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
Listed only to provide a historical information from the segregation era in the United States of America. This website has no intention of racial discrimination whatsoever.
Bill Brown
1920-12<
Billed as champion in Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Post, 20-12-09).
Reginald Siki
1924-01-13<
Billed as champion in Minneapolis, MN and Madison, WI; also billed as champion in Salt Lake City, UT as of 25-10-30; still champion in Dunkirk, NY as of 32-02-20; not Sweet Daddy Siki, born in 1940.
George Godfrey
1935-01-09
Brussels, BEL
[...]
Jack Nelson
1936-03-08<
Recognized by the National Wrestling Association (The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 36-03-08); still champion as of 36-04-03.
Billed as champion in Trenton, NJ (Trenton Evening Times, 41-02-05); also billed as champion in Lowell, MA as of 43-12-03; still champion in Massachusetts as of 44-05-15; also billed as champion in Oakland, CA on 44-11-14, Honolulu, HI on 48-04-07, Blytheville, AR as of 52-04-19, Tuscon, AZ as of 52-05-14, and Springfield, MA as of 54-04-08.
Billed as champion in Iowa sometime after 41-05-26 for being the only African-American wrestler known (The Courier, Waterloo, IA, 41-07-08); billed as Haille/Seelie Samara in some states; recognized in Iowa throughout the 40s; also recognized in the mid-40s in other states including Arizona, Montana, Missouri, California, and Washington as well as Alberta; still champion as of 51-04-27; "former" champion in Iowa as of 54-12-10.
Don Kindred
1946-10-01<
Claims the title in Akron, OH; billed as the junior heavyweight champion in Western Michigan.
Jim Mitchell
1947-10<
Recognized in Southern California; also defends the title in Texas in 48-04.
Johnny Cobb
1950-04-15<
Billed as champion in Janesville, WI.
Frankie James
1954-11-24<
Billed as champion in Springfield, MA; still champion as of 55-01-17.
Recognized in Texas, Arizona, and possibly other states; still champion in Texas as of 58-12-18 and in Springfield, MA as of 59-11-30; still champion in Arizona as late as 61-03-27; also defeats Shag Thomas on 61-09-12 to be recognized in Seattle, WA; still/again recognized in Salinas, KS as of 63-03-17 and Hawaii as of 66-02-27.
Has defeated Shag Thomas on 56-06-22 in Cincinnati, OH for the United States title; billed as the world champion in in Honolulu, HI; billed as champion in Georgia as of 61-05 (Atlanta Daily World, 61-05-23); recognized in Florida from 63-10 (The Tampa Times, 63-10-10); still/again billed as champion in Lansing, MI and Bridgeport, CT as of 65-03.
Billed as champion Hammond, IN (The Hammond Times, 60-08-17) but is suspended indefinitely for not showing up for the title defense against Art Thomas on 60-08-20 (The Hammond Times, 60-08-24).
Art Thomas
1961-10<
Billed as champion in Los Angeles, CA (Pasadena Independent, 61-10-02); still champion as of 61-12-06.
