British Heavyweight Championship

For the boxing championship, see List of British heavyweight boxing champions.

British Heavyweight Championship
Details
Date established1930
Current champion(s)Oliver Grey
Date won14 October 2022
Statistics
First champion(s)Atholl Oakeley
Most reignsBilly Joyce (6 reigns)

The British Heavyweight Championship is a top British wrestling championship found throughout the country's circuit. The championship was recognised and defended on matches screened by UK national television network ITV as part of the professional wrestling slot on World of Sport as well as standalone broadcasts.[1][2] Pre-publicity for these championship match broadcasts was given in ITV's nationally published listings magazine TVTimes.[3][4]

Multiple versions of the British Heavyweight Championship may exist in the wrestling circuit of the United Kingdom at any given time, however some versions have been undisputed by dint of being the only active version during that period. The British Wrestling Association version was undisputed 1930-1934 and 1938-1950. The Joint Promotions version was undisputed 1952-1958, 1966-1974 and 1975-1982. This version was then transferred to All Star Wrestling where it remained undisputed until 1985 and became so again from 1989 until the late 1990s (as smaller, often American-style promotions increasingly set up their own versions).

  1. ^ "Gwyn Davies successful defence of British Heavyweight Championship against challenger Steve Veidor at Royal Albert Hall, London, 26 May 1976". World Of Sport - Wrestling. ITV. 24 July 1976. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Ray Steele successful defence of British Heavyweight Championship against challenger Colin Joynson at Morley 25 May 1985". World Of Sport - Wrestling. ITV. 8 June 1985. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021.
  3. ^ "British Heavyweight Championship: Gwyn Davies v Steve Veidor". Saturday 24 July - Friday 30 July 1976 - Saturday listings page. TVTimes. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  4. ^ ""British Heavyweight Championship: Ray Steele v Colin Joynson"". Saturday 8 June - Friday 14 June 1985 - Saturday listings page. TVTimes. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.