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World Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles)
(February 1928—July 1929)
American Wrestling Association (Boston)
World Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles)
(July 1929—May 4, 1931)
World Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles)
(May 4, 1931—1949)
(February 1928—July 1929)
| Won By: | Date: | Event: | Location: | Reign: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Lewis | Feb 20, 1928 | Live Event | St. Louis, USA | 319 days |
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Recognized as World Champion in Los Angeles after defeating Joe Stecher for the World Championship, commonly defended on the east coast.
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| Gus Sonnenberg | Jan 4, 1929 | Live Event | Boston, USA | 705 days |
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In July 1929, more than 20 state athletic commissions withdrew their recognition of Sonnenberg as world champion for failing to meet "real" title contenders. He also declined an offer from the wrestling section of the National Boxing Association to enter a tournament to crown a new champion for the following year. The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was subsequently created for Sonnenberg by promoter Paul Bowser and is defended alongside the Los Angeles version.
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World Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles)
(July 1929—May 4, 1931)
| Won By: | Date: | Event: | Location: | Reign: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Don George | Dec 10, 1930 | Live Event | Los Angeles, USA | 124 days |
(May 4, 1931—1949)
| Won By: | Date: | Event: | Location: | Reign: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Lewis [2] | Apr 13, 1931 | Live Event | Los Angeles, USA | |
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Exact date of when Lewis stopped being recognized as champion is unknown, last recorded defense was December 7, 1931 in Seattle, WA.
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| -- Dec 7, 1931 -- CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS UNCLEAR -- Mar 1932 -- | ||||
| Jim Londos | Mar 1932 | -- | -- | |
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The reigning N.B/W.A Heavyweight Champion is recognized as champion in Los Angeles by the California State Athletic Commission in March of 1932. Recognition is possible revoked in September after Londos is stripped of the N.Y.S.A.C. World Championship for refusing to defend the title against the winner of Lewis-Shikat
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| -- Sep 1932 -- CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS UNCLEAR -- May 1933 -- | ||||
| Jim Browning | May 1933 | -- | -- | |
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The reigning N.B/W.A Heavyweight Champion is recognized as champion in Los Angeles by the California State Athletic Commission in May of 1933.
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| Jim Londos [2] | Jun 28, 1934 | Live Event | New York, USA | 325 days |
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On February 27, 1935, Londos was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission when he failed to appear for a scheduled title defense against Chief Little Wolf.
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| ** Vacated ** | May 16, 1935 | -- | -- | |
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Vacated when the C.S.A.C. officially withdrew its recognition of Londos as world champion after refusing to enter an international tournament.
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| -- Dec 25, 2024 -- CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS UNCLEAR -- Jul 24, 1935 -- | ||||
| Vincent López | Jul 24, 1935 | Live Event | Los Angeles, USA | 392 days |
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Defeated Man Mountain Dean in the final of a tournament for the vacant title.
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| Dave Levin | Aug 19, 1936 | Live Event | Los Angeles, USA | 42 days |
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Dean Detton defeated Levin on September 28, 1936 in Philadelphia in a one-fall match. C.S.A.C. does not recognize the title change as it wasn't the standard 2-out-of-3 falls match.
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| Vincent López [2] | Sep 30, 1936 | Live Event | Los Angeles, USA | 10 days |
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Recognition is withdrawn by the C.S.A.C. on October 10, 1936, after deciding to recognize Dean Detton's victory over Dave Levin due to a working agreement with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission
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| Dean Detton | Oct 10, 1936 | -- | -- | 262 days |
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Officially recognized by the C.S.A.C. for his earlier victory over Dave Levin in Philadelphia. A rematch with Lopez is scheduled in Los Angeles for October 28, 1936, but Lopez suffers a leg injury during a match against Kimon Kudo four days earlier. Kudo takes Lopez's place in the match and is defeated by Detton. Detton ends Lopez's title claim by defeating him in Los Angeles on February 24 and March 3, 1937.
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| Bronko Nagurski | Jun 29, 1937 | Live Event | Minneapolis, USA | 507 days |
| Jim Londos [3] | Nov 18, 1938 | Live Event | Philadelphia, USA | 740 days |
| Sandor Szabo | Nov 27, 1940 | -- | -- | 70 days |
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Awarded title after Londos fails to appear for a scheduled title defense. Londos is subsequently suspended by the C.S.A.C. from wrestling in California for 60 days.
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| Jim Londos [4] | Feb 5, 1941 | -- | -- | |
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Reinstated as champion by the C.S.A.C. and defeats Sándor Szabó in Los Angeles to solidify the championship.
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| -- Apr 14, 1942 -- CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS UNCLEAR -- -- | ||||
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Londos vacates the title before August of 1942, date unknown, last known defense on February 14, 1942 in Visalia, CA. A tournament is held to crown a new champion which ends on August 19, 1942 with Rube Wright defeating Swedish Angel in the finals. However, the State Athletic Commission refuses to recognize Wright as World Champion, instead they recognize him as the California Heavyweight Champion.
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| -- -- CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS UNCLEAR -- Nov 18, 1942 -- | ||||
| Jim Londos [5] | Nov 18, 1942 | -- | -- | 1393 days |
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Londos reclaims the title in California. He is still billed as champion as early as November 18, 1942.
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| George Becker | Sep 11, 1946 | Live Event | Portland, USA | 91 days |
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Becker won the Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship from Rebel Russell on May 1, 1946 and the California Heavyweight Championship from Tony Martinez on May 22, 1946. He is recognized as world champion by the C.S.A.C. after defeating Babe Sharkey for the Pacific Northwest-version of the world title in Portland, Oregon on September 11, 1946. No records exist of a Pacific Northwest World title.
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| Enrique Torres | Dec 11, 1946 | Live Event | Los Angeles, USA | 1442 days |
| Baron Michele Leone | Nov 22, 1950 | Live Event | Los Angeles, USA | 546 days |
| Lou Thesz | May 21, 1952 | Live Event | Los Angeles, USA | 1998 days |
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Thesz, the reigning N.W.A. and World Heavyweight Champion, defeated Leone to unify the titles.
Whipper Billy Watson defeats Thesz via count-out on March 15, 1956 in Toronto, Canada. C.S.A.C. does not recognized the title change. |
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| Édouard Carpentier | Jun 14, 1957 | Live Event | Chicago, USA | |
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Carpentier was awarded the title when Thesz could not continue the match due to a back injury. On July 24, Thesz won a rematch against Édouard Carpentier by disqualification in Montreal. The N.W.A. initially continued to recognize Carpentier as the champion, but voided any recognition of Carpentier as champion when he withdrew the claim for the title when Montreal promoter Eddie Quinn left the N.W.A. in August 1958. Several NWA territories, including California, disputed this decision and continued to recognize Carpentier as world champion eventually resulting in the creation of several splinter titles
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| ** Deactivated ** | Oct 1959 | -- | -- | |
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After the Los Angeles promotion withdraws from the N.W.A.
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