FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship
The FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW, now known as NXT Wrestling), a former developmental territory of WWE. It is contested for in their heavyweight division. The championship was created and debuted on February 15, 2008 at a FCW house show.[1][2]
The first champion was Jake Hager who won a 23-man battle royal by defeating Ted DiBiase Jr. to become the first champion.[3] On March 22, 2008, Hager defeated FCW Southern Heavyweight Champion Heath Miller to unify the two championships and retire the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship. Bo Rotundo/Dallas holds the record for the most reigns with three reigns. Leo Kruger, Rick Victor and Bo Rotundo all hold the record for shortest reign, because all three have individually won and lost the title on the same day. Jake Hager holds the record for the longest reign (as an individual) with 216 days. In August 2012, the championship was retired when FCW was re-branded to NXT and replaced with the NXT Championship. The final champion was Richie Steamboat, who defeated Rick Victor to win the title.
Title history
Reigns
Reign |
The reign number for the specific champion listed |
Event |
The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the title changed hands |
No. |
Champion[4][5] |
Reign |
Date |
Days held |
Location |
Event |
Notes |
1 |
Jake Hager |
1 |
000000002008-02-15-0000February 15, 2008 |
216 |
Tampa, Florida |
Live event |
Hager defeated Ted DiBiase, Jr. after both were the two remaining superstars in a 23-man battle royal. On March 22, 2008, Hager defeated FCW Southern Heavyweight Champion Heath Miller to unify the two championships and retire the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship.[3] |
2 |
Sheamus O'Shaunessy |
1 |
000000002008-09-18-0000September 18, 2008 |
84 |
Tampa, Florida |
Live event |
[3] |
3 |
Eric Escobar |
1 |
000000002008-12-11-0000December 11, 2008 |
77 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
[3] |
4 |
Joe Hennig |
1 |
000000002009-02-26-0000February 26, 2009 |
21 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
[3] |
5 |
Drew McIntyre |
1 |
000000002009-03-19-0000March 19, 2009 |
84 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
Drew McIntyre defeated Eric Escobar in a singles match after Hennig was forced to turn in his title due to injury.[3] |
6 |
Tyler Reks |
1 |
000000002009-06-11-0000June 11, 2009 |
63 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
[3] |
7 |
Heath Miller |
1 |
000000002009-08-13-0000August 13, 2009 |
42 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
[3] |
8 |
Justin Angel |
1 |
000000002009-09-24-0000September 24, 2009 |
175 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
This was a two out of three falls match.[3] |
9 |
Alex Riley |
1 |
000000002010-03-18-0000March 18, 2010 |
126 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
This was a three–way match, also involving Wade Barrett.[3] |
10 |
Mason Ryan |
1 |
000000002010-07-22-0000July 22, 2010 |
196 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
This was a three–way match, also involving Johnny Curtis.[3][6] |
11 |
Bo Rotundo |
1 |
000000002011-02-03-0000February 3, 2011 |
0 |
Tampa, Florida |
March of Champions |
Norman Smiley was the special guest referee.[3] |
12 |
Lucky Cannon |
1 |
000000002011-02-03-0000February 3, 2011 |
105 |
Tampa, Florida |
March of Champions |
Brett DiBiase was the special guest referee.[3][7] |
13 |
Bo Rotundo |
2 |
000000002011-05-19-0000May 19, 2011 |
105 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
[3][7] |
— |
Vacated |
— |
000000002011-09-01-0000September 1, 2011 |
0 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
Title vacated after Rotundo was sidelined with an injury.[3][8] |
14 |
Leo Kruger |
1 |
000000002011-09-01-0000September 1, 2011 |
154 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
This was a fatal–four way match, also involving Dean Ambrose, Husky Harris and Damien Sandow.[3][8] |
15 |
Mike Dalton |
1 |
000000002012-02-02-0000February 2, 2012 |
21 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
[9] |
16 |
Leo Kruger |
2 |
000000002012-02-23-0000February 23, 2012 |
0 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
|
17 |
Seth Rollins |
1 |
000000002012-02-23-0000February 23, 2012 |
114 |
Tampa, Florida |
FCW |
|
18 |
Rick Victor |
1 |
000000002012-06-16-0000June 16, 2012 |
0 |
Crystal River, Florida |
Live event |
[10][11][12][13] |
19 |
Bo Rotundo/Bo Dallas |
3 |
000000002012-06-16-0000June 16, 2012 |
27 |
Crystal River, Florida |
Live event |
[10] |
20 |
Rick Victor |
2 |
000000002012-07-13-0000July 13, 2012 |
7 |
Punta Gorda, Florida |
Live event |
[11][14] |
21 |
Richie Steamboat |
1 |
000000002012-07-20-0000July 20, 2012 |
25 |
St. Augustine, Florida |
Live event |
[15] |
— |
Deactivated |
— |
000000002012-08-14-0000August 14, 2012 |
— |
Tampa, Florida |
— |
Title retired when FCW became NXT Wrestling. |
Combined reigns
References