This is a combined list of different versions of the World Middlweight Titles,
each of which was probably the most significant version at the time. Each
version may or may not be connected to another. However, I did NOT make up
any title change. All title changes are either actual or "official" unless
indicated with symbol(s). For the
complete/detailed listings, I recommend Wrestling
Title Histories by Royal Duncan & Gary Will.
National Boxing Association/National Wrestling Association
(
1930
-
1940s?
)
Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre
(
1930s
-
)
National Wrestling Alliance/EMLL
(
1952?
-
)
[ ]
Dan McLeod
1989/01/17
Cleveland, OH
Defeats Ed Atherton; still/again champion as of 1902/09/12.
Has been claiming the title since 09/04/28, defeating
Charlie Conkle in Cleveland, OH; defeats Chris Jordan on 10/03/15 in Cleveland, OH; defeats Willoughby on 10/12/28 to become the strongest claimant.
Mike Yokel
13/02/05
Salt Lake City, UT
Also defeats Police Gazette title claimant Joe Turner
in 13; Turner still claims the title until losing it in 16 to Paul Bowser,
who defends title for 6 years before abandoning it.
Chris Jordan
13/07/25
Salt Lake City, UT
Mike Yokel [2]
13/10/27
Salt Lake City, UT
Elmer "Pet" Brown
14/05/08
Taylor, TX
Walter Miller
16/04/24
Billings, MT
Brown still claims the title as of 16/11/24.
Ted Thye
19/06/04
Portland, OR
Walter Miller [2]
21/05/27
Los Angeles, CA
Also defeats Pinky Gardner on 21/12/01 in Los Angeles, CA (see below); still/again champion in 24; no longer champion as of 26/08.
Sam Anderson
11/02/27<
Joe Turner
11/03/24
Washington, DC
Holds Police Gazette belt.
Joe Grant
11/05/15
Washington, DC
Joe Turner [2]
12/03/31<
Jack Jordan
13/04/23
Waverly, NY
Joe Turner [3]
13/09/04
Washington, DC
Also wins a tournament in 16 in Richmond, VA and another tournament in 22 in New York, NY; loses to other claimants such as Mike Yokel (13/03/19 Salt Lake City, UT and 19/03/28 Boston, MA), Pet Brown (15/03/02 Houston, TX), Henry Irslinger (17/01/22 and 17/11/06 Atlantic City, NJ), Paul Bowser (15/03 Newark, OH), Waino Ketonen (19/05/22 Boston, MA), and Charles Rentrop (22/09/04 Little Rock, AR) over the years but continues to be recognized as champion mainly in the east coast; still/again champion as of 23/11/30.
Waino Ketonen
15/03/09
Duluth, MN
Defeats Mike Yokel and claims the title.
Mike Yokel
18/03/18<
Also defeats Pinky Gardner on 18/04/11 in Boston, MA; also defeats Joe Turner on 19/03/28 in Boston, MA.
Waino Ketonen [2]
19/04/05<
Also defeats Joe Turner on 19/05/22 in Boston, MA.
Mike Yokel [2]
20/02/26
Boston, MA
Waino Ketonen [3]
20/06/19<
Also defeats title claimant Charles Rentrop in Houston, TX on 21/01/15.
Pinky Gardner
21/02/27
Boston, MA
Loses to Walter Miller on 21/12/01 in Los Angeles, CA (see above).
Jack Harbertson
15/10/21<
Recognized in Utah; still champion as of 18/04/01.
[...]
Ira Dern
19/10
Boston, MA *
Recognized in Utah as having defeated Waino Ketonen; also defeats Pinky Gardner on 21/11/23 in Salt Lake City, UT; still champion as of 25/03/28; no longer champion as of 26/05 after moving up to the light heavyweight division.
Johnny Meyers
18/05/08<
Joe Parelli
24/03/25
Milwaukee, WI
Len Talaber
24/09/23
Salt Lake City, UT
Johnny Meyers [2]
25/04/15
Chicago, IL
Vacates on 28/06/28 for not being able to make the 160lb weight limit.
Jimmy Demetral
28/08/13
Madison, WI
Defeats title claimant Ralph Parquat; loses to Gus Kallio on 29/05/20 in Battle Creek, MI but continues to claim the title.
Johnny Meyers may continue to claim the title but has lost to Fischer on 29/01/07 in Chicago, IL; Illinois State Athletic Commission, however, recognizes Gus Kallio, who has defeated Fischer in Chicago on 28/08/07 (see below); Fischer continues to claim the title through 37.
Lou Talaber
19/01/22<
Recognized in Gary, IN.
Chris Jordan
20/01/08<
[...]
Ralph Parquat
21/07/12<
Chris Jordan [2]
21/09/22
Cedar Rapids, IA
Loses to Johnny Meyers on 23/12/11 in Chicago, IL but continues to claim title; still/again champion as of 24/05/03 and 26/05/12.
Defeats Charlie Fischer by decision after a 2 1/2
hour match and is recognized by Illinois Athletic Commission.
Hugh Nichols
29/03/08
Cincinnati, OH
Vacant when Nichols moves up to light heavyweight
division in 30; Gallio continues to claim the title and defeats another claimant Jimmy Demetral on 29/05/20 in Battle Creek, MI.
Wins tournament to be recognized by the National Boxing Association after
defeating Ralph Parquat in semi-final on 30/03/21 in Cincinnati, OH and Ray Carpenter in final on 30/04/09 in Columbus, OH.
Recognized at the NWA meeting on 31/10/01; George Romanoff is billed as champion in Florida as of 34/10/02; Kallio is again recognized at the NBA & NWA joint annual convention on 35/09/17.
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