson | |
| 53 | Brian Johnson | September 10, 2022 | Bruiser Strong 2022 | Joppa, MD | 2 | 35 | This was an 11-Man Bruiser Strong Rumble. Johnson was entrant number five, last eliminating Action Andretti. | |
| 54 | Action Andretti | October 15, 2022 | Autumn Armageddon Tour 2022 Night 3 | Joppa, MD | 1 | 76 | | |
| 55 | Ken Dixon | December 30, 2022 | Season’s Beatings 2022 | Joppa, MD | 2 | 35 | This was a Fatal 4-Way match, also involving The Mecca and Robert Locke. | |
| 56 | Robert Locke | February 3, 2023 | MCW Anniversary 2023 | Joppa, MD | 1 | 330 | | |
| 57 | Demarcus Kane | December 30, 2023 | Seasons Beatings 2023 Night 2 | Joppa, MD | 1 | 259 | This was a no disqualification match. | |
| 58 | Kaun | September 14, 2024 | Bruiser Strong 2024 | Joppa, MD | 1 | 104 | This was an 11-Man Bruiser Strong Rumble. Kaun was entrant number five, last eliminating Joseph Keys. | |
| 59 | Joseph Keys | December 27, 2024 | Season's Beatings 2024 | Joppa, MD | 1 | 74+ | This was a three-way match, also involving Demarcus Kane. | |

## Combined reigns

As of March 11, 2025
| † | Indicates the current champion |
| Rank | Wrestler | No. of reigns | Combined days |
| 1 | The Bruiser | 11 | 1,174 |
| 2 | Christian York | 2 | 858 |
| 3 | Ryan McBride | 3 | 664 |
| 4 | Adam Flash | 3 | 549 |
| 5 | Dante Caballero | 1 | 433 |
| 6 | Robert Locke | 1 | 330 |
| 7 | Kekoa | 1 | 309 |
| 8 | Ken Dixon | 2 | 289 |
| 9 | Jimmy Cicero | 2 | 286 |
| 10 | Kent Brink | 1 | 267 |
| 11 | Joey Matthews | 4 | 261 |
| 12 | Demarcus Kane | 1 | 259 |
| 13 | Ruckus | 1 | 258 |
| 14 | Drolix | 3 | 252 |
| 15 | Big Sean Studd | 1 | 245 |
| 16 | Nui Tofiga | 1 | 204 |
| 17 | Romeo Valentino | 3 | 182 |
| 18 | Tyler Hilton | 2 | 180 |
| 19 | Danny Doring | 1 | 168 |
| 20 | Matt Hardy | 1 | 154 |
| 21 | Brian Johnson | 2 | 139 |
| 22 | Cobian | 1 | 134 |
| 23 | Rhett Titus | 1 | 119 |
| 24 | Julio Dinero | 1 | 105 |
| 25 | Kaun | 1 | 104 |
| 26 | Ronnie Zukko | 1 | 91 |
| 27 | Tom Brandi | 1 | 80 |
| 28 | Action Andretti | 1 | 76 |
| 29 | Joseph Keys † | 1 | 74+ |
| 30 | Headbanger Mosh | 1 | 70 |
| 31 | King Kong Bundy | 1 | 35 |
| 32 | Jerry Lawler | 1 | 8 |
| 33 | Orlando Jordan | 1 | 7 |