The AWA Japan Women's Championship is a
women's professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a dramatic enactment of wrestling as a spectator sport. As is the norm for this sport, women's professional wrestling is organized by wrestling federations called promotions. Some promotions are exclusively for women ...
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
in the
AWA Superstars of Wrestling Promotion (legally and historically unrelated to the
American Wrestling Association). It is spun off from the AWA Superstars of Wrestling's version of the World Women's Championship.
The AWA Superstars of Wrestling's version of the World Women's Championship was created in 1999 in Dale Gagner's independent promotion AWA Superstars of Wrestling, who relicensed the AWA name. However,
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
has sued Gagner for the use of the AWA name, citing trademark infringement, as the WWE owns the AWA tape library, trademarks, and logos. AWA Superstars of Wrestling has claimed lineage for their world title to the classic AWA Women's title and control over the title history, but because there is no connection to the original organizations or individuals involved therein, no continuity in title reigns or even physical belts, and questionable legal use of the AWA name, the claims made by AWA Superstars of Wrestling are in historical dispute and in legal jeopardy. AWA Superstars of Wrestling awarded the title to
Sherri Martel
Sherry Schrull (née Russell; born February 8, 1958 – June 15, 2007) was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri.
Martel began her professional wrestling career in the ...
in 1999.
The current version of the title, the AWA Japan Women's Championship, was created when the AWA Superstars of Wrestling's version of the AWA World Women's Championship was retired following the death of former champion
Sherri Martel
Sherry Schrull (née Russell; born February 8, 1958 – June 15, 2007) was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri.
Martel began her professional wrestling career in the ...
on June 15, 2007. The AWA, wanting to still recognize the current champion, recognized then-champion
Nanae Takahashi
(born December 23, 1978) is a Japanese professional wrestler and the founder of Seadlinnng. She has wrestled for prominent Japanese promotions All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Sun, and is a two-time women's world champion in m ...
of
Pro Wrestling Zero1
(stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. ...
as the first AWA Japan Women's Champion.
Title history
See also
*
AWA World Women's Championship
The AWA World Women's Championship was the women's professional wrestling title in the American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota tha ...
*
Pro Wrestling Zero1
(stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:AWA Japan Women's Championship
Pro Wrestling Zero1 championships
Women's professional wrestling championships
National professional wrestling championships
ja:HCW世界女子王座