The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Championship is the primary professional wrestling title in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first "World Heavyweight Championship," which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and Frank Gotch's 1908 version.
With many "territories" appearing across the United States, the NWA was formed in 1948 as an overall governing wrestling body. Like franchises, these territories had the option of NWA membership. The promotion owners had to recognize the NWA heavyweight, junior heavyweight, and light heavyweight champions as world champions while retaining their own ownership and top champion. Currently under the direct control of the National Wrestling Alliance, the title has served as the centerpiece for other mainstream wrestling promotions in the past, including World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
