5 forgettable championship reigns in WWE

Nicholas relinquished his championship without ever defending it
Nicholas relinquished his championship without ever defending it

In WWE, winning a championship denotes the high trust placed in a superstar. While world champions are the most prestigious in WWE, the United States and Intercontinental Champions have also seen their share of exciting reigns.

Some championship reigns are truly memorable. John Cena raised the prestige of the United States Championship during a brilliant late-career reign. Bayley and Asuka's NXT Women's Championship and Walter's NXT UK Championship saw multiple memorable matches.

Championships are regularly defended in WWE, and the company has seen numerous unremarkable reigns. Such reigns have been forgotten by fans and exist solely to enrich record books.

Here's a list of five forgettable title reigns in WWE.


#5. WWE SmackDown star Sheamus' third reign with the WWE Championship

Throughout the pandemic era and since WWE's return to the road, Sheamus has delivered high-octane, physical battles. His matches against Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest have been rare delights on RAW.

Although The Celtic Warrior has had championship glory, none of his reigns are truly memorable. His WWE title victory in 2015 deserves a mention because of its pointlessness.

As a heel champion battling company poster boy Roman Reigns, Sheamus was never presented as dominant, and his title reign didn't even last a month. Roman went on to win the championship, and Sheamus found success as part of The Bar.

#4. WWE Commentator Corey Graves' first reign with the NXT Tag Team Championship

Current WWE fans know Corey Graves as an entertaining commentator. Graves recently won the 24/7 Championship for a fleeting moment before being overtaken by Byron Saxton, but it's not his only championship glory in WWE.

Graves was a rising star in NXT before injury ruined his in-ring career. His biggest achievement was winning the NXT Tag Team Championship with Neville. They remained champions for about three months before losing the title to The Ascension.

Graves suffered two concussions in late 2013 and early 2014, leading him to announce his retirement. He has solidified himself as a popular commentator, and his title reign has faded from public memory.


#3. Former WWE Superstar Jack Swagger's first reign with the World Heavyweight Championship

Jake Hager has rejuvenated himself as a member of the Inner Circle faction alongside the likes of Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. Before his AEW success, he spent more than a decade in WWE.

Swagger cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat a weakened Chris Jericho to win the big gold belt. He did not achieve much acclaim as a champion and lost the title to Rey Mysterio. For the rest of his WWE career, he was a mid-card act.

#2. Alicia Fox's first reign with the WWE Divas Championship

Since 2019, WWE has noted Alicia Fox as a company legend. The reason behind this designation is unclear. While Fox was able to perform Northern Lights Suplex and Tilt-a-whirl Backbreaker to absolute perfection, she was by no means a great in-ring worker or a successful diva.

Fox's only non-24/7 title reign in WWE was with the WWE Divas Championship. She was the first and only African-American to win the title. Her reign was nothing special and was ended by Melina within two months.

Fox's unremarkable reign with an unremarkable championship is barely remembered by fans surprised at the idea of WWE terming her a legend.


#1. Nicholas' first reign with the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship

WWE has been criticized for its lack of emphasis on the tag division, but it was never as clearly humiliating as Nicholas and Braun Strowman's Wrestlemania victory.

The Bar is widely considered one of the greatest teams of the last decade, and WWE decided to have them defeated by Braun Strowman and a literal child. Nicholas had to relinquish the title soon after due to scheduling conflicts. Thus the victory was pointless.

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