20 Longest WWE Title Reigns in Pro Wrestling History
Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) History has a rich lineage of big personalities like Steve Austin, Triple H and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who've stood like titans in the ring. In contrast, lesser-known stars like Seth Rollins stole the show by cashing in the bank briefcase at the "Money in the Bank" event.
Beginning with Buddy Rogers, the 1963 inaugural champion, WWE champions have risen and fallen through the decades, with many of the longest WWE title reigns lasting months and even years.
What Is a WWE Champion?
The World Champion Match has evolved over the years, but it has always been the premier arena, primed for the best moments and occasional new WWE title reigns.
Winner of the WWE Championship
Your favorite wrestling star doesn't have a chance of becoming the reigning WWE champion without walking through a hard road of tough competitors on their way to the WWE Championship Match. Once they win, a target is secured on their back, and they must fend off all usurpers to the throne.
Winner of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
The Undisputed WWE Championship match was introduced on July 25, 2016, during the Raw and SmackDown split. The title match was created specifically for the Raw brand after the original WWE World Heavyweight Championships were unified with the WWE World Championship in 2014.
This allowed a single Undisputed WWE Universal Champion to reign supreme across both brands.
Winner of the World Heavyweight Championship
The centerpiece of professional wrestling's brand is the WWE World heavyweight champion. Big names like Ric Flair, Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena have each written their prestigious chapters in the title's storied history.
Top 20 Longest Reigns in WWE History
A WWE title reign is the apex of any professional wrestling career. The following stars of the ring have fought and bled to retain the belt against their worthy adversaries for the longest periods of time.
20. Shawn Michaels (231 Days)
Shawn Michaels accomplished his childhood dream when he won the belt from Bret Hart at WrestleMania 12. His cherished title dropped to the sounds of boos after a 231-day reign with a big loss to Sycho Sid in 1996.
19. Bret Hart (248 Days)
A Bret Hart match was the main event for any wrestling fan during his eight-month reign following his epic dethroning of Yokuzuna. The highlight of Hart's WWE Championship was his five-star steel cage epic against his brother Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1994.
18. Hulk Hogan (248 Days)
As you'll find on this list, Hulk Hogan's on-and-off-again championship reign lasted several decades during the 1980s and 90s. This 248-day run was framed by his rivalry with the mustached, camo-clad Sgt. Slaughter.
17. Yokozuna (280 Days)
Although Yokozuna's reign occurred during one of the franchise's dark ages, he still accomplished the incredible feat of beating one of the all-time greats, Hulk Hogan, to reach the top of the mountain.
16. John Bradshaw Layfield, aka JBL (280 Days)
In 2004, injuries hobbled Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar decided to leave the organization. JBL slid into the primary "heel" role to confirm his second reign as WWE champion against mammoth contenders, including Booker T, The Undertaker and Big Show.
15. John Cena (280 Days)
During his 280-day title reign, John Cena toppled top names such as Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle before falling to Edge in the first Money in the Bank event in 2006.
14. The Ultimate Warrior (293 Days)
WrestleMania 6 was the main event of the wrestling world in 1990 when The Ultimate Warrior upset Hulk Hogan to win the belt.
13. Superstar Billy Graham (296 Days)
Superstar Billy Graham was one of the original antiheroes that you either loved or loved to hate. This hall-of-fame "heel" took the 1970s wrestling scene by storm when he ended Bruno Sammartino's 1,237-day reign at the 1977 World Championship.
12. Diesel (358 Days)
In a meteoric rise to fame, Diesel took down Bob Backlund in seconds before a sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd in 1994.
11. Hulk Hogan (364 Days)
During a transitionary period in the WWE universe, Hulk Hogan emerged on top again when he defeated Randy Savage in WrestleMania 5. He would drop the belt almost a year later at the next WrestleMania.
10. 'Macho Man' Randy Savage (371 Days)
"Macho Man" Randy savage was a "tower of power, too sweet to be sour" when he defeated Ted DiBiase to claim MVP in his first title victory at WrestleMania 4 in 1988.
9. AJ Styles (371 Days)
This Grand Slam champ held an impressive second reign as WWE champion until he dropped to Daniel Bryan before he could face rival Brock Lesnar at the 2018 Survivor Series.
8. John Cena (380 Days)
This iconic run from one of WWE history's favorite heroes put him head-to-head with challengers, including Randy Orton, Edge, Shawn Michaels, and the Great Khali. John Cena's 380-day reign may have lasted longer, barring a pectoral injury that forced him to vacate the title.
7. CM Punk (434 Days)
The tatted bad boy CM Punk was at the top of his game when he held the title for over a calendar year in 2012. However, all roads must come to an end. As for CM Punk, his road ended with The Rock at the 2013 Royal Rumble.
6. Roman Reigns (720+ Days)
The current champion Roman Reigns, a.k.a the "Tribal Chief," began his dominance with a monumental defeat over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38. However, Reigns shows no signs of slowing down as he has dismantled Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes and even his cousin Jey Uso.
5. Pedro Morales (1,027 Days)
This WWWF World heavyweight champion was the first wrestler to achieve the triple crown (back then, the Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment was the World Wide Wrestling Federation). His reign lasted for an impressive three years before dropping the belt to Stan Stasiak.
4. Bruno Sammartino (1,237 Days)
Bruno Sammartino is the longest-reigning WWE champion of all time, and amazingly, this 1,237-day stint of holding the world title was only his second-longest.
3. Hulk Hogan (1,474 Days)
Hulk Hogan held sway over the wrestling world for decades but entered his ultimate prime when he defeated the Iron Sheik in 1984. Even mammoth competitors like King Kong Bundy, Big John Studd and Andre the Giant couldn't steal the crown from his golden, handlebar mustachioed head.
2. Bob Backlund (2,135 Days)
Although not a name brand in the wrestling fan zeitgeist, Bob Backlund still deserves a solid spot in the record books for his mind-blowing 2,135-day reign as WWE champ.
1. Bruno Sammartino (2,803 Days)
The No. 1 spot for the longest reign as WWE champion goes to the king of Madison Square Garden, Bruno Sammartino. With today's talent level, it is highly unlikely that anyone will ever match Sammartino's dominant rule.
How Long Has Wrestling Been Around?
Wrestling is arguably one of the oldest sports in human history, with many records showing depictions dating as far back as 3000 B.C.E. It was a premier event at the ancient Greek Olympics, where athletes would fight and tussle in the arena wearing nothing but their birthday suits.
With today's strict censorship, it can be speculated that the trend will not return for the next primetime televised wrestling event.
Original article: 20 Longest WWE Title Reigns in Pro Wrestling History
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