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
Billed as having defeated Jim Parr for the title in Chicago, IL "last year" (Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier, Ottumwa, IA, 08-05-30); loses to American champion Charles Olson on 08-08-10 in Indianapolis, IN but continues to claim the world title.
Yussif Hussane
1909-09-03
Dallas, TX, USA
Also recognized in Oklahoma; still champion as of 09-10-15.
William Demetral [2]
1909-11-04<
Billed as champion in Muskogee, OK; Charles Olson also claims the title in Dallas, TX as of 10-01-25; Demetral loses to Ad Santel on 13-01-14 in Woodward, OK, USA (see below).
Defeats James Parr, billed as English champion; claims both heavyweight and light heavyweight titles (The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA, 06-12-06); billed as champion in Chicago, IL as of 08-01-04 and most likely other territories; also wins an international tournament, defeating William Demetral in the final on 08-02-15 in Tampa, FL.
Martin "Farmer" Burns
1908-03-17
Omaha, NE, USA
Beell continues to claim the title but loses to Charles Olson on 09-01-04 in Chicago, IL (see below).
Defeats Beell for the American Title; recognized as world champion after defeating Henry Irslinger, billed as European champion, on 13-12-03 in Minneapolis, MN.
Defeats Beell and assumes "all the titles formerly held by Beell" (The Ogden Standard, Ogden, UT 14-06-23); former champion as of 15-03-03 (Evening Capital News, Boise, ID).
Defeats Fred Beell for the title; also recognized in Pacific Northwest, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, and possibly other states; loses to Americus (Gus Schoenlein) on 10-04-29 in Chicago, IL but continues to be billed as champion in Michigan as of 11-03-14 and Indiana as of 12-08-06.
American champion, defeats European champion Bob Monogoff to be recognized as world champion (The Sun, Baltimore, MD, 09-03-18); also defeats title claimant Charles Olson on 10-04-29 in Chicago, IL; still champion as of 11-04-27; may be vacant when Americus wins World Heavyweight Title on 14-03-13 in Kansas City, MO.
Defeats Jim Asbell and claims the title; also defeats William Demetral on 13-01-14 in Woodward, OK, USA to end the dispute (Woodward News-Bulletin, 13-01-17); Jack Harbertson defeats John Berg, who disputes Santel's claim for not making the 170lb limit, on 18-05-21 in Ogden, UT; Santel defeats Harbertson on 19-01-08 in Ogden, UT; also defeats title claimant Jim Londos on 20-08-17 in San Francisco, CA; loses to Londos on 20-09-13 in San Francisco, CA in a non-title match (Oakland Bulletin, San Francisco, 20-09-13) as Londos is listed as a heavyweight (The San Francisco Examiner, 20-09-13); also defeats title claimant Peter Sauer on 22-03-14 in San Francisco, CA; loses to Clarence Eklund on 28-09-29 in Melbourne, AUS (see below); may continue to claim the title in Northern California until 31 or 32.
American champion as of 17-01-25; may claim the world title based on his victory over Harry Hartman on 17-01-25 in Burlington, IA; billed as champion in Sioux Falls, SD and later in other territories; loses to Ad Santel on 20-08-17 in San Francisco, CA (see above) but continues to claim the titlle; defeats Stantel on 20-09-13 in San Francisco, CA in a non-title match (Oakland Bulletin, San Francisco, 20-09-13) as Londos is listed as a heavyweight (The San Francisco Examiner, 20-09-13).
Still billed as champion in Wichita, KS as of 22-03-19 and in Ohio as of 22-06-03; Londos continues to claim the title; Caddock wrestles Londos to a draw on 22-07-04 in Moberly, MO; retires in 23 (Pittsburgh Daily Post, 23-03-11).
Billed as champion in Burlington, IA; also recognized in Reading, PA as of 22-02-22; wrestles Caddock to a draw on 22-07-04 in Moberly, MO; still recognized in Missouri as of 23-02-24; Caddock officially retires in 23.
Defeats title claimant Ad Santel on 28-09-29 in Melbourne, AUS for the contendership to face the locally recognized champion Ted Thye; defeats Thye on 28-10-06 in Melbourne, AUS to become the undisputed champion; declared vacant by the National Wrestling Association when Eklund declines invitation
to participate in tournament in 30; continue to claim the title in Montana but retires in 31 (or 32?).
