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George Hackenschmidt
1901/11
Vienna, AUSTRIA Wins world championship tournament; wins tournaments in Paris, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, Elberfield, and Berlin in the same year; wins European Greco-Roman title from Tom Cannon on 1902/09/04 in Liverpool, ENGLAND; wins recognition as World champion on 1904/01/30 in London, ENGLAND, defeating Ahmed Madrali; defeats American champion Tom Jenkins on 1905/05/04 in New York, NY to become recognized champion in North America. Frank Gotch 1908/04/03 Chicago, IL Retires as champion in 1913. Henry Ordemann 13 Omaha, NE Said to defeat Jess Westegaard for the title (no verification has been found for this match). Charlie Cutler 14/02 Cutler has been American Heavyweight champion in Illinois and is billed as World Heavyweight Champion after 14/02; said to defeat Ordemann in 14/07 in Minneapolis, MN for the title (no verification has been found for this match). Joe Stecher 15/07/05 Omaha, NE Defeats Cutler with Frank Gotch in attendance. Earl Caddock 17/04/09 Omaha, NE Joe Stecher [2] 20/01/30 New York, NY Ed "Strangler" Lewis [2] 22/03/03 Wichita, KS Wayne Munn 25/01/08 Kansas City, MO Stanislaus Zbyszko [2] 25/04/15 Phidelphia, PA Munn continues to be recognized as champion in Michigan and Illinois. Joe Stecher [3] 25/05/30 St. Louis, MO Ed "Strangler" Lewis [4] 31/04/14 Los Angeles, CA loses American Wrestling Association World title by DQ to Henri Deglane on 31/05/04 in Montreal, QC, but is still recognized as champion in Illinois; also defeats the title claimant Wladek Zbyszko on 31/11/02 in Chicago, IL; wins New York State Athelitc Commission World title defeating Jack Sherry on 32/10/10. DISPUTED BRANCHES [ N.Y.S.A.C. ] [ N.B.A./N.W.A. ] [ A.W.A.(Boston) ] Danno O'Mahoney 35/06/27 Boston, MA Defeats Jim Londos to win NYSAC and National Wrestling Association World titles; wins AWA World Title, defeating Ed Don George on 35/07/30 in Boston, MA to become the undisputed champion. Dick Shikat 36/03/02 New York, NY Boston AWA continues to recognize O'Mahoney as champion. Ali Baba 36/04/25 Detroit, MI Dave Levin 36/06/12 Newark, NJ Wins by disqualification; Baba still recognized by NBA/NWA. Dean Detton 36/09/28 Philadelphia, PA Has also defeated Ed Stranler Lewis in a title tournament final earlier in the year in Philadelphia, PA. Bronko Nagurski 37/06/16 Minneapolis, MN Recognized by The Ring as the true world champion. Jim Londos 38/11/18 Philadelphia, PA Retires in 46. DISPUTED BRANCHES [ National Wrestling Association ] [ A.W.A.(Boston) ] [ M.W.A. ] [ Los Angeles ] [ Maryland ] [ National Wrestling Alliance ] Lou Thesz Unifies following titles to become the Undisputed World Heavyweight champion (except in Europe) : · National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight title, defeating Bill Longson on 48/07/20 in Indianapolis, IN · National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight title, awarded on 49/11/27 when champion Orville Brown is injured in an automobile accident on 49/11/01 before a unification match scheduled on 49/11/25 in St. Louis, MO · Defends against A.W.A. (Boston) World Heavyweight champion Gorgeous George on 50/07/27 in Chicago, IL (A.W.A. title not on line) · Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium version of the world title, defeating Baron Michele Leone on 52/05/21 in Los Angeles, CA. Leo Nomellini defeats Thesz by disqualification in San Francisco, CA on 55/03/22; NWA rules that the titles cannot change hands by DQ, which sets the precendence that titles cannot change hands by disqualification. Whipper Billy Watson 56/03/15 Toronto, ON Wins by count out. Lou Thesz [2] 56/11/09 St. Louis, MO Loses to Edouard Carpentier by disqualification on 57/06/14 in Chicago, IL when Thesz cannot continue due to a back injury; NWA rules the title cannot change hands by disqualification and gives the belt back to Thesz; Carpentier is recognized as World champion in Omaha and Boston and later by World Wrestling Association in Los Angeles to legitimate the lineages of their world titles; the World Heavyweight Title has not been unified since this day; Thesz defeats Carpentier in rematch by disqualification on 57/07/24 in Montreal, QC. DISPUTED BRANCHES [ N.W.A. ] [ Omaha ] [ Boston ] [ W.W.A. ] |