The TNA World Heavyweight Championship was Total Nonstop Action Wrestling’s primary men’s singles title from May 13, 2007, until March 1, 2017. TNA created the championship after its agreement to use the NWA World Heavyweight Championship ended. The new title received its own lineage and didn’t continue the history of the NWA Championship.
Kurt Angle became the inaugural champion by defeating Christian Cage and Sting at Sacrifice on May 13, 2007. A disputed finish caused the championship to be vacated, but Angle won it again in a King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary. He went on to hold the title six times, the most reigns under the original TNA name.
The championship was also held by Sting, Samoa Joe, Mick Foley, AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, Bully Ray, Magnus, Eric Young, Lashley, Ethan Carter III, Matt Hardy, Drew Galloway, and Eddie Edwards.
Major periods included Samoa Joe’s run as TNA’s leading champion, Bobby Roode’s lengthy first reign, AJ Styles leaving the company while carrying a second championship belt, and the use of Option C to allow X Division champions to challenge for the title.
The TNA World Heavyweight Championship name was retired when the promotion adopted the Impact Wrestling identity in March 2017. The title continued without a vacancy or lineage reset as the Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship.
