The idea of a lineal championship is fascinating. The concept of the man who beat the man who beat the man is one of the most simple stories that can be told in professional wrestling.
It’s one this website has explored several times before.
Here, I propose a set of rules to establish the lineage of a definitive Lineal Wrestling Championship. I do not intend to have the final word on it, though. This is just the first step on a possible very long discussion involving wrestling historians and aficionados (such as myself). I believe the rules below are fair, and the list coming out of it says a lot about the history of professional wrestling and its major champion.
Rules
- The lineal championship can only change hands in a Singles match.
- Gimmicks, stipulations, interference are all allowed as long as we have a 1 vs. 1 match.
- The lineage of the lineal championship must be, preferentially, connected to the lineage of a world championship.
- The lineal championship can only be vacated due to injury, retirement or death.
- If the lineal championship is made vacant, the #1 contender is made the new lineal champion. The #1 is the winner of the most recent match between the last two men whom the last champion could not beat in a 1 on 1 encounter. The match doesn’t have to take place, necessarily, after the championship is made vacant. If the two top contenders never faced each other or the matches ended in a draw, the #1 contender will be decided considering the following order: #1 vs. # 3, #2 vs. #3. #1 vs. #4, #2 vs. #4, #3 vs. #4…;
- If the new lineal champion is not a world champion, his claim will be in line in every world championship bout he’s involved in. If he loses the match, he loses the claim.
- If the lineal champion is stripped of a world championship or loses it in a multi-men match, he does not lose the claim to the lineal championship, with the rule above coming back to effect.
- If the lineal champion doesn’t compete for a world championship until the end of his career, the claim moves to the last man who beat him in a non-title match.
Lineal Wrestling Championship Title History
| George Hackenschmidt | Beat Tom Jenkins in a European Champion vs. American Champion Best Two Out of Three Falls match to crown the first World Heavyweight Champion. New York. May, 1905 |
| Frank Gotch | Beat Hackenschmidt for the World and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Chicago. April, 1908 |
| Title vacated after Gotch retired in April, 1913 | |
| Stanislaus Zbyszko | Zbyszko would be considered the new champion according to our rules after beating Henry Ordemann in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Minneapolis. February, 1910. Zbyszko beat Gotch in a Special Rules Handicap match. Buffalo. November, 1909. Ordemann also beat Gotch in a Handicap match. Chicago. March, 1912. In this kind of match, Gotch would have to beat 3 opponents in a specified amount of time. Both contenders stopped the Champion from achieving this goal. Zbyszko would go on to beat Americus in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match re-unifying the Lineal and World Championships. Kansas City. May, 1914. |
| Title vacated after Zbyszko enlisted to the Austro-Hungarian army in October, 1914 | |
| Wladek Zbyszko | Wladek beat Jim Esson in a Handicap match. Montreal. April, 1915. Wladek beat his brother in a Singles match. Paris. January, 1914. Esson drew with Stanislaus in a Singles match. Coventry. February, 1908. |
| Alex Aberg | Aberg (c) beat Zbyszko in a match for the Word Graco-Roman Heavyweight title, unifying the belt to the Lineal Championship. New York. October, 1915. |
| Title vacated after Aberg died in February, 1920 | |
| Masked Marvel (Mort Henderson) | Marvel beat Jack McGrath in a Singles match. New York, January, 1916. Marvel drew with Aberg in a Singles match. New York. January, 1916. McGrath drew with Aberg in a Singles match. New York. January, 1916. |
| Nat Pendleton | Marvel did not compete for a championship belt after February, 1920. He lost his last recorded match to Pendleton. New York. February, 1921. |
| John Pesek | Pendleton never competed for a championship belt after February, 1921. His last loss was against John Pesek in a Two Out of Three Falls match. Boston. January, 1923. |
| Ed Lewis | Lewis (c) beat Pesek to re-unify the Lineal Championship to the World Heavyweight championship in a Best Two Out of Three Falls Match. Kansas City. May, 1923. |
| Wayne Munn | Munn beat Lewis for the World Heavyweight and Lineal championships in a Best of Two Out of Three Falls match. Kansas City. January, 1925. |
| Stanislaus Zbyszko (2) | Zbyszko beat Munn for the World Heavyweight and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Philadelphia. April, 1925. |
| Joe Stecher | Stecher beat Zbyszko for the World Heavyweight and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. St. Louis. May, 1925. |
| Ed Lewis (2) | Lewis beat Stecher for the World Heavyweight and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Lewis also captured the vacant AWA World Heavyweight championship (Boston version). St. Louis. February, 1928. |
| Gus Sonnenberg | Sonnenberg beat Lewis for the World, AWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Boston. January, 1929. |
| Ed Don George | George beat Sonnenberg for the World, AWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Los Angeles. December, 1930. |
| Ed Lewis (3) | Lewis beat George for the World, AWA and Lineal championships in Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Los Angeles. April, 1931. |
| Henri DeGlane | Although Lewis did not lose the original World Heavyweight championship, and defended it until March, 1932, he was beaten by DeGlane for the AWA World Heavyweight championship by Disqualification. In the infamous match, DeGlane got a wrestler to bite him in the stomach backstage, so he would come to ring and claim Lewis did it. The referee believed it and awarded DeGlane the belt. The bout was one of many to split the belt and make it difficult to talk about an undisputed lineal champion. However, due to the circumstances, DeGlane would still be the closest to one at the time. Montreal. May, 1931. |
| Ed Don George (2) | George beat DeGlane for the AWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Boston. February, 1933. |
| Danno O’Mahoney | O’Mahoney beat George for the AWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match with former Boxing Heavyweight champion James J. Braddock as Special Referee. At the time, O’Mahoney was also World and NWA (Association version) Heavyweight champion, bringing together the multiple championships. Boston. July, 1935. |
| Dick Shikat | Shikat beat O’Mahoney in a Singles match for the World Heavyweight championship after going on business for himself in one of the most infamous screwjobs in history. Although the NWA vacated its belt and the AWA still recognized O’Mahoney as champion, Shikat left the ring with the original World Heavyweight championship. New York. March, 1936. |
| Ali Baba | Baba beat Shikat in a Singles match for the World and Lineal championships. Detroit. April, 1936. |
| Dave Levin | Levin beat Baba in a Singles match for the World and Lineal championships. Newark. June, 1936. |
| Dean Detton | Detton beat Levin in a Two Out of Three Falls match for the World and Lineal championships. Philadelphia. September, 1936. |
| Bronko Nagurski | Nagurski beat Detton in a Singles match for the World and Lineal championships. Minneapolis. June, 1937. |
| Jim Londos | Londos beat Nagurski in a Singles match for the World and Lineal championships. At the time, Nagurski also held the Los Angeles version of the World title, and lost it to Londos. Philadelphia. November, 1938. |
| Title vacated after Londos retired in January, 1946 | |
| Golden Terror (Bobby Stewart) | Terror beat Sexton in a Singles match for the Lineal championship. Baltimore. July, 1940. Terror drew with Londos in a Singles match. Baltimore. March, 1939. Sexton drew with Londos in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Los Angeles. December, 1943. |
| Don Eagle | Eagle beat Terror in a Two Out of Three Falls match for the Lineal championship. At the time, Eagle was the AWA (Boston version) World champion. Boston. September, 1951. |
| Bill Miller | Miller beat Eagle in a Singles match for the AWA and Lineal championships. This title change was not recognized by the AWA; however, its lineage was carried on by Al Haft’s promotion in Ohio. Pittsburgh. May, 1952. |
| Don Arnold | Arnold beat Miller for the new AWA (Ohio version) and Lineal championships. Dayton. September, 1952. |
| Buddy Rogers | Rogers beat Arnold for the AWA and Lineal championships. Dayton. October, 1952. |
| Antonino Rocca | Rocca beat Rogers for the AWA and Lineal championships. Cleveland. March, 1953. |
| Buddy Rogers (2) | Rogers beat Rocca for the AWA and Lineal championships. Cleveland. April, 1953. |
| Lou Thesz | Rogers was stripped of the AWA belt in May, 1954 when Ohio started recognizing Thesz, the NWA (Alliance version) champion, as the real champion. Thesz beat Rogers for the Lineal championship in a Two Out of Three Falls match. Columbus. June, 1954. |
| Billy Watson | Watson beat Thesz for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match with former Boxing World Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey as Special Referee. Toronto. March, 1956. |
| Lou Thesz (2) | Thesz beat Watson for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. St. Louis. November, 1956. |
| Dick Hutton | Hutton beat Thesz for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Toronto. November, 1957. |
| Pat O’Connor | O’Connor beat Hutton for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. St. Louis. January, 1959. |
| Buddy Rogers (3) | Rogers beat O’Connor for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Chicago. June, 1961. |
| Lou Thesz (3) | Thesz beat Rogers for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Toronto. January, 1963. |
| Gene Kiniski | Kiniski beat Thesz for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. St. Louis. January, 1966. |
| Dory Funk Jr. | Dory beat Kiniski for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Tampa. February, 1969. |
| Harley Race | Race beat Dory for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Kansas City. May, 1973. |
| Jack Brisco | Brisco beat Race for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Houston. July, 1973. |
| Giant Baba | Baba beat Brisco for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Kagoshima. December, 1974. |
| Jack Brisco (2) | Brisco beat Baba for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. Toyohachi. December, 1974. |
| Terry Funk | Funk beat Brisco for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Miami Beach. December, 1975. |
| Harley Race (2) | Race beat Funk for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Toronto. February, 1977. |
| Dusty Rhodes | Rhodes beat Race for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Tampa. August, 1979. |
| Harley Race (3) | Race beat Rhodes for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Orlando. August, 1979. |
| Giant Baba (2) | Baba beat Race for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Nagoya. October, 1979. |
| Harley Race (4) | Race beat Baba for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Amagasaki. November, 1979. |
| Giant Baba (3) | Baba beat Race for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Saga. September, 1980. |
| Harley Race (5) | Race beat Baba for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Otsu. September, 1980. |
| Tommy Rich | Rich beat Race for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Augusta. April, 1981. |
| Harley Race (6) | Race beat Rich for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Gainesville. May, 1981. |
| Dusty Rhodes (2) | Rhodes beat Race for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Atlanta. June, 1981. |
| Ric Flair | Flair beat Rhodes for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match with Lou Thesz as Special Referee. Kansas City. September, 1981. |
| Harley Race (7) | Race beat Flair for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match. St. Louis. June, 1983. |
| Ric Flair (2) | Flair beat Race for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Steel Cage match with Gene Kiniski as Special Referee. Greensboro. November, 1983. |
| Harley Race (8) | Race beat Flair for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Wellington. March, 1984. |
| Ric Flair (3) | Flair beat Race for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Kallang. March, 1984. |
| Kerry Von Erich | Von Erich beat Flair for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Irving. May, 1984. |
| Ric Flair (4) | Flair beat Von Erich for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Yokosuka. May, 1984. |
| Dusty Rhodes (3) | Rhodes beat Flair for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Steel Cage match. Greensboro. July, 1986. |
| Ric Flair (5) | Flair beat Rhodes for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. St. Louis. August, 1986. |
| Ronnie Garvin | Garvin beat Flair for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Steel Cage match. Detroit. September, 1987. |
| Ric Flair (6) | Flair beat Garvin for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Steel Cage match. Chicago. November, 1987. |
| Ricky Steamboat | Steamboat beat Flair for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Chicago. February, 1989. |
| Ric Flair (7) | Flair beat Steamboat for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Nashville. May, 1989. |
| Sting | Sting beat Flair for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Baltimore. July, 1990. |
| Ric Flair (8) | Flair beat Sting for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. East Rutherford. January, 1991. |
| Tatsumi Fujinami | Fujinami beat Flair for the NWA and Lineal championships in a Singles match. At the time, Fujinami was also IWGP champion. Tokyo. March, 1991. |
| Ric Flair (9) | Flair beat Fujinami for the NWA and Lineal championships. Fujinami was still IWGP champion. At the time, Flair was also WCW champion. St. Petesburg. May, 1991. |
| Hulk Hogan | Flair is stripped of the NWA and WCW belts when he jumps to the WWF. Hogan beat Flair for the Lineal championship in a Singles match. At the time, Hogan was the WWF champion. Oakland. October, 1991. |
| The Undertaker | Undertaker beat Hogan for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Detroit. November, 1991. |
| Hulk Hogan (2) | Hogan beat Undertaker for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match. San Antonio. December, 1991. |
| Yokozuna | Hogan is stripped of the WWF championship in December, 1991. He regains the WWF championship in April, 1993 by beating Yokozuna in a Singles match. Las Vegas. April, 1993. Yokozuna beat Hogan for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Dayton. June, 1993. |
| Bret Hart | Hart beat Yokozuna for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match with Roddy Piper as Special Referee. New York. March, 1994. |
| Bob Backlund | Backlund beat Hart for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Submission match. San Antonio. November, 1994. |
| Diesel | Diesel beat Backlund for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match. New York. November, 1994. |
| Bret Hart | Hart beat Diesel for the WWF and Lineal championships in a No Holds Barred match. Landover. November, 1995. |
| Shawn Michaels | Michaels beat Hart for the WWF and Lineal championships in a 60 Minute Iron Man match. Anaheim. March, 1996. |
| Sycho Sid | Sid beat Michaels for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match. New York. November, 1996. |
| Shawn Michaels (2) | Michaels beat Sid for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match. San Antonio. January, 1997. |
| Title is vacated in February, 1997 after Michaels is injured | |
| Bret Hart (2) | Bret Hart beat Steve Austin for the Lineal championship in a Singles match. Quebec. February, 1997. Hart beat Michaels in a Lumberjack match. Springfield. March, 1996. Austin beat Michaels in a Singles match. Fresno. January, 1997. |
| Sycho Sid (2) | Sid beat Hart for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Nashville. February, 1997. Hart had won the vacant WWF belt in a Battle Royal also involving Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and Vader. Chattanooga. February, 1997. |
| The Undertaker (2) | Undertaker beat Sid for the WWF and Lineal championships in a No Disqualification match. Rosemont. March, 1997. |
| Bret Hart (3) | Hart beat Undertaker for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match with Shawn Michaels as Special Referee. East Rutherford. August, 1997. |
| Shawn Michaels (3) | Michaels beat Hart in a Singles match for the WWF and Lineal championships. Montreal. November, 1997. |
| Steve Austin | Austin beat Michaels in a Singles match for the WWF and Lineal championships. Boston. March, 1998. |
| Kane | Kane beat Austin in a First Blood match for the WWF and Lineal championships. Pittsburgh. June, 1998. |
| Steve Austin (2) | Austin beat Kane in a Singles match for the WWF and Lineal championships. Cleveland. June, 1998. |
| The Undertaker (3) | Although the WWF belt changed hands multiple times during this period, Austin never lost his claim to the Lineal championship. Undertaker beat Austin for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match with Shane McMahon as Special Referee. Kansas City. May, 1999. |
| Steve Austin (3) | Austin beat Undertaker for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Charlotte. June, 1999. |
| Triple H | The WWF title again changed hands, but Austin kept the Lineal championship claim. HHH beat Austin in a Singles match. Anaheim. September, 1999. |
| Vince McMahon | McMahon beat HHH for the WWF and Lineal championships in a Singles match with Shane McMahon as Special Referee. Las Vegas. September, 1999. |
| Bobby Lashley | Although McMahon was stripped of the WWF belt in 1999, he never lost his claim for the Lineal championship. Lashley beat McMahon for the ECW and Lineal championships in a Street Fight. Jacksonville. June, 2007. McMahon had won the ECW belt from Lashley himself in a Three on One Handicap match teaming with Shane McMahon and Umaga. Atlanta. April, 2007. |
| John Cena | Cena beat Lashley for the Lineal championship in a Singles match. At the time, Cena was the WWE champion. San Jose. July, 2007. Lashley had been stripped of the ECW belt back in June. |
| Title vacated when John Cena got injured in October, 2007. | |
| Randy Orton | Orton beat Carlito for the Lineal championship in a Singles match. Toronto. September, 2006. Orton beat Cena in a Singles match. Memphis. September, 2007. Carlito beat Cena in a Singles match. Tucson. July, 2007. |
| Triple H (2) | HHH beat Orton for the Lineal championship in a Steel Cage match. Montreal. May, 2008. At the time. HHH was WWE champion. |
| Randy Orton (2) | Orton beat HHH for the Lineal championship in a Singles match. The WWE championship changed multiple times during this period with Randy Orton ending up as champion at the time of the match. Des Moines. June, 2009. |
| John Cena (2) | Cena beat Orton for the WWE and Lineal championships in an I Quit match. Montreal. September, 2009. |
| Randy Orton (3) | Orton beat Cena for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Hell in a Cell match. Newark. October, 2009. |
| John Cena (3) | Cena beat Orton for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Falls Count Anywhere 60 Minute Iron Man match. Pittsburgh. October, 2009. |
| Sheamus | Sheamus beat Cena for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Tables match. San Antonio. December, 2009. |
| John Cena (4) | The WWE championship changed hands multiple times during this period. Cena was the champion at the time of the match. Cena beat Sheamus for the Lineal championship in a Singles match. Wien. April, 2010. |
| Sheamus (2) | Sheamus beat Cena for the Lineal championship in a Steel Cage match. Sheamus was WWE champion at the time of the match. Wheeling. June, 2010. |
| Randy Orton (4) | Orton beat Sheamus for the Lineal championship in a Singles match. Orton was WWE champion at the time of the match. Indianapolis. September, 2010. |
| The Miz | Miz beat Orton for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Orlando. November, 2010. |
| John Cena (5) | Cena beat Miz for the Lineal championship in a Singles match. Cena was WWE champion at the time. Miami. May, 2011. |
| CM Punk | Punk beat Cena for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Rosemont. July, 2011. |
| Alberto Del Rio | Del Rio beat CM Punk for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Los Angeles. August, 2011. |
| John Cena (6) | Cena beat Del Rio for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Buffalo. September, 2011. |
| Alberto Del Rio (2) | Del Rio beat Cena for the Lineal championship in a Last Man Standing match. Del Rio was WWE champion at the time of the match. San Antonio. October, 2011. |
| CM Punk (2) | Punk beat Del Rio for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. New York. November, 2011. |
| The Rock | Rock beat Punk for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Phoenix. January, 2013. |
| John Cena (7) | Cena beat Rock for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. East Rutherford. April, 2013. |
| Daniel Bryan | Bryan beat Cena for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match with Triple H as Special Referee. Los Angeles. August, 2013. |
| Randy Orton (5) | Orton beat Bryan for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match with Triple H as Special Referee. Los Angeles. August, 2013. |
| Daniel Bryan (2) | Bryan beat Orton for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Detroit. September, 2013. |
| Randy Orton (6) | Orton beat Bryan for the Lineal championship in a Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels as Special Referee. Orton also won the vacant WWE championship. Miami. October, 2013. |
| Seth Rollins | Rollins beat Orton for the Lineal championship in a Steel Cage match. At the time of the match, Rollins was WWE champion. Rosemont. April, 2015. |
| Title vacated after Rollins got injured in November, 2015 | |
| John Cena (8) | Cena beat Kane for the Lineal championship in a Singles match. Kalamazoo. June, 2015. Cena beat Rollins in a Singles match. Abilene. October, 2015. Kane beat Rollins in a Singles match. Jeddah. October, 2015. |
| Bray Wyatt | Wyatt beat Cena for the Lineal championship in a No Disqualification match. Wyatt was WWE champion at the time of the match. New York. March, 2017. |
| Randy Orton (7) | Orton beat Wyatt for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Orlando. April, 2017. |
| Jinder Mahal | Mahal beat Orton for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Rosemont. May, 2017. |
| AJ Styles | Styles beat Mahal for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Manchester. November, 2017. |
| Daniel Bryan (3) | Bryan beat Styles for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. St. Louis. November, 2018. |
| Kofi Kingston | Kingston beat Bryan for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. East Rutherford. April, 2019. |
| Brock Lesnar | Lesnar beat Kingston for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Los Angeles. October, 2019. |
| Drew McIntyre | McIntyre beat Lesnar for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. Orlando. March, 2020. |
| Randy Orton (8) | Orton beat McIntyre for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Hell in a Cell match. Orlando. October, 2020. |
| Drew McIntyre (2) | McIntyre beat Orton for the WWE and Lineal championships in a No Count Out No Disqualification match. November, 2020. |
| The Miz (2) | Miz beat McIntyre for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Singles match. St. Petersburg. February, 2021. |
| Bobby Lashley (2) | Lashley beat Miz for the WWE and Lineal championships in a Lumberjack match. St. Petersburg. March, 2021. |
