When did Vince McMahon win the WWE Championship?

Vince McMahon is synonymous with WWE. Indeed, no other owner in the industry has had such an impact on their promotion. Whether it's market leadership, administration, or even the creative juices behind the product, he was and is heavily involved.

McMahon is often recognized as a ruthless and obsessed boss and has a reputation of doing whatever it takes to generate headlines and buzz. Take your pick from the Montreal Screwjob, Brock Lesnar ending the Streak, or 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin turning heel. Oh, and also when he won the WWE Championship.

Yes, you read that right. The former CEO has put his company's top championship on himself. The sight of him becoming world champion before many deserving talents is peak Vinnie Mac. If you want to know when and how this happened, read on to find out.

Vince McMahon won the WWE Championship in September 1999. He defeated then-WWE Champion Triple H for the title on an episode of SmackDown thanks to interference from Steve Austin.

What's even more impressive is the fact that it isn't even the only world title he has won, with his ECW Championship win in 2007 making him a two-time world champion.

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How did Vince McMahon lose his WWE Championship?

Vince McMahon's WWE Championship reign is a piece of WWE history that few know about. What's even more bizarre is the fact that he wasn't even defeated for his eventual relinquishing of the title. The pre-2000s had some crazy moments that have gone under the radar since.

McMahon defeated Triple H on the September 16, 1999, episode of SmackDown to win the WWE Championship. His reign lasted less than a week due to him relinquishing the title on the following episode of RAW is War. The reason for that was his Fully Loaded stipulation against 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, which he felt he had to honor.

To put it into context, a couple of months before his title win, the current Executive Chairman was banned from WWE TV due to a stipulation in a match between Austin and The Undertaker.

However, The Texas Rattlesnake reinstated him in exchange for a title shot. It would be the first of McMahon's two world championship reigns.