The Outlaw was hardly ever without championship gold during his career. No matter what territory or promotion within he competed, collecting championships was his goal.
Winning titles was a way of life for James.
TAG TEAM WRESTLING -
Early on in his wrestling career, James teamed
with his brother, 6'6", 420lbs Outlaw Tommy James to win the IPWA World
Tag Team Championship on two different occasions. Because of cross-
promotional ties, the "Outlaws" also held concurrently for a brief time the
Sunshine Wrestling Federation (SWF) World Tag Team Titles, holding on
to the titles for over 3 years..
They lost the tag-team titles after brother "Outlaw" Tommy suffered a
career
ending knee injury during a match and was unable to continue. They ended
up forefiting the match.
J.R., not to be without championship gold, regrouped and went out looking
for new partners. In 1992 he recaptured the IPWA World Tag Team Champ-
ionship three (3) more times with three different partners - Mean Mike
Larrea, Matt "Double O" Otto and Gil Canatello.
Five (5) seperate Tag Team Championship Reigns,.......four (4) different
Partners. Though other brother and same person teams have won the
World Tag Team Championships on more occasions, such as the Road
Warriors (11 Times), Steiner Brothers (7 Times) and Harlem Heat (17 Times)
all their championship wins were with the same tag team partner. James won
the coveted titles five times with four different team members, a feat that still stands in the record books today.
SINGLES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - After having success but getting tired with the personality plays in the tag team arena, James set-out to win as many regional single westling championships as he could.
James held the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, The Florida Heavyweight Championship on four (4) different occasions, the NWA Mid-South Heavyweight title, the Georgia Heavyweight Championship, and the Virginias State Championship.
This all in preparing and setting his sights on winning one of the coveted four established "World Heavyweight Championships" at the time.
The
National Wrestling Alliance World Championship, which at the time was being won and lost back and forth between Harley Race and Ric Flair, The Universal Federation World Heavyweight Championship, held by Cowboy Bill Watts at the time, The World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) World Championship which was held by Hulk Hogan, and the Independent Professional Wrestling Association (IPWA) World Championship, held at the time by Juan Valdez out of Carlos Colon's CCW group out of Puerto Rico. James set his sights on the IPWA World Championship.
It wasn't long after James linked up with the Colon group that he was elevated on several cards after some trash talk about Valdez on Puerto Rico TV during an interview. When Valdez came out to answer and rebut the trash talk, James attacked him from behind, sending the fan favorite to the hospital.
Click here to go to page 2
