FINAL CHAMPION

LOU THESZ

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

ORIGINAL VERSION 1905 - 1957

George Hackenschmidt

  • 05.04.1905 - 04.03.1908
  • New York City, New York, USA
  • Defeated Tom Jenkins to become the first widely recognized World Heavyweight Champion of professional wrestling

 

Frank Gotch

  • 04.03.1908 - 04.01.1913
  • Chicago, Illinois, USA

 

VACANT

  • 04.01.1913 - 03.13.1914
  • Frank Gotch vacated the title upon his retirement

 

Gus Schoenlein

  • 03.13.1914 - 05.07.1914
  • Kansas City, Missouri, USA
  • Defeated Fred Beell to become the new World Heavyweight Champion

 

Stanislaus Zbyszko

  • 05.07.1914 - 10.01.1914
  • Kansas City, Missouri, USA

 

VACANT

  • 10.01.1914 - 01.08.1915
  • Stanislaus Zbyszko vacated the title when he enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian Army

 

Charlie Cutler

  • 01.08.1915 - 07.05.1915
  • Omaha, Nebraska, USA
  • Defeated Benjamin Roller to become the new World Heavyweight Champion

 

Joe Stecher

  • 07.05.1915 - 04.09.1917
  • Omaha, Nebraska, USA

 

Earl Caddock

  • 04.09.1917 - 01.30.1920
  • Omaha, Nebraska, USA

 

Joe Stecher

  • 01.30.1920 - 12.13.1920
  • New York City, New York, USA

 

Ed Lewis

  • 12.13.1920 - 05.06.1921
  • New York City, New York, USA

 

Stanislaus Zbyszko

  • 05.06.1921 - 03.03.1922
  • New York City, New York, USA

 

Ed Lewis

  • 03.03.1922 - 01.18.1925
  • Wichita, Kansas, USA

 

Wayne Munn

  • 01.18.1925 - 04.15.1925
  • Wichita, Kansas, USA

 

Stanislaus Zbyszko

  • 04.15.1925 - 05.30.1925
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

 

Joe Stecher

  • 05.30.1925 - 02.21.1928
  • St. Louis, Missouri, USA

 

Ed Lewis

  • 02.21.1928 - 01.04.1929
  • St. Louis, Missouri, USA

 

Gus Sonnenberg

  • 01.04.1929 - 12.10.1930
  • Boston, Massachusetts, USA

 

Ed Don George

  • 12.10.1930 - 04.13.1931
  • Los Angeles, California, USA

 

Ed Lewis

  • 04.13.1931 - 07.30.1935
  • Los Angeles, California, USA

 

Danno O'Mahoney

  • 07.30.1935 - 03.02.1936
  • Boston, Massachusetts, USA

 

Dick Shikat

  • 03.02.1936 - 04.25.1936
  • New York City, New York, USA

 

Ali Baba

  • 04.25.1936 - 06.12.1936
  • Detroit, Michigan, USA

 

Dave Levin

  • 06.12.1936 - 09.29.1936
  • Newark, New Jersey, USA

 

Dean Detton

  • 09.29.1936 - 06.29.1937
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

 

Bronko Nagurski

  • 06.29.1937 - 11.18.1938
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

 

Jim Londos

  • 11.18.1938 - 01.28.1946
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

 

VACANT

  • 01.28.1946 - 05.21.1952
  • Jim Londos vacated the title upon his retirement

 

Lou Thesz

  • 05.21.1952 - 03.15.1956
  • Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Defeated Billy Watson to become the new World Heavyweight Champion

 

Billy Watson

  • 03.15.1956 - 11.09.1956
  • Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Lou Thesz

  • 11.09.1956 - 07.24.1957
  • St. Louis, Missouri, USA
  • Thesz had unified the NWA - National Wrestling Association Heavyweight Championship and NWA - National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship with this title

 

DEACTIVATED

  • 07.24.1957