Big Gold Belt

The Big Gold Belt is a historic professional wrestling championship belt that has represented multiple world championships throughout its history. It was originally designed in 1985 by silversmith Charles Crumrine and commissioned by Jim Crockett Promotions for NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair. The belt has three large gold plates and was the first championship belt to feature a name plate onto which the champion's name was etched. The original belt design was known for being unbranded as it only read "World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion" and bore no initials or trademark of its owning promotion. In 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) added its logo to the design for copyright purposes. Following the belt's introduction in WWE, the distinctive name plate feature of the Big Gold Belt was swiftly incorporated into the belt designs of other WWE championships.

History

NWA World Heavyweight Championship

The Big Gold Belt was first introduced in 1986 to replace the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt that had been used since 1973, historically known as the "domed globe". Jim Crockett Jr. of Jim Crockett Promotions commissioned Charles Crumrine, a silversmith in Reno, Nevada that specialized in western belt buckles, to produce it. The belt debuted on February 14, 1986 at a Championship Wrestling From Florida card called Battle Of The Belts II where NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair defended the title against Barry Windham.