World Heavyweight Championship
(Original Version)
WON BY
George Hackenschmidt
DATE
May 4, 1905
LOCATION
New York City, New York, USA
*Defeated Tom Jenkins to be recognized as the first official World Heavyweight Champion of professional wrestling
Frank Gotch
April 3, 1908
Chicago, Illinois, USA
*Vacated the title on April 1, 1913, upon his retirement
Gus Schoenlein
March 13, 1914
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
*Defeated Fred Beell to win the vacant title
Stanislaus Zbyszko
May 7, 1914
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
*Vacated the title on October 1, 1914, after enlisting in the Austro-Hungarian Army
Charlie Cutler
January 8, 1915
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
*Defeated Benjamin Roller to be recognized as champion
Joe Stecher
Earl Caddock
Joe Stecher (2)
Ed Lewis
Stanislaus Zbyszko (2)
Ed Lewis (2)
Wayne Munn
Stanislaus Zbyszko (3)
Joe Stecher (3)
Ed Lewis (3)
Gus Sonnenberg
Ed Don George
Ed Lewis (4)
Danno O'Mahoney
Dick Shikat
Ali Baba
Dave Levin
Dean Detton
Bronko Nagurski
Jim Londos
July 5, 1915
April 9, 1917
January 30, 1920
December 13, 1920
May 6, 1921
March 3, 1922
January 8, 1925
April 15, 1925
May 30, 1925
February 21, 1928
January 4, 1929
December 10, 1930
April 13, 1931
July 30, 1935
March 2, 1936
April 24, 1936
June 12, 1936
September 29, 1936
June 29, 1937
November 18, 1938
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
New York City, New York, USA
New York City, New York, USA
New York City, New York, USA
Wichita, Kansas, USA
Wichita, Kansas, USA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Los Angeles, California, USA
Los Angeles, California, USA
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
New York City, New York, USA
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Newark, New Jersey, USA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
*Vacated the championship on January 28, 1946, upon his retirement.
**The World Heavyweight Championship lineage continued with the NWA - National Wrestling Alliance and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship