World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original)

On this page, you find the full Title History for the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original), 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 World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original) was a World Title contested in Independent Circuit, by men wrestlers.

The championship was first established on May 4, 1905, and the inaugural champion was George Hackenschmidt.

This title was the first recognized World Heavyweight Championship in the History of Professional Wrestling

Created through the unification of American and European continental titles.

It was not owned by a specific promotion, so any wrestler around the world could aspire to win it.

The European Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship and American Heavyweight Championship were previously unified into this championship.

The World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original) was retired on January 28, 1946, with the final champion being Jim Londos.

A similar championship, the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, has been later introduced, which does not share the lineage with this title.

World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original): Title History

For the Title History of the newer version of this championship, see the page for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship.

World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original): Title Reigns

N.	Image	Champion	Reign
	Deactivated July 14, 1948 Waterloo, Iowa \| Live Show 28271+ days Lineage continued over to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
		Vacant January 28, 1946 Denver, Colorado \| Live Show 898 days Londos wrestled his last match on this date, defeating Lord Albert Mills.	898 days
32		Jim Londos 1 November 18, 1938 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania \| Live Show 2628 days Londos retired as World Heavyweight Champion in 1946.	2628 days
31		Bronko Nagurski June 29, 1937 Minneapolis, Minnesota \| Live Show 507 days Nagurski was recognized as the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion by The Ring magazine.	507 days
30		Dean Detton September 29, 1936 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania \| Live Show 273 days Recognized by The Ring magazine as the true world champion. Has also defeated Ed Strangler Lewis in a title tournament final earlier in the year in Philadelphia, PA.	273 days
29		Dave Levin June 12, 1936 Newark, New Jersey \| Live Show 109 days Wins by disqualification. Recognized by The Ring magazine as the true world champion. Baba continues to claim the title but loses to Everett Marshall on June 26, 1936, in Columbus, OH. Levin also wins Los Angeles version, defeating Vincent Lopez on August 19, 1936, in Los Angeles, CA. Everett Marshall retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion after Ali Baba.	109 days
28		Ali Baba April 25, 1936 Detroit, Michigan \| Live Show 48 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion. On April 29, 1936, it was announced by the New York Times that Ali Baba would not be recognized as World Heavyweight Champion in the New York State by The New York Athletic Commission; however, it was announced that Ali Baba and Dick Shikat would face each other on May 5, 1936, at Madison Square Garden for the World Heavyweight Championship. Baba went on to win the professional wrestling bout and thus be recognized as the World Heavyweight Champion.	48 days
27		Dick Shikat March 2, 1936 New York, New York \| Live Show 54 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.	54 days
26		Danno O'Mahoney July 30, 1935 Boston, Massachusetts \| Live Show 216 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion after Ed Don George, Jim Browning and Jim Londos. O'Mahoney defeated Jim Londos to win the New York State Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Championship. Mahoney continues to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (Boston version) by defeating Ed Don George (who had beat Deglane on February 9, 1933) on July 30, 1935, in Boston, Massachusetts to become the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion.	216 days
25		Ed Lewis 6 April 13, 1931 Los Angeles, California \| Live Show 1569 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion. Lewis lost the AWA World Heavyweight Championship by disqualification to Henri Deglane on May 4, 1931, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Henri Deglane retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion. After Deglane, Ed Lewis still recognized as real World Heavyweight Champion by the NWA. Lewis also defeated the title claimer, Wladek Zbyszko, on November 2, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois for the title. Lewis continued to win the New York State Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Sherry on October 10, 1932.	1569 days
24		Ed Don George December 10, 1930 Los Angeles, California \| Live Show 124 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion after Dick Shikat and Jim Londos.	124 days
23		Gus Sonnenberg January 4, 1929 Boston, Massachusetts \| Live Show 705 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion. The recognition of being the World Heavyweight Champion was withdrawn from Gus Sonnenberg by the wrestling section of the National Boxing Association in 1929 for failing to meet real title contenders.	705 days
22		Ed Lewis 5 February 21, 1928 St. Louis, Missouri \| Live Show 318 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion. Lewis defeated Wayne Munn on February 2, 1928, in Michigan City, Indiana for the Michigan/Illinois World Heavyweight Championship version. Lewis defeated Stecher on February 21, 1928, to end the dispute.	318 days
21		Joe Stecher May 30, 1925 St. Louis, Missouri \| Live Show 997 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.	997 days
20		Stanislaus Zbyszko April 15, 1925 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania \| Live Show 45 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion. Though Zbyszko defeated Munn to win the championship, Munn continued to be recognized as World Heavyweight Champion in Michigan and in Illinois.	45 days
19		Wayne Munn January 8, 1925 Wichita, Kansas \| Live Show 97 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.	97 days
18		Ed Lewis 4 March 3, 1922 Wichita, Kansas \| Live Show 1042 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.	1042 days
17		Stanislaus Zbyszko May 6, 1921 New York, New York \| Live Show 301 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.	301 days
16		Ed Lewis 3 December 13, 1920 New York, New York \| Live Show 144 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.	144 days
15		Joe Stecher January 30, 1920 New York, New York \| Live Show 318 days Defeated Earl Caddock to unify both the Olin and the Stecher lines. The lineage of the Stecher line was carried forward, so Stecher's title win is recognised as starting on January 30, 1920, as opposed to May 19, 1919. Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.	318 days
14		Joe Stecher May 19, 1919 Louisville, Kentucky \| Live Show 256 days Won title from Zbyszko.	256 days
13		Wladek Zbyszko March 21, 1919 New York, New York \| Live Show 59 days Defeated Lewis for the title.	59 days
12		Wladek Zbyszko December 22, 1917 New York, New York \| Live Show 454 days Zybszko defeats Lewis for the title, but Lewis continues to claim the title. Caddock defeats Zbyszko on February 8, 1918, in Des Moines, Iowa to unify Zybyszko's part of the Olin line, but Zybyszko still claims ownership. Lewis defeats Zybszko on May 19, 1918, in New York, New York to make him the undisputed champion of the Johan Olin line, but not the Joe Stecher line. Champion of the Stecher line, Earl Caddock defeats Lewis on June 21, 1918, in Des Moines, Iowa, but Lewis still claims the title.	454 days
11		Ed Lewis 2 July 4, 1917 Chicago, Illinois \| Live Show 171 days Won title from Zbyszko.	171 days
10		Wladek Zbyszko June 5, 1917 San Francisco, California \| Live Show 29 days Defeated Ed Lewis for title.	29 days
9		Ed Lewis 1 May 2, 1917 Chicago, Illinois \| Live Show 34 days Defeated Olin for the title in spite of Caddock's claim to Stecher's line.	34 days
8		Earl Caddock April 9, 1917 Omaha, Nebraska \| Live Show 23 days Defeated Stecher for the title in spite of John Olin already claiming ownership. Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.	23 days
7		Johan Olin December 11, 1916 Springfield, Massachusetts \| Live Show 119 days Defeated Stecher by count-out, was awarded championship by referee.	119 days
6		Joe Stecher July 5, 1915 Omaha, Nebraska \| Live Show 525 days Stecher defeated Charlie Cutler to become the first widely recognized World Heavyweight Champion after the retirement of Frank Gotch. Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.	525 days
5		Charlie Cutler January 8, 1915 Omaha, Nebraska \| Live Show 178 days After defeating American Heavyweight Champion Dr. Benjamin Roller, Cutler claimed the title. He was recognised in Omaha, Des Moines, Chicago and New York.	178 days
		Vacant October 1, 1914 99 days Vacated the title to enlist in the Austro-Hungarian Army in October 1914	99 days
4		Stanislaus Zbyszko May 7, 1914 Kansas City, Missouri \| Live Show 147 days	147 days
3		Americus March 13, 1914 Kansas City, Missouri \| Live Show 55 days Upon his retirement and vacancy, Frank Gotch recommended Gus Schoenlein/Americus and Fred Beell compete for the vacant title. Schonelein won.	55 days
		Vacant April 1, 1913 Kansas City, Missouri \| Live Show 346 days Vacated due to Gotch's retirement.	346 days
2		Frank Gotch 1 April 3, 1908 Chicago, Illinois \| Live Show 1824 days Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion. Gotch held the title for five years until April 1, 1913. He was the sixth longest reigning world heavyweight champion in history behind Bruno Sammartino, Jim Londos, Lou Thesz, Verne Gagne (who all held their world titles for over seven years) and Bob Backlund (who held his for nearly six years).	1824 days
1		George Hackenschmidt 1 May 4, 1905 New York, New York \| Live Show 1065 days Hackenschmidt won a world championship tournament to become the first champion, as well as several other tournaments in Paris, Saint Petersburg, Hamburg, Elberfeld, Germany and Berlin in the same year. He also won the European Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship title from Tom Cannon on September 4, 1902, in Liverpool, England. He won the recognition of being the World Heavyweight Champion on January 30, 1904, in London by defeating Ahmed Madrali, retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion. Hackenschmidt defeated American Heavyweight Champion, Tom Jenkins, on May 4, 1905, in New York City to become the recognized World Heavyweight Champion in North America.	1065 days

World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original): Names & Belt Designs

- World Heavyweight Wrestling ChampionshipNovember 18, 1938January 28, 1946
- World Heavyweight Wrestling ChampionshipApril 23, 1935November 18, 1938
- World Heavyweight Wrestling ChampionshipFebruary 20, 1928April 23, 1935
- World Heavyweight Wrestling ChampionshipOctober 9, 1915February 20, 1928
- World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Unified belts)May 4, 1905October 9, 1915

World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (Original): Statistics

Promotions History
Promotion from to
PromotionINDY May 4, 1905 January 28, 1946

Promotion	from	to
PromotionINDY	May 4, 1905	January 28, 1946

Promotion Independent Circuit
GenderMale
Title TypeMain / World
Date EstablishedMay 4, 1905
Date RetiredJanuary 28, 1946
Unified With European Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship American Heavyweight Championship
Followed By NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship

First ChampionGeorge Hackenschmidt
Final ChampionJim Londos

Most Number of Reigns

Rank	Wrestler	Reigns
	Ed Lewis	6
	Joe Stecher	4
	Wladek Zbyszko	3
	Stanislaus Zbyszko	3
	Jim Londos	1

Most Combined Days

Rank	Wrestler	Days
	Ed Lewis	3278
	Jim Londos	2628
	Joe Stecher	2096
	Frank Gotch	1824
	George Hackenschmidt	1065

Longest Reigns

Wrestler	Reign	Days
Jim Londos	November 18, 1938 - January 28, 1946	2628
Frank Gotch	April 3, 1908 - April 1, 1913	1824
Ed Lewis	April 13, 1931 - July 30, 1935	1569
George Hackenschmidt	May 4, 1905 - April 3, 1908	1065
Ed Lewis	March 3, 1922 - January 8, 1925	1042