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Post by endo on Aug 19, 2012 17:39:25 GMT -5
Pretty much synonymous with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, "The Domed Globe" is an all time classic belt, held by some of the best in the business. The nickname obviously comes from the globe on the main plate with the NWA initials inscribed in it.  This belt replaced the NWA belt that Buddy Rogers, Dory Funk Jr., Gene Kiniski, Pat O'Conner, Harley Race, and Lou Thesz held.   Originally given to Harley Race before a title defense against Jack Brisco on July 20, 1973, the belt was on a leather strap wrapped in red velvet. Race would lose the title that night to Brisco.  Rare shot of the NWA belt the first night it was unveiled.  The sweat and blood of wrestling took it's toll on the velvet strap and in 1974 the belt was re-leathered with the black leather strap most remember.  Some shots of the 8 greats that held the belt...  The Domed Globe was retired in 1986 when Ric Flair debuted the Big Gold as the new NWA championship belt, but remained in Flair's possession, which is often the case when a wrestler is the last to hold a particular belt.  Rumor has it he's tried to sell it numerous times, and that it's now in possession of the WWE. The belt was made in Mexico, by an unknown maker. Whoever made it also made several belts for Japanese promotions in the same style. |
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Post by thom10 on Aug 19, 2012 17:45:51 GMT -5
As much as I like the BG, this is my favorite wrestling championship belt. From the looks of the belt and what it represents, it's gotta be a top 5 belt for any wrestling fan.
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Post by endo on Aug 19, 2012 17:50:31 GMT -5
As much as I like the BG, this is my favorite wrestling championship belt. From the looks of the belt and what it represents, it's gotta be a top 5 belt for any wrestling fan. Favorite of mine too Thom. Just a classic belt that screamed World Champion. |
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Post by endo on Aug 19, 2012 19:03:49 GMT -5
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Post by NDX on Aug 19, 2012 20:08:08 GMT -5
Hate to break it to you, Thomko, but I don't like this belt at all. It just looks odd, and I hate that globe on it. Just does nothing for me when I see a belt.
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Post by thom10 on Aug 19, 2012 20:22:11 GMT -5
Hate to break it to you, Thomko, but I don't like this belt at all. It just looks odd, and I hate that globe on it. Just does nothing for me when I see a belt. Booooooooooooooo!!!! The world would be pretty boring if everybody liked the same things though. |
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Post by endo on Aug 19, 2012 23:22:05 GMT -5
Growing up in the Northeast, all I had as a kid was the . It was all I knew. When I started getting the Apter mags is when I started seeing other belts for the first time. Some were God awful and some were pretty cool. The Domed Globe was always like a "wow, that's their world title?" Then we got cable and I got TBS and saw Flair and Race with the belt. They treated it like it was a piece of history. The guys always carried it with such class and treated it like it was the most important thing in the world, except for Terry Funk, lol. That's when the difference between the WWF and the NWA struck me. The WWF put it's champ over everything, but the NWA, at least it's champ and who booked them, kept it about the title. The history, the legacy. Might not be the best looking belt around, but the prestige that thing had, couldn't have been written better. |
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Post by endo on Aug 21, 2012 11:51:24 GMT -5
Rare pics of Race being presented the Domed Globe belt the night he would defend it and lose it to Jack Brisco in 1973.   wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=106185Always wondered why, if they knew the switch was coming that night, why not wait until after this match and present it Brisco on TV or something? Just seems kind of senseless to make a big production about awarding Race a new belt when he would be dropping it the same night. |
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