The Legacy Of The WWE Championship

[tps_title]The Granddaddy Of Them All[/tps_title]

World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (May 4, 1905 – July 24, 1957)

The World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship was the first-ever recognized professional wrestling world championship, established to identify the best catch-as-catch-can professional wrestler in the world. George Hackenschmidt prevailed in a worldwide tournament to become the inaugural champion, ultimately defeating American Heavyweight Champion Tom Jenkins on May 4, 1905 in New York City.

From there, things get a bit complicated.

Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, Lou Thesz won every major world title with the exception of one (Boston’s AWA World Heavyweight Championship, then held by Gorgeous George). Presumably to keep from having to lug around a thousand pounds worth of titles, he unified the championships on May 21, 1952 to become Undisputed Champion – and opted to carry the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Championship (pictured above) to represent them all.

Because of this, the last several reigns of the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship are recognized by the NWA under the lineage of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. And because the WWE’s first-ever heavyweight title — the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship — was a splinter of the NWA title, the WWE Championship can indirectly trace its lineage back to the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship.

Phew. Let’s continue.