LPW United States Heavyweight Championship

The Lords of Pain Wrestling (LPW) United States Heavyweight Championship (shortened to LPW United States Championship) is a professional e-wrestling championship. Currently, it is the second highest ranked championship exclusive to the Insanity brand of Lords of Pain Wrestling.
The championship has undergone a series of name changes. The original title was conceived by LPW's predecessor, the Psychotic Wrestling Alliance (PWA), who created the PWA United States Championship as a counterpart to the PWA Western States Heritage Championship after the original brand split that occured during the 2004 PWA Draft. The title would later be renamed the LPW United States Championship when the PWA changed its name to LPW. After the championship was held and challenged by a number of international superstars, the title was renamed by The Rik to the LPW Transatlantic Championship in order to spotlight the expanding globalization of the e-federation. After Ash Strife's dominating reign and revelation of his Canadian origins, Strife changed the title to the LPW Canadian Heavyweight Championship until Phantom Lord gained power to permantently rename the title to its original namesake, the LPW United States Championship.
==History==
===Psychotic Wrestling Alliance===
====PWA United States Championship====
In 2004, the roster for the Psychotic Wrestling Alliance (PWA) had grown so large that management decided to do a brand extension. The rosters were split between the PWA's two shows, Schizophrenia (now known as Insanity) and Pyromania (now known as Inferno). Pyromania drafted Jade to their brand, who was the reigning the PWA Western States Heritage Champion. As a result, the promotion's top mid-card title became exclusive to Pyromania, leaving Schizophrenia without a mid-card championship.
The PWA United States Championship was introduced shortly thereafter and commissioned to be the second highest-ranked singles championship for the Schizophrenia brand. The first man to win the title was The D.
Positively Reaper would defeat The D in a Steel Cage match at Annihilation (2004) and would eventually engage in a feud against Phantom Lord. The two would meet at Revelations, where Phantom defeated Reaper in a Russian Chain match to become the new United States Champion. Phantom would win their rematch at Schizo LIVE from San Antonio, beating Reaper in a Thunderdome match. After losing to "Sick" Nick in a non-title match, Phantom would avenge his loss by beating Nick in a Death match at Schizos Wild.
Backstage, Phantom was instrumental in working out a deal with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), the e-federation for the actual TNA. A talent exchange program led to the TNA/PWA King Of The Mountain tournament to determine who had the better brand. Held in Orlando at the Impact Zone, Phantom Lord put up the PWA United States Championship against Shane Douglas in a "I Quit" Six Sides Of Steel match. Phantom was victorious when Douglas hung over the side of the cage and Phantom said he would drop him unless he said "I Quit". Douglas did and Phantom dropped him anyway, free-falling 15 feet to the floor through a table.
Phantom would lose the United States Championship to hardcore legend "Sick" Nick in an "I Quit" Steel Cage match with Shane Douglas serving as the guest referee.
The title would transition between several e-wrestlers. After defeating tag team partner The Rabbi, "Sick" Nick's reign would end at the hands of Joey Hollywood, who defeated him, Rabbi, and Pen in a Fatal 4-way match. Hollywood was the first Canadian and non-American to hold the title. Hollywood's reign would come to an abrupt end however, when The Rabbi's third time was the charm to winning the title.
In November of 2006, management announced that the rosters would be re-drafted during Homecoming. During the 2006 PWA Draft, Schizophrenia drafted The Rabbi with the fifth overall pick to keep the United States Championship on its brand. However, in Homecoming's opening contest, Pyromania's newly acquired Drew "Headbanger" Michaels defeated Rabbi in a No-Disqualification match, winning the championship after flattening Rabbi with a shooting star press using a steel chair. As a result, the championship was declared to be exclusive to the Pyromania brand.
===Lords of Pain Wrestling===
====LPW United States Championship====
In April of 2007, the PWA came under new management and was renamed Lords of Pain Wrestling, while Pyromania was renamed Inferno. As a result, the title was officially renamed the LPW United States Championship.
Headbanger, who also changed his official ring name to Drew Michaels, built a massive amount of momentum as champion, having defeated Robert Lillehammer, Blackwell, and Latimer Morven in three successful title defenses before his wedding with long-time girlfriend, Juliet.
With Michaels feuding against D. Hammond Samuels for the LPW International Heavyweight Championship, Inferno General Manager Spectre forced Michaels into an Unlucky Seven TLC match against six other challengers at Inferno 10.3: Night of Champions. During the match, Samuels interfered and pushed Michaels off the top of the ladder, allowing Damion Kross to take advantage and narrowly escape with the title before N'itomniskittel could come down with it.
After Kross retained the title over N'itomniskittel at Inferno 10.4, Damion Kross was challenged by Peter Saint at Sacrament (2007). After a controversial promo by Kross that attacked GM Spectre, Kross was ambushed by his own Public Enemy #1 stablemates The Rik and X. Beating him within an inch of his life, Kross passed out to Saint's 4:21 submission, making Saint the first Australian and non-North American e-wrestler to hold the title.
====LPW Transatlantic Championship====
At Dead Reckoning, England's The Rik defeated Australian champion Peter Saint and Portugal's RaTo in a Triple Threat match to win the title. Citing his international influence, The Rik unified the LPW United States Championship with his UKWF Championship during the Inferno 12.1 telecast, renaming it the LPW Transatlantic Championship.
After Altered Reality IV and Spectre's resignation as President, LPW was bodyslammed by the financial crisis of 2008. Hoping to create a renewed interest, new CEO The Boss announced the third LPW Draft, and later named Little Red Riding Hood as Insanity's new General Manager. Little Red drafted The Rik with the 20th overall selection, thus bringing the Transatlantic Championship back to Insanity (formerly Schizophrenia). Due The Rik's no show at Altered Reality and consequent flaking, Little Red stripped him of the title and created a unique eight-man tournament called The Exciting Adventures of the Transatlantic Championship. The finals concluded on January 18, 2009 at Honor Roll, when The Rabbi won the gold for a second time when he defeated Ireland's Daniel Oakley to win the title.
The Rabbi would defeat an old-nemesis of his from the PWA days when he defeated a returning Pen at Resurrection. During this time, Rabbi was challenged by the devilish Ash Strife. Aboard the USS Bainbridge, Rabbi gambled his title against Ash's three Body Count points with hopes of becoming the first man to clinch a spot in the DeathCube for a shot at the LPW World Heavyweight Championship. In a classic match, Rabbi defeated Strife in an upset victory to clinch the spot.
The loss didn't sit well with Strife, who challenged Rabbi to rematch at Insanity LIVE from Woodstock. The rematch included Pope Fred, who had won a title shot at Body Count. With the assistance of X, Strife defeated Rabbi to become the Transatlantic Terror.
====LPW Canadian Heavyweight Championship====
On August 1, 2010, Strife defeated Monroe to retain the Transatlantic Championship for a record fourth title defense. After the match, Strife announced that he discovered his origins being from Canada, and changed the title's name to the LPW Canadian Heavyweight Championship.
==Reigns==
:Main article: List of LPW United States Champions
*The LPW United States Championship was introduced into LPW during the Golden Age, which then was called the Psychotic Wrestling Alliance (PWA).
*The inaugural champion was The D.
*Since introduced, there have been 12 champions.
*The Rabbi is the only champion to have held the title on two occassions. The title held different names during each reign, first winning the PWA United States Championship and then after the LPW name change, held the LPW Transatlantic Championship.
*The longest reigning champion is currently Chris Austin who has held the title for 707 days and counting.
*The shortest reigning champion was Damion Kross who officially held the title for 60 days.
*The most title defenses belongs to Ash Strife who, at this time, has seven successful title defenses against ten different challengers.
*Ash Strife is the only one out of two LPW United States Champions to have defeated the LPW Western States Heritage Champion in Altered Reality history, winning at Altered Reality V.
*The most represented nationality of champions, of which is known, is the United States of America with nine (The D, Phantom Lord, "Sick" Nick, Drew "Headbanger" Michaels, Damion Kross, The Rabbi, Jude Maxwell, Mass Chaos, and Andy Savana). Canada trails next wtih three (Joey Hollywood, Ultramarcus and Ash Strife), followed by Australia (Peter Saint) and England (The Rik) with one apiece.
==Current champion==
The current champion is Chris Austin. He defeated defending champion Phantom Lord at LPW Salvation in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match on May 4, 2015.
==See also==
*LPW United States Championship gallery
==External links==
*The History of Insanity
Category:Championships