10 Best Belt Designs In Wrestling History (Outside WWE)

One factor each skilled wrestling promotion has in frequent is the will to create essentially the most wonderful championships the business has ever seen. A subject like this could simply be dominated by the WWE, going in-depth in regards to the winged eagle WWE Championship or the white strap Intercontinental Championship, two titles which have been hailed as a few of the biggest of all time. However as an alternative, let’s give attention to promotions that won’t get sufficient consideration for his or her wonderful titles.

From newly created indy promotions to international giants which have light, listed below are a few of the most lovely championship designs to come back from exterior the WWE, in no explicit order.

10 Most Can Agree That The WCW World Heavyweight Championship Is Beautiful

Nicknamed “The Large Gold Belt”

When speaking about lovely wrestling championships, the Large Gold Belt from World Championship Wrestling by no means fails to be talked about. The design was so beloved that after being changed in 1991, the design would return in 1994 and stay the highest prize in WCW till the promotion went underneath in 2001.

To additional add to the design legacy, a barely modified model was used to symbolize the WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship, which was used from 2002 till its retirement in 2013.

9 WCW Continued Making Superb Belts With The US Championship

The Belt’s Legacy Is Mixed With The WWE U.S. Championship

Looking at a title that has a historical past relationship a long time again, the WCW United States Championship was thought-about the second-place prize within the firm whereas additionally trying like an incredible second-place in design in comparison with the world title. Whereas being established method again in 1975, the actual design being highlighted was created in 1995.

Names like Ric Aptitude, Bret Hart, and Diamond Dallas Web page are just a few of the various wrestlers who held this title, giving it a stage of status in keeping with the World Heavyweight Championship. The belt would proceed for use in WWE after the acquisition of WCW earlier than the corporate retired the belt in 2001. The legacy of the WCW belt could be linked to the present WWE United States Championship.

8 The Look Of The TNA Legends Championship Was Higher Than Its Historical past

Went By Many Modifications Whereas By no means That means A lot

TNA knocked it out of the park for the TNA Legends Championship design. First being created as a form of trophy for Booker T throughout his time within the Predominant Occasion Mafia, the belt would develop into a sanctioned title in TNA after A.J. Kinds was capable of seize the championship. With virtually a decade of historical past to look again on, the title sadly was by no means capable of imply a lot within the promotion.

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Many followers won’t even know of this belt underneath the Legends title as it will be modified a number of instances to the International, Tv, and at last the King of the Mountain title, earlier than being retired in 2016.

7 There Was A Purpose The Authentic Ring Of Honor World Championship Made A Return

A Design That Appears to be like Easy And Clear

Whereas a promotion just like the WWE does not usually have a tendency to return to a earlier championship design as soon as it has been retired, Ring of Honor has had no downside bringing again the unique design of the World Championship. First created in 2002, the belt was initially going to get replaced two years later, however plans modified, and the primary design was retained after one match.

Then, in 2021, across the time Ring of Honor was beginning to be bought by AEW president Tony Khan, the unique design could be introduced again and used till a brand new design was created in 2023. The belt was fairly easy however had a sure look that felt pleasing to the attention and worthy of being known as a World Championship.

6 DPW Did Superb Work With All Of Their Belts, Particularly The Girls’s Worlds Championship

The Latest Championship To Have Such A Excessive Honor

Anybody who has been watching WWE online game content material from 2009 to the present day, might need heard of John Blud from NewLegacyInc, James Darnell a.ok.a. CMPuls3, and Anthony Douglas a.ok.a. TonyPizzaGuy. The three created Impasse Professional-Wrestling in 2021 have develop into a fairly large deal on-line and in North Carolina, the place a majority of their exhibits happen.

Whereas all of DPW’s championships have a novel and nice look to them, the DPW Girls’s Worlds Championship is a superb combine of contemporary and classic design in a single belt. A small however nice element is the small chains connecting the aspect plates and foremost plate collectively which could have been impressed by the Joe Louis Ring Boxing Championship and different titles from that period.

5 One Of The Biggest United States Championships Got here From New Japan Professional-Wrestling

The Belt Had A Comparatively Quick Tenure

The IWGP United States Championship was created when New Japan Professional-Wrestling was specializing in establishing itself in the USA. Crowning Kenny Omega because the inaugural champion through the peak of his recognition in NJPW was their method of getting the title to a excessive status somewhat rapidly. Whereas it appeared that expertise like Omega and Will Ospreay did every little thing they might to make the title a secondary belt to the Heavyweight Championship, NJPW typically noticed it alongside the NEVER Openweight Championship.

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The belt was retired in late 2023, being changed by the newly created IWGP International Heavyweight Championship with a little bit of controversy. There was a second design, technically, as Will Ospreay would ditch the USA belt and create an similar United Kingdom belt, simply changing textual content and flags to suit the U.Okay. as an alternative of the U.S.

4 AJPW’s Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship Is Three Belts In One

Used To Be Represented By Three Totally different Championship Belts

It is not uncommon when speaking in regards to the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship of All Japan Professional Wrestling to consider Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, or Kenta Kobashi holding the three championships. That design was changed in 2013 by a single belt with every plate being made to appear like the primary plate of the three former titles that represented the Triple Crown.

The three authentic titles used have been the PWF World Heavyweight, NWA United Nationwide, and NWA Worldwide Heavyweight Championships. The present belt additionally has the textual content, “Jumbo Tsuruta Apr. 18 1989” representing the inaugural champion and the date the title was created.

3 The AEW World Championship Is The Greatest-Wanting Title In The U.S.

Options A Distinctive Form That Is Beloved By Followers

All Elite Wrestling had a ton of hype behind it when the corporate was introduced in 2019. The corporate would tease the reveal of their World Championship a bit earlier than formally revealing it at Double or Nothing 2019, Bret Hart could be the one to unveil the belt, giving the world their first look on the AEW World Championship.

The belt has seen some slight adjustments throughout its run, like when MJF gave it a brand new strap throughout his title reign, and the latest change being customizable aspect plates just like what WWE does with their belts. Nonetheless, the vast majority of the title has stayed the identical, with a big proportion of followers loving the design and never wanting a lot change.

2 New Japan Made A Poor Alternative When They Acquired Rid Of The IWGP Intercontinental Championship

Many Have Named This As The Greatest Ever Wanting Title

Created to be a secondary title to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (extra on that in a bit), the belt would attain a distinct stage of status on account of Shinsuke Nakamura’s first reign with the belt. It could develop into a viable challenger to the heavyweight title, getting the possibility to foremost occasion a number of exhibits, together with Wrestle Kingdom 8 in 2014.

Even with fan complaints and wrestlers being in opposition to the concept, the IWGP Intercontinental Championship could be retired in 2021 and mixed with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to create the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

1 A Lot Of Followers Miss The IWGP Heavyweight Championship

The Title Is The Most Historic In NJPW Historical past

The highest prize in New Japan Professional-Wrestling from 1987 till its retirement in 2021 is very beloved by followers. Having 4 completely different designs over its tenure, the fourth and closing iteration was a fan-favorite and nonetheless is at present, with many followers begging for it to come back again. The fourth design is strongly related to Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada, as the 2 males served as the highest names within the firm whereas the title was energetic.

It could be throughout Kota Ibushi’s first reign with the title that NJPW unified each the Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships to create the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. A vocal a part of the fanbase has aired their hatred for the brand new belt and has begged and pleaded for the fourth design to return together with the Intercontinental Championship.