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The Million Dollar Championship is one of WWE's most iconic titles after being introduced by The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase in 1989. Since then it has popped up in WWE programming a few times.
Most recently it was brought back as part of an ongoing storyline between two of WWE NXT's richest Superstars, Cameron Grimes and LA Knight, which also saw the return of Ted Dibiase Sr. to WWE programming.
It's been great to see the Million Dollar Championship back in WWE as it gives other wrestlers something to compete over, even if it was nothing more than a vanity title when it was introduced.
Until now, the instantly recognizable and iconic Million Dollar Championship hasn't been a big part of WWE television, only used sporadically since it was introduced. And perhaps more interestingly, only a handful of people have ever officially held it.
Here's a list of every Superstar that has held the WWE Million Dollar Championship.
#5. The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase Sr. introduces a new title to WWF/WWE
Obviously the first ever Million Dollar Title holder was the Million Dollar Man himself, especially as he was the one to, in storyline, spend his own money to get it made and introduce it.
Dibiase Sr. was frustrated that he couldn't win or purchase the WWF Championship after failing several attempts to do so. This led to him simply making his own belt and The Million Dollar Championship was born.
Dibiase Sr. didn't defend the belt all that often, but it was the focal point of a memorable feud with Jake 'The Snake' Roberts during which the latter stole the belt and Dibiase Sr attempted to get it back.
After losing the belt to the next wrestler on the list and eventually winning it back, Dibiase Sr. eventually retired the Million Dollar Championship when he became WWF Tag-Team Champion with Irwin R. Schyster.
#4. Virgil turns face and defeats Ted Dibiase Sr. for the Million Dollar Championship at WWE SummerSlam
After months of being Ted Dibiase Sr's bodyguard in WWE and finding himself on the receiving end of beatdowns from angry faces after his boss had wound them up, or being forced to compete in losing efforts against the likes of Macho Man Randy Savage, Hercules and Jake Roberts, Virgil turned on his master.
Dibiase Sr. used to increasingly humiliate Virgil until he would snap. At the Royal Rumble in January 1991, Virgil attacked Ted Dibiase Sr. with his own Million Dollar Championship.
Virgil would then befriend Rowdy Roddy Piper and began training and challenged his former employer to a match at WrestleMania 7 for the Million Dollar Championship, which he won via a countout victory, allowing Dibiase to keep his belt.
However, at the following SummerSlam pay-per-view, Virgil finally defeated Ted Dibiase Sr. to become the second man to officially hold the unsanctioned WWE title.
#3. WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin known then as The Ringmaster
After it was retired in February 1992, The Million Dollar Title remained off of WWE television for three and a half years or so, until it was brought back in December 1995 and presented to a new title-holder.
During a segment on the Brother Love Show, Stone Cold Steve Austin made his WWE RAW debut and was immediately made the Million Dollar Man by Ted Dibiase Sr.
The segment was Stone Cold Steve Austin's introduction to WWE and giving him The Million Dollar Title on his debut was definitely one way to highlight that he was a big deal.
Austin would eventually drop The Ringmaster gimmick, and after losing a match to Savio Vega (he says deliberately) he also dropped Ted Dibiase Sr. as the match's stipulation was that if Austin lost, Dibiase Sr. would have to leave WWE. This, in turn, led to Austin retiring the Million Dollar Championship for the second time in its history.
We all know what happened afterwards.
#2. The Million Dollar man crowns his son Ted Dibiase Jr. on WWE RAW
It would be just under fifteen years until we'd see the Million Dollar Championship again in WWE, with the Million Dollar Man returning to crown yet another young Superstar as the next to hold the title?
Who was this young Superstar? Someone else that Ted Dibiase Sr. was responsible for creating, his own son Ted Dibiase Jr. This stunning piece of nepotism was inspired by a change of character for Dibiase Jr. who began acting like a spoilt millionaire. Dibiase Sr. returned to WWE RAW on April 5th, 2020 to give his son the title and access to his trust fund.
Dibiase Jr. then began looking for a new 'Virgil' and asked R-Truth, who refused, leading to the return of the former Million Dollar Champion and original Virgil as his 'Virgil'.
In November 2010, the Million Dollar Championship was stolen by Goldust and eventually returned to Ted Dibiase Sr., who offered it back to his son only for Dibiase Jr. to refuse it. The Million Dollar Championship was then retired for a third time.
#1. LA Knight becomes the fifth WWE Superstar to win the Million Dollar Championship
When Ted Dibiase Jr. gave up the belt in 2010 and it left WWE television, that seemed to be the end of the belt's history and lineage ending at four men. That was until this year's NXT saw the return of the title's first owner Ted Dibiase Sr.
Dibiase Sr. was looking for someone to continue his legacy when he settled on two of NXT's richest stars, Cameron Grimes and LA Knight. The two began a rivalry over Dibiase Sr's approval, eventually leading to a ladder match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House for the Million Dollar Championship.
LA Knight and Cameron Grimes fought in a grueling affair that would ultimately see Knight climb the ladder and become the new Million Dollar Champion. On the following episode of NXT he was officially handed the belt by Dibiase Sr. before attacking the WWE Hall of Famer.
It seems that the rivalry between Grimes and Knight isn't over, so could we eventually see a sixth man become Million Dollar Champion? Let's hope so.
