| WWE United States Championship | |||||||||||||||||||
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 The current WWE United States Championship belt with default side plates (2020–present) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Details | |||||||||||||||||||
| Promotion | Jim Crockett Promotions (1975–1988) World Championship Wrestling (1988–2001) WWE (2001; 2003–present) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Brand | SmackDown | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date established | January 1, 1975 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current champion | Ilja Dragunov | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date won | October 17, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | |||||||||||||||||||
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TheWWE United States Championship is a men'sprofessional wrestlingchampionship promoted by theAmericanpromotionWWE, defended on theSmackDownbrand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, along with theWWE Intercontinental Championship onRaw. The current champion isIlja Dragunov, who is in his first reign. He won the title by defeating previous championSami Zayn in an open challenge match on the October 17, 2025, episode ofSmackDown.
The championship was established on January 1, 1975, as the version of theNWA United States Heavyweight Championship that was defended inJim Crockett Promotions, and later assumed byWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), which eventually seceded from theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA).Harley Race was the inaugural champion. After WCW was purchased by the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 2001, the then-WCW United States Championship was defended in the WWF until it was unified with the Intercontinental Championship at that year'sSurvivor Series. After the2002 brand extension and the promotion beingrenamed WWE, the championship was reactivated as the WWE United States Championship in July 2003 as a secondary title of the SmackDown brand. The United States Championship has switched between brands over the years, usually as a result of theWWE Draft; the2023 draft moved the title back to SmackDown. This belt is described as a "stepping stone" to a world championship.[1]
Of WWE's currently active championships, the United States Championship is the only one of the two that did not originate in the promotion. It is the second-oldest active title in the company, behind theWWE Championship (1963), but the third longest-tenured championship, behind the WWE, Intercontinental (1979), andAAA Reina de Reinas Championships (1999), as WWE has only owned the United States Championship since 2001.
The United States Championship began as a regional championship called the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, one of several versions of the title allowed in different territories under theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) bylaws. It was created by and defended inMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (MACW) run byJim Crockett Jr. Introduced on January 1, 1975,Harley Race became the inaugural champion.[2] The title quickly surpassed ed theNWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship as the top singles title in the promotion. While the NWA recognized only oneWorld Heavyweight Champion, there was no single undisputed United States Champion as a number of NWA regional promotions recognized their own version of the title and champion. That changed, however, in January 1981;San Francisco-based NWA territoryBig Time Wrestling, which was the last remaining promotion outside the Mid-Atlantic territory that recognized its own United States Champion, ceased operations around that time, leaving the Mid-Atlantic version as the only remaining United States Championship.
The title remained the primary championship within the Mid-Atlantic territory until 1986 when Crockett gained control of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The United States title then became the secondary championship of the promotion. AfterTed Turner bought the company and renamed itWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) in November 1988, the title continued to be used and recognized as secondary to the World Championship. WCW began to pull itself away from the NWA, demonstrated by the company changing the name of the title to the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship in January 1991.
On the April 6, 1991, episode ofWorld Championship Wrestling, Nikita Koloff destroyed the classic 1980s United States Heavyweight Championship belt during a post-match brawl with Lex Luger, who was in his fourth reign as champion. Koloff, who claimed to be the true champion, knocked Luger unconscious by striking him with the title belt and then repeatedly smashed the championship belt into a ringpost. Luger would appear without a physical championship belt, and later became the first to wear a newly designed belt, which was used up through WCW's closing in March 2001, after being purchased by rival promotion, the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF).[3]
When WWF purchased WCW, they used the United States title during the WWF'sInvasion storyline. The title was deactivated after beingunified with the then-WWF Intercontinental Championship at that year'sSurvivor Series, when United States ChampionEdge defeated Intercontinental ChampionTest, becoming the new Intercontinental Champion. In July 2003, a year after thefirst brand extension went into effect in the promotion renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the title was reactivated as the WWE United States Championship by then-SmackDown! General ManagerStephanie McMahon and with a completely new belt design. It was commissioned to be a secondary championship for theSmackDown! brand, making the championship the only one from WCW to be reactivated as a WWE title (although theWCW Cruiserweight Championship had also become a WWE title, it was not deactivated and reactivated; it replaced theWWF Light Heavyweight Championship during the Invasion storyline).Eddie Guerrero became the first champion after its reactivation by winning a tournament at that year'sVengeance, defeatingChris Benoit in the final match. This was done shortly after the Intercontinental Championship was recommissioned by theRaw brand, making the title its equal counterpart. The first brand extension ended on August 29, 2011, allowing the United States Championship, as well as all other titles, to be defended on bothRaw andSmackDown.
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In 2015, WWE introduced an updated version of itsGrand Slam Championship, and the United States Championship became officially recognized as a component of the re-established honor. In August at that year'sSummerSlam, United States ChampionJohn Cena facedWWE World Heavyweight ChampionSeth Rollins in aWinner Takes All match, which Rollins ultimately won to become the first wrestler to hold the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and United States Championship simultaneously. Rollins held both titles until Cena defeated Rollins in his rematch for the title atNight of Champions the following month.
In July 2016, WWE reintroduced the brand extension; during thedraft, United States ChampionRusev was drafted to the Raw brand.[4] Days later, he successfully defended the title against SmackDown drafteeZack Ryder atBattleground, keeping the title exclusive to Raw.[5] On April 11, 2017, United States ChampionKevin Owens, along with the title, moved to SmackDown as a result of that year'sSuperstar Shake-up. Owens was already scheduled to defend the title againstChris Jericho at the Raw-exclusive pay-per-viewPayback on April 30. Then-SmackDown General ManagerDaniel Bryan declared that regardless of who won at Payback, the United States Championship would remain on SmackDown; Jericho defeated Owens for the title at Payback and he transferred to SmackDown.[6] During the2018 Superstar Shake-up, the title briefly returned to Raw when championJinder Mahal was drafted to the brand. However, it was immediately returned to SmackDown afterJeff Hardy defeated Mahal for the title and was drafted to SmackDown the next night.[7][8] The championship definitively returned to Raw in 2019 when reigning championSamoa Joe was drafted to the brand during that year'sSuperstar Shake-up.[9] During the November 8, 2024, episode ofSmackDown, general managerNick Aldis introduced thewomen's counterpart to the United States Championship.
The design of the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship from 1991 to 1995 featured five plates. A center plate on the gold background consisted of a map of theContiguous United States with a flag shown along with an eagle. On top of the plate shows the WCW logo with the two banners reading on the black background "UNITED STATES" along with two stars on each side while the text says "HEAVYWEIGHT WRESTLING CHAMPION" on the bottom. Both side plates on each side feature one with the U.S. flag with the text "UNITED STATES" while the other shows two wrestlers grappling with the WCW logo on top and the text "CHAMPION" on the bottom. After its minor update in 1995, the belt now featured three plates with the center plate slightly redesigned with the side plates also feature a gold filigree with the text "WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING". This belt would also appear on WWF's programming until November 2001.
After its reactivation in July 2003, the newly renamed WWE United States Championship was redesigned. This belt consisted of five plates. The center plate featured aheptagon with an enlarged U.S. flag along with the company's scratch logo located at the top of the main plate in white and black paint. Below the logo is a gold banner with the words “WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT” etched inside. In the center of the main plate is a black banner with the words “UNITED STATES CHAMPION” etched in gold. On the bottom of the center plate, the name plate attaches to the main plate by two screws at the back. One of the side plates featured a light etching of an American bald eagle resting on top of a shield with the WWE logo painted white and red within the shield with an eagleholding a red and white striped banner as well as blue-painted square with a white star at the center is placed above the eagle The other side plate featured an portrait of anStatue of Liberty surrounded by four stars on each corner. In August 2014, the United States Championship belt, along with all other pre-existing championship belts in WWE at the time, received a minor update, replacing the long-standing scratch logo with WWE's current logo that was originally used for theWWE Network that launched earlier that year in February.[10][11]
On the July 6, 2020, episode ofRaw, 17 years after the title's reactivation,MVP introduced a completely new belt design for the United States Championship The belt now features only three plates. The center plate is an upside down heptagon. The top portion of the center plate features the WWE logo flanked by white stars on a gold background. Below this, "UNITED STATES" is written in red, with "CHAMPION" prominently written below that in blue; eight stars divide the two. Below the word champion is an eagle with its wings spread out across the plate, with the red and white stripes of theAmerican flag beneath its wings. Coming in line with WWE's other championship belts, the belt features two side plates with a removable center section that can be customized with the champion's logos; the default side plates consist of a gold WWE logo over a silver globe.[12]
Following the revival of the United States Championship in 2003, the title was designated to SmackDown. The brand extension was discontinued on August 29, 2011, but it was revived on July 19, 2016. The following list indicates the transitions of the United States Championship between the Raw, SmackDown, andECW brands.
| Date of transition | Brand | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| July 27, 2003 | SmackDown! | The former WCW United States Championship was reactivated as the WWE United States Championship to beSmackDown!'s secondary title and the counterpart toRaw'sIntercontinental Championship. |
| June 23, 2008 | ECW | United States ChampionMatt Hardy was drafted toECW during the2008 WWE Draft. |
| July 20, 2008 | SmackDown | The United States Championship was returned toSmackDown afterShelton Benjamin, a member of the SmackDown brand, defeatedMatt Hardy to win the United States Championship. |
| April 13, 2009 | Raw | United States ChampionMontel Vontavious Porter was drafted toRaw during the2009 WWE Draft. |
| April 26, 2011 | SmackDown | United States ChampionSheamus was drafted toSmackDown during the2011 WWE Draft. |
| May 1, 2011 | Raw | The United States Championship was returned toRaw afterKofi Kingston, a member of the Raw brand, defeatedSheamus to win the United States Championship. |
| August 29, 2011 | N/A | End of first brand extension. The United States Champion could appear on bothRaw andSmackDown. |
| July 19, 2016 | Raw | Reintroduction of the brand extension. United States ChampionRusev was drafted toRaw during the2016 WWE Draft. |
| April 11, 2017 | SmackDown | United States ChampionKevin Owens was drafted toSmackDown during the2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up. |
| April 16, 2018 | Raw | United States ChampionJinder Mahal was drafted toRaw during night one of the2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up. |
| April 17, 2018 | SmackDown | The United States Championship was returned toSmackDown afterJeff Hardy, who had defeatedJinder Mahal to win the title, was drafted to SmackDown during night two of the2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up. |
| April 22, 2019 | Raw | United States ChampionSamoa Joe was drafted toRaw during the2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up. |
| May 8, 2023 | SmackDown | United States ChampionAustin Theory was drafted toSmackDown during the2023 WWE Draft. |
The tournament for the vacant WWE United States Championship was held between June 19 and July 27, 2003, for theSmackDown! brand, with the final being atVengeance on July 27.
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||
| Chris Benoit | Sub | |||||||||||||
| Rhyno | ||||||||||||||
| Chris Benoit | Sub | |||||||||||||
| Matt Hardy | ||||||||||||||
| Matt Hardy | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Rikishi | ||||||||||||||
| Chris Benoit | 22:14 | |||||||||||||
| Eddie Guerrero | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Billy Gunn | Pin | |||||||||||||
| John Cena | ||||||||||||||
| Billy Gunn | ||||||||||||||
| Eddie Guerrero | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Eddie Guerrero | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Último Dragón | ||||||||||||||
AtClash of Champions 2017,Dolph Ziggler won the United States Championship by defeating defending championBaron Corbin andBobby Roode in atriple threat match.[14] On the following episode ofSmackDown Live, after recapping all of his previous accolades, Ziggler said that the WWE Universe did not deserve him and he dropped the title in the ring and left.[15] After unsuccessful attempts at contacting Ziggler,SmackDown General ManagerDaniel Bryan declared the title vacant and announced a tournament to crown a new champion.[16] The final was originally scheduled to occur at the2018 Royal Rumble, but was moved up to the January 23 episode ofSmackDown Live. However, on the January 16 episode, afterJinder Mahal and Bobby Roode won their respective semifinals matches, Roode challenged Mahal to have the final that night and Bryan scheduled it for that episode's main event.[17]
| First round SmackDown Live (12/26/17,[16] 1/2/18,[18] 1/9/18[19]) | Semifinals SmackDown Live (1/16/18[17]) | Final SmackDown Live (1/16/18[17]) | ||||||||||||
| Bobby Roode | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Baron Corbin | 10:44 | |||||||||||||
| Bobby Roode | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Mojo Rawley | 3:05 | |||||||||||||
| Zack Ryder | 4:34 | |||||||||||||
| Mojo Rawley | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Bobby Roode | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Jinder Mahal | 5:32 | |||||||||||||
| Tye Dillinger | 8:41 | |||||||||||||
| Jinder Mahal | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Jinder Mahal | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Xavier Woods | 3:05 | |||||||||||||
| Xavier Woods | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Aiden English | 5:25 | |||||||||||||
The inauguralchampion wasHarley Race. There have been 186 reigns among 107 different champions, withRic Flair having the most reigns at six.[2] The longest-reigning champion isLex Luger, who held the title for 523 days from May 22, 1989, to October 27, 1990."Stunning" Steve Austin's second reign was the shortest, lasting approximately five minutes.Dean Ambrose is the longest-reigning champion under the WWE banner at 351 days, lasting from May 19, 2013, to May 5, 2014.Booker T andSeth Rollins are the only two men to have held both the United States Championship and a world championship simultaneously; in Booker T's case, the world title was theWCW World Heavyweight Championship, while Rollins held theWWE World Heavyweight Championship (both Lex Luger andGoldberg were the United States Champion when they won their first world championship, but unlike Booker T and Rollins, theyvacated the United States Championship after winning their world championships).Terry Funk is the oldest champion in the title's history, winning the title at the age of 56 on September 22, 2000, whileDavid Flair is the youngest at the age of 20 on July 5, 1999. Between NWA/WCW and WWE, the title has been vacated 21 times. Only two men have held the title for a continuous reign of one year (365 days) or more: Lex Luger andRick Rude.
Ilja Dragunov is the current champion in his first reign. He won the title by defeatingSami Zayn in an open challenge on the October 17, 2025, episode ofSmackDown inSan Jose, California.[20]
