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Last updated on 2022-08-09

World Heavyweight Title
[Great Britain]

British Wrestling Association ( 1930s ~ 1950s )
Joint Promotions ( 1979 ~ 1980 )
All-Star Promotions ( 1980 ~ 1988 )

Edwin Bibby 1878-12-21<  
Billed as champion in Birmigham, ENG; possibly by winning a series of the world "heavyweight" championship matches against Bonnet le Bœuf in 76-10 in Manchester, ENG.
Joe Acton 1879-02-08 Chadderton, ENG
Said to have wrestled Bibby 6 times prior to this match at various weight limits with each winning 3 times; defeats Bibby with the 142lb limit in their 7th match on 79-02-08 (Bell's Life in London, 79-05-10); "champion wrestler of Lancashire" (The Nottinghamshire Guardian, Nottingham, 79-12-19); "has been the recognized Lancashire champion for a considerable period" (Liverpool Mercury, etc., 81-05-02).
Ike Smith 1881-04-30 Farnworth, ENG
Defeats Acton for the world championship in Lancashire style (The North-Eastern Daily, Middlesbrough, 81-05-02); billed as English champion in Pittsburgh, PA, USA as of 81-06-20.
Tom Connors 1882-07-10 Oldham, ENG
Also defeats Evan Lewis on 87-06-13 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA for the American version; still champion as of 88-02-08.

Tom Connors [2] 1892-10-08<  
Still billed as champion in London, ENG as of 96-09-26 and 97-09-28 and in Manchester, ENG as of 98-09-23.

Tom Cannon 1893-10-13 Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG
World mixed style champion, defeats Tom McInerney, billed as American catch-as-catch-can champion, to claim the world catch-as-catch-can title.
Tom McInerney 1894-07-05 Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG
Billed as the world mixed style champion and loses to Cannon on 94-08-27 but continues to claim the world catch-as-catch-can title; still champion as of 94-10-08.

Evan Lewis 1897-07-17 Bolton, ENG
Defeats Joe Carroll; billed as American champion on 97-08-28 in Farnworth, ENG and defeats English champion Tom Clayton for another world title claim.

Jack Carkeek 1899-11-18 Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG
Defeats Joe Carroll in World Catch-As-Catch-Can Championship tournament final.
Tom McInerney [2] 1900-03-05 Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG
Jack Carkeek [2] 1900-04-09 Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG
Again defeats McIerney on 00-05-19 in New Brighton and 00-05-24 in Brighton; also wins an international heavyweight tournament, defeating Armand Cherpillod in the final on 04-01-11 in London; loses to Tom Jenkins on 05-01-10 in San Francisco, CA, USA (see American version).

Georg Hackenschmidt defeats Ahmed Madrali on 04-01-30 in London, ENG in a Graeco-Roman style match (The Observer, London, 04-01-31) but not a catch-as-catch-can style match as it has been believed for long time.

Gama Pahlwan / The Great Gama 1910-09-17 London, ENG
Claims the title when Stanislaus Zbyszko no-shows the rematch; two have wrestled to a 2-hour draw on 10-09-10.

George Clark 1933-07-24 Huddersfield, ENG
Defeats Laurent Gerstmans; still/again champion as of 37-12-16 and 38-11-17.

Jack Sherry 1934 Philadelphia, PA, USA *
Claims to have defeated Ed "Strangler" Lewis for the title; billed as world champion in GBR as of 34-08-11.
Max Krauser * 1938-12-01<
Sometime after 38-10-08; may be a different title.
Jack Sherry * 1938-12-12<
Vacant when Sherry leaves the country in 39 (sometime after 39-08-24).

Danno O'Mahoney 1936-08<
Holds AWA World Title in New England, USA; defends the title in Belfast, NIR on 36-08-26.

Karl Pojello 1936-11-09<
Billed as champion in Hull, E. Yorkshire, ENG.

Jim Londos 1937-10-26<  
Billed as champion in London, ENG.

Bert Assirati 1947-02-18 London, ENG
Defeats Yvar Martinson in 16-man tournament final
Yvar Martinson 1947-10-13 Paris, FRA

Bert Assirati [2] 1948-11-15 London, ENG
Defeats French Angel.

Frank Sexton 1952-02-28 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, ENG
Defeats Ernest Baldwin.
Félix Kerschitz 1953-01-27 Dundee, SCT
Billed as Central/Continental European champion, defeats British champion Ernest Baldwin for the world title when Sexton does not return to defend his title; still champion as of 53-03-25.

Lou Thesz 1957-12  
Billed as champion during UK tour.

Spiros Arion 1979-09 GRE *
Wayne Bridges1979-12-19London, ENG
John Quinn1980-04-21London, ENG
Quinn jumps to All Star in 80; Wayne Bridges wins tournament, defeating Jim Harris on 81-06-18 in London, to be recognized by Joint Promotions.
Tony St. Clair1982-05-08Hanley, Staffordshire, ENG
John Quinn [2]1984-02-13Slough, Berkshire, ENG
Wayne Bridges[2]1985-05-20Slough, Berkshire, ENG
Wins unification match; has clamed the title since jumping from Joint Promotion to All Star in 83-02; vacant in 86.
John Quinn [3]1986-04-12Hanley, Staffordshire, ENG
Defeats Tony St. Clair in tournament final.
Wayne Bridges [3]1986-09-09
Kendo Nagasaki (Peter Thornley) 1987-09-17Bradford, ENG
Wayne Bridges [4]1988-03-28Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, ENG
Vacant in 88 when Bridges retires.

* Thanks to Phil Lions for additional information.