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 Beell for the American title and is billed as the world champion in Chicago, IL in 08-12 (Chicago Tribune, 08-12-06); Beell continues to claim the title but loses to Charles Olson on 09-01-04 in Chicago, IL (see below); Americus defeats Olson on 10-04-29 in Chicago, IL (see below); still champion as of 13-10 though weighing over 200lbs (Dixon Evening Telegraph, Dixon, IL, 13-10-18); wins World Heavyweight Title on 14-03-13 in Kansas City, MO.
Continues to claim the title after losing to Earl Caddock on 21-02-14 in New York, NY; wrestles another claimant John Pesek to a draw on 21-02-22 in Chicago, IL (see above); still champion in Chucagi, IL as of 21-04-13 (The Rockford Republic, 21-04-13); moves up to the heavyweight division in 22.
Vacates MWA world title in 37-06 but continues to claims world title in Chicago, IL as late as 38-03-30.
Pat Mulligan
1934-10<
Billed as being recognized by the California Athletic Commission (Chicago Tribune, 34-10-25); still champion in Belvidere, IL as of 35-02-05; leaves the area in 35-02.
Billed as light heavyweight champion in Illinois and Wisconsin after losing National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Title to National Wrestling Association champion Leroy McGuirk on 49-12-28 in Des Moines, IA; vacates his Illinois claim in 51-08 to concentrate on winning NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title from Verne Gagne (Illinois State Register, Springfield, IL, 51-08-30).
Billed as champion in Quad-Cities; has been recognized as the National Wrestling Alliance champion in Des Moines, IA as early as 51-12-09; Carl Engstrom defeats Balbo in what is most likely a non-title match on 52-06-28 in Chicago, IL and is billed as champion as late as 52-08-26 in some towns in Wisconsin and Iowa where Balbo is billed as a former champion; Balbo continues to be billed as champion in Des Moines, IA and Illinois; NWA officially starts to sanction the light heavyweight title at its annual convention in 52-09.
