Wikipedia

List of WWE Champions

Wikipedia list article
(Redirected from List of WWE World Heavyweight Champions)

This is the title history of the WWE Championship. The title was introduced in 1963 by the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). It is recognized as the top championship in WWE.

The wrestler with the most reigns as WWE champion is John Cena with 13. Ric Flair and John Cena hold the most world championship reigns recognized by WWE, across multiple companies, tied with 16. The longest reigning champion is Bruno Sammartino, holding the championship for 7 years, 8 months, and 1 day from May 17, 1963, to January 18, 1971. The current champion is John Cena, who is in his record 14th reign as champion.

Title History

change

As of May 11, 2025

† means that the title change was not recognized by WWE.
# Wrestlers Reign Date Days
held 		Location Event Notes Ref
1 Buddy Rogers 1 April 25, 1963 22 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil N/A Rogers won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro after the WWWF left the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Rogers had been the 7th NWA World Heavyweight Champion since defeating Pat O'Connor on June 30, 1961. After Rogers' one fall loss to Lou Thesz for the title on January 24, 1963, Northeast promoters (led by Vince McMahon Sr. and Toots Mondt) did not recognize this title change and ended their membership from the NWA to form the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). The WWWF called Rogers as their world champion since January 25, 1963, but it did not recognize him as the first ever WWWF World Heavyweight Champion until April 11, 1963, when he got the title belt. However, WWE lists Rogers' reign and the cration of the title beginning on April 25, 1963.
2 Bruno Sammartino 1 May 17, 1963 2,803 New York, NY House show Bruno Sammartino faced off against the hated Buddy Rogers at Madison Square Garden. Sammartino used a dropkick, backbreaker and a crushing bear hug to become the champ. Sammartino would go on to defend his WWWF Championship for nearly eight years, which is a record that still stands today. [1]
3 Ivan Koloff 1 January 18, 1971 21 Managed by Captain Lou Albano, the "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff got a shot at Bruno Sammartino's WWWF Championship at Madison Square Garden, the same place that Sammartino won the title almost eight years before. Both Superstars were masters of the bear hug, but it was a knee drop from the top rope that gave Koloff the win. Although Koloff dethroned a champion that had held the title for nearly eight years, he would not be so lucky. Koloff's reign only lasted about three weeks. [2]
4 Pedro Morales 1 February 8, 1971 1,027 The title was renamed WWWF Heavyweight Championship after WWWF rejoined the NWA in 1971. [3]
5 Stan Stasiak 1 December 1, 1973 9 Philadelphia, PA Morales delivered a back suplex to Stasiak that went right into a pinning combination. Stasiak was able to get his arm up, while both of Morales' shoulders were on the mat. When the ref counted three, much to Morales' dismay, Stasiak's title reign began. [4]
6 Bruno Sammartino 2 December 10, 1973 1,237 New York, NY [5]
7 Billy Graham 1 April 30, 1977 296 Baltimore, MD [6]|}
8 Bob Backlund 1 February 20, 1978 2,135
(648)† 		New York, NY Billy Graham, who was traditionally a rule breaker, had the rules broken on him for a change. Backlund had Graham in a pinned, but Graham got his foot on the ropes. The referee was out of position to see the champ's foot, though, and his hand hit the mat for the three count giving Backlund his first WWF Championship.

The title was renamed the WWF Heavyweight Championship after the World Wide Wrestling Federation became the World Wrestling Federation in March 1979.

[7][8]
— Antonio Inoki 1† November 30, 1979 6 Tokushima, Japan His reign is not recognized by WWE[9] [10]
Vacated† — December 6, 1979 — Inoki vacated the title after a rematch with Backlund ended in a no contest. [10]
Bob Backlund 2† December 17, 1979 1,470 New York, NY Backlund defeated Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death match. During this reign a controversial ending to a match between Backlund and Greg Valentine took place on 10/19/81 at Madison Square Garden, where the dazed referee raised Valentine's arm in victory, thinking that it was Backlund, after the champion had scored the pinfall. A rematch was held at MSG on 11/23/81 with Backlund defeating Valentine. Backlund defended the belt in other arenas between the two matches taking place, indicating that he was still the recognized champion. [10]
9 The Iron Sheik 1 December 26, 1983 28 New York, NY The Iron Sheik won by forfeit after Backlund's manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel on his behalf to prevent any major injury as a result of Sheik's signature move "The Camel Clutch", but Backlund never officially submitted. [11]
10 Hulk Hogan 1 January 23, 1984 1,474 Hogan overpowered The Iron Sheik and hit the big leg drop for his first WWF Championship. [12]
11 André the Giant 1 February 5, 1988 59

Minutes

Indianapolis, IN The Main Event I During the match, Andre went for the pin, but Hogan got his shoulder up at the count of one. The referee continued to count, however, and awarded the match to Andre.

It was also revealed that Earl Hebner, who was said to have been refereeing the match, wasn't even in the ring. Instead, Ted DiBiase paid for another referee to have plastic surgery to look like Hebner so that he could guarantee Andre would win the WWF Championship. This is the shortest reign in the championship's history.

[13]
— Vacated — February 5, 1988 — Indianapolis, IN The Main Event I Right after he won the title from Hogan, André sold it to DiBiase; President Jack Tunney nullified this decision, and he vacated the title. [13]
12 Randy Savage 1 March 27, 1988 371 Atlantic City, NJ WrestleMania IV During the match, André went after Savage, which distracted the referee. This gave Hulk Hogan the opportunity to hit DiBiase with a chair, which then set up the flying elbow drop from Savage.

Savage defeated DiBiase in a tournament final to win the vacant title.

[14]
13 Hulk Hogan 2 April 2, 1989 364 WrestleMania V [15]
14 The Ultimate Warrior 1 April 1, 1990 293 Toronto, ON, Canada WrestleMania VI This match was also for Warrior's WWF Intercontinental Championship, which was vacated shortly after this match. [16]
15 Sgt. Slaughter 1 January 19, 1991 64 Miami, FL Royal Rumble [17]
16 Hulk Hogan 3 March 24, 1991 248 Los Angeles, CA WrestleMania VII [18]
17 The Undertaker 1 November 27, 1991 6 Detroit, MI Survivor Series [19]
18 Hulk Hogan 4 December 3, 1991 1 San Antonio, TX This Tuesday in Texas [20]
— Vacated — December 4, 1991 — N/A WWF Superstars of Wrestling Hogan was stripped of the title by president Jack Tunney because of the controversy of the last two title changes. This aired December 7, 1991. [20]
19 Ric Flair 1 January 19, 1992 77 Albany, NY Royal Rumble He won the Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Sid Justice. [21]
20 Randy Savage 2 April 5, 1992 149 Indianapolis, IN WrestleMania VIII [22]
21 Ric Flair 2 September 1, 1992 41 Hershey, PA Prime Time Wrestling Aired on September 14, 1992. [23]
22 Bret Hart 1 October 12, 1992 174 Saskatoon, SK House show [24]
23 Yokozuna 1 April 4, 1993 <1 Las Vegas, NV WrestleMania IX [25]
24 Hulk Hogan 5 70 Mr. Fuji had offered Hogan a match against Yokozuna and he offered to put the title on the line after Hogan had come down to help Hart, who had salt thrown in his eyes by Fuji during the match. [26]
25 Yokozuna 2 June 13, 1993 280 Dayton, OH King of the Ring [27]
26 Bret Hart 2 March 20, 1994 248 New York, NY WrestleMania X Roddy Piper acted as the guest referee. [28]
27 Bob Backlund 2(3)† November 23, 1994 3 San Antonio, TX Survivor Series This was a "Throw in the Towel" submission match, where the only way to win was to have the opponent's cornerman throw a towel into the ring. [29]
28 Diesel 1 November 26, 1994 358 New York, NY House show [30]
29 Bret Hart 3 November 19, 1995 133 Landover, MD Survivor Series This was a no disqualification match. [31]
30 Shawn Michaels 1 March 31, 1996 231 Anaheim, CA WrestleMania XII This was a 60-minute Iron Man match, which Michaels won in overtime after it ended in a 0–0 draw. [32]
31 Sycho Sid 1 November 17, 1996 63 New York, NY Survivor Series [33]
32 Shawn Michaels 2 January 19, 1997 25 San Antonio, TX Royal Rumble [34]
— Vacated — February 13, 1997 — Lowell, MA Raw Michaels had to forfeit the title because of a knee injury. [34]
33 Bret Hart 4 February 16, 1997 1 Chattanooga, TN In Your House 13: Final Four This match was a four-way elimination match also involving Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Vader. [35]
34 Sycho Sid 2 February 17, 1997 34 Nashville, TN Raw [36]
35 The Undertaker 2 March 23, 1997 133 Rosemont, IL WrestleMania 13 This was a no disqualification match. [37]
36 Bret Hart 5 August 3, 1997 98 East Rutherford, NJ SummerSlam Shawn Michaels acted as the guest referee. [38]
37 Shawn Michaels 3 November 9, 1997 140 Montreal, QC Survivor Series He won the title in the Montreal Screwjob. [39]
38 Stone Cold Steve Austin 1 March 29, 1998 91 Boston, MA WrestleMania XIV Mike Tyson acted as the special outside enforcer. [40]
39 Kane 1 June 28, 1998 1 Pittsburgh, PA King of the Ring This was a first blood match. [41]
40 Stone Cold Steve Austin 2 June 29, 1998 90 Cleveland, OH Raw is War [42]
— Vacated — September 27, 1998 — Hamilton, ON, Canada Breakdown: In Your House The title was vacated after Kane and The Undertaker both pinned Austin in a triple threat match at the same time. Another match for the vacant title at Judgment Day: In Your House between Kane and The Undertaker ended in a no-contest.[43] [42]
41 The Rock 1 November 15, 1998 44 St. Louis, MO Survivor Series The Rock defeated Mankind in the finals of the Deadly Game tournament for the vacant title. [44]
42 Mankind 1 December 29, 1998 26 Worcester, MA Raw is War This match was a no-disqualification match. Aired on January 4, 1999. [45]
43 The Rock 2 January 24, 1999 2 Anaheim, CA Royal Rumble This was an "I Quit" match. The Rock won by knocking Mankind unconscious while someone backstage played an audio recording of Mankind saying "I quit" when The Rock held the microphone against his face. [46]
44 Mankind 2 January 26, 1999 20 Tucson, AZ Halftime Heat This was an empty arena match which aired as a special during halftime of Super Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999. [47]
45 The Rock 3 February 15, 1999 41 Birmingham, AL Raw is War This was a ladder match. [48]
46 Stone Cold Steve Austin 3 March 28, 1999 56 Philadelphia, PA WrestleMania XV Mankind acted as the guest referee in this no disqualification match. [49]
47 The Undertaker 3 May 23, 1999 36 Kansas City, MO Over the Edge Both Shane and Mr. McMahon acted as the guest referees. [50]
48 Stone Cold Steve Austin 4 June 28, 1999 55 Charlotte, NC Raw is War [51]
49 Mankind 3 August 22, 1999 1 Minneapolis, MN SummerSlam This was a triple threat match also involving Triple H, with Jesse Ventura acting as the guest referee. [52]
50 Triple H 1 August 23, 1999 22 Ames, IA Raw is War Shane McMahon acted as the guest referee. [53]
51 Mr. McMahon 1 September 14, 1999 6 Las Vegas, NV SmackDown Aired on September 16, 1999 with Shane McMahon acting as the guest referee. [54]
— Vacated — September 20, 1999 — Houston, TX Raw is War The title was vacated by Mr. McMahon. [54]
52 Triple H 2 September 26, 1999 49 Charlotte, NC Unforgiven This was a Six-Pack Challenge match, also involving The Rock, Mankind, Big Show, The British Bulldog and Kane. Austin was the special outside enforcer. [55]
53 Big Show 1 November 14, 1999 50 Detroit, MI Survivor Series This was a triple threat match, also involving The Rock. [56]
54 Triple H 3 January 3, 2000 118 Miami, FL Raw is War On April 17, 2000, Chris Jericho defeated Triple H for the WWF Championship after Earl Hebner fast-counted. Later in the night, Triple H forced Hebner to reverse the decision, which nullified Jericho's reign and continued Triple H's. [57]
55 The Rock 4 April 30, 2000 21 Washington, D.C. Backlash Shane McMahon acted as the guest referee. [58]
56 Triple H 4 May 21, 2000 35 Louisville, KY Judgment Day This was a 60-minute Iron Man match, which Triple H won 6–5 with Shawn Michaels acting as the guest referee. [59]
57 The Rock 5 June 25, 2000 119 Boston, MA King of the Ring This was a six-man tag team match between The Rock, The Undertaker and Kane vs. Triple H, Mr. McMahon and Shane McMahon. The Rock pinned Mr. McMahon to win Triple H's title. [60]
58 Kurt Angle 1 October 22, 2000 126 Albany, NY No Mercy This was a no disqualification match. [61]
59 The Rock 6 February 25, 2001 35 Las Vegas, NV No Way Out [62]
60 Stone Cold Steve Austin 5 April 1, 2001 175 Houston, TX WrestleMania X-Seven This was a no disqualification match. [63]
61 Kurt Angle 2 September 23, 2001 15 Pittsburgh, PA Unforgiven [64]
62 Stone Cold Steve Austin 6 October 8, 2001 62 Indianapolis, IN Raw [65]
63 Chris Jericho 1 December 9, 2001 98 San Diego, CA Vengeance Earlier that night, Jericho had already defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion The Rock for that title. By defeating Austin for the WWF Championship, he unified both titles as the Undisputed Championship. [66]
64 Triple H 5 March 17, 2002 35 Toronto, ON WrestleMania X8 [67]
65 Hollywood Hulk Hogan 6 April 21, 2002 28 Kansas City, MO Backlash The title was renamed the WWE Undisputed Championship on May 6, 2002 after World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. settled a lawsuit with the World Wide Fund for Nature, and it became simply World Wrestling Entertainment. [68]
66 The Undertaker 4 May 19, 2002 63 Nashville, TN Judgment Day On May 20, 2002, Rob Van Dam defeated The Undertaker for the title. Later in the night, Ric Flair restarted the match and Undertaker defeated him, which nullified Van Dam's reign and continued Undertaker's. [69]
67 The Rock 7 July 21, 2002 35 Detroit, MI Vengeance This was a triple threat match, also involving Kurt Angle. [70]
68 Brock Lesnar 1 August 25, 2002 84 Uniondale, NY SummerSlam The "Undisputed" was removed from the title's name after it became exclusive to the SmackDown! brand on September 2, 2002, which resulted in the creation of the World Heavyweight Championship for the Raw brand. [71]
69 Big Show 2 November 17, 2002 28 New York, NY Survivor Series [72]
70 Kurt Angle 3 December 15, 2002 105 Sunrise, FL Armageddon [73]
71 Brock Lesnar 2 March 30, 2003 119 Seattle, WA WrestleMania XIX [74]
72 Kurt Angle 4 July 27, 2003 51 Denver, CO Vengeance This was a triple threat match, also involving Big Show. [75]
73 Brock Lesnar 3 September 16, 2003 152 Raleigh, NC SmackDown This was a 60-minute Iron Man match, that aired on September 18, 2003. [76]
74 Eddie Guerrero 1 February 15, 2004 133 Daly City, CA No Way Out [77]
75 John "Bradshaw" Layfield 1 June 27, 2004 280 Norfolk, VA The Great American Bash This was a Texas Bullrope match. [78]
76 John Cena 1 April 3, 2005 280 Los Angeles, CA WrestleMania 21 The title became exclusive on the Raw brand on June 6, 2005 after Cena was drafted to Raw as the first pick in the 2005 Draft Lottery. [79]
77 Edge 1 January 8, 2006 21 Albany, NY New Year's Revolution Edge cashed in his "Money in the Bank" contract that he won from WrestleMania 21 immediately after Cena won an Elimination Chamber match. [80]
78 John Cena 2 January 29, 2006 133 Miami, FL Royal Rumble [81]
79 Rob Van Dam 1 June 11, 2006 22 New York, NY ECW One Night Stand RVD cashed in his Money in the Bank contract that he won at WrestleMania 22 in an Extreme Rules match. When RVD won, the title became property of the ECW brand. RVD became the first person to hold both the WWE and ECW World Championship. [82]
80 Edge 2 July 3, 2006 76 Philadelphia, PA Raw This was a triple threat match, also involving John Cena. The title became exclusive on the Raw brand. [83]
81 John Cena 3 September 17, 2006 380 Toronto, ON Unforgiven This was a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. [84]
— Vacated — October 2, 2007 — Dayton, OH ECW on Sci Fi The title was vacated when Cena suffered a torn right pectoral tendon on the October 1 edition of Raw. [85]
82 Randy Orton 1 October 7, 2007 <1 Rosemont, IL No Mercy Orton was awarded the title by Mr. McMahon. [86]
83 Triple H 6 [87]
84 Randy Orton 2 203 This was a Last Man Standing match. [88]
85 Triple H 7 April 27, 2008 210 Baltimore, MD Backlash This was a Fatal-Four Way Elimination match, also involving John Cena and JBL. The title became a SmackDown-exclusive title once again after Triple H was drafted there on June 23, 2008. [89]
86 Edge 3 November 23, 2008 21 Boston, MA Survivor Series This was a triple threat match, also involving Vladimir Kozlov. Jeff Hardy was originally scheduled to take part in the match, but he did not participate after he was (in storyline) attacked before to the event. Triple H and Kozlov started the match before Edge was revealed as Hardy's surprise replacement. [90]
87 Jeff Hardy 1 December 14, 2008 42 Buffalo, NY Armageddon This match was a triple threat match, also involving Triple H. [91]
88 Edge 4 January 25, 2009 21 Detroit, MI Royal Rumble This was a no disqualification match. [92]
89 Triple H 8 February 15, 2009 70 Seattle, WA No Way Out This was an Elimination Chamber match, also involving Jeff Hardy, Vladimir Kozlov, The Undertaker and Big Show. The title became a Raw exclusive title once again after Triple H was drafted to Raw on April 13, 2009. [93]
90 Randy Orton 3 April 26, 2009 42 Providence, RI Backlash This was a six-man tag team match between Legacy (Orton, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes) and Triple H, Shane McMahon and Batista, in which Orton would win the championship if his team won. [94]
91 Batista 1 June 7, 2009 2 New Orleans, LA Extreme Rules This was a steel cage match. [95]
92 Randy Orton 4 June 15, 2009 90 Charlotte, NC Raw This match was a Fatal Four-Way match also involving Triple H, John Cena and Big Show. [96]
93 John Cena 4 September 13, 2009 21 Montreal, QC Breaking Point This was an "I Quit" match. If anyone would have interfered on Orton's behalf, he would have automatically lost the title. [97]
94 Randy Orton 5 October 4, 2009 21 Newark, NJ Hell in a Cell This was a Hell in a Cell match. [98]
95 John Cena 5 October 25, 2009 49 Pittsburgh, PA Bragging Rights This was a 60-Minute Anything Goes Iron Man match in which Cena won 6-5. Has Cena lost, he would have been forced to leave the Raw brand. [99]
96 Sheamus 1 December 13, 2009 70 San Antonio, TX TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs This was a Tables match. [100]
97 John Cena 6 February 21, 2010 <1 St. Louis, MO Elimination Chamber This match was an Elimination Chamber match, also involving Triple H, Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase and Kofi Kingston. [101]
98 Batista 2 35 Cena's celebration was interrupted by WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon. He said that Cena would be going to WrestleMania XXVI, only if he could beat Batista. McMahon then ordered Cena to face Batista in a previously unannounced match for the championship. [102]
99 John Cena 7 March 28, 2010 84 Glendale, AZ WrestleMania XXVI [103]
100 Sheamus 2 June 20, 2010 91 Uniondale, NY Fatal 4-Way This was a Fatal Four-Way match also involving Edge and Randy Orton. [104]
101 Randy Orton 6 September 19, 2010 64 Rosemont, IL Night of Champions This was a Six-Pack Challenge Elimination match also involving Edge, John Cena, Chris Jericho and Wade Barrett. [105]
102 The Miz 1 November 22, 2010 160 Orlando, FL Raw The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank contract after Orton was successful in defending the WWE Championship against Barrett. [106]
103 John Cena 8 May 1, 2011 77 Tampa, FL Extreme Rules This was a triple threat steel cage match also involving John Morrison. [107]
104 CM Punk 1 July 17, 2011 28 Rosemont, IL Money in the Bank Punk was scripted to leave WWE the day after with the championship. He returned on the July 25 episode of Raw; his reign was deemed to continue through this period. [108]
105 Rey Mysterio
(and CM Punk) 		1
(1) 		July 25, 2011 <1 Hampton, VA Raw Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final of an eight-man tournament to crown a new champion. CM Punk was also the WWE Champion at this time. [109]
106 John Cena
(and CM Punk) 		9
(1) 		20 CM Punk was also the WWE Champion at this time. [110]
— CM Punk 1 August 14, 2011 <1 Los Angeles, CA SummerSlam Punk defeated Cena in a match to determine who the undisputed champion was. This is considered a continuation of his first reign. Triple H acted as the guest referee.
107 Alberto Del Rio 1 August 14, 2011 35 Los Angeles, CA SummerSlam Del Rio cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated CM Punk, who had just become the undisputed WWE Champion but was attacked by Kevin Nash after defeating Cena. [111]
108 John Cena 10 September 18, 2011 14 Buffalo, NY Night of Champions [112]
109 Alberto Del Rio 2 October 2, 2011 49 New Orleans, LA Hell in a Cell This was a triple threat Hell in a Cell match also involving CM Punk. [113]
110 CM Punk 2 November 20, 2011 434 New York, NY Survivor Series [114]
111 The Rock 8 January 27, 2013 70 Phoenix, AZ Royal Rumble Punk originally won, but the match was restarted by Mr. McMahon because of interference by The Shield. [115]
112 John Cena 11 April 7, 2013 133 East Rutherford, NJ WrestleMania 29 [116]
113 Daniel Bryan 1 August 18, 2013 <1 Los Angeles, CA SummerSlam Triple H acted as the guest referee. [117]
114 Randy Orton 7 28 Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. Triple H, who attacked Bryan immediately before the match, acted as the special guest referee. [118]
115 Daniel Bryan 2 September 15, 2013 1 Detroit, MI Night of Champions [119]
- Vacated - September 16, 2013 - Cleveland, OH Raw Bryan was stripped of the title the night after Night of Champions by Triple H after referee Scott Armstrong said he had made a fast-count resulting in Bryan's win. [120]
116 Randy Orton 8 October 27, 2013 161 Miami, FL Hell in a Cell He defeated Daniel Bryan in a Hell in a Cell match for the vacant title with Shawn Michaels acting as the special guest referee.
On December 15, 2013 at the TLC pay-per-view, when Orton defeated John Cena, he unified the World Heavyweight Championship with his WWE Championship.
The title became known as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. 		[121]
117 Daniel Bryan 3 April 6, 2014 64 New Orleans, LA WrestleMania XXX This was a Triple Threat match which also included Batista, whom Bryan made submit to win the title. [122]
- Vacated - June 9, 2014 - Minneapolis, MN Raw Bryan was stripped of the title after he injured his neck. [123]
118 John Cena 12 June 29, 2014 49 Boston, MA Money in the Bank Defeated Alberto Del Rio, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Kane, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and Sheamus in a ladder match to win the vacant title. [124]
119 Brock Lesnar 4 August 17, 2014 224 Los Angeles, CA SummerSlam [125]
120 Seth Rollins 1 March 29, 2015 220 Santa Clara, CA WrestleMania 31 Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank during a singles match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, making it a Triple Threat match. Rollins pinned Reigns to win the match. [126]
Vacated - November 4, 2015 - Dublin, Ireland WWE Live Event (house show) Title was vacated after Rollins tore his ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus in his knee
121 Roman Reigns 1 November 22, 2015 <1 Atlanta, GA Survivor Series Defeated Dean Ambrose in the tournament finals for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship
122 Sheamus 3 23 Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
123 Roman Reigns 2 December 14, 2015 41 Philadelphia, PA Raw This was a Title vs. Career match. Had Reigns lost the match, he would have been fired from WWE.
124 Triple H 9 January 24, 2016 70 Orlando, FL Royal Rumble Triple H won the Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Dean Ambrose to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Also, eliminated defending champion Roman Reigns.
125 Roman Reigns 3 April 3, 2016 77 Arlington, TX WrestleMania 32
126 Seth Rollins 2 June 19, 2016 <1 Paradise, NV Money in the Bank
127 Dean Ambrose 1 84 Ambrose cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase he had won earlier that night.

On July 19, the championship became exclusive to the SmackDown brand after Ambrose was drafted there in the 2016 WWE draft. The title was also renamed back to "WWE Championship" and then "WWE World Championship" during this reign.

128 AJ Styles 1 September 11, 2016 140 Richmond, VA Backlash In December the title was renamed back to simply "WWE Championship"
129 John Cena 13 January 29, 2017 14 San Antonio, TX Royal Rumble Cena became a 16-time world champion and became listed by WWE alongside Ric Flair as having the most world championships in professional wrestling.
130 Bray Wyatt 1 February 12, 2017 49 Phoenix, AZ Elimination Chamber This was an Elimination Chamber match, also involving Cena, AJ Styles, The Miz, Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin.
131 Randy Orton 9 April 2, 2017 49 Orlando, FL WrestleMania 33
132 Jinder Mahal 1 May 21, 2017 170 Rosemont, IL Backlash Mahal pinned Orton to become the first ever WWE Champion of Indian descent at Backlash.

On August 15, Baron Corbin cashed in his Money In the Bank contract, however Mahal retained, resulting in a record for the shortest WWE Championship match at 6 seconds.

133 AJ Styles 2 November 7, 2017 371 Manchester, England SmackDown This was a title vs. career 3-on-1 handicap match, also involving The Singh Brothers as Mahal's tag team partners. This was the first time the WWE Championship changed hands in the UK.
134 Daniel Bryan 4 November 13, 2018 145 St. Louis, MO Bryan introduced a new "eco-friendly" WWE Championship design.
135 Kofi Kingston 1 April 7, 2019 180 East Rutherford, NJ WrestleMania 35 Kingston became the first African-born WWE Champion. The old design was brought back.
136 Brock Lesnar 5 October 4, 2019 184 Los Angeles, CA SmackDown On November 1, 2019, Lesnar quit SmackDown and went to Raw, taking the title with him.
137 Drew McIntyre 1 April 5, 2020 214 Orlando, FL WrestleMania 36 (Night 2) McIntyre became the first British WWE Champion. This match was taped on March 25, with WWE listing this reign as lasting 202 days.
138 Randy Orton 10 October 25, 2020 22 Hell in a Cell This was a Hell in a Cell match.
139 Drew McIntyre 2 November 16, 2020 97 Raw This was a no disqualification and no countout match.
140 The Miz 2 February 21, 2021 8 St. Petersburg, FL Elimination Chamber This was Miz's Money in the Bank cash-in match.
141 Bobby Lashley 1 March 1, 2021 196 Raw This was a lumberjack match.
142 Big E 1 September 13, 2021 110 Boston, MA This was Big E's Money in the Bank cash-in match.
143 Brock Lesnar 6 January 1, 2022 28 Atlanta, GA Day 1 This was a fatal five-way match also involving Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins.
144 Bobby Lashley 2 January 29, 2022 21 St. Louis, MO Royal Rumble
145 Brock Lesnar 7 February 19, 2022 43 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Elimination Chamber This was an Elimination Chamber match, also involving AJ Styles, Austin Theory, Riddle and Seth Rollins.
146 Roman Reigns 4 April 3, 2022 735 Arlington, TX WrestleMania 38 (Night 2) This was a Winner Takes All match in which Reigns also defended his Universal Championship. Both titles became listed together as the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand following the 2023 WWE Draft.
147 Cody Rhodes 1 April 7, 2024 378 Philadelphia, PA WrestleMania XL (Night 2) This was a Bloodline Rules match in which Reigns also defended the Universal Championship. Rhodes was drafted to SmackDown following his win. Both titles together were renamed to "Undisputed WWE Championship".
148 John Cena 14 April 20, 2025 21 Paradise, NV WrestleMania 41 (Night 2)

List of combined reigns

change

As of May 11, 2025.

Key
Rec Recognized by the promotion
† Current champion; reign changing daily
<1 Reign was less than a day
Rank Champion No. of

reigns

Combined days
Actual Recognized

by WWE

1 Bruno Sammartino 2 4,040
2 Hulk Hogan 6 2,185
3 Bob Backlund 2 2,121 2,138
4 John Cena † 14 1,275+ 1,274+
5 Pedro Morales 1 1,027
6 Roman Reigns 4 853 850
7 Brock Lesnar 7 823 828
8 Randy Orton 10 680 674
9 Bret Hart 5 654
10 Triple H 9 609 605
11 Stone Cold Steve Austin 6 529 528
12 Randy Savage 2 520
13 AJ Styles 2 511
14 CM Punk 2 462
15 Shawn Michaels 3 396
16 Cody Rhodes 1 378 377
17 The Rock 8 367 373
18 Diesel 1 358
19 Drew McIntyre 2 311 298
20 Kurt Angle 4 297 295
21 "Superstar" Billy Graham 1 296
22 The Ultimate Warrior 1 293
23 Yokozuna 2 280
John "Bradshaw" Layfield 1 280 279
25 The Undertaker 4 238 237
26 Seth Rollins 2 221 220
27 Bobby Lashley 2 217 215
28 Daniel Bryan 4 210 207
29 Sheamus 3 183 181
30 Kofi Kingston 1 180
31 Jinder Mahal 1 170 169
32 The Miz 2 168 167
33 Edge 4 139 135
34 Eddie Guerrero 1 133 132
35 Ric Flair 2 118
36 Big E 1 110
37 Chris Jericho 1 98 97
38 Sycho Sid 2 97
39 Alberto Del Rio 2 84 82
Dean Ambrose 1 84 83
41 Big Show 2 78 77
42 Sgt. Slaughter 1 64
43 Bray Wyatt 1 49 48
44 Mankind 3 47 36
45 Jeff Hardy 1 42 41
46 Batista 2 37 36
47 Buddy Rogers 1 36 21
48 The Iron Sheik 1 28
49 Rob Van Dam 1 22 21
50 Ivan Koloff 1 21
51 Stan Stasiak 1 9
— Ted DiBiase — 8 —
Antonio Inoki 6
52 Vince McMahon 1 6 4
53 Kane 1 1
54 Rey Mysterio 1 <1
André the Giant 1 <1

References

change
  1. ↑ "Bruno Sammartino's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2007-03-18. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  2. ↑ "Ivan Koloff's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-15. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  3. ↑ "Pedro Morales's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  4. ↑ "Stan Stasiak's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-12-10. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  5. ↑ "Bruno Sammartino's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-24. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  6. ↑ "Billy Graham's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-24. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  7. ↑ "Bob Backlund's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-11-29. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  8. ↑ "Bob Backlund bio". WWE. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  9. ↑ "WWE Championship Title History".
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "WWWF/WWF/WWE Heavyweight Title History". The History of the WWE. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  11. ↑ "The Iron Sheik's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-12-31. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  12. ↑ "Hulk Hogan's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-20. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Andre the Giant's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  14. ↑ "Randy Savage's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  15. ↑ "Hulk Hogan's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  16. ↑ "The Ultimate Warrior's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-12-31. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  17. ↑ "Sgt. Slaughter's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  18. ↑ "Hulk Hogan's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-12-30. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  19. ↑ "The Undertaker's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Hulk Hogan's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-23. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  21. ↑ "Ric Flair's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  22. ↑ "Randy Savage's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  23. ↑ "Ric Flair's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  24. ↑ "Bret Hart's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-12-31. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  25. ↑ "Yokozuna's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  26. ↑ "Hulk Hogan's fifth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-19. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  27. ↑ "Yokozuna's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  28. ↑ "Bret Hart's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-16. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  29. ↑ "Bob Backlund's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-17. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  30. ↑ "Diesel's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-17. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  31. ↑ "Bret Hart's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-17. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  32. ↑ "Shawn Michaels's reign". WWE. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  33. ↑ "Sycho Sid's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Shawn Michaels's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  35. ↑ "Bret Hart's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-19. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  36. ↑ "Sycho Sid's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  37. ↑ "The Undertaker's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  38. ↑ "Bret Hart's fifth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-11-29. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  39. ↑ "Shawn Michaels's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  40. ↑ "Steve Austin's first reign". WWE. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  41. ↑ "Kane's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-06-23. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 "Steve Austin's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  43. ↑ "Home". WWE.
  44. ↑ "The Rock's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-11-25. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  45. ↑ "Mankind's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  46. ↑ "The Rock's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-17. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  47. ↑ "Mankind's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  48. ↑ "The Rock's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-11-25. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  49. ↑ "Steve Austin's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  50. ↑ "The Undertaker's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  51. ↑ "Steve Austin's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  52. ↑ "Mankind's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  53. ↑ "Triple H's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 "Mr. McMahon's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  55. ↑ "Triple H's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  56. ↑ "The Big Show's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  57. ↑ "Triple H's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-18. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  58. ↑ "The Rock's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-11-30. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  59. ↑ "WWE Championship - The Rock". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-11-30. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  60. ↑ "The Rock's fifth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-10-01. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  61. ↑ "Kurt Angle's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  62. ↑ "The Rock's sixth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-09-24. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  63. ↑ "Steve Austin's fifth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  64. ↑ "Kurt Angle's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  65. ↑ "Steve Austin's sixth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  66. ↑ "Chris Jericho's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  67. ↑ "Lita's second time after losing wwf champion by reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  68. ↑ "Hulk Hogan's sixth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  69. ↑ "The Undertaker's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-12-27. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  70. ↑ "The Rock's seventh reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-26. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  71. ↑ "Brock Lesnar's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  72. ↑ "The Big Show's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  73. ↑ "Kurt Angle's third reign". WWE. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  74. ↑ "Brock Lesnar's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  75. ↑ "Kurt Angle's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  76. ↑ "Brock Lesnar's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2005-07-15. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  77. ↑ "Eddie Guerrero's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  78. ↑ "John Bradshaw Layfield's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  79. ↑ "John Cena's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  80. ↑ "Edge's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  81. ↑ "John Cena's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-26. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  82. ↑ "Rob Van Dam's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  83. ↑ "Edge's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  84. ↑ "John Cena's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  85. ↑ "Mr. McMahon vacates Cena's WWE Championship". WWE. 2007-10-02. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  86. ↑ "Randy Orton's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  87. ↑ "Triple H's sixth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  88. ↑ "Randy Orton's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  89. ↑ "Triple H's seventh reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  90. ↑ "Edge's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  91. ↑ "Jeff Hardy's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  92. ↑ "Edge's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  93. ↑ "Triple H's eighth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2009-02-25. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  94. ↑ "Orton's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  95. ↑ "Batista's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-19. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  96. ↑ "Orton's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  97. ↑ "Cena's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2009-09-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  98. ↑ "Orton's fifth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  99. ↑ "Cena's fifth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  100. ↑ "Sheamus' first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2009-12-17. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  101. ↑ "Cena's sixth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2010-02-25. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  102. ↑ "Batista's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-19. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  103. ↑ "John Cena's seventh reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  104. ↑ "Sheamus' second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-21. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  105. ↑ "Randy Orton's sixth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2010-09-24. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  106. ↑ "The Miz's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2010-12-08. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  107. ↑ "John Cena's eighth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  108. ↑ "CM Punk's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  109. ↑ "Rey Mysterio's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  110. ↑ "John Cena's ninth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  111. ↑ "Alberto Del Rio's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  112. ↑ "John Cena's tenth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-09-24. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  113. ↑ "Alberto Del Rio's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  114. ↑ "CM Punk's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-24. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  115. ↑ "The Rock's eighth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2013-01-31. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  116. ↑ "John Cena's eleventh reign". WWE. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  117. ↑ "Daniel Bryan's first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  118. ↑ "Randy Orton's seventh reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  119. ↑ "Daniel Bryan's second reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  120. ↑ Benigno, Anthony. "WWE COO Triple H stripped Daniel Bryan of the WWE Championship". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
  121. ↑ "Randy Orton's eighth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  122. ↑ "Daniel Bryan's third reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  123. ↑ "Stephanie McMahon strips Daniel Bryan of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship". WWE. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  124. ↑ "John Cena's twelfth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
  125. ↑ "Brock Lesnar's fourth reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  126. ↑ "Seth Rollins' first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-30.

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