IWA(Einhorn) Title Histories

[Oldschooldrewc]

So I have been doing a lot of research on the IWA. I think I have pretty much all the footage that exists of theirs and have been able to at least give a little more detail to their title histories if you'd want to update or add to the ones you already have in your section:

Einhorn, I am still not sure what his role was, he might of just been the money mark because as far as I can tell, Pedro and Ron Martinez were always the matchmakers/promoters. He might of been a figure-head "promoter" but outside of that, I think he more or less just gave them money for the first few months. Robert F. Hatch was known as their President for at least 75 and 76. Not sure when or if they stopped mentioning him as President, in 77 there is no mention of him but that could just be a slight on their part.

I am not even going to bother with the IWA World/International Heavyweight Championship because as far as I can tell, Mil Mascaras was the only champion and towards the end, it seems like they just stopped mentioning him and viewed the North American Championship as the top belt.

On that front, I have Ox Baker being billed on arrival in February 75(but he might of won a tournament) and then just leaving the area. He never lost the title, he just left. They might have done a phantom switch with Johnny Powers but I don't have enough evidence to back that claim up. I see Ox being credited until May of 75 and then there is no mention of the North American Championship until July of 75 where Bulldog Brower is being listed as the North American Champion. He might have just been awarded the title but he also was feuding with Mighty Igor a lot so there might have been some match between the two over the North American Title or as I said, he could have won it from Johnny Powers who was given the belt on a phantom switch with Ox. From there I don't have any record of him losing the belt until the last known show of IWA's I know of which was May 11th 1977 but I do know that they had a show planned on May 27th 1977 in Winston Salem but I have no idea if that ever went off. I also know that Johnny Powers use to come to the ring with a ring jacket that said "Johnny Powers: North American Champion" but I am not sure if he ever traded the title with Brower or not. If anything Powers might of had the title on a phantom switch from Ox Baker and then quickly dropped it to Bulldog Brower but that is pure speculation at this point. I do know that the two fought over the North American Title for a lot, if not most of 1976, so a title change was possible but based on the research I've seen, Brower held the North American Title from mid 75 until 77. The last match I have is Bulldog Brower losing via DQ after The General threw powder in Magnificent Zulu's face on 04/29/77.

I have the Mongols being billed on arrival and then having the titles held up in a match against Gino Brito and Dino Bravo. I am trying to find the footage but I have that film on tape and I remember the announcer saying we will have a decision the next week but that footage I do not have. I do have footage that might of been the week after that because the announcer says something along the lines of The Mongols and all the IWA Tag Teams are wanting to make sure they show their dominance to be noticed for the IWA Tag Titles which are held up. My theory is this, that after the titles were held up, they announced that they will watch all the tag teams over the next few weeks and then decide the top two contenders for the IWA World Tag Team Titles. On April 21st 1975, The Mongols face Thunderbolt Patterson and Ernie Ladd for the held up tag titles and by all indications won the match. From there they hold the titles until September of 75 and then they seem to drop off the face of the earth. I do know this though, I know that Johnny Powers and Nelson Royal were teaming together and were "chasing" the Mongols and in December of 75, they are listed in a match for the IWA Tag Team Titles against Eric The Red and his manager George Cannon. My theory again is that Johnny Powers and Nelson Royal(who had an extreme push through much of the IWA) either won or were simply awarded the IWA Tag Team Titles in September of 75, as I found out recently that The Mongols left the promotion around the same time Einhorn pulled out(which was in fact September of 75). From their The Mongols weren't seen again until January 76 still with the IWA World Tag Team Titles and started defending them in Mid-Atlantic. From there the next tag title match I see is Kurt Von Hess and Kurt Von Stroheim against Nelson Royal and Pez Whatley. I am wondering if Powers gave up his half of the tag titles along the way to Pistol Pez because from most accounts, Johnny Powers is fighting Bulldog Brower over the North American Championship at this time so it could of been Royal picking Whatley as his new partner and then dropping the belts to the Germans. It seems as if Johnny Powers and Nelson Royal are feuding with Eric the Red and his manager George Cannon for much of the end of 75 but then in 76 it seems as if Pez Whatley and Nelson Royal team exclusively so it seems to fit in line as in those same cards, Powers is either facing Bulldog Brower or not on the card at all. The Germans hold the belts at least until mid 76. Now here is where it gets confusing and tricky. Hisa has Bulldog Brower and Mighty Igor winning the Tag titles in 1976 and by all indications, Brower made a face turn in 76 as most of his matches through the end of 76 were against heels like Hess and Stroheim. If they did win the tag titles, they didn't hold them long because I have the Tyler Brothers of Rip and Buzz winning them. I have footage of Johnny Powers in 77 towards the end of the IWA talking about how The Tylers held the tag titles for a very long time before they were finally beaten. So if anything, Brower and Igor won the tag titles in July or August of 76 and then lost them immediately to The Tyler Brothers in the same month. The Tylers held the titles until at least January of 77 because there is a listing of them facing Bulldog Brower and Johnny Powers. I know Brower and Powers weren't the champions and they didn't win. I can pretty much say that Brower turned on Powers in the match because at the time "The General" was entering or coming back into the area and he ends up managing Bulldog Brower. He mentions in a promo in May of 77 that he is glad to finally return to the IWA and "bring Bulldog Brower back to his senses." During this time as well, The Tyler Brothers were managed by "Bad Boy" Billy Hines and the last known match I have is Johnny Powers and Nick DeCarlo as the tag team champions against The Cuban Assassins(who were announced as just entering the area) with Billy Hines being locked inside of a cage. I think that The Tyler Brothers dropped the Tag Titles to DeCarlo and Powers and then left the area, leaving the Cuban Assassins to come in and be the new team for Billy Hines. The General also formed a heel army(which The General mentions in same promo talking about Bulldog Brower) with Billy Hines. Johnny Powers and Nick DeCarlo faced The Tyler Brothers in either February or March of 77 and defeated them and then held the titles until the end(which might of been May or June of 77).

Also Don "The Fonz" Fargo was billed as the IWA Brass Knuckles Champion in 1977.

This is all just speculation and I'd love to be able to fill in the gaps. My sources were video footage of the IWA, Steelbeltwrestling.com, and midatlanticgateway.com. Seems highly unlikely though as not much footage or clippings seem to exist of the IWA than what I have now. So I put the histories in a format like on the website, I am pretty confident these are a good timeline of the histories. I am going to continue to do more research and hopefully will find out a little more information. I've put in italics the title changes that I am not 100% sure about as happening but more or less going based on the information given to me.


IWA World Tag Team Championships

The Mongols 02/75
*Titles are held up after a TV match against Dino Bravo and Gino Brito.(most likely early 04/75) IWA announces over the next few weeks it will watch each team closely and chose the top two contenders to face for the tag titles.
The Mongols[2] 04/21/75
*Defeat Thunderbolt Patterson and Ernie Ladd
Johnny Powers & Nelson Royal 9/75
*Possibly chose Pez Whatley to replace Johnny Powers in 2/76 or 3/76
Kurt Von Hess & Kurt Von Stroheim 3/76
Bulldog Brower & The Mighty Igor 7/76 or 8/76
The Tyler Brothers (Rip and Buzz) 7/76 or 8/76
Johnny Powers and Nick Decarlo 2/77 or 3/77
*Winston-Salem, NC: Johnny Powers and Nick DeCarlo© wrestle the Cuban Assassins on 04/29/77 to a double countout. Still champions as of 05/27/77.


IWA North American Heavyweight Championship

Ox Baker 02/75
*Announced on Arrival
Bulldog Brower 07/75
*Awarded or possibly beats Mighty Igor or Johnny Powers.
[…]
Bulldog Brower retains the North American Championship in a match against Magnificent Zulu on 04/29/77. Still champion as of 05/27/77

IWA Brass Knuckles Championship

Don “The Fonz” Fargo credited as being Brass Knuckles Champion in 4/77

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Thanks for the info. I changed the listings according to the info you provided. If you find anything else, please let me know.

Jahno.

[Oldschooldrewc]

Thanks Hisa. I've just contacted Johnny Powers himself so maybe he will have the opportunity to look those over and fill in more gaps. He is listed as a six time former IWA World Champion so that set me off into really wanting to know more about the history. Based on his wikipedia page and pictures he has. He was going around defending the IWA World Title until 1983. No idea if it was a promotion still but he seemed to defend the title a lot in Japan and Singapore.

I'll have more info soon.

Drew

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

I don't remember Powers defending IWA title in Japan at all.

I know Mascaras still claims the title. He defended the title in Japan few years ago and was wearing the belt during an NWA card in New Jersey last year.

[Oldschooldrewc]

I'm sorry, I misread his information. He defended the title in the 80's in Nigeria(against Bulldog Brower) and the Caribbean. I will find out some time next week when my schedule allows it as I got a response from Johnny himself. It doesn't say much on the history but on his website and the Wiki site, there is a pic from the 80's of him with a belt from 1982 and it says its him holding the IWA World Championship.

hey drew, thank you for your interest. you are a asking for a lot of fillin and that would take some doing on our part. one thing i can tell you i bought pedro on a shot gun offer in 1976 and still own the rights to iwa. pedro and i took it over when eddie einhorn pulled the plug with no notice...
i do have a busy schedule but i will talk to by phone re some of this
call (number with-held) m-f 10am to 6 pm and if i am in the country we can see what we can do

in meantime here is a current jp update

http://www.visionmediainternational.com http://www.johnnypowers.net http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Powers

[Oldschooldrewc]

Ok I was finally able to talk briefly with Johnny Powers for a little bit and he gave me a little more information. IWA ran until 1978 but was in syndication in Singapore and the Trinidad until 1982. Although the IWA ceased to exist in 78, Johnny Powers would still make occasional trips to Singapore and Trinidad and defend the IWA World Title. Speaking of the World Title, he said that he bought out Pedro in early 77 and when Pedro left so did Mascaras. Mascaras took the belt with him and also claimed the championship because he kept the original physical belt. Powers has told me he was a three time IWA Champion but did not give me details as to who he lost and won it from but I am going to ask him specifics on that. So I guess the IWA had two guys claiming to be champion from 77-82 but Powers held the legitimate claim because Einhorn was only the money mark of the promotion. Pedro and Ron Martinez were the owners and were using Einhorn's money to fund the promotion. After he pulled out, Powers claims they restructured and started over in a territory setting. After that, Johnny bought Pedro out and ran the IWA for about another year and then syndicated what shows he had left overseas to keep the IWA name alive until his retirement match in 82. He claims that his actual retirement match was to be against Bulldog Brower in Trinidad in 82 for the IWA Title but the promoter in that area failed to actually secure the stadium and Brower wanted to work stiff. He never mentioned if the match actually took place, just stated that when he got there the stadium was in riot mode and he knew he lost all his money and that was a sign from the heavens to get out.

Powers still technically owns the IWA name and apparently has kept all the footage. So I guess so far if we can add anything to the title history page it would be:

Eddie Einhorn, Pedro and Ron Martinez (Feb. 75 - Aug. 75)

Johnny Powers, Pedro and Ron Martinez (Aug. 75 - 77)

Johnny Powers (77-78 ; show in syndication and promotion still existed until 1982)

I thought he said it was early 77 that he bought the rest of the IWA from Pedro but I will ask him exactly when.

More info to come but I am finally starting to see how things went here. I know after Einhorn pulled out some of the top guys became Sonny King, Don Fargo, Johnny Powers, Bulldog Brower, The General, The Mighty Zulu, and Mike Boyette(although I don't think he lasted long).

EDIT: Also forgot to mention that The Mongols left the IWA as tag champions and joined JCP in what led the the "unification match" between them and the Andersons in January 76. I have listings of them leaving in October 75(most say "nine months after the promotion's inception"). I have video footage of Johnny Powers and Nelson Royal being considered top contenders for the tag team titles so most likely they were awarded the titles after the Mongols left.

[dawnmaster]

Is there a brass knuckle fight for this year?