Until its September 1986 deactivation, the title remained Georgia-based—across 3 different owners (GCW; Championship Wrestling from Georgia, and Jim Crockett Promotions).

In October 2017, Billy Corgan's company Lightning One, Inc., purchased the National Wrestling Alliance's intellectual and physical properties.

[4][5] At that point, all pre-existing NWA affiliation agreements with other promotions were ended; most NWA-branded championships (including the National) would be vacated in the months that immediately followed.

Damien Wayne, Phil "Nitro" Monahan, Greg Anthony, Lou Marconi, Paul Orndorff, Tommy Rich, Larry Zbyszko, and Masked Superstar have the most reigns with 3 apiece.

He won the vacant title by defeating Burchill, Bryan Idol and Carson Drake at NWA 76th Anniversary Show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 31, 2024.

Previous champion Thom Latimer vacated the title in order to challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship.