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
World Catch-as-Catch-Can Heavyweight Title [United States]
Joe Acton
1882-08-07
New York, NY
Has defeated Tom Cannon on 1881-12-05 (not 81-12-09 as long believed) in London, ENG, GBR, but the newspapers do not mention any title; billed as "the champion of England" and defeats Edwin Bibby, "the champion of America", on 1882-08-07 in New York, NY to be recognized as world champion in North America; also billed as the champion of America as of 87-02; Clarence Whistler defeats Duncan C. Ross on 81-11-07 in St. Paul, MN in a mixed style match for the world championship and is later billed as world catch-as-catch-can champion in Minnesota; Acton wrestles Whistler, billed as American graeco-roman champion, to a draw on 82-12-18 in New York, NY; George W. Flagg is billed as world mixed style champion as of 83-04 but loses to Henry M. Dufur on 83-04-05 in Rochester, NY.
Evan "Strangler" Lewis
1887-04-11
Chicago, IL
Also defeats World Graeco-Roman Title holder Ernest Roeber on 93-03-02 in New Orleans, LA in a mixed-style match with greco-roman
and catch-as-catch-can styles in best of 5 falls; also recognized as American Title.
Has claimed the World Title since defeating Ike Smith on 82-07-10 in Oldham, Manchester, ENG, GBR; Lewis continues to claim American Title and defeats defeats Jack Wannop, billed as English champion, to claim the world title on 88-05-07 in Chicago, IL (see below).
Jack Carkeek
1889-01-28
Milwaukee, WI
Connors continues to claim American Title in Omaha, NE as of 89-10-26 and 89-11-21; Carkeek is billed as American champion and again defeats Connors, billed as English champion, on 90-02-15 in Milwaukee, WI to be recognized as the world champion; defeats another claimant Tom Cannon on 1890-04-18 in Cincinnati, OH; again defeats Cannon in Cincinnati, OH by default on 1890-05-22 when Cannon refuses to wrestle due to injury; also wins the British version, defeating Joe Carroll in tournament final on 99-11-18 in Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG, GBR; still/again claims the title as of 1902-01-25; loses to Tom Jenkins on 05-01-10 in San Francisco, CA (see below).
Evan "Strangler" Lewis [2]
1888-05-07
Chicago, IL
American champion, defeats Jack Wannop, billed as English champion, to claim the world title.
Also defeats Jack Carkeek, claimant of the British version, on 05-01-10 in San Francisco, CA; Georg Hackenschmidt, recognized as world champion in Europe, defeats Jenkins 05-05-04 in New York, NY to be recognized as world
champion in North America; Jenkins continues to defend American Heavyweight Title.
