On this page, you find the full Title History for the American Heavyweight Championship, with all Championship Info, Statistics, the Belt Design changes through the years, and the full list of Title Reigns, along with dates, events, and reign durations.
The American Heavyweight Championship was a main title contested in Independent Circuit, by men wrestlers.
The championship was first established on January 19, 1881.
The American Heavyweight Championship was retired on January 1, 1924, when it was unified into the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original).
American Heavyweight Championship: Title History
For the Title History of the championship in which this title was unified into, see the page for the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original).
American Heavyweight Championship: Title Reigns
N. Image Champion Reign Deactivated into the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship
January 1, 1924Title Abandoned26 Wladek Zbyszko
January 8, 1917 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | Live ShowStill/again champion as of September 22, 1922 (or a different reign, possibly by winning a tournament which has started on February 21, 1922).2549days25 Dr. Benjamin Roller
July 10, 1914 Rock Island, Illinois | Live ShowEd "Strangler" Lewis defeats Roller during an international tournament on January 15, 1916, in New York City (title may not be on the line).913days24 William Demetral
October 21, 1913 Lexington, Kentucky | Live Show262days23 
Ed Lewis 1
September 18, 1913 Lexington, Kentucky | Live Show33days22 Dr. Benjamin Roller
July 4, 1913 Benton Harbor, Michigan | Live Show76days21 Charlie Cutler
March 25, 1912 Chicago, Illinois | Live ShowJess Westergaard (Reimer) defeats Ordemann on January 7, 1913, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to claim a title but loses to Cutler on January 22, 1913, in Dallas, Texas.466days20 Henry Ordemann
December 14, 1911 Minneapolis, Minesota | Live Show102days19 Jess Reimer
November 7, 1911 Des Moines, Iowa | Live Show37days18 Charlie Cutler
March 25, 1911 Buffalo, New York | Live Show227days17 Dr. Benjamin Roller
March 6, 1911 Chicago, Illinois | Live Show19days16 Charlie Cutler
February 1, 1911 Minneapolis, Minesota | Live Show33days15 Henry Ordemann
October 25, 1910 Minneapolis, Minesota | Live ShowDefeats Charlie Cutler and awarded the title by special referee Frank Gotch.99days
Vacant
January 1, 1910Gotch vacates the title after two years as a double crown champion to concentrate on the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship he won from George Hackenschmidt on April 3, 1908, in Chicago, Illinois.297days14 
Frank Gotch 3
December 17, 1906 Kansas City, Missouri | Live Show1111days13 Fred Beell
December 1, 1906 New Orleans, Luisiana | Live Show16days12 Frank Gotch 2
May 23, 1906 Kansas City, Missouri | Live Show192days11 Tom Jenkins
March 15, 1905 New York City, New York | Live ShowEuropean Champion George Hackenschmidt defeated American Heavyweight Champion, Tom Jenkins, on May 4, 1905, in New York City to become the recognized as the 1st World Heavyweight Champion.434days10 Frank Gotch 1
January 27, 1904 Bellingham, Washington | Live Show413days9 Tom Jenkins
April 3, 1903 Buffalo, New York | Live Show299days8 Dan McLeod
December 25, 1902 Worcester, Massachusetts | Live ShowJenkins forfeited the title to McLeod after having blood poisoning in his leg during their match.99days7 Tom Jenkins
November 7, 1901 Cleveland, Ohio | Live Show413days6 Yusuf İsmail
June 20, 1898 Chicago, Illinois | Live Show1235days5 Dan McLeod
October 26, 1897 Indianapolis, Indiana | Live Show237days4 
Martin Burns 1
April 20, 1895 Chicago, Illinois | Live Show920days3 Evan "Strangler" Lewis
April 11, 1887 Chicago, Illinois | Live ShowLewis unified the American Catch-as-Catch Can Championship and the American Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship by defeating Ernest Roeber on March 2, 1893, in a 3 out of 5 falls match with alternating Greco-Roman match and Catch-as-Catch can matches. The two titles became known as the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship.2931days2 Joe Acton
August 7, 1882 New York City, New York | Live ShowHas defeated Tom Cannon on December 9, 1881, in London, England, for the Catch-as-Catch-Can Title; Bibby is billed as champion for a match against Greco-Roman champion William Muldoon on September 3, 1882, in Elmira, NY.1708days1 Edwin Bibby
January 19, 1881 New York City, New York | Live ShowDefeats Duncan C. Ross in a catch-as-catch-can match for "the championship of America".565days
American Heavyweight Championship: Names & Belt Designs
- American Heavyweight ChampionshipJanuary 19, 1881January 1, 1924
American Heavyweight Championship: Statistics
-
Promotions History
Promotion from to Promotion 
INDYJanuary 19, 1881 January 1, 1924
- Promotion
Independent Circuit
- TerritoryNational
- DivisionPrimary
- GenderMale
- Date EstablishedJanuary 19, 1881
- Date RetiredJanuary 1, 1924
- Unified Into
World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship
Most Number of Reigns
| Rank | Wrestler | Reigns |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Gotch | 3 |
| 2 | Tom Jenkins | 3 |
| 3 | Dr. Benjamin Roller | 3 |
| 4 | Charlie Cutler | 3 |
| 5 | Dan McLeod | 2 |
| 6 | Henry Ordemann | 2 |
Most Combined Days
| Rank | Wrestler | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Evan "Strangler" Lewis | 2931 | |
| Wladek Zbyszko | 2549 | |
| Frank Gotch | 1716 | |
| Joe Acton | 1708 | |
| Yusuf İsmail | 1235 |
Longest Reigns
| Rank | Wrestler | Reign | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evan "Strangler" Lewis | April 11, 1887 - April 20, 1895 | 2931 | |
| Wladek Zbyszko | January 8, 1917 - January 1, 1924 | 2549 | |
| Joe Acton | August 7, 1882 - April 11, 1887 | 1708 | |
| Yusuf İsmail | June 20, 1898 - November 7, 1901 | 1235 | |
| Frank Gotch | December 17, 1906 - January 1, 1910 | 1111 |
Be the first to comment.