The Great Eight: Top 8 WWE World Champions

In May of 2002, the WWF was forced to rebrand as the WWE. Well, they forced themselves, because they broke the deal they had with the World Wildlife Fund. Since then, the top prizes in the WWE have been the WWE Championship, the Universal Championship, and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Since then, we have had two brand splits, multiple belt mergers, the Universal Championship, and a new World Championship. That’s a lot of belts and a lot of champions. Being a part of the legacy of champions is something that can never be taken from you (though I’m sure most fans wish we could for certain champions). But to say you are one of the best of the best is rare air.

So, let’s take some time to look at who the best of the best are, as we celebrate the top eight WWE World Champions!

Fun Facts:

Roman Reigns holds the record for the longest single reign (1.316 days) and the most days as champion (2,304+)

John Cena holds the record for the most reigns at 17

Across all championships being looked at, there have been 156 reigns across 71 individuals

Ranking Explanation:

We will only be looking at the WWE, World Heavyweight, and Universal Champions from the 2002 rebrand to the current day. As always, I look at the number of and the length of reigns,  the in-ring and promo quality, and memorable moments.

Plugs

I don’t use social media, but you can follow me on Spotify, where you’ll find playlists covering every decade from the 1950s to the 2000s. As well as several genre-specific playlists.

Disclaimer:

This is my list; if you don’t like it or have a different list, awesome! Please share your own list and opinions in the comments section. I welcome open discourse about this wacky art we all love. It is an art form, so it is subjective; we all have our opinions on it, and all of them are valid. So, if you want to share your thoughts and opinions, don’t insult others for their opinion. There is already enough negativity in the world; let’s not add to it. And with that, on to the list!

The List

Honorable Mentions:

Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Gunther, Cody Rhodes

8: Batista

The career path of Batista is such an interesting one. After being told he’d never make it by the WCW Power Plant, he went to the WWF, which sent him to the Wild Samoan Training Center. After working for WXW for a bit, he signed with the WWE and was assigned to OVW. He was put in a “satanic” gimmick as Leviathan.

He debuted as Reverend D-Von’s Deacon, and most fans didn’t think he would be around for that long. But after a torn triceps, he would come back and join Evolution. But even then, he seemed to be fourth fiddle in the group. It wasn’t until the failed face turn of Randy Orton that Batista started to really heat up. And his feud with Triple H put him on the map. Mainly because not only did he beat Triple H at WrestleMania for his first World Championship, but he also won the feud.

After he moved to SmackDown, Batista was set up to be the face of the brand. And in that role, he became a six-time World Champion. He was the 1a to John Cena, who was doing the same thing on the Raw brand. He would eventually leave the company due to creative differences and injuries. And while he has come back a few times, he has made a nice career for himself in Hollywood. And in my opinion, he is the best wrestler turned actor ever. He has broken free of being typecast and worked in a wide range of roles.

If he had stayed, he most likely would be up there with Orton and Cena in the double digits. But as it stands his six reigns helped to define the 2000’s era of the WWE.

7: Edge

Before Seth Rollins was pulling off heists, the Rated R Superstar was out there being the Ultimate Opportunist. The first-ever Money in the Bank winner perfected the art of cashing in at just the right moment. And while Batista was the face of SmackDown, Edge was the top heel for most of his main event run.

Having worked his way up from the tag team division. He would spend a while in the midcard before finally using the Money in the Bank to win his first WWE Championship from John Cena (who had just gone through a gruelling Elimination Chamber match). From there, he would go on to win the World Championship a total of 11 times.

I will admit I was a huge Edge fangirl. I was a pre-teen and teenager during the Edge & Christian years. And I turned 18 just a few months after he won his first WWE Championship. He was one of those guys I grew up with and was always rooting for. I know his current runs haven’t been everyone’s favorite, but I’m glad Edge (and Christian) are getting to go out on their terms. Because they have both earned it.

Like Batista, Edge was a huge part of what defined the 2000s in the WWE, and he would carry that into helping to define the 2010s as well. He provided fans with a lot of great matches and memorable moments, leaving a mark on this industry that will never be forgotten.

6: Seth Rollins

We go from the Ultimate Opportunist to the Architect and Visionary of the WWE. Seth F’n Rollins is one of those guys that no one really thought would make it in the WWE. His promos in ROH were weak, and he was small. But Rollins’ in-ring talent could not be denied. He also worked on his promo game, significantly upping his game during his time in FCW and the Shield. By the time he turned on his brothers and joined up with The Authority, Rollins was ready to be on top of the mountain.

I also want to state that the Shield is the most successful stable of all time. You had three guys who were unknown to the WWE audience, and they would all hold the World Championship within a few years of debuting. While stables like Evolution had all four members hold the World Championship at various times. Flair never held it while with the group, and Triple H was already a World Champion before it started. Flair and Triple H lent their star power to get Orton and Batista over.

And while the Shield was associated with Heyman and Punk, they worked their asses off to get to the top. And Rollins led the pack; he won his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 31 (the previously mentioned Heist of the Century). Since then, he has gone on to win the World Championship six times, and he is set to face Roman Reigns for a possible seventh.

Rollins is one of the guys who can put on good matches with almost anyone. And that talent makes him a reliable champion when needed. He was chosen to establish the current World Heavyweight Championship, and spent the better part of a year doing it. And while he is starting to get up there in age, there is still time for him to at least reach double digits. The legacy of Rollins is like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Daniel Bryan before him. The small guy, whose sheer talent and determination got them to the top and kept them there.

5: Randy Orton

Randy Orton’s journey to becoming a 14-time World Champion is one that almost didn’t happen. After he won his first World Championship, he had a disastrous face turn and was moved to SmackDown to recover. But his immaturity at the time held him back for a couple of years before he was finally able to climb the mountain again.

If he hadn’t grown up there is a chance Orton would have been on the list of one-off champions and maybe had a decent mid-card run before being let go. Thankfullly something clicked in his head, and we got to see one of the smoothest wrestlers in the business win 14 World Championships. While I think the window for him to tie Flair or Cena is pretty much closed, 14 is no small feat.

Orton and Cena would be constant rivals during their prime,, even if a lot of fans wish they weren’t. Their long-term feud would help to drive both of them into the double digits and provide fans with a handful of good matches (and many more average ones).

Orton is a very consistent wrestler; you know what you are going to get when you watch a match, and that isn’t a bad thing. Orton doesn’t have to rely on MOVEZ!!! To make a great match, he is a master of in-ring psychology and has a very old-school NWA approach to how he puts matches together. Which makes sense, being Bob Orton Jr.’s son, and having sat at the learning tree of Triple H and Ric Flair. That approach has provided fans with over two decades of good-to-great matches and memorable moments.

4: AJ Styles

The Face that Built this Place. When AJ Styles showed up at the 2016 Royal Rumble, many fans wondered how far he would actually go in the WWE. And starting out, it seemed like those fears were warranted. But after a win over Cena, he would move to SmackDown and win his first World Championship. His second reign is what would solidify him as one of the best. Because for 371 days, the Phenomenal One made SmackDown his house.

And while others on this list have had more reigns, few can claim to hold the title for a full calendar year, and put on the quality of work that Styles did. AJ Styles is an undeniable talent, and the fact that he has been a World Champion in TNA, NJPW, and WWE proves that.

Styles is in my top five best wrestlers ever. Styles could do it all with anyone he stepped in the ring with. And he made it believable as well. Being a first ballot Hall of Famer is not shocking when you look at the body of work he produced in the decade in the WWE. And being a bright spot during some of the worst WWE booking we’ve ever seen just helps him stand out even more.

3: CM Punk

Before AJ Styles and Roman Reigns had their long runs, CM Punk spent 434 days as Champion. Having won the title in November of 2011, he held it until the Royal Rumble in 2013. And if Vince wasn’t set on Rock vs Cena needing a World Championship, we could have seen that reign last longer.

Punk is a guy fans either love or hate. And I love him. I think he is very good at this whole wrestling thing. He understands how to put fans on a roller coaster during matches, bringing them up and down at just the right moments. He puts on good matches with just about anyone. And that isn’t even getting to his promo abilities. Punk is one of the best talkers in the business, and if you are going to be going against him on the mic, you’d better have your A game ready.

Even with a decade+ off, CM Punk is a seven-time World Champion, and his most recent run included some amazing matches and promos. Love him or hate him, it’s hard to deny his talent to keep fans in the palm of his hand and bring them on the ride he wants them to go on. Like Orton and Rollins, Punk has time to add more reigns to his resume. But like Orton, the window is closing. So I hope we get at least one more World Championship reign before he decides to call it a day.

2: Roman Reigns

The longest reigning World Champion of the past 30 years. No one, since Hulk Hogan, ruled over the WWE as Roman Reigns did. For almost four years, Roman Reigns and the Bloodline ruled over the company. And the list of challengers during that time is a who’s who of top names. Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, Daniel Bryan, Edge, Brock Lesnar, Jey Uso, Cesaro, Rey Mysterio, Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, Goldberg, Riddle, Sheamus, AJ Styles, Logan Paul, Randy Orton, and LA Knight.

Not bad for a guy who was feuding with Corbin before he won the title. Of course, before this run, he was already a multi-time champion. And one of only two people to beat Undertaker at WrestleMania. It was during this reign that Roman finally broke free of the forced face run and was allowed to be more of himself. That natural cockiness helped to shape the Tribal Chief gimmick into the legend it is today. (Crazy let wrestlers be themselves turned up past 11, and you get some magic.)

Reigns is another guy who fans either love or hate. And like Punk, whether you love or hate him, you are hard-pressed not to respect him. Reigns put butts in seats for almost four years, as we all wanted to be there when he finally lost the title. And that helped to make Cody Rhodes when he finally beat him to end the longest modern-day reign.

1: John Cena

The Never Seen 17. Badly booked heel turn aside, Cena holds the record for most World Championship reigns. And honestly, he deserves it. Was he the best in-ring performer ever? Not by a long shot. Was he one of the best talkers ever? Without a doubt. Cena can talk most anyone into the arena.

What is more important than all of that, Cena was the guy to carry the company through its transition from the Attitude era to the PG era. He was the face of Ruthless Aggression and then helped to raise an entire generation of fans. I think most of us here started watching before Cena. So we forget that Cena was what Sting or Hogan was for us.

His constant drive and dedication to the company and fans are things to respect. Very few wrestlers can spend that long on top and still provide consistent entertainment. There is a reason why he is the most requested Make-A-Wish; just watch the videos of him with those kids before a show. And you’ll see the inspiration he provides them. How Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect isn’t just a thing he says, but strives to live.

I know so many of us spent a long time hating him. And there is definitely room to talk about wrestlers who could have been World Champions during his reign. And at the same time, I think Cena embodied so much of what you want from a Champion. He didn’t give us many five-star classics (though he gave us some great ones with Punk and Styles). But honestly, he didn’t have to. Cena is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, not because of his in-ring ability or even his mic skills. But because he embodied the heart and soul of what this business is about. Never giving up, good triumphs over evil, and your dreams can come true.

Preview:

Tune in next week when we look at the top eight Sami Zayn matches!