Territory Specific Rules

[Luchador]

Hey everyone.  I seem to recall a post somewhere on this board listing variant NWA rules for different territories.  Example: whether or not champions retain the title on a DQ loss.  Does anyone know where that post is?  Does anyone have input on how rules varied from territory to territory?

[Pete]

Just from memory: the U.S. and Canada were the only places to even make a DQ-countout distinction with regard to title changes. Mexico, Japan, and Europe all worked like boxing: if you won, you won the title. If you lost, you lost the title--period.

In Memphis, titles didn't change on DQs, but they did change on countouts. The WWWF took the "pinfall or submission" stipulation literally to a rather silly extent, with titles not changing on referee stoppages (the champion losing the match via excessive bleeding was a common finish)--I don't know of any other territory where this applied on a consistent basis.

When World Class broke away from the NWA and formed their own "World" title, they joined the foreign countries in getting rid of the champion's-advantage rules entirely. This didn't last much past the point where Jarrett bought the company, I don't believe.

[Luchador]

Thanks, Pete. That's a big help. If anyone else knows of other territory specific rules for time limits, falls, etc. let me know.

[natureboi]

The WWF let you throw guys over the top rope and out of the ring without risking disqualification.

IIRC, the AWA wouldn't let you come off the top rope or turnbuckle onto an opponent who was not standing. WCW had a similar rule when Cowboy Bill Watts was in charge.

[Sinclair Promotions]

In the WWE it is illegal to come off the top rope, which is why guys are given a five count. Jimmy Korderas answered that on one of his old "Ask the Ref" videos he and Arda Ocal (Kyle Edwards) use to do on the Sportsnet Website.