Following the name of the champion(s): Indicates the number of times the wrestler has held that title at that point.
[...]
Indicates a gap in the listing where title changes are not known.
*
If used next to the names of the wrestlers, they may, in fact, not have held the title in the period indicated. If used next to the dates or places, either they are possibly wrong or the title changes are fictitious.
<
Title was held or changed hands no later than this. In these cases, it is known that a wrestler held the title at a certain time but not when he/she won it.
+
Broadcast date; the actual recording date is unknown.
@
Order uncertain. Different titleholders may be known for the same year, for example, but it is not known who held the title before whom.
#
Unofficial or disputable claims. These are usually matches that certainly took place, but where there is doubt that the wrestler shown should be recognized as a true title holder. These listings are also italicized in HTML files
Defeats James Faulkner, billed as English champion, to become the World Catch-as-Catch-Can champion (Chicago Tribune, 86-07-05); also billed as American champion (The Enquirer, Cincinnati, OH, 86-06-29); retires around 88.
Claims the title in Erie, PA (Erie Daily Times, 93-03-16); also billed as the world champion; also defeats other claimants Peter Schumacher on 95-01-25 in Rochester, NY and Tom McMahon on 95-02-19 in Cleveland, OH; still/again champion as of 1902-02-10 and 03-01-23.
Defeats Ed Atherton; also billed as the world champion.
George Baptiste
1895-01-27<
Still billed as champion in Cairo, IL as of 1908-12-06; still/again billed as champion as of 09-02-09 in Dallas, TX for having held the title "for many years" (Dallas Morning News, 09-02-09).
Frank Lewis #
1896-07-07<
Billed as champion in Winnipeg, MB, CAN.
Jake Snyder
1897-07-09<
Oil City, PA *
Billed as champion in Dayton, OH for having defeated Harvey Parker "a year ago" in Oil City, PA (The Dayton Herald, 98-08-05); also defeats another claimant Eddie Barr on 99-02-23 in Dayton, OH.
Mike Dwyer
1899<
Ed Adamson
1898-09-03?
Chicago, IL
Samuel Murbarger
1899-03-23?
Indianapolis, IN?
Billed as champion for having defeated Adamson after "only a few months" Adamson defeats Dwyer for the title (The Dayton Herald, Dayton, OH, 99-12-28).
[...]
Martin Lewis
1904-01-05<
Billed as champion in Belvedere, IL.
Tom McMahon
1900-01-09<
Claims the title in Washington, DC.
Mike Dwyer
1903-02-26<
Billed as champion in Hartford, CT; still/again recognized in Wilmington, DE as of 04-10-08.
Frank Coleman
1903-10-01<
[...]
Alex Bersin
1904-12-02<
Claims the title (Springfield Reporter, Springfield, MA, 04-12-02; Barre Daily Times, Barre, VT, 04-12-08).
[...]
Jim Barnes
1905-10-05<
Billed as champion in Springfield, MA; also defeats Joe Acton, billed as English champion, on 06-02-14 in Springfield, MA.
[...]
Ed Atherton [2]
1906-05<
Defeats another claimant Max Muller on 06-05-22 in Springfield, MA.
Jim Barnes [2]
1906-05-29
Springfield, MA
Recognized throughout New England; still champion as of 07-12-16, 09-03-25, and 10-12-14; also billed as world champion at least between 07-11-26 and 09-05-11.
World champion, often billed as American champion in Buffalo, NY; also recognized in Indianapolis, IN as of 08-02-11 and in Syracuse, NY as of 08-12-10.
Joe Hanson
1909-04-28<
Billed as champion in in Boston, MA for having defeated Willoughby.
Recognized in Boston, MA and Washington, DC; also billed as world champion in New England; still/again champion in Providence, RI as of 10-11-09.
Jack Olson
1909-10<
Billed as champion in Dubuque, IA; may start claiming World Title after defeating Dan McBride, billed as Canadian champion, on 09-10-25 in Dubuque, IA.
Also defeats another claimant Young Monday on 10-11-10 in Charlotte, NC; may be vacant after Turner wins World Title on 11-03-24.
Joe Collins
1910-09-27<
`
Has claimed the title for "several years" (Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock, AR, 10-09-27).
Young Beell (Henry Beell)
1910-11-01
Little Rock, AR
Andres Balsa
1912-06-16<
Claims the title in El Paso, TX.
Scotty McClure
1912-07-13<
`
Claims the title in Lawrence, KS.
[...]
Joe Acton
1917-04-13<
Claims the title in Home City, KS.
Gus Pappas
1913-09-27<
Billed as champion in Northern California; loses to California champion Joe Mendoza on 13-11-06 in Oakland, CA but continues to claim the title; still champion as of 14-12-23; continues to claim the title in Southern California in 15-10; billed as Pacific Coast champion in Arizona in 19.
[...]
Gus Pappas [2]
1920-01-06<
Billed as champion in Arizona; still champion as of 20-01-21; still/again claims the title as of 20-11-02 in Los Angeles, CA and 21-12-03 in Tulsa, OK.
World champion, often billed as the American champion in Minnesota; still champion as of 17-02-24; Henry Karhunsaari also claims the title in Brainerd, MN as of 17-01.
Ben Reuben
1917-06-03<
World champion, often referred to as the American champion in Chicago, IL.
[...]
Kid Ross
1920-02-23<
Billed as champion in Mishawaka, IN.
Frank Burns
1919-12-10<
Recognized in Florida; still champion as of 20-01-06.
Jimmy Demetral
1920-02<
Claims the title in Racine, WI for throwing "the three men which he was matched against in short order" (Racine Journal-News, 20-02-12); starts claiming the World Title by 21-01.
Billed as champion in Chicago, IL; Johnny Meyers defeats Turner to retain his world title on 23-11-06 in Chicago, IL.
Henry Karhusaari
1924-03<
Claims the title in Billings, MT (The Billings Gazette, 24-03-20).
Chris Jordan
1926-12
Billed as American champion in Detroit, MI from 26-12 based on his world title win over Hugh Nichols in Columbus, OH (Detroit Tiomes, 27-06-14); still champion as of 27-06-14.
Ed Ross #
1932-01<
Billed as champion in Wetaskiwin, AB, CAN (The Wetaskiwin Times, 32-01-28).
