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Lou Thesz as International Heavyweight Champion
After losing the World Heavyweight Title to Dick Hutton on 1957/11/14, Thesz requested the NWA for the permission to bill himself as the International Heavyweight Champion for his upcoming European tour. Thesz continued to be billed as the international champion after returning to the U.S. until regaining the world title from Buddy Rogers on 1963/01/24.
| date |
location |
opponent(s) & partner(s) |
result |
note |
| 1957/12/11 | London, GBR | Chota Dara Singh |
D |
May be billed as world champion throughout the UK tour |
| 1957/12/13 | Liverpool, GBR | Jack Pye | W | |
| 1957/12/14 | Brighton, GBR | Bill Verna | W | |
| 1957/12/16 | Leeds, GBR | Dai Sullivan | W | |
| 1957/12/17 |
Hull, GBR |
Jack Pye |
W |
Billed as world champion |
| 1957/12/18 | Grimby, GBR | Ernie Baldwin | W | |
| 1957/12/19 | Nottingham, GBR | Norman Walsh | W | |
| 1957/12/20 | Rotherham, GBR | Sandy Orford | D | |
| 1957/12/21 | Middleborough, GBR | Norman Walsh | W | |
| 1957/12/22 | Liverpool, GBR | Great Bolo | D | |
| 1957/12/23 | Hanley, GBR | Mike Marino | D | |
| 1957/12/24 | Leicester, GBR | Geoff Portz | D |
May be billed as world champion throughout the UK tour |
| 1958/01/02 | Paris, FRA | Felix Miquet | W | |
| 1958/01/06 | Paris, FRA | Frank Valois | W | |
| 1958/01/16 | Bordeaux, FRA | Frank Valois | W | |
| 1958/01/20 | Paris, FRA | Andre Drapp | W | |
| 1958/01/27 | Paris, FRA | Ovila Asselin | W | |
| 1958/02/08 | Newcastle, GBR | Sandy Orford | W | |
| 1958/02/15 | Middleborough, GBR | Geoff Portz | W | |
| 1958/02/17 | Paris, FRA | Felix Miquet | W | |
| 1958/02/18 | Bournemouth, GBR | Sandy Orford | W | |
| 1958/03/06 | Bakersfield, CA | Henry Lenz | W | |
| 1958/03/08 | San Bernardino, CA | James Blears | W | |
| 1958/03/12 | Los Angeles, CA | Pepper Gomez | W (DQ) | |
| 1958/03/14 |
Santa Monica, CA |
Sandor Szabo |
D |
Billed as world or international champion depending on the newspaper article |
| 1958/03/15 | San Bernardino, CA | Bob Orton | W (2-0 DQ) |
Billed as world champion in ads but as international champion in the post-match reports |
| 1958/03/19 |
Los Angeles, CA |
Pepper Gomez |
D (1-1 DKO in 3rd) |
Billed as world champion |
| 1958/04/08 | Dallas, TX | Johnny Valentine | W | |
| 1958/04/25 | Salt Lake City, UT | The Bat | | |
| 1958/04/28 | Ft. Worth, TX | Fritz Von Erich | W | |
| 1958/04/29 | Dallas, TX | Pepper Gomez | D (1-1 90min) | |
| 1958/05/02 | Houston, TX | Pepper Gomez | D | |
| 1958/05/06 | San Diego, CA | Buddy Rogers (non-title?) | D | |
| 1958/05/12 | Idaho Falls, ID | Roy Shire | W (2-1) | |
| 1958/05/15 | Provo, UT | The Bat | | Billed as international champion |
| 1958/05/16 | Salt Lake City, UT |
Roy Shire | W (2-1) | |
| 1958/05/20 | San Diego, CA | Buddy Rogers | W (2-1) | |
| 1958/05/24 | San Bernardino, CA | Buddy Rogers (non-title?) | D | |
| 1958/06/05 | Bakersfield, CA | Buddy Rogers (non-title?) | W (2-1) | |
| 1958/06/11 |
Los Angeles, CA |
Buddy Rogers (non-title?) |
D |
Billed as international champion |
| 1958/08/27 | Los Angeles, CA | Rikidozan (non-title) | L |
Rikidozan starts claming the title in Japan |
| 1958/09/12 |
Pasadena, CA |
Billy Varga (non-title?) |
|
Billed as international champion |
| 1958/09/13 | Long Beach, CA | Buddy Rogers | D |
Rogers billed as the challenger |
| 1958/09/24 |
Los Angeles, CA |
Billy Darnell (non-title?) |
|
Billed as international champion |
| 1958/10/04 | Long Beach, CA | Billy Varga | W (2-1) | |
| 1959/02/21 | Long Beach, CA | Art Michalik | W (2-1) | |
| 1959/09/10 | Bakersfield, CA | Al Costello | W | |
| 1959/09/12 | Long Beach, CA | Roy Heffernan | W (2-1) | |
| 1959/10/26 |
Springfield, OH |
Buddy Rogers |
D (1-1 time limit) |
|
| 1959/11/28 |
Cincinnati, OH |
Karl Krauser (Karl Gotch) |
D (1-1 DCOR) |
|
| 1959/12/15 |
Indianapolis, IN |
Buddy Rogers (non-title?) |
|
|
| 1959/12/16 | Kokomo, IN | Fritz von Goering | | |
| 1959/12/19 |
Troy, OH |
Ruffy Silverstein |
D (1-1 DCOR) |
|
| 1960/02/04 | Columbus, OH | Johnny Barend |
W (DQ) | |
| 1960/03/21 | Vancouver, BC | Ed Francis | W | |
| 1960/04/30 | San Bernardino, CA | Mike Sharpe | W (2-0) | |
| 1960/06/28 | San Francisco, CA | Leo Nomellini | W | |
| 1960/09/24 | San Bernardino, CA | Billy Varga | D (1-1 DCOR) | |
| 1961/01/11 |
Saskatoon, SK |
Ed Francis (non-title?) |
L (DQ) |
Billed as international champion |
| 1961/01/12 |
Regina, SK |
George Scott |
|
title match |
| 1961/01/13 |
Calgary, AB |
Ed Francis (non-title?) |
|
Billed as international champion |
| 1961/01/28 | Lethbridge, AB | John Smith (non-title?) | | |
| 1961/01/23 |
Vancouver, BC |
Gino Marella (non-title?) |
W |
Billed as international champion |
| 1961/02/09 |
Regina, SK |
Ed Francis |
L (DQ) |
|
| 1961/02/10 |
Calgary, AB |
Edouard Carpentier (non-title?) |
|
|
| 1961/04/03 |
Sacramento, CA |
Dick Hutton (non-title?) |
W (2-1; COR in 3rd) |
|
| 1961/11/21 |
San Francisco, CA |
Mike Sharpe |
W |
|
| 1961/12/05 |
Oakland, CA |
Jess Ortega |
W |
|
| 1961/12/08 |
Santa Rosa, CA |
Ed Miller |
W |
|
| 1962/02/21 |
Bowling Green, KY |
The Black Terror (non-title?) |
|
Billed as international champion |
| 1962/02/28 |
Jackson, TN |
Black Phantom |
|
title match |
| 1962/03/01 |
Chattanooga, TN |
Johnny Kosta (non-title?) |
W (2-0) |
Billed as international champion |
| 1962/03/02 | St. Louis, MO | Ike Eakins | | |
| 1962/06/18 |
Memphis, TN |
Pat O'Connor (non-title) |
D |
O'Connor retained the United States heavyweight title; Thesz billed as international champion |
| 1962/07/18 |
Birmingham, AL |
Don Lee |
W |
|
| 1962/09/10 |
Owensboro, KY |
Pat O'Connor |
D (1-1 DCOR) |
|
| 1962/12/05 |
Huntsville, AL |
Don Greene |
|
title match |
| 1963/01/07 |
Tulsa, OK |
The Great Bolo |
W (2-1) |
|
| 1963/01/09 |
Springfield, MO |
Danny Hodge |
W (2-1) |
|
| 1963/01/10 |
Wichita Falls, TX |
Danny Hodge |
|
|
| 1963/01/11 |
Oklahoma City, OK | Danny Hodge |
L (DQ) | |
| 1963/01/12 | Joplin, MO | The Great Bolo | W (2-1) | |
|
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