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
Awarded when Abs is too ill to compete; has been awarded the American version on 91-02-09 by William Muldoon upon his retirement; has defeated Abs on 94-09-26 in Hamburg, GER; Abs passes away on 95-02-18.
Magnus Bech-Olsen
1900-03-21
New York, NY, USA
Has defeated Antonio Pierri on 1897-10-10 in Copenhagen, DEN to claim the title (see below); has been billed as the "champion wrestler of Europe" in USA; defeats Roeber, billed as "champion of America", in a world championship match on 00-03-21.
Continues to be recognized in USA until his retirement on 01-11-22; may be vacant in Europe earlier in 01.
Paul Pons
1890-11-20
Paris, FRA
Defeats Tom Cannon and claims the title; loses to Cannon on 98-07-30 in Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG, GBR (see below).
Antonio Pierri [2]
1893-06<
Claims the title in CZE and HUN as of 93-06 for having defeated Tom Cannon "fifty times"; also claims the title in Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG, GBR after defeating Tom McInerney on 94-04-14; loses to Tom Cannon on 96-04-28 in Liverpool (see below) but continues to claim the title.
Magnus Bech-Olsen
1897-10-10
Copenhagen, DEN
Billed as the "champion wrestler of Europe" in USA and defeats Ernest Roeber, billed as "champion of America", in a world championship match on 1900-03-21 in New York, NY (see above).
Billed as championn in Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG, GBR; also defeats title claimant Antonio Pierri on 96-04-28 in Liverpool; still recognized in Liverpool as of 95-05-31 and 97-03-01; also defeats another title claimant Paul Pons on 98-07-30 in Liverpool (see above).
Wins the title when Cannon suffers injury on his left arm due to hammerlock by Hackenschmidt (Lancashire Evening Post, plus several other papers, 02-09-15); also defeats Ahmed Madrali on 04-01-30 in London, ENG, GBR 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; defeats American champion Tom Jenkins on 1905-05-05 in New York,
NY in catch-as-catch-can-style match to be recognized as the undisputed
world champion
