The Louisiana Heavyweight Title has a history that dates back to the early 1960's when a version of the title was promoted by the NWA through its Gulf Coast booking office. After this office stopped promoting in Louisiana, the Tri-State booking office of Leroy McGuirk started a version of the title in 1972.
When "Cowboy" Bill Watts took over the promotion in 1979 and renamed it Mid-South Wrestling, he withdrew from the NWA and renamed the titles of the promotion. Although not a member of the National Wrestling Alliance, Watts kept close ties with it and used NWA talent from time to time, including the World Heavyweight Champion.
On April 27, 1978, a one night tournament was held in Baton Rouge, LA to crown a Louisiana Heavyweight Champion, as the title had been defunct for several years. This tournament was won by the masked Assassin (Joe Hamilton). The title was recognized and defended in Mid-South Wrestling until it was retired in 1983 when Mid-South became the Universal Wrestling Federation. The last champion was "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.
Enjoy this story from the Wrestling Revue/Wrestling News that discusses the history of the title beginning with the 1978 tournament.
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