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The WWE World Championship is technically no longer with us. The belt was either retired and/or split into two separate belts, the WWE Universal championship and the WWE Championship.
Still, the man who manages to capture the company's 'big belt' enjoys a certain level of prestige. It is the highest honor that can be bestowed up on a wrestler, the role of being the top draw in the company.
Over the years, the WWE World Championship has been held by a long list of legendary performers. Men like Macho Man, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, and Hulk Hogan spring to mind from the Classic era, while the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Undertaker dominated the Attitude Era.
But which of these champions was ostensibly the best of the best? We've narrowed a list of incredibly talented performers down to the top ten. These men either enjoyed epic, long historic reigns or multiple title reigns with the WWE World championship. Each of them have left an indelible mark upon sports entertainment, and their accomplishments echo throughout the halls of history.
Sportskeeda is proud to present the ten best WWE World Champions of all time.
10. Yokozuna
Number of title reigns: 2
Longest title reign: 280 days.
A member of the famous Anoa'i family, which includes such big names as the Rock, Roman Reigns, and Nia Jax, Yokozuna cut his teeth in Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association.
Known as the Great Kokina, he would be the one to end Gagne's career (in a story line) by severely breaking his leg. After a nine year run with AWA and Japanese promotions, he was signed the by the WWE in 1993.
During this era, the Cold War was over, but Vince McMahon sought to capitalize on American patriotism by turning Kokina into Yokozuna, a Japanese Sumo wrestler. He would defeat Bret Hart for both of his WWE World championship titles.
Why he makes number ten on the list: Yokozuna holds the honor of being the first Heel wrestler to retain a title at Wrestlemania. He helped garner sympathy for Bret Hart and turned him into a rock solid babyface, and also turned away the challenges of Lex Luger and the Undertaker. It was his ability to retain his belt against the dead man that was most impressive, as well as his lengthy 280 day title reign. Yokozuna had the tough job of filling the shoes left vacant by Andre the Giant, and he did a stellar job considering his age and health.
9. Bret "the Hitman" Hart
Number of title reigns: 5
Longest title reign: 248 Days.
Bret the Hitman Hart is the son of legendary Calgary wrestler and promoter Stu Hart. Trained in his father's infamous Hart Dungeon, which also produced stars such as Greg Valentine and Ken Shamrock, Bret became one of the most technically sound performers in history.
Many have said it was impossible for Bret Hart to have a bad match. He had to fill the enormous shoes left empty by Hulk Hogan and become the WWE's top babyface performer. Hart did quite well in this role, and achieved a degree of mainstream success, such as appearing on the animated show The Simpsons.
Why he made number nine on our list: Bret Hart was the face of the New Generation, an unenviable position following Hogan's iconic run with the company. His technical acumen, ability to tell a story, and his historic five reigns all serve to put him on the top ten list.
8. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Number of title Reigns: 6
Longest title reign: 90 days.
Stone Cold Steve Austin got his start in 1989 wrestling under his real name Steve Williams. Trained by Chris Adams, he was paid a whopping 40 dollars US for his debut match, which he lost.
Fast forward a few years, however, and a man named Stunning Steve Austin (his name was changed to avoid confusion with fellow WCW wrestler Dr. Death Steve Williams) wound up capturing nearly every strap of gold the company had to offer. He enjoyed reigns as tag team, television, and United states champion with that company.
Once he joined WWE, he began an inexorable climb to the main event. Long before the advent of Deadpool, Austin was an antihero the public could really get behind. He would feud with every big name of the Attitude Era, but always seemed to wind up facing off against Vince McMahon in person or by proxy.
Why he makes number nine on our list: Some fans might be surprised that Austin doesn't rate higher, but his title reigns were comparatively short. Still, he left such major impression and defeated so much top tier talent that he deserves a spot on the top ten.
7. The Rock
Number of title reigns: 8
Longest title reign: 119 days.
The Rock got his start in the WWE due to his third generation superstar status paving the way for him. The grandson of Samoan wrestling legend High Chief Peter Maivia and the son of legendary African American wrestler Rocky Johnson, he was billed as the 'next big thing' and a real blue chipper when he debuted as Rocky Maivia.
The only problem: The fans hated him. Chants of Rocky Sucks and Die Rock Die used to echo throughout the arenas. No one could resonate with his smiling, goofy, baby face persona.
But then he turned heel, and settled upon the Rock character, and the rest is history. The Rock was so popular even as a villain that he inevitably turned baby face. He would reign eight times as WWE world champion, though his first time only lasted two days.
Why he makes number eight on our list: The Rock may not have lengthy reigns like Hogan or Backlund, or double digit reigns like John Cena, but he defeated the cream of the crop for his era. Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mankind, and Triple H all fell before the People's Champion. Had the Rock remained in wrestling rather than moving to Hollywood, he would probably be at the top of our list, but with just six short years he changed the world of pro wrestling.
#6 CM Punk
Number of title reigns: 5
Longest title Reign: 434 days.
CM Punk cut his teeth on the independent scene, performing as one half of the Chick Magnets. Yes, that's right, the enigmatic initials of his name refer to chick magnet. Let that sink in.
As a point of pride, CM Punk never changed his name during his entire career. He enjoyed a reign as Ring of Honor champion before joining WWE's short lived ECW revival, where he captured that brand's championship.
Eventually Punk made his way to the main roster, where he ground his way up from the mid card to the main event. He would capture five world title reigns, or the modern equivalent, during his tenure with the company, the longest of which broke records as the longest single reign of the modern era, until that was broken by Brock Lesnar.
However, the sheer multitude of title defenses CM Punk performed far outweighs what Lesnar did during his tenure.
Why he's number six on our list: CM Punk doesn't have as many title reigns as the Rock or Austin, but his title was defended more frequently against a much larger roster of opponents. His lengthy 434 day reign is still the gold standard for a champion in the modern era, and his massive mainstream appeal continues to make him a force in pro wrestling when he doesn't even wrestle anymore.
#5. Shawn Michaels
Number of title reigns: 5
Longest Title Reign: 241 days.
Shawn Michaels got his start in Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association, where he teamed with Marty Jannety as one half of the Midnight Rockers. A clear cut clone of the Rock and Roll Express, they never the less managed to capture the AWA tag team championships.
He and Jannety would 'sort of' become WWE World tag team champions, though the decision was later thrown out due to the top ring rope breaking during the match. But don't feel sorry for Michaels: He would go on to become the first Grand Slam champion in WWE history, and a no questions asked main event talent.
Why he is number five on our list: HBK doesn't have as many title reigns as Rock or Austin, but the caliber of competition he faced, the long term of his title reigns, and the fact that he was known as "Mr. Wrestlemania" all contribute to his being higher on this list. HBK proved that a lighter, faster wrestler could be just as big a draw as a massive three hundred pound man, and was perhaps the best overall performer of any wrestler on this list.
4. Triple H
Number of title reigns: 14
Longest title Reign: 141 days.
Jean Paul Levesque cut his teeth on the independent scene as a monster heel named Terra Ryzin. Terror-rizing, get it? No? Us neither.
Fortunately, he would still be invited to join WCW, where he teamed with William Regal. The two have remained close friends ever since.
Levesque joined the WWE under the gimmick of New England blue blood Hunter Hurst Helmsley. His name would be shortened to Triple H when he joined DX with friend Shawn Michaels.
Triple H outlasted the Rock and Steve Austin to become the dominant force of the Attitude Era, and continued his dominance right into the Ruthless Aggression Era. His fourteen title wins are impressive, especially when viewed against the high caliber of competition he faced.
Why he makes number four on our list: Triple H has been a major force in the WWE for over twenty years, and provided consistently good performances during his multiple reigns as champion. He was even able to carry a severely injured and stiff Scott Steiner to a halfway decent match. His mark upon pro wrestling cannot be measured, but as a champion he will go down as one of the best of all time.
#3. Hulk Hogan
Number of title reigns: 6
Longest Title Reign: 1,474 days.
Hulk Hogan is probably the reason why pro wrestling is so popular today. Based upon his drawing power, the WWE was able to amass a fortune in ticket sales and pay per view buyrates.
For his time and era, Hulk Hogan was the perfect wrestler. Larger than life in both appearance and personality, his famous 'training, prayers, vitamins' mantra and catchphrase--Watcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?--served as the perfect 1980s entertainment. Due to the Rock and Wrestling connection, he would become a mainstream media star as well.
His lengthy world title reign is impressive, especially when you consider that every single person Hogan has ever beaten for the belt is a legend in their own right.
Why he makes number three on our list: Hulk Hogan is probably the greatest overall draw in wrestling history, but as WWE champion he only makes number three. This is not a knock against Hogan, but a simple matter of the top two champions being just that grand.
#2. Bob Backlund.
Number of title reigns: 2
Longest title reign: 2,135 days.
Bob Backlund was a talented amateur wrestler, wining the NCAA All American designation not once, but twice. In a world where MMA fighters try to cut weight to drop to a lower division, Backlund moved UP to challenge in the amateur heavyweight wrestling tier during college.
After his amateur career ended, Backlund eschewed a potential Olympics run to join pro wrestling instead. He worked for the first part of his career for Verne Gagne's AWA promotion before joining the WWE.
Backlund would capture the world title from Superstar Billy Graham and proceed to hold it for nearly six years continuously. He faced many of the top talents of his era, though a lot of the time his title defenses ended in time limit draws.
Why he's number two on our list: Bob Backlund was champion for six years, and managed to hold off the challenge of a veritable who's who in legends of wrestling. His second title reign is utterly forgettable, but his first remains a major milestone in sports entertainment.
#1. Bruno Sammartino
Number of title reigns: 2
Longest title reign: 2803 days, the longest in history.
A sickly child, Bruno Sammartino immigrated to the USA after the second world war. His small size made him an easy target for bullies, but he would turn to wrestling and power lifting to change his physique.
Sammartino could bench press six hundred pounds during his prime, and performed 'strong man' type of stunts for local television studios. It was there that he was scouted for pro wrestling.
In 1963, he would join the WWWF--the precursor to the modern WWE--and captured the world title. He would reign for almost seven years, defeating or fighting to a stand still both legends and hot young properties.
In fact, if you add up both of his reigns he spent nearly nine years as champion, most impressive.
Why he's number one on our list: While he only reigned twice, Sammartino was pretty much the face of the WWE for nine years. He has a well deserved spot in the hall of fame, and it's unlikely that his feat of a seven year reign will ever be duplicated.
There you have it; The ten best WWE world champions in history. Questions or comments? Please leave them after the article and as always thanks for reading!
