One of the most historically important groups in pro wrestling history, the National Wrestling Alliance defined much of North American pro wrestling in the 20th century, including ownership of the World Championship held by myriad legends from Lou Thesz to Ric Flair. While women’s wrestling wasn’t at its best during the NWA’s heyday, the organization also boasts a World Women’s Championship with a long history and some great champions of its own.

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While much of the history of the NWA World Women’s Championship is difficult to observe due to history or obscurity, there are still many women who held the title worth spotlighting. Let’s take a look at the 10 best women to hold the belt, from the organization’s early days all the way to today.

10 Kamille

Sometimes known as “Kamille Brickhouse,” Kamille started out as an enforcer for men’s world champion Nick Aldis when the NWA Powerrr era began in 2019, but soon came into her own as a singles competitor in the years that followed. In the summer of 2021, Kamille defeated Serena Deeb at the When Our Shadows Fall pay-per-view, with her reign exceeding 600 days and counting — one of the top three longest reigns of the 21st century. The story of Kamille’s World Women’s Title reign is still being written, and in the future she may rank even higher.

9 Debbie Combs

For decades, The Fabulous Moolah had a stranglehold on women’s wrestling, resulting in many wrestlers toiling in obscurity — especially if they weren’t Moolah’s proteges. One such woman was the underrated and sadly forgotten three-time champion Debbie Combs, the daughter of women’s wrestling pioneer Cora Combs. At a time when Moolah had sold the NWA World Women’s Championship to WWE, Debbie Combs held the belt twice in the 1980s. Details are murky, but Combs won the belt once in a battle royal in 1986, and then again in Kansas City the following year.

8 Jazz

Fans of WWE’s Ruthless Aggression Era certainly know Jazz, who held the WWE Women’s Championship for 98 days. After leaving WWE in 2004, Jazz has continued to wrestle on the indies, Impact Wrestling, and beyond, and even captured the NWA World Women’s Championship for a record-setting reign.

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After defeating Amber Gallows in a three-way match with Christi Jaynes in 2016, Jazz embarked on a 948-day run with the belt, making the longest reign of the 21st century. Unfortunately, in 2019 she vacated the title for personal reasons.

7 Leilani Kai

Another wrestler whose heyday was in the 1980s, Leilani Kai was not only a former WWE Women’s Champion, but also a two-time champion with Judy Martin as The Glamour Girls. Kai continued to wrestle all the way until 2015, and in March of 2003 defeated Canadian wrestler Madison to capture the NWA World Women’s Championship. Unfortunately, her impressive 465-day reign was cut short in June of 2004, with Kai reportedly being stripped of the title due to repeatedly no-showing events.

6 Serena Deeb

The year 2020 marked Serena Deeb’s return to being a full-time wrestler nearly a decade after departing WWE. Best known for her ongoing run in All Elite Wrestling, Deeb also conquered the National Wrestling Alliance when she dethroned Thunder Rosa for the World Women’s Championship on an October 2020 iteration of the weekly pay-per-view UWN Primetime Live. As stated, Kamille brought Serena’s reign to an end, but not before she defended it on AEW television against challengers like Leyla Hirsch and former champion Allysin Kay.

5 Allysin Kay

After Jazz vacated the World Women’s Title, Allysin Kay captured the vacant belt at the 2019 Crockett Cup pay-per-view by defeating Santana Garrett. From there, Allysin Kay — who once wrestled in Impact Wrestling as Sienna — held the belt for 272 days, reigning as the top figure of the promotion’s women’s division once the weekly YouTube series NWA Powerrr started up. Given that Corgan’s NWA was a whole new venture, Allysin Kay should be looked as among the performers who helped define the era in its early days.

4 MsChif

Before the NWA made its Corgan-led comeback, the promotion spent the previous decades as a loose confederation of promotions who at one point were just licensing the NWA name. While many of the Women’s Champions in these years don’t necessarily have name recognition, one champion that fans should know about is MsChif.

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One of the great women’s wrestlers of the 2000s, MsChif wrestled for indie promotions like SHIMMER and held the NWA World Women’s Title twice, with her second reign lasting a whopping 818 days.

3 Thunder Rosa

Another champion during the NWA Powerrr era, Thunder Rosa was easily one of the more standout performers in the NWA at the time thanks to her impressive, theatrical presentation. Initially a heel, Thunder Rosa grew in popularity with fans and soon turned babyface, dethroning Allysin Kay to become the NWA World Women’s Champion. From there, Thunder Rosa reigned for 271 days, eventually defending the belt on AEW television before signing to the company herself and becoming even more popular.

2 Awesome Kong

Mainstream wrestling fans likely know Awesome Kong best for helping put women’s wrestling back on the map in her clashes with Gail Kim in Impact Wrestling, but at one point she was both Knockouts Champion and the NWA World Women’s Champion at the same time. Wrestling under the name Amazing Kong for an NWA Midwest show in May of 2007, Kong beat the aforementioned MsChif for the belt, kicking off a nearly year-long reign at 358 days, which ended with MsChif recapturing the title.

1 Mildred Burke

Most fans have likely never seen a Mildred Burke match, but it’s tough to argue that she’s not only one of the greatest NWA Women’s Champions, but also one of the most influential women in wrestling history. In 1937, Mildred Burke captured the original (pre-NWA) World Women’s Championship when she defeated Clara Mortenson, a title win that is considered the official beginning of the NWA title. After losing the belt in 1953, Burke spent the decades after bringing women’s wrestling to Japan, especially in the pivotal promotion All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling.