World_Heavyweight_Championship_(Los_Angeles_version)

World Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles version)

World Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles version)

Professional wrestling championship

The World Heavyweight Championship was an American professional wrestling championship created and sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). While the Commission sanctioned the title, it did not promote the events in which the Championship was defended. From 1929 until 1931, the American Wrestling Association (AWA) controlled the Championship. The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was recognized by the CSAC as the world championship until May 4, 1931, when the Commission refused to recognize Henri Deglane's victory over Ed "Strangler" Lewis in Montreal, Quebec, as the title had changed hands via disqualification rather than the traditional pinfall or submission. Lewis remained champion in California, and a separate lineage was created.

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Background

The championship was subsequently controlled by a group of Los Angeles-based promoters collectively known as the "California Combine" (Cal and Aileen Eaton, Hugh Nichols, Johnny Doyle, and Mike Hirsch). At various times in the mid-1930s, the title was unified with the NYSAC World Heavyweight Championship. Wrestlers who held both the New York and California versions – Dave Levin, Dean Detton, Bronko Nagurski and Jim Londos – were recognized by The Ring magazine as the "true world champion".[2][1][3]

On October 12, 1935, Vincent Lopez defended the title against Man Mountain Dean at the Plaza Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico. The event, hosted by the newly established Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL), was seen by a record 35,000 people.[4][5] It is the highest drawing show in EMLL's history, and held the all-time attendance record in lucha libre for nearly 20 years.[4][6][7]

In 1949, the California Combine joined the National Wrestling Alliance, and the championship became the main singles title for the NWA's Los Angeles wrestling territory. On May 21, 1952, Lou Thesz defeated Baron Michele Leone to unify the Los Angeles-version of the World Heavyweight Championship with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the principal championship recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance. With 25,256 fans present,[8] it was the most attended show of the 1950s and the first-ever $100,000 gate in professional wrestling history. According to Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Thesz's victory over Leone had made him the closest any wrestler had gotten in the last half century to establishing an undisputed world championship in pro wrestling.[9]

On July 24, 1957, Thesz defeated Édouard Carpentier in Montreal under controversial circumstances to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The decision was challenged by several members of the NWA who continued to recognize Carpentier as World Heavyweight Champion. Several splinter titles were eventually created as a result.[10] The Eatons decided to leave the NWA in October 1959 to promote their own world title under the North American Wrestling Alliance banner with Carpentier as their inaugural champion. The NWA-sanctioned championship was abandoned and replaced by the NAWA World Heavyweight Championship.[11]

Title history

Names

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Reigns

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Bibliography

  • Royal Duncan; Gary Will (2000). "CALIFORNIA: World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 292–293. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  • Tanabe, Hisaharu (2003). "World Heavyweight Title (Los Angeles)". Wrestling-Titles.com. Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved February 16, 2020.

References

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    Tanabe, Hisaharu (2003). "World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  2. [2]
    Royal Duncan; Gary Will (2000). "World Heavyweight Title [Toots Mondt, Ray Fabiani]". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 11. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  3. [3]
    Tanabe, Hisaharu (2003). "World Heavyweight Title [NYSAC]". Wrestling-Titles.com. Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  4. [4]
    Farmer, Matt (April 8, 2007). "1930's 10,000 (UPDATED 11/12/09)". WrestlingClassics.com.
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    "EMLL Misc. Cards". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
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    Farmer, Matt (January 7, 2009). "1950's Attendances (Updated 11/11/10)". WrestlingClassics.com.
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    "Televicentro". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
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    Allen, Johnny (May 22, 1952). "THESZ RULES MATDOM". Los Angeles Daily News. p. 32. Mighty Lou Thesz' domination of the world's wrestling goliaths stretched into the Golden state of California today after the St. Louis Mo., muscleman subdued one of the mat's foremost villains – Baron Michele Leone – in two out of three falls last night at Gilmore field before a record-breaking turnaway crowd. The match, which lured 25,256 fans through the turnstiles and resulted in a turnaway of several thousand more, grossed $103,277.75, easily breaking the standing record of $62,000 set at Wrigley field by Gus Sonnenberg and Everett Marshall over a decade ago. The net was $81,523.46. Promoter Cal Eaton elated ever the most successful promotion of his career sounded only one sad note after the long-awaited showdown match and that was that he was sorry he didn't take it to the Coliseum where maybe it would have done around $200,000. In mastering the arch villain, Leone, the popular Thesz won recognition from the California Athletic commission as undisputed world mat titan, which now makes some 44 state and numerous outlying posts throughout the universe where Thesz is the National Wrestling Alliance champion.
  9. [9]
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated (1999). PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING: YEAR-BY-YEAR. Vol. IV (4th ed.). Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Co. p. 124. ISSN 1084-9610. 1999 Edition. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
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    Cronin, Ned (December 11, 1930). "GEORGE NEW MAT CHAMP; FANS STUNNED AS DON BEATS SONNENBERG". Los Angeles Daily News. p. 13. We Have New Champ, By George! HE WEARS THE CROWN NOW - Don George, who defeated Gus Sonnenberg last night to capture the heavyweight wrestling title before a mad crowd of more than 10,000.
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    Cronin, R. A. (April 14, 1931). "15,000 See 'Strangler' Win in Straight Falls. DON PROVES TO BE NO MATCH FOR OLD RULER. Regains Wrestling Title". Los Angeles Daily News. p. 11. ED LEWIS, familiarly known as the Strangler, who started wrestling 21 years ago, won his first title December 13, 1920, and lost it January 4, 1929 to Gus Sonnenberg in Boston, regained it last night at Wrigley field when he threw Don George, the young titleholder in straight falls in one hour, 10 minutes and 26 seconds, with a series of headlocks, and the second fall in seven minutes and 42 seconds with an old-fashioned hammer lock and a body lock.
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    "LONDOS FAVORED TO RETAIN MAT TITLE; JIM WILL CLASH WITH JONES IN OLYMPICS RING". Los Angeles Daily News. March 2, 1932. p. 13. JIM LONDOS makes his debut as heavyweight wrestling champion of the world at the Olympic tonight. He will clash with Paul Jones, the lanky Texan, in a three fall finish encounter, and he is favored to retain his title in Lou Daro's show. This will be his first appearance here in almost four years. He has wrestled in the east during those four years, where he finally hit his stride, won the world's title from Richard Shikat in New York in 1930, and since then has been more of a sensation in every mat center in which he has appeared than any mat king the game has known in the past quarter of a century.
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    "Londos Warned to Get Into Mat Tourney, or Else". Los Angeles Daily News. May 13, 1935. p. 10. CHIEF LITTLE WOLF, Danno O'Mahoney and other wrestling "big shots" have entered Lou Daro's international tournament, but Jim Londos remains a recalcitrant. Therefore the rules committee of the title eliminations now being held at the Olympic yesterday issued an ultimatum to Londos, claimant of the world's title, and announced that he will have until Wednesday at midnight to enter. If Londos does not sign by that time to compete, he will lose all claims to his crown in California, Illinois and New York. He now is suspended in the three states for an asserted "run-out" on a match here with Little Wolf.
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    Weinstock, Chuck (July 25, 1935). "Lopez Conquers Dean for 'Title'; Mountain Sits Where Foe Isn't!". Los Angeles Daily News. p. 11. LET them start revolutions in Mexico. They won't last long. All they need to do is send the heavyweight champion of the wrestling world – Senor Vincent Lopez, no relation to the orchestra leader. He'll stop anything. For he stopped Man Mountain Dean last night before a jammed house of 10,500 at the Olympic while 5000 other fans unable to get seats sat on the neighborhood curbs and cried.
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    Weinstock, Chuck (August 20, 1936). "LEVIN BEATS LOPEZ IN MAT TITLE BOUT; 20,000 Fans See Mexican Knocked Cold by 'Butcher'". Los Angeles Daily News. p. 1. DAVE LEVIN, the Brooklyn Butcher Boy, who was acclaimed world champion in the East, last night added the West Coast to his domain and became the world's undisputed heavyweight wrestling champion by tossing Vincent Lopez, in two-out-of-three falls, at Wrigley Field before a crowd of 20,000, knocking him cold in the final session for victory.
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    "Levin, Lopez Wrestle for 'Championship' Tonight; Rematch Tops Olympic Card". Los Angeles Daily News. September 30, 1936. p. 16. THE rematch for the California-recognized world heavyweight championship local mat bugs have been demanding takes place tonight at the Olympic when Dave Levin of Brooklyn defends his crown against the mad thrusts of Vincent Lopez, Mexican Mat-idor. This match at three falls to a finish tops an eight-bout program. Levin lost a one fall match to Dean Detton, Salt Lake City heavyweight Monday night, but this victory does not give the latter the title in the eyes of the California State Athletic Commission, as that board only recognizes three fall finish bouts as championship events.
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    Weinstock, Chuck (October 1, 1936). "Lopez Defeats Levin to Regain Mat Title Claims; Cantonwine Loses to Hanson". Los Angeles Daily News. p. 16. SENOR VINCENT LOPEZ sprang the second mat upset in one week at the expense of Dave Levin last night at Olympic Auditorium by winning a two out of three fall decision from the handsome butcher boy, to salvage what remains of the world Championship he once so proudly owned. Levin set the mat fraternity agog only last Monday night when he lost his claims to the world title to Dean Detton on a Philadelphia mat. Levin claims he was "robbed" and the California Athletic Commission still recognized his claims at post time last night because the eastern bout was only at one fall.
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  34. [34]
    "Angel's toe hurt, Wright wins title". Los Angeles Daily News. August 20, 1942. p. 29. Rube Wright, the preacher's son, won the title match of the international wrestling tournament at the Olympic last night from the Swedish Angel. The finale was supposed to be over the two out of three fall route, but went only one. Wright took the fall with a stepover toehold in 31 minutes 39 seconds. His opponent was unable to continue, so Wright was crowned champ.
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    "Londos Retains Wrestling Crown". Los Angeles Times. October 15, 1946. p. 7.
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    "Londos Keeps Title, Beats Nanjo Singh". Valley Times. North Hollywood, California. October 15, 1946. p. 6. Much to the surprise of no one, Jim Londos retained his world's heavyweight wrestling championship at Hollywood last night, defeating Nanjo Singh.
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    "Becker victor over Russell". Los Angeles Daily News. May 2, 1946. p. 23. George Becker, Canadian mat king, scored a two out of three fall victory over Rebel Russell in last night's mat main event at Olympic auditorium.
  39. [39]
    "Becker nabs Martinez' title". Los Angeles Daily News. May 23, 1946. p. 19. California had new heavyweight wrestling champion today in the person of Canadian kingpin George Becker, who last night wrested the title from Tony. Martinez at Olympic auditorium. Becker took two falls with body presses after Martinez had nabbed the first one with a leg lock.
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    "Torres snatches title from Becker". Los Angeles Daily News. December 12, 1946. p. 40. Enrique Torres deprived George Becker of his world heavyweight wrestling championship claimancy last night by spilling the locally recognized titleholder two falls out of three at Olympic Auditorium.
  42. [42]
    "Leone wears World mat crown". Los Angeles Daily News. November 23, 1950. p. 32. There was a new wearer of the world heavyweight wrestling crown, Olympic auditorium version, today in the person of Baron Michele Leone. The good Baron stripped Enrique Torres of his title last night at the 18th and Grand club as the Pride of Cucamonga was unable to continue due to a leg injury after 12:41 of the third and deciding fall. Earlier a turnaway crowd of 10,400 saw each gladiator take a fall.
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