PWI recognizes IWTV & PAWD Titles as World Championships

Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) has officially conferred World Championship status on The IWTV Independent Wrestling Championship and Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling Championship.

The announcement comes just hours before IWTV 100, where IWTV Independent Wrestling World Champion Wheeler Yuta will make the 100th defense of the title against current number one contender Daniel Garcia. The Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Champion, Trish Adora, will also be in action as she teams with Lee Moriarty against AEW's Orange Cassidy and Kris Statlander.

The tradition of PWI assigning World Championship status to major titles goes back decades, tracing its origins to the early years of wrestling and boxing magazines, who used the designation as a way to signal to readers which championships were most significant. PWI has been highly selective over the years in applying the World Championship distinction, in effect serving as a neutral sanctioning body for wrestlers, wrestling promotions, and fans.

Reached for comment, PWI Editor-in Chief Kevin McElvaney explained the publication’s decision.

"Both the IWTV and PAWD belts are traveling symbols of wrestling achievement and greatness. Like the original NWA World heavyweight championship, they cross territorial and promotional lines, inviting the very best wrestlers to earn the right to hold them. For that reason, these prizes are spoken of with reverence by competitors the world over."