Most wrestling fans' perceptions (and/or memories) of the National Wrestling Alliance largely rely on the fans' respective ages. For much older fans, they probably think of the various territories and names like Lou Thesz, Harley Race and Jack Brisco. To early 1980s fans who were watching Jim Crockett Promotions, Georgia Championship Wrestling or Mid-South - and in the second half of the decade, WCW - Ric Flair was truly the 'Man,' trading the belt with other memorable champions like Race, Dusty Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat.

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While it's gone through various levels of notoriety, the NWA has continuously existed - and had a World Champion - since it severed all ties with WCW in 1993. From those earlier years, through associations with Smoky Mountain, ECW and TNA, to its present-day form under the direction of Smashing Pumpkin Billy Corgan, the organization has produced some of the most memorable champions ever. Despite its long and storied history, though, the NWA has also - maybe surprisingly - managed to produce ten wrestlers you didn't know were NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

10 Orville Brown - First NWA Champion

Unless you're a wrestling historian, you should be forgiven for never having heard of Orville Brown, despite his historic place as the first NWA World Champion. Brown, who grew up a poor farm boy in rural Kansas, was one of the 1940s' premier American wrestlers and dominated competition in his home state.

When, in the latter part of the decade, a group of promoters decided to recognize one national champion (rather than an untold number of regional ones), Brown received their stamp of approval and was awarded the title. He defended the belt in several unification matches with other regional champions before a 1949 car accident ended his in-ring career. The belt was awarded to future multiple-time champion Lou Thesz and Brown went on to found the Midwest Wrestling Alliance - the Kansas City territory that was later renamed 'Central States' after being sold to Bob Geigel.

9 Buddy Rogers - First WWWF Champion

'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers remains a well-known historical figure in wrestling, mostly for two things: being the first WWWF (now WWE) Champion and innovating the gimmick that Ric Flair would propel to new heights in the 1980s. Rogers followed in the tradition of 'Gorgeous' George and his flamboyant persona and in-ring ability made him one of the premier stars of his day.

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While many fans remember Rogers' crowning achievement, they often forget why he was in that position in the first place. Rogers' 1961 victory over Pat O'Connor for the NWA World Championship at Chicago's Comiskey Park set a North American pro wrestling attendance record that stood for nearly 25 years, but it was the controversy surrounding his loss to Lou Thesz two years later that cemented the original 'Nature Boy's place in mainstream wrestling history. Vince McMahon Sr. and Toots Mondt of the Northeastern NWA territory (Capitol Wrestling) weren't confident in the aging Thesz' drawing ability and chose to continue recognizing Rogers as their newly-renamed World Wide Wrestling Federation Champion - the same title Brock Lesnar holds today.

8 Terry Funk - Very Early In His Career

Terry Funk is one of those timeless wrestlers who, even in his advanced age (and after many supposed 'retirements'), was a popular figure wherever he went. Particularly respected by fans of hardcore wrestling, the 'Funker' was one of ECW's most important veterans during its 1990s ascent and went on to have unlikely runs in WWE and WCW before the end of the decade. His last match wouldn't occur until 2017, and we know that if it weren't for his recent reported health problems (he is 77 years old, after all), he'd still be finding his way into a wrestling ring.

With all that said, any fan under 30 could be forgiven for not being familiar with the fact that before he was a Hardcore Legend, Funk was primarily known as the younger brother of NWA World Champion Dory Funk, Jr. The rough-and-tumble Texans emerged as one of the sport's most formidable duos in the 1970s, and the elder Funk held the title for over four years at the beginning of the decade. It's a testament to Terry's longevity that many fans don't remember that he followed up his brother's lengthy run with a year-plus reign of his own in 1976.

7 Masahiro Chono - Defeated Rick Rude In The G1 Climax Tournament

Masahiro Chono was an up-and-comer in the late 1980s and early '90s in New Japan who'd go on to have a long career mostly overseas and retired in 2014. The American-born Japanese legend spent some time wrestling in the United States in the late '80s, but it wasn't until his time with WCW that he achieved his greatest North American notoriety.

Part of what benefited the five-time G1 Climax winner was New Japan's relationship with WCW, and when in 1992 the tournament's prize was the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, it drew top heavyweights from America (and Jim Neidhart). Chono defeated four men across the course of the several days-long competition, and the final vs. 'Ravishing' Rick Rude was a classic. Chono went on to defend the title multiple times in WCW at the end of 1992 before losing the belt to the Great Muta in early 1993, but would return to WCW several years later, eventually becoming a leader in nWo Japan.

6 Chris Candido - Won After Shane Douglas Threw It Down

Most wrestling fans today have likely at least heard of Chris 'Skip' Candido and longtime manager/girlfriend Tammy 'Sunny' Sytch, especially for their days in WWE as the 'Bodydonnas' and their subsequent stints in ECW and WCW. However, before Candido (who tragically passed away in 2005 from a blood clot caused by an in-ring injury) achieved notoriety on a national level, he was one of the top young independent wrestlers in the country in the mid-1990s.

After a brief run-in Eastern Championship Wrestling in 1993, the New Jersey native moved on to Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling territory, where he and Sytch made their first real mark on the industry as a heel duo. When Shane Douglas won a tournament to become NWA World Champion in August 1994 and proceeded to infamously refuse the title, promoter Dennis Corraluzzo and Cornette worked to quickly schedule a new tournament that November. In choosing a winner, they needed somebody who they could be sure wouldn't try any stunts akin to what the 'Franchise' pulled, but Candido went on to hold the title for only three months before dropping it to Dan Severn and signing with WWE.

5 Sabu - Won In 2000

Sabu has been the rare type of wrestler who not only never needed a championship belt, but frankly shouldn't have won many. The 'Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal' one was, unlike most serious grapplers, never particularly concerned with accolades or even winning matches. While most famous for his time in ECW, Sabu's been practically the same no matter which promotion he's worked for: a bloodthirsty maniac looking to inflict pain and injury, often sacrificing his own health to do so.

Surprisingly, Sabu left ECW in 2000, a year before the company's poor financial status caused its closure. He spent time both in Japan and wrestling for XPW and NWA Florida in the United States. It was during this brief stint at the end of the year when, at a Florida house show, Sabu upended indie legend and NWA Champion Mike 'Colorado Kid' Rapada. He only held the title for a month, and since the NWA had no national television exposure at the time, unless they read about it in a magazine or online, most fans probably had no idea it even happened.

4 Ken Shamrock - First NWA-TNA Champion

It's kind of incredible, when watching Impact Wrestling today, to think of the many 'phases' the company has gone through in its near 20-year (!!!) history. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the former NWA-Total Nonstop Action was an attempt to fill the void left behind by the closure of WCW and ECW the year prior. The Jarretts' initial plan was to run weekly PPVs at a fraction of the monthly cost, and if the company was going to be asking fans to pay to see their shows from the jump, they needed to have a champion with name recognition and credibility.

Enter former UFC and WWE star Ken Shamrock, who'd left wrestling in late 1999 to focus on mixed martial arts. While some considered his WWE run to be a bit disappointing - despite a handful of high-profile feuds and Intercontinental Championship and King of the Ring victories, he never seriously challenged for the WWE Championship - the 'World's Most Dangerous Man' was a fine pick to be the first NWA titleholder under the TNA brand.

3 R-Truth (Ron Killings) - Second NWA-TNA Champion

While many folks probably don't remember that Shamrock was an NWA World Champion, we have to wonder if even fewer - especially current WWE fans - have any idea that the most prolific WWE 24/7 titleholder in history, R-Truth, is not only the man who defeated the former UFC champion for the belt, but even won the title twice during his five-year TNA stint.

F.K.A. Ron 'the Truth' Killings, the highly-decorated WWE mid-carder had a short, forgettable stint in the 'E as 'K-Kwik,' but didn't achieve real notoriety until he joined the upstart promotion in 2002. Initially presented as a heel, the rapper/dancer was immediately pushed into a top role in the company despite still being relatively unknown, and although his first run with the title didn't necessarily set the business on fire, it was decent enough that he'd be booked to win it again in a 2004 four-way match including then-champion A.J. Styles.

2 Adam Pearce - First To Win After Association With TNA Ended

To current WWE fans, Adam Pearce is best known for his on-screen role as a WWE official/'authority figure,' beginning in early 2020. Although he'd been working behind the scenes as a trainer and producer for the 'E since 2013, aside from a couple of enhancement talent (a.k.a. jobber) appearances as a young prospect in the late '90s, he had rarely been seen on national television in any capacity during his nearly two-decades-long career.

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With that said, Pearce is something of a 2000s indie legend, having trained and worked across the country in notable promotions like Pro Wrestling Guerilla and Ring of Honor. When Pearce received the opportunity to take the place of an injured Bryan Danielson (who defeated him in the previous round) in a 2007 tournament final to crown a new NWA World Champion, he defeated Brent Albright to claim the first of his five titles and was a stabilizing presence during a lean period for the brand through the early 2010s.

1 Rob Conway - Twice!

Just look at him - Rob Conway, best known to WWE fans as the 'Crush' of the trio edition of La Resistance and as the 'Con-Man' (complete with hilarious Randy Newman-esque entrance music) - unfortunately never reached his potential with the company in the mid-2000s. However, the three-time WWE Tag Team Champion found new life on the indie scene after his 2007 release, working around the country including in a notable 2011 stint with the Insane Clown Posse's Juggalo Championship Wrestling.

By 2013, Conway was performing regularly for various NWA-affiliated independent promotions, and upon his first NWA World Championship victory, even represented the brand overseas in a working relationship with New Japan. The Con-Man even successfully defended the title against the legendary Jushin 'Thunder' Liger, eventually losing the title to Satoshi Kojima at Wrestle Kingdom 8. Conway regained the title for a second reign several months later at Las Vegas' Cauliflower Alley Club's annual reunion show, this time holding it for 250+ days before dropping it to Hiroyoshi Tenzan, again in Japan.