$479.00
Each choice shows how it changes the price.
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Independent replica — not affiliated with or licensed by any promotion
AWA Southern Heavyweight Title
Total: $479.00
Belt explained
Every belt is a set of metal plates fixed to a leather strap. Here is what each part is, what this belt is made of and how long it takes.
| Promotion | Memphis territory, billed as an AWA title from 1978 |
|---|---|
| In use | 27 July 1974 to 2010 |
| First champion | Jerry Lawler |
| Other holders | Tommy Rich and Jeff Jarrett, among others |
| Last recorded champion | Brian Christopher, who won it on 4 November 2010 |
| Real belt | Maker and plate material not stated in the sources we checked |
| Closest build here | Zinc alloy (cast) / 24K gold plated / 4 mm, $479: the nearest match to the real belt. Select this build |
| Plates | Brass as standard: cut and engraved to the design, then finished by hand. Cast zinc alloy plates, made in a mould and finished by hand, are available as an upgrade.Brass or cast zinc alloy plates |
|---|---|
| Finish | Standard finish included. 24K real-gold electroplating is available as an upgrade: a thin layer of real gold on the surface of the plates. The belt is not solid gold.Gold electroplating explained |
| Plate thickness | 2 mm as standard. 3, 4 or 5 mm plates are an upgrade, priced per extra millimetre. Thicker plates allow deeper relief in the design and weigh more.Plate thickness explained |
| Strap | Cowhide leather, about 50–51 inches (127–130 cm) long. Snap closure with several snap positions.Belt sizing and fit |
| Made in | Sialkot, Pakistan. Every belt is made to order. |
| Production | About 5–6 working days after you order. An estimate, not a guarantee. |
| Shipping | Free worldwide courier shipping (UPS, FedEx or DHL), with tracking: delivered in up to 5 working days after dispatch, anywhere in the world. An estimate, not a guarantee. |
| Duties and taxes | Import duties are prepaid by us (DDP), so there are no customs charges to pay on delivery. |
| Licensing | Independent replica — not affiliated with or licensed by any promotion |
The Southern Heavyweight title was contested in the Memphis territory from 1974, and from 1978 it was billed as an AWA title. This listing is a made-to-order replica by MS Belts of that belt in black leather, with seven plates: one crest-shaped centre plate and six smaller plates along the strap. The page opens on the build closest to the design, and every choice shows its price.
Jerry Lawler won the title on 27 July 1974, after the Southern Junior Heavyweight title was renamed. Wikipedia lists the promotions that used it: NWA Mid-America (1974–1977), the Continental Wrestling Association (1977–1987), the United States Wrestling Association (1990–1997), Memphis Championship Wrestling (2000–2001) and Memphis Wrestling (2004–2010).
The AWA name came in 1978 through a partnership with the American Wrestling Association. Tommy Rich and Jeff Jarrett are among the many other champions listed. The last recorded champion was Brian Christopher, who won it on 4 November 2010.
The sources we read do not describe how the real belt was made, and we found no commercial replica to compare against. We therefore matched the design in our photos: black enamel fields, gold-toned figures and silver-coloured rims. Our closest build is zinc alloy (cast), 24K gold plated, 4 mm, which is what this page shows first.
A stamped panel with two rows of five gold-coloured studs. The closure is a snap with several positions, so the fit can be adjusted.
The 24K option is electroplating, a thin layer of real gold on the surface of the plates (+$20). The belt is not solid gold. The standard finish has no gold plating.
Cast zinc alloy (+$100) has the deepest 3D relief on the carriage, map and wrestler artwork. Brass plates are cut and engraved to the design, then finished by hand.
Independent replica. MS Belts is not affiliated with, licensed by or endorsed by AWA or any other promotion. Names are used only to describe the design.
Three choices about the plates decide how the belt looks, how it feels in the hand and what it costs.
The plates are the metal parts on the front of the belt. Brass plates are the standard: cut and engraved to the design, then finished by hand. Brass is dense and hard, so the belt feels solid. Cast zinc alloy plates are made in a mould and finished by hand, for deeper 3D relief.
Brass plates are included. Cast zinc alloy plates add $100.
Brass or cast zinc alloy plates24K real-gold electroplating is a thin layer of real gold on the surface of the plates. The belt is not solid gold, and the standard finish has no gold layer.
24K real-gold electroplating adds $20.
Gold electroplating explainedThickness is how thick the metal plates are, in millimetres. 2 mm is included, and you can go up to 5 mm. Thicker plates allow deeper relief in the design and weigh more.
2 mm is included. Each extra millimetre adds $50, up to 5 mm.
Plate thickness explainedMade to order
Every belt goes through 7 or 8 phases in our workshop, depending on the build. For a cast belt, casting in a mould takes the place of cutting. Gold electroplating happens only when you choose it or when it is included.
Under normal conditions, most belts are finished in 5–6 working days. For a custom design, the clock starts when you approve the design.
Phase 1: Design and artwork
Phase 2: Cutting the plates
Phase 3: Engraving and detailing
Phase 4: Polishing
Phase 5: Gold electroplating When 24K gold electroplating is chosen or included
Phase 6: Colour filling
Phase 7: The leather strap
Phase 8: Assembly, final check and packing
Questions
Short answers about this belt, delivery and returns.
Under normal conditions most belts are made in 5–6 working days, then delivered by courier in up to 5 working days, anywhere in the world. For a custom design, the clock starts when you approve the design. These are estimates, not guarantees.
Yes. Every order ships free worldwide by courier (UPS, FedEx or DHL) with tracking.
We prepay import duties (DDP), so there are no customs charges to pay on delivery.
Brass is the standard plate metal. On custom belts the SD build has brass plates cut and engraved to the design, the CNC build has brass plates CNC-machined for finer detail, and the HD build has zinc alloy plates cast in a mould made for the design and finished by hand, for the deepest 3D relief. On catalogue belts, cast zinc alloy is +$100. Plates are 2 mm thick as standard, and 3, 4 or 5 mm add $50 for each extra millimetre. The strap is cowhide leather.
Yes, it is a thin layer of real 24K gold on the surface of the plates. The belt is not solid gold, and like any plating it can wear if it is rubbed against something abrasive.
The strap is about 50 to 51 inches (127 to 130 cm) long with a snap closure and several snap positions. That is the length of the whole strap, not a waist size. Email us the wearer's measurement and we will confirm the fit before you order.
Yes. Name plate engraving can be added on belt pages that offer it. For a logo or a fully custom design, use the belt builder or email support@msbelts.com for a quote. Nothing is made until you approve the design.
Belt guide
Short, plain guides for people buying their first belt: what a belt costs, the gold finish, plate thickness and how a belt fits.
