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
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.
Cutler continues to claim the title but loses to Benjamin F. Roller on 13-07-04 in Benton Harbor, MI (see below); awarded by Frank Gotch (Austin Daily Herald, Austin, MN, 13-12-22); still claims the title along with Benjamin F. Roller and Jess Westergaard as of 15-02-02; most likely no longer billed as champion after losing to Frank Gotch on 15-07-03 in Humboldt, IA.
Has prevsiouly claimed the title, defeats Demetral to end the dispute; Jess Westergaard and Henry Ordemann also claim the title as of 15-02 (Lincoln Daily News, Lincoln, NE, 15-02-02); Ed "Strangler" Lewis defeats Roller during an international tournament on 16-01-15 in New York, NY (title may not be on line).
Also wins a tournament "to establish" the championship, defeating Joe Stecher in the final on 22-02-21 in New York, NY (New York Times, 22-02-22); wins the World Graeco-Roman Title on on 23-04-23.
Claims the title (The Inter Ocean, Chicago, IL, 13-12-13); strengthens his claim when Frank Gotch selects Americus and Fred Beell as the next contenders for the world title upon his retirement (The Daily Times, Davenport, IA, 14-01-29); or awarded by Frank Gotch (The Inter Ocean, Chicago, IL, 14-02-22).
Cutler may continue to claim the title but again loses to Westergaard on 14-07-14 in Duluth, MN; claims the title along with Benjamin F. Roller and Henry Ordemann (Lincoln Daily News, Lincoln, NE, 15-02-02).
