The WWE Championship is a men's professional wrestling world title created and promoted by WWE. As of April 2025, it is defended on the SmackDown brand. It was the first world title introduced by the company, beginning in April 1963 when WWE was known as the WWWF. Buddy Rogers was the first to hold it for 22 days, and Bruno Sammartino stands as the longest-reigning WWE Champion in history, holding the title for an astonishing 2,803 days. This championship has been around the longest in WWE and is treated as the company's most prestigious title.
Most WWE World Championships
John Cena has most WWE World Championships. He made history at WrestleMania 41 by winning his 17th World Championship in a match against Cody Rhodes. With this victory, he surpassed the legendary Ric Flair and now holds the record for the most world title reigns in WWE, as of April 2025.
Here are the top 10 WWE World Champions with the most reigns:
| Wrestlers | No. of Times |
| John Cena | 17 |
| Ric Flair | 16 |
| Triple H | 14 |
| Randy Orton | 14 |
| Hulk Hogan | 12 |
| Edge | 11 |
| Brock Lesnar | 10 |
| The Rock | 10 |
| Sting | 10 |
| Verne Gagne | 10 |
Top 10 wrestlers with the longest WWE Championship reigns
Here are the top 10 superstars who held the WWE Championship for the most days:
| Wrestlers | Duration |
| Bruno Sammartino | 2,803 days |
| Bob Backlund | 2,135 days |
| Hulk Hogan | 1,474 days |
| Roman Reigns | 1316 days |
| Bruno Sammartino | 1,237 days |
| Pedro Morales | 1,027 days |
| Roman Reigns | 735 days |
| Brock Lesnar | 503 days |
| Hulk Hogan | 469 days |
| CM Punk | 434 days |
FAQs on Most WWE Championships
A. John Cena has the most World titles in history of WWE with a total of 17 reigns.
A. Ric Flair is recognized by WWE as a 2-time WWE (WWF) Champion.
A. At WrestleMania 41, Night 2, John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to win the WWE Undisputed Championship and a record-breaking 17th world title.
A. John Cena is the WWE undisputed champion, as of April 2025.
A. Bruno Sammartino holds the record as the longest-reigning WWE Champion, with a reign lasting 2,803 days.
