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Championships are the most important aspect of any wrestling promotion and a champion represents the company as a whole and the values it stands for.
A large company with a profound global impact like the WWE has an array of championships and many champions holding them. The total number of championships across the four brands (Raw, SmackDown, NXT and UK) is 14!
There are 17 champions holding these titles and some are more deserving than others, some have justified their reigns while others linger on despite fan backlash. Some champions, like Tommaso Ciampa and Nakamura, are fairly new and their reigns cannot be judged so soon.
So, here are the best among the best, the top 5 champions in WWE today!
#5 Cedric Alexander
The story of Cedric's rise to become the Cruiserweight champion has been no less than a Cinderella story! The 'Please sign Cedric' chants after his semi-final loss against Kota Ibushi was one of the defining moments of the inaugural Cruiserweight Classic tournament.
He has been an integral part of 205 live ever since. His initial storyline was a love triangle between him, Noam Dar and Alicia Fox which was a major disappointment for the fans and a serious burial of their in-ring prowess.
Afterward, he feuded with Enzo Amore over the title in early 2018 until Amore was released by WWE before the Royal Rumble PPV. It has been an uphill journey since, winning the tournament which was set up to crown a new Cruiserweight champion which culminated at WrestleMania 34.
Alexander has held the title for 120+ days and has had great matches with the likes of Mustafa Ali, Kalisto and Buddy Murphy. The quality of his matches is the main reason that he ranks at No. 5 on this list and now the quality of 205 live is rising under the takeover of Triple H and hopefully, this means better days for Cedric as a champion.
#4 The Undisputed Era
The Undisputed Era may seem like a stable plucked from Ring of Honor!
Kyle O' Reily and Bobby Fish started off as reDRagon in ROH where they became three-time ROH world tag team champions. The inclusion of Adam Cole (BAY! BAY!) gave the duo much-needed star power.
The in-ring chemistry of Reily and Fish is unmatched and the duo also won the 2018 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament but the injury of Bobby Fish looked like a setback for the tag team champions.
They lost the NXT tag titles to the Moustache Mountain on the second day of WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament event but won them back just two days later making them the second team after The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) to win the titles more than once.
A plethora of great matches and interesting storylines remains to be unfolded!
#3 Shayna Baszler
Shayna Baszler made an impactful beginning reaching the finals of the inaugural Mae Young Classic and she is a part of the 'Four Horsewomen of MMA' along with her stablemates Ronda Rousey, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir.
The former MMA fighter is fairly new to professional wrestling compared to her contemporaries but she has proven time and time again that she is no fluke in the ring, in fact, she is the exact opposite!
She has been dominant ever since her debut on NXT when she brutally attacked Kairi Sane, after that she kept bullying Dakota Kai and then defeated Ember Moon for the NXT Women's championship at NXT Takeover: New Orleans.
She has held the title for 120+ days and continues to improve in the ring and be an unstoppable force on the yellow brand.
#2 AJ Styles
Arguably, the best wrestler in WWE and one of the best in the world- AJ styles is what fans envision as a champion.
Styles felt like a saviour who won the title from Jinder Mahal on an episode of Smackdown live in Manchester, bringing the despised reign of the Modern-day Maharaja to an end.
He has had amazing matches with Lesnar, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura and more, proving why he is called one of the all-time greats!
His in-ring performance keeps him popular even after the many bad booking decisions, this is proven on every episode of SmackDown Live where the crowd bursts into chanting his name.
#1 Pete Dunne
Who can outshine AJ Styles? The bruiserweight of course!
The second longest reigning champion in WWE today after Lesnar, Pete Dunne has solidified himself as the king of the UK division. It is easy to miss the UK Champion as his TV time is much less than the others but every time Dunne is seen, it's a moment to behold!
Building such a great character without delivering promos or vignettes is a testimony to the in-ring storytelling ability of the champ. Even with a brutal moveset, Dunne is one of the most popular superstars in the company.
It was clear right away that Pete Dunne would be a big star, even bigger than the inaugural UK Championship tournament winner Tyler Bate. He won the title at NXT Takeover: Chicago defeating Bate in a critically acclaimed match which even won the Best match award at NXT yer End ceremony.
Being just 24 years old, his future will get only brighter from here on!
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
