Kansas NWA in 42? Splinter Title?

[Matt Benaka]

OK. I know about the NWAssociation and NWAlliance World Titles. I'm beginning to learn about the NWA that existed in Iowa with Orville Brown as champ and Pinky George running the show before the NWAlliance was formed as we know it today. However, as I was doing wrestling research at the Topeka library for 1942, I found another NWA Title mentioned!

It sounds like Roy Dunn was champion and lost to Edward Virag in Wichita, KS who then lost to John Grandovich in Topeka, KS. 1942 is 6 years before the promoters created the NWA that we know today. I've read in one place that Dunn based his title on the fact that NWAssociation champ Ray Steele wouldn't face him for the title. So, is this NWA Title a splinter of the NWAssociation World Title much like the Boston AWA had splinters in Montreal and Toronto? If so, was this line ever re-connected to the main line or was it ignored?

The paper always refers to the belt as "diamond studded.", but they never mention what the NWA initials stood for.

If Dunn was promoting himself as World Champion in KS during this time, what did Orville Brown and the MWA who he was World Champion for think about it?

I've also read one post at another board which suggests the KS NWA Title was a National Wrestling Alliance Title. If this is the case, are there any actual documents to back it up? It would seem more likely that they would use the Association name. It went on to say that Roy Dunn may have dropped the title to Orville Brown and thus move the title into the Iowa area. That would certainly give the Alliance a more complicated and interesting beginning.

[edgehead1984]

interesting...

[Matt Benaka]

OK. After several more hours of going through microfilm of old newspapers, I found that the company actually called itself Natioal Wrestling Alliance. It gets more interesting when you consider that names like Sam Muchnik and Jack Pfeiffer appear as managers in these articles. I'm also starting to think that he NWA offices for this group was located in Texas, but I can't prove that. Anyone have other information?

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

The 4th edition of Wrestling Title Histories lists the KS NWA title. The promoter is listed as Perry Bash.

Roy Dunn 41/02/24
* Recognized as champ allegedly because
Steele wouldn't sign to face him.
Ed Virag 42/04/28 Wichita, KS
John Grandovich 42/08/12 Topkea, KS
Ed Virag [2] 42/10/26 Wichita, KS
Roy Dunn [2] 46/04/29 Wichita, KS
* Vacant in 48 when Dunn retires. When he
made comeback in 49, he is no longer
billed as champion.

Dunn is again recognized as world champ in Dallas by Ed McLemore around 53/02. I believe McLemore was already an NWA member at this time, but I don't know what the deal was. I don't even know if this Dallas title was actually connected to the Kansas title.

The some historians, such as Payton, have been doing research on the pre-1948 National Wrestling Alliance(s), but the connection between this Kansas version held by Dunn and the Iowa version held by Brown (or MWA title in KS held by Brown) has not been confirmed.

[Matt Benaka]

The Topeka Daily Capital out of Topeka, KS covered Dunn's NWA title during the 1940s, but the origin of the belt are still shaky. One clipping from 1942 says that Dunn beat Thesz for the title on November 01, 1941 in Washington, D.C. That's not right because Thesz wasn't champ at that time. In 1941 the story was that Dunn had won an open tournament in Cleveland, OH on November 01, 1941 to gain recognition as NWA World Champion. Is there any research to back up Dunn winning a tournament like that? Does the fact that both stories (Thesz and tournament win) are placed on November 01, 1941 make that the actual date that Dunn was first recognized?

Any and all information regarding this matter would be much appreciated,

Matt Benaka