In 1957 there were at least 13 different versions of the NWA World Tag Team Championship recognized in the United States.

[1][2] At the time, tag team wrestling was popular on the West Coast, leading to the local NWA promoters Hugh Nichols and Johnny Doyle creating the first-ever NWA World Tag Team Championship when they announced The Dusek Family (Ernie and Emil Dusek) as the first champions on July 14, 1949.

The Los Angeles territory promoted its NWA World Tag Team Championship for eleven years, with Ben and Mike Sharpe being the last champions of the era.

The longest reign of the first era belonged to Guy Brunetti and Joe Tangero, who held the championship for at least 277 days.

[7][8] By the 1970s the San Francisco territory had been taken over by Mike and Gene Lebell's NWA Hollywood Wrestling.