
TheWWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is aprofessional wrestlingworld heavyweight championship inWWE, defended on theSmackDownbrand. It was the first world title established in WWE, at the time known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), having been introduced in 1963 as the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. The WWWF, aNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territory, did not recognizeLou Thesz's victory over reigning NWA championBuddy Rogers and sought to create its own world title upon exiting the body.[a] The WWWF rejoined the NWA in 1971; however, one of the caveats of rejoining is that the championship would no longer be recognized as a "world championship", and only as a regional heavyweight championship.[1] The promotion was renamed World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979 and ended its affiliation with the (NWA) in 1983, with the title also renamed to reflect the changes; it regained its world championship status upon leaving the NWA. In 2001, it wasunified with theWorld Championship and became theUndisputed WWF Championship.[2][3] In 2002, the WWF was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) andsplit its roster into two brands,Raw andSmackDown.[4][5] The title, now renamed the WWE Championship, was then designated to the SmackDown brand while WWE established an alternate world title known as theWorld Heavyweight Championship for the Raw brand. A third alternate world title, theECW World Heavyweight Championship, was reactivated for theECW brand in 2006. It was vacated and decommissioned when the ECW brand disbanded in 2010.[6]
When WWE ChampionRandy Orton defeated World Heavyweight ChampionJohn Cena at theTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairspay-per-view event on December 15, 2013, in aTables, ladders, and chairs match, the World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the WWE Championship, resulting in the retiring of the former,[7] as well as the renaming of the latter to theWWE World Heavyweight Championship. On June 27, 2016, the name was shortened back to the WWE Championship,[8] before assuming the WWE World Championship name on July 26, when the brand split returned. It became designated to the SmackDown brand and WWE again established an alternate world title known as theWWE Universal Championship for the Raw brand. In December 2016, WWE again shortened the title's name back to WWE Championship.[9] From April 2022 to April 2024, the title represented one-half of theUndisputed WWE Universal Championship, with the other half represented by the Universal Championship, but both titles retained their individual lineages. Under the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship moniker, the title was moved to SmackDown in the2023 draft and Raw established a newWorld Heavyweight Championship as an alternative title.
The championship is generally contested inprofessional wrestling matches, in which participants executescripted finishes rather than contend indirect competition. Some reigns were held by champions using aring name while others use theirreal name.Cody Rhodes is the current champion in his second reign. He won theUndisputed WWE Championship by defeatingJohn Cena in aStreet Fight atSummerSlam Night 2 on August 3, 2025, inEast Rutherford, New Jersey.
As of November 23, 2025, there have been 149 recognized reigns between 55 recognized champions and 11 recognized vacancies (there are 4 reigns, 2 people, and 2 vacancies that are not recognized by the WWE). The first champion wasBuddy Rogers, who was awarded the championship in 1963. The champion with the single longest reign isBruno Sammartino with a reign of 2,803 days while the record for longest combined reign is also held by Sammartino at 4,040.John Cena has the most reigns with 14. Ten men in history have held the championship for a continuous reign of one year (365 days) or more: Bruno Sammartino (who achieved the feat on two occasions),Pedro Morales,Bob Backlund,Hulk Hogan,Randy Savage,John Cena,CM Punk,AJ Styles,Roman Reigns, andCody Rhodes. Of those ten, four held the championship for a continuous reign of 1,000 days or more:Bruno Sammartino (who achieved the feat on two occasions),Pedro Morales,Bob Backlund, andHulk Hogan.[10]
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| WWWF World Heavyweight Championship | April 11, 1963 – February 8, 1971 |
| WWWF Heavyweight Championship | February 8, 1971 – March 1, 1979 |
| WWF Heavyweight Championship | March 1, 1979 – December 26, 1983 |
| WWF World Heavyweight Championship | December 26, 1983 – May 27, 1989 |
| WWF Championship | May 27, 1989[citation needed] – December 9, 2001 |
| Undisputed WWF Championship | December 9, 2001[3] – May 6, 2002[4] |
| Undisputed WWE Championship | May 6, 2002[4] – May 19, 2002 |
| WWE Undisputed Championship | May 19, 2002 – September 2, 2002[11] |
| WWE Championship | September 2, 2002[11] – December 15, 2013 |
| Undisputed WWE Championship | August 14, 2011[12] – August 15, 2011 |
| WWE World Heavyweight Championship | December 15, 2013 – June 27, 2016 |
| WWE Championship | June 27, 2016[13][14] – July 24, 2016 |
| WWE World Championship | July 25, 2016[15] – December 9, 2016 |
| WWE Championship | December 10, 2016[9] – present |
| Undisputed WWE Universal Championship | April 3, 2022 – April 7, 2024 |
| Undisputed WWE Championship | April 7, 2024 – present |
As of November 23, 2025.
| No. | Overall reign number |
|---|---|
| Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
| Days | Number of days held |
| Days recog. | Number of days held recognized by the promotion |
| † | Championship change is unrecognized by the promotion |
| <1 | Reign lasted less than a day |
| + | Current reign is changing daily |
| No. | Champion | Championship change | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | Days recog. | ||||||
| World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) | |||||||||||
| 1 | Buddy Rogers | April 1, 1963 | Heavyweight Wrestling | Washington, D.C. | 1 | 36 | 21 | Rogers had beenNWA World Heavyweight Champion since 1961. After Rogers lost the title toLou Thesz on January 24, 1963,Northeast promoters did not recognize this title change and withdrew from theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) to form the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). The WWWF continued to recognize Rogers as world champion and awarded him with the WWWFtitle belt on April 1, 1963. WWE recognizes the reign as starting on April 25, 1963. | [16][17][18] [19][20][21] [22] | ||
| 2 | Bruno Sammartino | May 17, 1963 | House show | New York, NY | 1 | 2,803 | 2,803 | [23] | |||
| 3 | Ivan Koloff | January 18, 1971 | House show | New York, NY | 1 | 21 | 21 | [24] | |||
| 4 | Pedro Morales | February 8, 1971 | House show | New York, NY | 1 | 1,027 | 1,027 | The title was renamed the WWWF Heavyweight Championship when the WWWF rejoined the NWA in 1971. | [25] | ||
| National Wrestling Alliance:World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF)[b] | |||||||||||
| 5 | Stan Stasiak | December 1, 1973 | House show | Philadelphia, PA | 1 | 9 | 9 | [26] | |||
| 6 | Bruno Sammartino | December 10, 1973 | House show | New York, NY | 2 | 1,237 | 1,237 | [27] | |||
| 7 | "Superstar" Billy Graham | April 30, 1977 | House show | Baltimore, MD | 1 | 296 | 296 | [28] | |||
| 8 | Bob Backlund | February 20, 1978 | WWF on MSG Network | New York, NY | 1 | 648 | 2,135 | The WWWF was renamed World Wrestling Federation in March 1979 and the title renamed accordingly. | [29][30][31] | ||
| National Wrestling Alliance:World Wrestling Federation (WWF)[c] | |||||||||||
| † | Antonio Inoki | November 30, 1979 | Toukon Series | Tokushima, Japan | — | 6 | — | Due to the controversial nature of the championship match, the WWE has since acknowledged that the match took place however the title did not change hands due to the finish.Corey Graves in 2024 stated on an episode ofSmackDown that Inoki had a "legitimate claim" to the WWE Championship in a match betweenShinsuke Nakamura andLA Knight in reference to this match. | [17][32][33][34] | ||
| — | Vacated | December 6, 1979 | — | Tokyo, Japan | — | — | — | Inoki immediately vacated the title after a title defense rematch withBob Backlund ended in ano contest due to the interference ofNew Japan Pro-Wrestling'sTiger Jeet Singh. | [17][32] | ||
| † | Bob Backlund | December 17, 1979 | WWF on MSG Network | New York, NY | 1 | 1,470 | — | DefeatedBobby Duncum in aTexas deathmatch to fill the vacancy. On October 19, 1981, following a controversial match withGreg Valentine inMadison Square Garden, the title was vacated (recognized only inNew York City) by the NY State Athletic Commission. Backlund defeated Valentine in a rematch in MSG on November 23, 1981, to end the vacancy. WWE recognizes this whole period as one uninterrupted reign. | [17][32][35][36] | ||
| 9 | The Iron Sheik | December 26, 1983 | WWF on MSG Network | New York, NY | 1 | 28 | 28 | The Iron Sheik won by submission whenBob Backlund's managerArnold Skaaland threw in the towel to prevent any major injury. The title was renamed the WWF World Heavyweight Championship when the WWF ended its affiliation with the NWA. | [37][38] | ||
| World Wrestling Federation (WWF) | |||||||||||
| 10 | Hulk Hogan | January 23, 1984 | WWF on MSG Network | New York, NY | 1 | 1,474 | 1,474 | [39] | |||
| 11 | André the Giant | February 5, 1988 | The Main Event I | Indianapolis, IN | 1 | <1 | <1 | DefeatedHulk Hogan whenrefereeEarl Hebner, who was bribed byTed DiBiase, scored thethree-count despite Hoganraising his shoulder at the one-count. | [40] | ||
| † | Ted DiBiase | February 5, 1988 | The Main Event I | Indianapolis, IN | 1 | 8 | — | Immediately after winning the title fromHulk Hogan,André the Giant handed thechampionship belt toTed DiBiase, butWWF PresidentJack Tunney refused to recognize DiBiase's reign and declared the title vacant. However, in the subsequent days DiBiase defended the title once againstBam Bam Bigelow in a February 8, 1988house show. | [32][40] | ||
| — | Vacated | February 13, 1988 | Superstars of Wrestling | Hershey, PA | — | — | — | WWF PresidentJack Tunney refused to recognizeTed DiBiase as champion and vacated the title. WWE recognizes the vacancy as starting on February 5, 1988, the date of the controversy, rather than decision being aired ontape delay on February 13, 1988. | [32][40] | ||
| 12 | Randy Savage | March 27, 1988 | WrestleMania IV | Atlantic City, NJ | 1 | 371 | 371 | DefeatedTed DiBiase in atournament final to win the vacant title. | [41] | ||
| 13 | Hulk Hogan | April 2, 1989 | WrestleMania V | Atlantic City, NJ | 2 | 364 | 364 | The title was renamed the WWF Championship in May 1989.[citation needed] | [42] | ||
| 14 | The Ultimate Warrior | April 1, 1990 | WrestleMania VI | Toronto, ON, Canada | 1 | 293 | 293 | This was atitle vs. title match in which Warrior also defended theIntercontinental Championship. | [43] | ||
| 15 | Sgt. Slaughter | January 19, 1991 | Royal Rumble | Miami, FL | 1 | 64 | 64 | [44] | |||
| 16 | Hulk Hogan | March 24, 1991 | WrestleMania VII | Los Angeles, CA | 3 | 248 | 248 | [45] | |||
| 17 | The Undertaker | November 27, 1991 | Survivor Series | Detroit, MI | 1 | 6 | 6 | [46] | |||
| 18 | Hulk Hogan | December 3, 1991 | This Tuesday in Texas | San Antonio, TX | 4 | 1 | 1 | [47] | |||
| — | Vacated | December 4, 1991 | Superstars of Wrestling | Austin, TX | — | — | — | Hogan was stripped of the title byWWF PresidentJack Tunney due to the controversy surrounding both of the previous title changes. Aired ontape delay on December 7, 1991. | [47] | ||
| 19 | Ric Flair | January 19, 1992 | Royal Rumble | Albany, NY | 1 | 77 | 77 | This was theRoyal Rumble match. Flair last eliminatedSid Justice to win the vacant title. | [48] | ||
| 20 | Randy Savage | April 5, 1992 | WrestleMania VIII | Indianapolis, IN | 2 | 149 | 149 | [49] | |||
| 21 | Ric Flair | September 1, 1992 | Prime Time Wrestling | Hershey, PA | 2 | 41 | 41 | Aired on tape delay on September 14, 1992.[50][51] | [52] | ||
| 22 | Bret Hart | October 12, 1992 | House show | Saskatoon, SK, Canada | 1 | 174 | 174 | [53] | |||
| 23 | Yokozuna | April 4, 1993 | WrestleMania IX | Paradise, NV | 1 | <1 | <1 | [54] | |||
| 24 | Hulk Hogan | April 4, 1993 | WrestleMania IX | Paradise, NV | 5 | 70 | 70 | After Yokozuna pinnedBret Hart to win the title, Yokozuna's manager,Mr. Fuji, immediately challenged Hogan. Hogan accepted and won the title. | [55] | ||
| 25 | Yokozuna | June 13, 1993 | King of the Ring | Dayton, OH | 2 | 280 | 280 | [56] | |||
| 26 | Bret Hart | March 20, 1994 | WrestleMania X | New York, NY | 2 | 248 | 248 | Roddy Piper was theguest referee. | [57] | ||
| 27 | Bob Backlund | November 23, 1994 | Survivor Series | San Antonio, TX | 2 | 3 | 3 | This was aThrow in the Towel match. | [58] | ||
| 28 | Diesel | November 26, 1994 | House show | New York, NY | 1 | 358 | 358 | [59] | |||
| 29 | Bret Hart | November 19, 1995 | Survivor Series | Landover, MD | 3 | 133 | 133 | This was ano disqualification match. | [60] | ||
| 30 | Shawn Michaels | March 31, 1996 | WrestleMania XII | Anaheim, CA | 1 | 231 | 231 | This was a60-minute Iron Man match in which Michaels won 1–0 in overtime. | [61] | ||
| 31 | Sycho Sid | November 17, 1996 | Survivor Series | New York, NY | 1 | 63 | 63 | [62] | |||
| 32 | Shawn Michaels | January 19, 1997 | Royal Rumble | San Antonio, TX | 2 | 25 | 25 | [63] | |||
| — | Vacated | February 13, 1997 | Raw | Lowell, MA | — | — | — | Shawn Michaels forfeited the title due to a knee injury. | [63] | ||
| 33 | Bret Hart | February 16, 1997 | In Your House 13: Final Four | Chattanooga, TN | 4 | 1 | 1 | This was afour corners elimination match for the vacant title also involvingStone Cold Steve Austin,The Undertaker, andVader. | [64] | ||
| 34 | Sycho Sid | February 17, 1997 | Raw | Nashville, TN | 2 | 34 | 34 | [65] | |||
| 35 | The Undertaker | March 23, 1997 | WrestleMania 13 | Rosemont, IL | 2 | 133 | 133 | This was ano disqualification match. | [66] | ||
| 36 | Bret Hart | August 3, 1997 | SummerSlam | East Rutherford, NJ | 5 | 98 | 98 | Shawn Michaels was theguest referee. | [67] | ||
| 37 | Shawn Michaels | November 9, 1997 | Survivor Series | Montreal, QC, Canada | 3 | 140 | 140 | This was theMontreal Screwjob. | [68] | ||
| 38 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | March 29, 1998 | WrestleMania XIV | Boston, MA | 1 | 91 | 91 | Mike Tyson was thespecial outside enforcer. | [69] | ||
| 39 | Kane | June 28, 1998 | King of the Ring | Pittsburgh, PA | 1 | 1 | 1 | This was aFirst Blood match; had Kane lost, he would have set himself on fire. | [70] | ||
| 40 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | June 29, 1998 | Raw | Cleveland, OH | 2 | 90 | 90 | [71] | |||
| — | Vacated | September 27, 1998 | Breakdown: In Your House | Hamilton, ON, Canada | — | — | — | The title was vacated afterKane andThe Undertaker simultaneously pinnedSteve Austin in atriple threat match.[72] | [71] | ||
| 41 | The Rock | November 15, 1998 | Survivor Series | St. Louis, MO | 1 | 44 | 50 | DefeatedMankind in the finals of theDeadly Game tournament in a recreation of theMontreal Screwjob to win the vacant title. WWE recognizes The Rock's reign as ending on January 4, 1999, when the following episode aired ontape delay. | [73] | ||
| 42 | Mankind | December 29, 1998 | Raw | Worcester, MA | 1 | 26 | 20 | This was ano disqualification match. WWE recognizes Mankind's reign as beginning on January 4, 1999, when the episode aired ontape delay. | [74] | ||
| 43 | The Rock | January 24, 1999 | Royal Rumble | Anaheim, CA | 2 | 2 | 7 | This was an"I quit" match which The Rock won by knockingMankind unconscious while an audio recording of Mankind saying "I quit" was played when The Rock placed the microphone against his face. WWE recognizes The Rock's reign as ending on January 31, 1999, when the following match aired ontape delay. | [75] | ||
| 44 | Mankind | January 26, 1999 | Halftime Heat | Tucson, AZ | 2 | 20 | 15 | This was anEmpty Arena match that aired ontape delay as a special during halftime ofSuper Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999, the date WWE recognizes as the beginning of Mankind's reign. | [76] | ||
| 45 | The Rock | February 15, 1999 | Raw | Birmingham, AL | 3 | 41 | 41 | This was aladder match. | [77] | ||
| 46 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | March 28, 1999 | WrestleMania XV | Philadelphia, PA | 3 | 56 | 56 | This was ano disqualification match withMankind as theguest referee. | [78] | ||
| 47 | The Undertaker | May 23, 1999 | Over the Edge | Kansas City, MO | 3 | 36 | 36 | BothVince McMahon andShane McMahon were theguest referees. If Austin had been disqualified, he would have lost the championship. | [79] | ||
| 48 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | June 28, 1999 | Raw | Charlotte, NC | 4 | 55 | 55 | IfThe Undertaker had been disqualified, he would have lost the championship. | [80] | ||
| 49 | Mankind | August 22, 1999 | SummerSlam | Minneapolis, MN | 3 | 1 | 1 | This was atriple threat match also involvingTriple H.Jesse Ventura was theguest referee. | [81] | ||
| 50 | Triple H | August 23, 1999 | Raw | Ames, IA | 1 | 22 | 24 | Shane McMahon was theguest referee. WWE recognizes Triple H's reign as ending on September 16, 1999, when the following episode aired ontape delay. | [82] | ||
| 51 | Vince McMahon | September 14, 1999 | SmackDown! | Paradise, NV | 1 | 6 | 4 | Shane McMahon was theguest referee. WWE recognizes Vince McMahon's reign as beginning on September 16, 1999, when the episode aired ontape delay. | [83] | ||
| — | Vacated | September 20, 1999 | Raw | Houston, TX | — | — | — | Vince McMahon vacated the title. | [83] | ||
| 52 | Triple H | September 26, 1999 | Unforgiven | Charlotte, NC | 2 | 49 | 49 | This was asix-men elimination match for the vacant title, also involvingBig Show,The British Bulldog,Kane,Mankind, andThe Rock.Steve Austin was theoutside enforcer. | [84] | ||
| 53 | Big Show | November 14, 1999 | Survivor Series | Detroit, MI | 1 | 50 | 50 | This was atriple threat match also involvingThe Rock. Big Show replacedSteve Austin who had been (in storyline) run over by a car earlier in the night. | [85] | ||
| 54 | Triple H | January 3, 2000 | Raw | Miami, FL | 3 | 118 | 117 | [86] | |||
| 55 | The Rock | April 30, 2000 | Backlash | Washington, D.C. | 4 | 21 | 20 | Shane McMahon was theguest referee. | [87] | ||
| 56 | Triple H | May 21, 2000 | Judgment Day | Louisville, KY | 4 | 35 | 34 | This was a 60-minuteIron Man match which Triple H won 6–5.Shawn Michaels was theguest referee. | [88] | ||
| 57 | The Rock | June 25, 2000 | King of the Ring | Boston, MA | 5 | 119 | 118 | This was asix-man tag team match withKane, The Rock, andThe Undertaker vs.Triple H,Shane McMahon, andVince McMahon. Pre-match stipulation stated if The Rock, Kane or Undertaker scored the fall, he would win the title. The Rock pinned Vince to win Triple H's title. | [89] | ||
| 58 | Kurt Angle | October 22, 2000 | No Mercy | Albany, NY | 1 | 126 | 125 | This was ano disqualification match. | [90] | ||
| 59 | The Rock | February 25, 2001 | No Way Out | Paradise, NV | 6 | 35 | 34 | [91] | |||
| 60 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | April 1, 2001 | WrestleMania X-Seven | Houston, TX | 5 | 175 | 175 | This was ano disqualification match. | [92] | ||
| 61 | Kurt Angle | September 23, 2001 | Unforgiven | Pittsburgh, PA | 2 | 15 | 14 | [93] | |||
| 62 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | October 8, 2001 | Raw | Indianapolis, IN | 6 | 62 | 61 | [94] | |||
| 63 | Chris Jericho | December 9, 2001 | Vengeance | San Diego, CA | 1 | 98 | 97 | Jericho had defeatedThe Rock for the(WCW) World Championship earlier the same night. By defeatingStone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship, Jerichounified both titles to becomeUndisputed WWF Championship. | [95] | ||
| 64 | Triple H | March 17, 2002 | WrestleMania X8 | Toronto, ON, Canada | 5 | 35 | 34 | In late March 2002, WWE's roster wassplit into two brands, with most championships assigned to be exclusive to a specific brand. The Undisputed WWF Championship remained non-exclusive at this time. | [96] | ||
| 65 | Hollywood Hulk Hogan | April 21, 2002 | Backlash | Kansas City, MO | 6 | 28 | 28 | After the WWF was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) due to a lawsuit by theWorld Wide Fund for Nature on May 6, 2002, the title was also renamed Undisputed WWE Championship and then WWE Undisputed Championship. | [97] | ||
| World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) | |||||||||||
| 66 | The Undertaker | May 19, 2002 | Judgment Day | Nashville, TN | 4 | 63 | 62 | [98] | |||
| 67 | The Rock | July 21, 2002 | Vengeance | Detroit, MI | 7 | 35 | 34 | This was atriple threat match also involvingKurt Angle who Rock pinned. | [99] | ||
| 68 | Brock Lesnar | August 25, 2002 | SummerSlam | Uniondale, NY | 1 | 84 | 83 | The following night, Lesnar signed a deal, making the championship exclusive toSmackDown. TheWorld Heavyweight Championship was then created for theRaw brand and, on September 2, 2002, the WWE Undisputed Championship was renamed WWE Championship. | [100] | ||
| WWE:SmackDown | |||||||||||
| 69 | Big Show | November 17, 2002 | Survivor Series | New York, NY | 2 | 28 | 27 | [101] | |||
| 70 | Kurt Angle | December 15, 2002 | Armageddon | Sunrise, FL | 3 | 105 | 104 | [102] | |||
| 71 | Brock Lesnar | March 30, 2003 | WrestleMania XIX | Seattle, WA | 2 | 119 | 118 | Had Angle been counted out or disqualified, he would have lost the title to Lesnar. | [103] | ||
| 72 | Kurt Angle | July 27, 2003 | Vengeance | Denver, CO | 4 | 51 | 52 | This was atriple threat match also involvingBig Show. WWE recognizes Angle's reign as ending on September 18, 2003, when the following episode aired ontape delay. | [104] | ||
| 73 | Brock Lesnar | September 16, 2003 | SmackDown! | Raleigh, NC | 3 | 152 | 150 | This was a 60-minuteIron Man match, which Lesnar won 5–4. WWE recognizes Lesnar's reign as beginning on September 18, 2003, when the episode aired ontape delay. | [105] | ||
| 74 | Eddie Guerrero | February 15, 2004 | No Way Out | Daly City, CA | 1 | 133 | 132 | [106][107] | |||
| 75 | John "Bradshaw" Layfield | June 27, 2004 | The Great American Bash | Norfolk, VA | 1 | 280 | 279 | This was aTexas bullrope match. | [108][109] | ||
| 76 | John Cena | April 3, 2005 | WrestleMania 21 | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | 280 | 280 | The title became exclusive to theRaw brand following the2005 draft. | [110][111] | ||
| WWE:Raw | |||||||||||
| 77 | Edge | January 8, 2006 | New Year's Revolution | Albany, NY | 1 | 21 | 20 | This was Edge'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. | [112][113] | ||
| 78 | John Cena | January 29, 2006 | Royal Rumble | Miami, FL | 2 | 133 | 133 | [114][115] | |||
| 79 | Rob Van Dam | June 11, 2006 | ECW One Night Stand | New York, NY | 1 | 22 | 21 | This was Van Dam'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. This was anExtreme Rules match. Due to Van Dam's status as anECW wrestler, theECW World Heavyweight Championship was subsequently reactivated for the brand and awarded to Van Dam. | [116][117] | ||
| WWE:ECW | |||||||||||
| 80 | Edge | July 3, 2006 | Raw | Philadelphia, PA | 2 | 76 | 75 | This was atriple threat match also involvingJohn Cena. The title became exclusive to theRaw brand due to Edge's status as a Raw wrestler. | [118][119] | ||
| WWE:Raw | |||||||||||
| 81 | John Cena | September 17, 2006 | Unforgiven | Toronto, ON, Canada | 3 | 380 | 380 | This was aTables, Ladders and Chairs match. Had John Cena lost, he would have had toleave theRaw brand. | [120] | ||
| — | Vacated | October 2, 2007 | ECW | Dayton, OH | — | — | — | The title was vacated whenJohn Cena suffered an injury. | [121] | ||
| 82 | Randy Orton | October 7, 2007 | No Mercy | Rosemont, IL | 1 | <1 | <1 | Orton was originally scheduled challengeJohn Cena for the title, but due to Cena vacating the title, Orton was awarded the title and had to immediately defend it againstTriple H. | [122] | ||
| 83 | Triple H | October 7, 2007 | No Mercy | Rosemont, IL | 6 | <1 | <1 | After winning the championship, Triple H had to defend the title the same night, first in a previously scheduled match againstUmaga and then againstRandy Orton, who invoked his rematch clause. | [123] | ||
| 84 | Randy Orton | October 7, 2007 | No Mercy | Rosemont, IL | 2 | 203 | 202 | This was aLast Man Standing match. | [124] | ||
| 85 | Triple H | April 27, 2008 | Backlash | Baltimore, MD | 7 | 210 | 209 | This was afour-way elimination match also involvingJohn Cena andJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield. The title became exclusive to theSmackDown brand following the2008 draft. | [125][126] | ||
| WWE:SmackDown | |||||||||||
| 86 | Edge | November 23, 2008 | Survivor Series | Boston, MA | 3 | 21 | 20 | This was atriple threat match also involvingVladimir Kozlov.Jeff Hardy had originally been scheduled to take part in the match, but he did not participate after being (in storyline) attacked prior to the event.Triple H and Kozlov started the match before Edge was revealed as Hardy's surprise replacement. | [127] | ||
| 87 | Jeff Hardy | December 14, 2008 | Armageddon | Buffalo, NY | 1 | 42 | 41 | This was atriple threat match also involvingTriple H. | [128][129] | ||
| 88 | Edge | January 25, 2009 | Royal Rumble | Detroit, MI | 4 | 21 | 20 | This was ano disqualification match. | [130][131] | ||
| 89 | Triple H | February 15, 2009 | No Way Out | Seattle, WA | 8 | 70 | 69 | This was anElimination Chamber match also involvingBig Show,Jeff Hardy,The Undertaker, andVladimir Kozlov. The title became exclusive to theRaw brand following the2009 draft. | [132][133] | ||
| WWE:Raw | |||||||||||
| 90 | Randy Orton | April 26, 2009 | Backlash | Providence, RI | 3 | 42 | 41 | This was asix-man tag team match withThe Legacy (Randy Orton,Cody Rhodes, andTed DiBiase) againstBatista,Triple H, andShane McMahon. Ortonpinned Triple H to win the title. | [134][135] | ||
| 91 | Batista | June 7, 2009 | Extreme Rules | New Orleans, LA | 1 | 2 | 1 | This was asteel cage match. | [136][137] | ||
| — | Vacated | June 9, 2009 | — | — | — | — | — | The title was vacated whenBatista suffered a torn leftbiceps. | [138] | ||
| 92 | Randy Orton | June 15, 2009 | Raw | Charlotte, NC | 4 | 90 | 89 | This was afatal four-way match for the vacant title also involvingBig Show,John Cena, andTriple H. | [139][140] | ||
| 93 | John Cena | September 13, 2009 | Breaking Point | Montreal, QC, Canada | 4 | 21 | 21 | This was an"I quit" match. Had anyone interfered onRandy Orton's behalf, he would have forfeited the title. | [141][142] | ||
| 94 | Randy Orton | October 4, 2009 | Hell in a Cell | Newark, NJ | 5 | 21 | 20 | This was aHell in a Cell match. | [143][144] | ||
| 95 | John Cena | October 25, 2009 | Bragging Rights | Pittsburgh, PA | 5 | 49 | 49 | This was a 60-minuteAnything GoesIron Man match in which Cena won 6–5. Had Cena lost, he would have had toleave theRaw brand. | [145][146] | ||
| 96 | Sheamus | December 13, 2009 | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | San Antonio, TX | 1 | 70 | 69 | This was atables match. | [147][148] | ||
| 97 | John Cena | February 21, 2010 | Elimination Chamber | St. Louis, MO | 6 | <1 | <1 | This was anElimination Chamber match also involvingKofi Kingston,Randy Orton,Ted DiBiase Jr., andTriple H. | [149] | ||
| 98 | Batista | February 21, 2010 | Elimination Chamber | St. Louis, MO | 2 | 35 | 35 | [150] | |||
| 99 | John Cena | March 28, 2010 | WrestleMania XXVI | Glendale, AZ | 7 | 84 | 84 | [151] | |||
| 100 | Sheamus | June 20, 2010 | Fatal 4-Way | Uniondale, NY | 2 | 91 | 90 | This was afatal four-way match also involvingEdge andRandy Orton. | [152] | ||
| 101 | Randy Orton | September 19, 2010 | Night of Champions | Rosemont, IL | 6 | 64 | 63 | This was asix-pack elimination challenge also involvingChris Jericho,Edge,John Cena, andWade Barrett, who decided to cash-in his title shot due to winning thefirst season ofNXT. | [153] | ||
| 102 | The Miz | November 22, 2010 | Raw | Orlando, FL | 1 | 160 | 159 | This was Miz'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. | [154] | ||
| 103 | John Cena | May 1, 2011 | Extreme Rules | Tampa, FL | 8 | 77 | 77 | This was atriple threatsteel cage match also involvingJohn Morrison. | [155] | ||
| 104 | CM Punk | July 17, 2011 | Money in the Bank | Rosemont, IL | 1 | 28 | 28 | Punk (kayfabe) left WWE the day after with the championship, but returned on the July 25, 2011, episode ofRaw and his reign was deemed to continue through this period. | [156] | ||
| — | Vacated | July 18, 2011 | Raw | Green Bay, WI | — | — | — | The title was vacated due toCM Punk "leaving" WWE. This vacancy is no longer recognized due to Punk's return on the July 25, 2011, episode ofRaw. | [32][157] | ||
| 105 | Rey Mysterio | July 25, 2011 | Raw | Hampton, VA | 1 | <1 | <1 | DefeatedThe Miz in atournament final to crown a new champion. CM Punk was also recognized as WWE Champion. | [158] | ||
| 106 | John Cena | July 25, 2011 | Raw | Hampton, VA | 9 | 20 | 20 | As the former champion prior toCM Punk, Cena was granted a title match againstRey Mysterio byTriple H. Punk was also recognized as WWE Champion. | [159] | ||
| † | CM Punk | August 14, 2011 | SummerSlam | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | — | — | Punk defeatedJohn Cena in a match to determine the undisputed champion. Triple H was theguest referee. This is considered a continuation of Punk's first reign. | [160] | ||
| 107 | Alberto Del Rio | August 14, 2011 | SummerSlam | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | 35 | 34 | This was Del Rio'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. On August 29, 2011, the firstbrand split ended, allowing the WWE Champion to appear on bothRaw andSmackDown. | [161] | ||
| WWE (unbranded) | |||||||||||
| 108 | John Cena | September 18, 2011 | Night of Champions | Buffalo, NY | 10 | 14 | 14 | [162] | |||
| 109 | Alberto Del Rio | October 2, 2011 | Hell in a Cell | New Orleans, LA | 2 | 49 | 48 | This was atriple threatHell in a Cell match also involvingCM Punk who Del Rio pinned. | [163] | ||
| 110 | CM Punk | November 20, 2011 | Survivor Series | New York, NY | 2 | 434 | 434 | [164] | |||
| 111 | The Rock | January 27, 2013 | Royal Rumble | Phoenix, AZ | 8 | 70 | 69 | CM Punk had initially won, but the match was restarted byVince McMahon due to interference byThe Shield (Dean Ambrose,Roman Reigns, andSeth Rollins). | [165] | ||
| 112 | John Cena | April 7, 2013 | WrestleMania 29 | East Rutherford, NJ | 11 | 133 | 133 | [166] | |||
| 113 | Daniel Bryan | August 18, 2013 | SummerSlam | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | <1 | <1 | Triple H was theguest referee. | [167] | ||
| 114 | Randy Orton | August 18, 2013 | SummerSlam | Los Angeles, CA | 7 | 28 | 28 | This was Orton'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. Triple H was theguest referee. | [168] | ||
| 115 | Daniel Bryan | September 15, 2013 | Night of Champions | Detroit, MI | 2 | 1 | <1 | [169] | |||
| — | Vacated | September 16, 2013 | Raw | Cleveland, OH | — | — | — | The title was vacated after a controversial finish whenDaniel Bryan defeatedRandy Orton to win the title. | [170] | ||
| 116 | Randy Orton | October 27, 2013 | Hell in a Cell | Miami, FL | 8 | 161 | 160 | Orton defeatedDaniel Bryan in aHell in a Cell match to win the vacant title withShawn Michaels as theguest referee. On December 15, 2013, atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Orton defeatedJohn Cena in aTables, Ladders and Chairs match tounify theWorld Heavyweight Championship with the WWE Championship. The World Heavyweight Championship was then retired and the WWE Championship became known as theWWE World Heavyweight Championship. | [171] | ||
| 117 | Daniel Bryan | April 6, 2014 | WrestleMania XXX | New Orleans, LA | 3 | 64 | 63 | This was atriple threat match also involvingBatista, whom Bryan forced to submit to win the match. | [172] | ||
| — | Vacated | June 9, 2014 | Raw | Minneapolis, MN | — | — | — | Daniel Bryan was stripped of the title due to a neck injury. | [173] | ||
| 118 | John Cena | June 29, 2014 | Money in the Bank | Boston, MA | 12 | 49 | 49 | This was an eight-manladder match for the vacant title also involvingAlberto Del Rio,Bray Wyatt,Cesaro,Kane,Randy Orton,Roman Reigns, andSheamus. | [174] | ||
| 119 | Brock Lesnar | August 17, 2014 | SummerSlam | Los Angeles, CA | 4 | 224 | 223 | [175] | |||
| 120 | Seth Rollins | March 29, 2015 | WrestleMania 31 | Santa Clara, CA | 1 | 221 | 220 | This was Rollins'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match which was originally a singles match betweenBrock Lesnar andRoman Reigns, but converted into atriple threat match after Rollins cashed-in his contract mid-match. Rollinspinned Reigns to win the match. | [176] | ||
| — | Vacated | November 5, 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | The title was vacated afterSeth Rollins suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and a damaged meniscus at a live event inDublin,Ireland. | [177] | ||
| 121 | Roman Reigns | November 22, 2015 | Survivor Series | Atlanta, GA | 1 | <1 | <1 | DefeatedDean Ambrose in atournament final to win the vacant title. | [178] | ||
| 122 | Sheamus | November 22, 2015 | Survivor Series | Atlanta, GA | 3 | 22 | 22 | This was Sheamus'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. | [179] | ||
| 123 | Roman Reigns | December 14, 2015 | Raw | Philadelphia, PA | 2 | 41 | 40 | This was atitle vs. career match. | [180] | ||
| 124 | Triple H | January 24, 2016 | Royal Rumble | Orlando, FL | 9 | 70 | 69 | Roman Reigns defended the title in theRoyal Rumble match, entering at number one. Triple H eliminated Reigns before lastly eliminatingDean Ambrose to win the title. | [181] | ||
| 125 | Roman Reigns | April 3, 2016 | WrestleMania 32 | Arlington, TX | 3 | 77 | 76 | [182] | |||
| 126 | Seth Rollins | June 19, 2016 | Money in the Bank | Paradise, NV | 2 | <1 | <1 | [183] | |||
| 127 | Dean Ambrose | June 19, 2016 | Money in the Bank | Paradise, NV | 1 | 84 | 83 | This was Ambrose'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. The title's name was truncated to WWE Championship. The title then became exclusive to theSmackDown brand following the2016 draft and theWWE Universal Championship was created for theRaw brand. After the establishment of the Universal Championship, the WWE Championship's name was changed to WWE World Championship. | [183] | ||
| WWE:SmackDown | |||||||||||
| 128 | AJ Styles | September 11, 2016 | Backlash | Richmond, VA | 1 | 140 | 140 | In December 2016, the title's name reverted to WWE Championship.[9] | [184] | ||
| 129 | John Cena | January 29, 2017 | Royal Rumble | San Antonio, TX | 13 | 14 | 14 | [185] | |||
| 130 | Bray Wyatt | February 12, 2017 | Elimination Chamber | Phoenix, AZ | 1 | 49 | 48 | This was anElimination Chamber match also involvingAJ Styles,Baron Corbin,Dean Ambrose, andThe Miz. | [186] | ||
| 131 | Randy Orton | April 2, 2017 | WrestleMania 33 | Orlando, FL | 9 | 49 | 49 | [187] | |||
| 132 | Jinder Mahal | May 21, 2017 | Backlash | Rosemont, IL | 1 | 170 | 169 | [188] | |||
| 133 | AJ Styles | November 7, 2017 | SmackDown | Manchester, England | 2 | 371 | 371 | [189] | |||
| 134 | Daniel Bryan | November 13, 2018 | SmackDown | St. Louis, MO | 4 | 145 | 144 | [190] | |||
| 135 | Kofi Kingston | April 7, 2019 | WrestleMania 35 | East Rutherford, NJ | 1 | 180 | 180 | [191] | |||
| 136 | Brock Lesnar | October 4, 2019 | SmackDown's 20th Anniversary | Los Angeles, CA | 5 | 173 | 184 | On the November 1, 2019, episode ofSmackDown, Lesnar quitSmackDown and went toRaw, taking the title with him.Lesnar won the title in 9 second | [192] | ||
| WWE:Raw | |||||||||||
| 137 | Drew McIntyre | March 25, 2020 | WrestleMania 36 Part 2 | Orlando, FL | 1 | 214 | 202 | The match was taped on March 25, according to McIntyre's memoir,A Chosen Destiny: My Story.[193] WWE recognizes this reign as beginning on April 5, 2020, when the match aired ontape delay. | [194] | ||
| 138 | Randy Orton | October 25, 2020 | Hell in a Cell | Orlando, FL | 10 | 22 | 22 | This was aHell in a Cell match. | [195] | ||
| 139 | Drew McIntyre | November 16, 2020 | Raw | Orlando, FL | 2 | 97 | 96 | This was ano disqualification,no countout match. | [196] | ||
| 140 | The Miz | February 21, 2021 | Elimination Chamber | St. Petersburg, FL | 2 | 8 | 8 | This was Miz'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. | [197] | ||
| 141 | Bobby Lashley | March 1, 2021 | Raw | St. Petersburg, FL | 1 | 196 | 195 | This was alumberjack match. | [198] | ||
| 142 | Big E | September 13, 2021 | Raw | Boston, MA | 1 | 110 | 110 | This was Big E'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. | [199] | ||
| 143 | Brock Lesnar | January 1, 2022 | Day 1 | Atlanta, GA | 6 | 28 | 27 | This was afatal five-way match also involvingBobby Lashley,Kevin Owens, andSeth Rollins. | [200] | ||
| 144 | Bobby Lashley | January 29, 2022 | Royal Rumble | St. Louis, MO | 2 | 21 | 20 | [201] | |||
| 145 | Brock Lesnar | February 19, 2022 | Elimination Chamber | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 7 | 43 | 43 | This was anElimination Chamber match also involvingAJ Styles,Austin Theory,Riddle, andSeth Rollins. | [202] | ||
| WWE:SmackDown | |||||||||||
| 146 | Roman Reigns | April 3, 2022 | WrestleMania 38 Night 2 | Arlington, TX | 4 | 735 | 734 | This was aWinner Takes All match in which Reigns also defended theUniversal Championship with the tandem titles collectively referred to as theUndisputed WWE Universal Championship. The title became exclusive to theSmackDown brand following the2023 draft and a newWorld Heavyweight Championship was established for theRaw brand. | [203] | ||
| 147 | Cody Rhodes | April 7, 2024 | WrestleMania XL Night 2 | Philadelphia, PA | 1 | 378 | 378 | This was aBloodline Rules match in which Reigns also defended theUniversal Championship. The title's name was truncated to Undisputed WWE Championship. AfterWrestleMania 41 in April 2025, the Universal Championship's lineage was amended with Reigns recognized as its final champion, ending its lineage at WrestleMania XL. | [204] | ||
| 148 | John Cena | April 20, 2025 | WrestleMania 41 Night 2 | Paradise, NV | 14 | 105 | 105 | [205] | |||
| 149 | Cody Rhodes | August 3, 2025 | SummerSlam Night 2 | East Rutherford, NJ | 2 | 112+ | 112+ | This was aStreet Fight. | [206] | ||
As of November 23, 2025.
| Rec | Recognized by the promotion |
|---|---|
| † | Current champion; reign changing daily |
| <1 | Reign was less than a day |
Mindful of the pros and cons of being a member, McMahon rejoined the NWA at the 1971 convention in Mexico City. One requirement by the Alliance was that Morales' WWWF championship be recognized as a regional heavyweight title, and not a "world" title.
So in 1961, when he dethroned Pat O'Connor for the NWA World Championship in Chicago's Comiskey Park [...]
- 1/25/63: The World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) was formed when promoters in the Northeast refused to acknowledge Rogers' one-fall loss of the NWA championship. The real reason was that Vince McMahon Sr. wanted to keep Rogers on as his territory's champion since so much money was being made from his title run. Rogers continued to wrestle as the "world champion" in the Northeast region and was recognized as the "WWWF World Champion" starting in April.
World Champion Buddy Rogers defeated Bobo Brazil
WWWF World Champion Buddy Rogers fought Bruno Sammartino to a no contest; it was prior to this bout that Rogers received the WWWF World Title though he had been billed as 'world champion' since January
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)ELEVEN DAYS EARLIER. MARCH 25, 2020. Returning to the Performance Center, where I'd spent so many days during my time in WWE's third brand, NXT—and realizing this was where WrestleMania was going to take place—was weird, just weird. For a start, the taping of the main event (usually the last match on an evening show) was scheduled for midday.