Greatest Professional Wrestling Champions Before Vince McMahon

Some of pro wrestling's greatest champions before the sport fell victim to VMS (Vince McMahon Syndrome).
The Top Ten
1 Lou Thesz Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz was an American professional wrestler and six-time world champion, most notably holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times.

While I respect Bruno Sammartino, I feel that Thesz did more for wrestling on a global scale than Bruno did. He was the first Undisputed World Champion and the youngest. He helped out Rikidozan to get AJPW started, and established the NWA as the dominant organization in the U.S. Even Vince McMahon Sr. looked at the NWA Title as THE WORLD Title in wrestling.

2 Bruno Sammartino Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was born in Pizzoferrato, Abruzzo, Italy, to Alfonso and Emilia Sammartino on October 6, 1935. He then died on April 18, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. He is known for his powerful bearhug finishing move, and is widely considered to be one of the ...read more.

2-time WWWF Champion, holds longest reign as champion. Also a 211-time headliner at Madison Square Garden, including 187 sellouts.

3 Verne Gagne Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne was an American professional wrestler, football player, wrestling trainer, and wrestling promoter.

10-time AWA Champion, 4-time AWA Tag Team Champion, and also won numerous NWA regional titles

4 Bronko Nagurski Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian-born American football player, renowned for his strength and size.

Pro Football Hall Of Famer with 2 NWA World Titles to his name

5 Pedro Morales Pedro Antonio Morales was a Puerto Rican retired professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances in the United States with Worldwide Wrestling Associates and the World Wide Wrestling Federation.

First WWWF Triple Crowner (WWWF, WWWF Intercontinental and WWWF Tag Team titles)

6 Gene Kiniski

NWA and AWA World Champion and numerous regional titles

7 Danny Hodge

2-time NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion

8 Buddy Rogers Buddy Rogers, better known by the ring name "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, was an American professional wrestler who was one of the biggest professional wrestling stars in the beginning of the television era. Rogers was a thirteen-time world champion, notably holding the top championship in both the NWA ...read more.
9 Ed Strangler Lewis
10 Johnny DeFazio

4-time WWWF Junior Heavyweight Champion

The Contenders
11 Frank Gotch

Early pioneer of the sport, second longest World Heavyweight title reign (1908-1913) behind Bruno Sammartino

BAdd New Item