The American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.
When the NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club operated by Verne Gagne withdrew from the National Wrestling Alliance in May 1960, Stan Kowalski and Tiny Mills were the recognized champions of the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version)|NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version). At the time, the AWA continued to recognize the NWA champions as their World champions. However, by August 1960, and having recently recaptured the NWA Tag Team championships for a second time, Kowalski and Mills were recognized as the first AWA World Tag Team Champions when AWA stopped recognizing NWA champions.
As the promotion grew, the AWA Tag Team Championships became one of the most coveted tag team titles in the United States from the beginning until the late 1980s, when the AWA's talent roster was depleted by the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions. This led to the retirement of the titles when the AWA closed.
Championship History[]
- Murder, Inc. (Stan Kowalski and Tiny Mills) - August 1960
- Kowalski and Mills were awarded the NWA World Tag Team Championship on August 1960. They were recognized as the first AWA champions when the AWA withdrew from the NWA and recognized its own champions.
- Hard Boiled Haggerty and Len Montana / Gene Kiniski - October 4, 1960
- Montana suffered a broken leg in a match against Verne Gagne. On March 18, 1961, Haggerty chose Kiniski as his new partner.
- Leo Nomellini and Wilbur Snyder - May 23, 1961
- Hard Boiled Haggerty and Gene Kiniski - July 19, 1961
Vacated - August 8, 1961 - Title vacated after Haggerty and Kiniski split up when Haggerty's interference in a cage match between Kiniski and Verne Gagne backfires.
- Hard Boiled Haggerty (3) and Bob Geigel - September 26, 1961
- Haggerty defeated Kiniski for control of the titles and chose Geigel as his new partner.
- Pat Kennedy and Dale Lewis - November 16, 1961
- Bob Geigel (2) and Otto Von Krupp - November 23, 1961
Vacated - January 1962 - Title vacated when Von Krupp was injured.
- Larry Hennig and Duke Hoffman - January 15, 1962
- Bob Geigel (3) and Stan Kowalski (2) - February 13, 1962
- The Neilsons (Art Neilson and Stan Neilson) - April 1962
- This was a "phantom" title change, as no match actually took place.
- Doug Gilbert and Dick Steinborn - December 16, 1962
- The Kalmikoffs (Ivan and Karol) - January 1, 1963
- The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser - August 20, 1963
- Moose Evans and Verne Gagne - February 9, 1964
- The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser - February 23, 1964
- Larry Hennig (2) and Harley Race - January 30, 1965
- The Crusher (3) and Verne Gagne (2) - July 24, 1965
- Larry Hennig (3) and Harley Race - August 7, 1965
- The Crusher (4) and Dick the Bruiser - May 28, 1966
- Larry Hennig (4) / Chris Markoff and Harley Race - January 6, 1967
- On November 1, 1967, Markoff replaced Hennig, who had his leg broken by Verne Gagne in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Pat O'Connor and Wilbur Snyder (2) - November 10, 1967
- Mitsu Arakawa and Dr. Moto - December 2, 1967
- The Crusher (5) and Dick the Bruiser - December 28, 1968
- The Vachons (Butcher and Mad Dog) - August 30, 1969
- The Von Steigers (Karl Von Steiger and Kurt Von Steiger) - February 23, 1971
- The Vachons (Butcher and Mad Dog) - March 18, 1971
- Red Bastien and Hercules Cortez / The Crusher (6) - May 15, 1971
- In August 1971, Bastien chose The Crusher as his new partner after Cortez was killed in a car accident on July 23.
- Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens - January 20, 1972
- Verne Gagne (3) and Billy Robinson - December 30, 1972
- Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens - January 6, 1973
- The Crusher (7) and Billy Robinson (2) - July 21, 1974
- Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens - October 24, 1974
- The Crusher (8) and Dick the Bruiser - August 16, 1975
- Bobby Duncum and Blackjack Lanza - July 23, 1976
- The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) - July 7, 1977
- Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens (4) - September 23, 1978
- Verne Gagne (4) and Mad Dog Vachon (3) - June 6, 1979
- East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura) - July 20, 1980
- Won by forfeit when Gagne no-showed scheduled defense.
- The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) - June 14, 1981
- The Sheiks - (Jerry Blackwell and Ken Patera) - June 26, 1983
- The Crusher (9) and Baron Von Raschke - May 6, 1984
- The Road Warriors - (Animal and Hawk) - August 25, 1984
- Jimmy Garvin and Steve Regal - September 29, 1985
- Scott Hall and Curt Hennig - January 18, 1986
- Buddy Rose and Doug Somers - May 17, 1986
- Rise and Somers won the match by countout and were awarded the title despite titles not allowed to change hands in that way.
- The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels) - January 27, 1987
- Soldat Ustinov and Boris Zhukov / Doug Somers (2) - May 25, 1987
- Somers replaced Zhukov on October 1987 after he jumped to the World Wrestling Federation.
- Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler - October 11, 1987
- Dr. D and Héctor Guerrero - October 19, 1987
- Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler (2) - October 26, 1987
- The Original Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose) - October 30, 1987
- The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels) - December 27, 1987
Titles were held up on February 15, 1988, after a controversial match with The Rock 'n' Roll Express in Memphis. The Rockers won a rematch on February 22, 1988, also in Memphis, but this was never recognized and they remain two-time champions.
- Badd Company (Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka) - March 19, 1988
- The Olympians (Ken Patera (2) and Brad Rheingans) - March 25, 1989
Vacated = September 18, 1989 - Title vacated when Patera was injured.
- The Destruction Crew (Wayne Bloom and Mike Enos) - October 1, 1989
- D.J. Peterson and The Trooper - August 11, 1990
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated withdrew recognition of World Championship status January 1991. Peterson and Trooper were from this point recognized only as "AWA Tag Team Champions".
Deactivated - January 12, 1991 - The title became inactive when the AWA folded.