WWE Traces Their World Title To This Match.

The NWA was formed in 1948 but it traditionally traced its title back to Hackenschmidt in 1905. (After Lou Thesz won the title by default in Nov 1949 they renounced original champion Orville Brown and instead recognised Thesz's earlier NWAssociation lineage.) The WWWF title was an offshoot of the NWA title caused by Buddy Rogers' disputed loss to Lou Thesz on Jan 24th 1963 in Toronto. Therefore the WWWF/WWF/WWE title also traces back to Hackenschmidt in 1905, as do pretty much most major-league US versions of the World Heavyweight Pro Wrestling championship of the C20th and C21st.

The WWE only date their title back to 1963. The title linked above is no longer in use.

Hello David nice to see you back, it became such a mess with all the changes, like you say there's a few fingers in the pie.

The case for the WWWF/WWF/WWE title takes the view that Buddy Rogers won the World title from Pat O'Connor and lost it to Bruno Sammartino. On 24th Jan 1963, they would argue, Buddy Rogers defeated five time former champion Lou Thesz by default to one fall after Thesz illegally laid claim to the title and left the ring after securing the opening fall. When it became clear that not only the referee but also officials and even the NWA Board were prepared to support Thesz' actions, the WWWF had to be set up to govern and sanction the rightful lineage.

All major leage US versions of the World Heavyweight title trance their lineage back to Hack-Jenkins one way or another. The NWA has no special entitlement to the lineage back to 1905, they are just one more disputed branch of the championship.

I would say that claim is wrong,when WCW pulled out of NWA the NWA was left in a state of flux but did continue and so the obvious lineage continues with the NWA of who Nick Aldis is currently the holder, surely WWE wouldn't make outlandish claims would they.