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 by the New York Athletic Commission which refuses to recognized Ed "Strangler" Lewis who has won the World Title from Joe Stecher on the previous day in St. Louis, MO (Daily News, New York, NY, 28-02-22); suspended indefinitely by the commission on 28-09-04 for failure to appear on a scheduled match in Columbus, OH (The Los Angeles Times, St. Louis Globe-Democrat, etc, 28-09-05).
Defeats Ed "Strangler" Lewis for the World Title and is briefly recognized by NYSAC; recognition withdrawn by the athletic commissions of New York and Pennsylvania in 29-08-07 for failing
to meet "real" contenders.
Defeats Jim Londos to be recognized by the athletic commissions of New York and Pennsylvania and the National Boxing Association (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 29-08-26).
Stripped on 32-09-30 for refusing to meet the winner of a contender match between Ed "Strangler" Lewis and Dick Shikat, won by Lewis on 32-06-09 in Long Island City, NY; Londos continues to be recognized by the National Wrestling Association.
Wins by disqualification; recognized by The Ring magazine as the true world champion; Baba continues to claim the title but loses to Everette Marshall on 36-06-26 in Columbus, OH; Levin also wins Los Angeles version, defeating Vincent Lopez on 36-08-19 in Los Angeles, CA.
Recognized by The Ring magazine as the true world champion; has also defeated Ed "Strangler" Lewis in a title tournament
final earlier in the year in Philadelphia, PA.
