In the sport of professional wrestling, not everyone gets the opportunity to carry championship gold. Sure, it's a piece of jewellery that every wrestler desires to one day capture, but for some, it never comes to fruition.
It's the not just the belt itself, it's the recognition and the meaning behind the title. Winning any championship is about showing the world that this person is the best at what they do.
No matter the company or the promotion, every roster has its champion. It's a necessity to keep competition vital and to keep the talent, hungry. Most promotions have several championship divisions, including tag team champions, women’s champion and the top title, which many consider a "world championship."
With this in mind, we have scoured the globe, taking a look at all of the current major champions, in search of the top champions. After careful thought and consideration, we have decided on the following current major title holders as the top 5 champions in the world.
#5 Adam Cole: ROH World Champion
He's the newest Bullet Club prodigy and one of Ring of Honor's all-time greats. His name is Adam Cole, and the entire independent scene has been his stage, for the past 8 years or so. At 27 years young, Cole has already enjoyed significant success with PWG, CZW, NJPW and, of course, Ring of Honor.
Cole defeated former ROH World Champion, Jay Lethal, back on August 19, 2016, at the Death Before Dishonor PPV. Prior to that, Lethal held that very title for an astounding 427 days.
#4 Shinsuke Nakamura: NXT Champion
Some may not agree that the NXT title is worthy of being called a "major title." To anyone who believes that notion, I would like to encourage you, to take a look at what's been accomplished down in the ranks of the Yellow brand over the past couple of years.
NXT is no longer just the stepping stone to the WWE. In fact, NXT has grown into a destination for aspiring talent.
Shinsuke Nakamura is arguably the greatest NXT talent signed to date. With him as current champion, it only validates that title even greater. With all the other great talent in the NXT system, the future of that very title is indeed in great hands.
#3 Kevin Owens: WWE Universal Champion
A strong argument could've been made, to have Owens as number one on this list, but regardless of the placing, Kevin Owens is still recognised as one of the best superstars in the entire world and has been, for quite some time now.
The WWE Universal Championship is a new title, which is exclusive to the Raw roster at the moment. Prior to Owens holding the title, Finn Bálor was the title’s inaugural champion.
Unfortunately, Bálor suffered an injury in the title bout at SummerSlam, which resulted in the champion being forced to vacate the title. This made room for Owens to take the title after winning a four-way elimination match.
Owens is an unorthodox, deceptively skilled and agile performer, who has succeeded with every company, who opened their doors to him. Now as one of WWE's top guys, he's just scratching the surface of what is likely to be a great run.
#2 Kazuchika Okada: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
The IWGP IS recognised by wrestling purists, as one of the most respected and revered titles on the planet. Names like Brock Lesnar, Vader, Antonio Inoki, AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura and many more legendary wrestlers, have held this coveted title.
Okada won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship by defeating the then champion, Tetsuya Naito, at Dominion 6.19 in Osaka, on June 19, 2016. This is his fourth reign with the title, with a combined reign of over 930 days as champion.
#1 AJ Styles: WWE World Champion
AJ Styles shocked the wrestling world when he signed with the WWE. A lot of fans were convinced that Styles would never leave Japan or the indie scene in the States. After all, AJ was revered as a king, in that realm of professional wrestling.
Moreover, despite being in Japan for weeks and months at a time, he had a say in his travelling schedule, which allowed AJ to spend plenty of time, with his family in Georgia. That in itself is a luxury that many professional wrestlers long for.
Nonetheless, Styles finally came to terms with a deal that he could live with, which brought the era's hottest free agent to the WWE.
At Backlash, AJ Styles toppled Dean Ambrose to claim the WWE World Title. This is the most sought after title in all of the professional wrestling land.
The greats that held this title include Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, The Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, among other veterans.
Styles has been a top-tier champion everywhere he has been. His time at the WWE has only just begun, but it's pretty obvious that there are huge plans in place for AJ, which can only lead to a PHENOMENAL future for Styles.
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