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The WWE Championship is the most prestigious title in all of wrestling. It has been held by some of the most legendary superstars including Bruno Sammartino, The Iron Sheik, Randy Savage, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, and John Cena.
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Only the greatest of the greatest have held the WWE Championship, but there are also a lot of great WWE Superstars who have never held the title.
In this series of lists, we will take a look at the best WWE Superstars who should have been WWE Champions in each of the different eras.
These eras include the Golden Era (1982-1993), the New Generation Era (1993-1997), the Attitude Era (1997-2002), the Ruthless Aggression Era (2002-2008), the PG Era (2008-2013), and the Reality Era (2014-present).
Without further ado, here is the first part of the series, the five greatest Golden Era Superstars who should have won the WWE Championship.
Honorable mentions
There are a lot of WWE legends from the Golden Era that never won the WWE Championship. Some of these legends include Nikolai Volkoff, Paul Orndorff, Greg Valentine, Jesse Ventura, Junkyard Dog, and George Steele.
Volkoff and Orndorff were two of the top heels in history, both challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship. They were never close to winning the title because Hogan was the top babyface at that time.
Valentine and Ventura were also contenders for the WWE title during the reign of Bob Backland. Valentine in particular, was close to being WWE Champion when a referee accidentally awarded him the championship in 1981. However, it was only part of a storyline, and was never recognised as a title reign by the WWE.
On the other hand, Junkyard Dog and The Animal were two of the most beloved WWE Superstars ever. They would have been perfect WWE Champions for the fans to cheer during that era, an alternative to Hogan. Despite the lack of the WWE title in their resume, all of these legends are Hall of Famers.
#5 Jimmy Snuka
One of the most iconic WWE Superstars of the Golden Era, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, produced so many great moments during his illustrious career. Snuka was one of the pioneers of the high-flying style of wrestling. One of his most memorable moments happened in 1983 when he jumped off the steel cage and performed his signature "Superfly" splash on Don Muraco.
So yes, it is hard to believe Snuka never won the WWE Championship during his career. It is even harder to believe that he never won any title in the WWE. Nevertheless, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996, along with other legends such as Pat Patterson, Lou Albano, Killer Kowaski, and Vincent J. McMahon.
“Superfly” was very close to winning the WWE Championship in 1982 during his feud with Bob Backlund. He defeated Backlund several times, but it was only by count out and disqualification. As the rules stated, the WWE Championship can only change hands via pinfall or submission.
#4 Ricky Steamboat
Quite possibly the purest babyface in the history of the WWE, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, was with the company from 1985 to 1988. Steamboat had memorable feuds against Don Muraco, Mr. Fuji, Jake Roberts, The Honky Tonk Man, and Rick Rude. But his most unforgettable match was against Randy Savage at WrestleMania III.
Steamboat defeated Savage to win the Intercontinental Championship. The match stole the show, and it is considered as one of the greatest matches in WWE history. It almost overshadowed Hulk Hogan body slamming Andre The Giant.
After winning the Intercontinental Championship, Steamboat was supposed to have a long-term reign as champion, but it was cut short after a misunderstanding with WWE management.
He would soon lose the title, and he would never fulfill his full potential as WWE Champion. Steamboat would leave WWE in 1989 before returning in 1991, but it only lasted eight months. He retired in 1994 after 3 years with WCW.
#3 Jake Roberts
One of the greatest villains during the Golden Era of WWE, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, never held any titles in the company, let alone the WWE Championship. In 2 stints and 7 years with the WWE, Roberts was just a character, and he was so good that he did not need to hold titles.
During his WWE career, Roberts had feuds with the likes of Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, and The Undertaker. He and his pet snakes were part of some of the most memorable moments in history like when Savage and Warrior were bitten by his cobra.
Truly a unique WWE Superstar, Roberts also had his demons, and that might have been the main reason why he never won a championship. He struggled with drugs and alcohol, and he only got clean 5 years ago when he moved in with Diamond Dallas Page and his Yoga program.
#2 Ted DiBiase
Just like Jake “The Snake” Roberts, “The Million Dollar Man” was one of the best heels in the WWE during the Golden Era. A former King of the Ring winner and tag team champion, DiBiase became unofficial WWE Champion on February 5 1988 when he bought the title from Andre the Giant who just won it from Hulk Hogan.
The WWE never recognised the title run, but it led to a 14-man tournament at WrestleMania IV to determine the new WWE Champion. DiBiase made it until the final round by defeating Jim Duggan and Don Muraco, but he lost to Randy Savage.
In an appearance on The Ross Report, DiBiase revealed that he was supposed to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania IV. However, Pat Patterson had an idea that DiBiase liked, and he did not care about losing the opportunity to become WWE Champion. The idea? The creation of the Million Dollar Championship.
#1 Roddy Piper
Arguably one of the greatest superstars to never win the WWE Championship, regardless of any era, Roddy Piper had it all. He had charisma, he could wrestle, he could talk, and he could generate heat in an instant. It is why he is one of the greatest heels in WWE history.
“Hotrod” was heavily involved in a rivalry with Hulk Hogan throughout the Golden Generation Era. However, he never captured or even challenged for the WWE Championship. Just like Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Piper never needed the title to become relevant. Nevertheless, he was a one-time Intercontinental Champion, and a one-time tag team champion with Ric Flair.
In an interview with All Wrestling, the kids of Piper revealed why their father never became a WWE Champion. They said that “Rowdy” did not care about winning titles, and he was more about the art of professional wrestling. They added that their father did not need the WWE Championship to be relevant.
