Following the name of the champion(s): Indicates the number of times the competitor has held that title at that point.
[...]
Indicates a gap in the listing where title changes are not known.
<
Title was held or changed hands no later than this. In these cases, it is known that a competitor held the title at a certain time but not when he/she won it.
@
Order uncertain. Different titleholders may be known for the same year, for example, but it is not known who held the title before whom.
#
Unofficial or disputable claims. These are usually matches that certainly took place, but where there is doubt that the competitor shown should be recognized as a true title holder. These listings are also italicized.
* Bolded letters in the competitor's name, if any, indicate the surname/family name.
Johnny Rosner
1916-03-18<
"Recently" announced as American champion (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 16-03-18).
Young Montreal (Maurice Billingkoff)
1919-04-10
N. Providence, RI
Moves up to the bantamweight class by 20-05.
Frankie Mason
1917-12<
Listed as one of the claimants (The Wichita Daily Eagle, Wichita, KS, 18-01-02); vacant at the inception of the NBA in 21-01 (The Decatur Herald, Decatur, IL, 21-02-07, plus several other papers); Mason loses to Johnny Buff in the semi-final of the eliminator on 21-02-11 in New Orleans, LA (see below).
Johnny Buff
1921-03-31
New York, NY
Has defeated Mason in the semi-final of the eliminator on 21-02-11 in New Orleans, LA; defeats Abe Golstein in the final on 21-03-31.
Pancho Villa
1922-09-14
Brooklyn, NY
Frankie Genaro
1923-03-01
New York, NY
Fidel LaBarba
1925-08-22
Los Angeles, CA
Billed locally as the world title match; eventually recognzied as the world champion by NBA; defeats European champion Elkly Clark on 27-01-21 in New York, NY, USA (mainly reported as a title defense by LaBarba although some reports have it as American champion defeating European champion to claim the world title).
Jackie Jurich
1939-06-09
Hollywood, CA
Defeats Manuel Ortiz for the vacant title.
Little Pancho
1939-12-08
Hollywood, CA
Cliff Eskridge
1955-08-09
Spartanburg, SC
Match initially billed as a contendership bout for North American Title; Eskridge is billed as "flyweight champion" by 55-09-06 (Florence Morning News, Florence, SC); billed as the U.S. champion as of 56-01-26 (The Robesonian, Lumberton, NC, 56-01-26); still champion as of 56-05-18; most likely retires after losing to Oscar Suarez on 56-08-18 in Havana, CUB.
