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Edwin Bibby | 1881-01-19 | New York, NY |
Defeats Duncan C. Ross in a catch-as-catch-can match for "the championship of America". | ||
Joe Acton | 1882-08-07 | New York, NY |
Defeates Bibby and recognized as World Catch-as-Catch-Can Champion; Bibby is billed as American champion for a match against world graeco-roman champion William Muldoon on 82-09-03 in Elmira, NY. | ||
Evan "Strangler" Lewis | 1887-04-11 | Chicago, IL |
The match, initially scheduled on 87-03-14, is postponed to 87-04-11; also defeats Graeco-Roman Title holder Ernest Roeber on 93-03-02 in New Orleans, LA in a best-of-5-falls mixed match with greco-roman and catch-as-catch-can styles; loses World Catch-as-Catch-Can Title to Tom Connors on 87-06-13 but still continues to claim the title; Jack Carkeek defeats Connors for the world title on 89-01-28 in Milwaukee, WI but is billed as American champion and again defeats Connors, billed as English champion, on 90-02-15 in Milwaukee, WI to be recognized as the world champion; Joe Acton defeats Lewis in a handicap match when Lewis fails to throw Acton in an hour on 90-11-22 in San Francisco, CA (handicap matches are usually not for the title; San Francisco Call reports as a title change while neither San Francisco Chronicle nor San Francisco Examiner mentions the title); Lewis pins Acton on 90-12-09 in San Francisco, CA; Tom McInerney is billed as "champion catch-as-catch-can wrestler of America" in Liverpool, Merseyside, ENG, GBR as of 94-07-05. | ||
Martin "Farmer" Burns | 1895-04-20 | Chicago, IL |
Also billed as World Catch-as-Catch-Can Title; G.M. Ross is billed as champion in London, ENG, GBR as of 95-07-13. | ||
Dan McLeod | 1897-10-26 | Indianapolis, IN |
Tom Jenkins | 1901-11-07 | Cleveland, OH |
Has claimed the title as early as 1898-04-25 (possibly by defeating Farmer Burns on 97-11-17 in Indianapolis, IN); defeats McLeod to end the dispute. | ||
Dan McLeod [2] | 1902-12-25 | Worcester, MA |
Tom Jenkins [2] | 1903-04-03 | Buffalo, NY |
Frank Gotch | 1904-01-27 | Bellingham, WA |
Defeats alleged Cornish-style world champion Tim Harrington on 04-11-04 in Butte, MT. | ||
Tom Jenkins [3] | 1905-03-15 | New York, NY |
Georg Hackenschmidt defeats Jenkins on 05-05-04 in New York, NY in World Title match; Jenkins continues to be recognized as American champion. | ||
Frank Gotch [2] | 1906-05-23 | Kansas City, MO |
Fred Beell | 1906-12-01 | New Orleans, LA |
Frank Gotch [3] | 1906-12-17 | Kansas City, MO |
Vacant after Gotch defeats Georg Hackenschmidt on 08-04-03 in Chicago, IL to win the World Title. | ||
Henry Ordemann | 1910-10-25 | Minneapolis, MN |
Defeats Charlie Cutler and awarded the title by the special referee Frank Gotch. | ||
Charlie Cutler | 1911-02-01 | Minneapolis, MN |
Dr. Benjamin Roller | 1911-03-06 | Chicago, IL |
Charlie Cutler [2] | 1911-03-25 | Buffalo, NY |
Jess Reimer (Jess Westergaard) | 1911-11-07 | Des Moines, IA |
Henry Ordemann [2] | 1911-12-14 | Minneapolis, MN |
Charlie Cutler [3] | 1912-03-25 | Chicago, IL |
Jess Westergaard (Reimer) defeats Ordemann on 13-01-07 in Minneapolis, MN to claim a title but loses to Cutler on 13-01-22 in Dallas, TX. | ||
Dr. Benjamin Roller [2] | 1913-07-04 | Benton Harbor, MI |
Ed "Strangler" Lewis | 1913-09-18 | Lexington, KY |
William Demetral | 1913-10-21 | Lexington, KY |
Dr. Benjamin Roller [3] | 1914-07-10 | Rock Island, IL |
Has prevsiouly claimed the title, defeats Demetral to end the dispute; Joe Stecher also claims the title as of 15-05; Ed "Strangler" Lewis defeats Roller during an international tournament on 16-01-15 in New York, NY (title may not be on line). | ||
Wladek Zbyszko | 1917-01-08 | Wilkes-Barre, PA |
Still/again champion as of 22-09-22 (or a different reign, possibly by winning a tournament which has started on 22-02-21). |
* Special thanks to Mark Madison for the history from 1880s and Tim Hornbaker for the 1910s.
The U.S. national heavyweight titles since 20th Century
NWA United States Title [various versions] | ( | 1953-09 | ~ | 2000-11 | ) |
American Title [S. California] | ( | 1957 | ~ | 1963 | ) |
AWA (Alliance) United States Title [various versions] | ( | 1959 | ~ | 1964 | ) |
AWA (Association) United States Title | ( | 1960 | ~ | 1962 | ) |
WWWF / WWE United States Title | ( | 1963 ~ 71; 2003 ~ | ) | ||
NWA United States / American Title [E. Texas] | ( | 1967 | ~ | 1986 | ) |
United States Title [All Japan/PWF] | ( | 1970-12 | ~ | 1978 | ) |
NWA National Title | ( | 1980 ~ 86-08; 1997 ~ | ) | ||
IWGP United States Title [New Japan] | ( | 2017-07 | ~ | 2023-12 | ) |
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