WWE Championship History – The WWE Title is widely recognized as the most historic championship in WWE. Dating back to 1963, the WWE Championship was first awarded to Buddy Rogers after he defeated Antonino Rocca in the finals of a tournament in April.
The World Heavyweight Championship (’02-’13), WCW World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Universal Championship were previously unified into this championship.
This page provides a complete history of the WWE Championship, including all champions, title reigns, records, and notable moments.
WWE Title History
| Name | Date | Days Held | Location |
| Buddy Rogers | 4/25/63 | 22 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Bruno Sammartino | 5/17/63 | 2,803 | New York City, NY |
| Ivan Koloff | 1/18/71 | 21 | New York City, NY |
| Pedro Morales | 2/8/71 | 1,027 | New York City, NY |
| Stan Stasiak | 12/1/73 | 9 | Philadelphia, PA |
| Bruno Sammartino | 12/10/73 | 1,237 | New York City, NY |
| Billy Graham | 4/30/77 | 296 | Baltimore, MD |
| Bob Backlund | 2/20/78 | 2,135 | New York City, NY |
| The Iron Sheik | 12/26/83 | 28 | New York City, NY |
| Hulk Hogan | 1/23/84 | 1,474 | New York City, NY |
| André The Giant | 2/5/88 | 0 | Indianapolis, IN |
| Randy Savage | 3/27/88 | 371 | Atlantic City, NJ |
| Hulk Hogan | 4/2/89 | 364 | Atlantic City, NJ |
| The Ultimate Warrior | 4/1/90 | 293 | Toronto, Ontario |
| Sgt. Slaughter | 1/19/91 | 64 | Miami, FL |
| Hulk Hogan | 3/24/91 | 248 | Los Angeles, CA |
| The Undertaker | 11/27/91 | 6 | Detroit, MI |
| Hulk Hogan | 12/3/91 | 1 | San Antonio, TX |
| Ric Flair | 1/19/92 | 77 | Albany, NY |
| Randy Savage | 4/5/92 | 149 | Indianapolis, IN |
| Ric Flair | 9/1/92 | 41 | Hershey, PA |
| Bret Hart | 10/12/92 | 174 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
| Yokozuna | 4/4/93 | 0 | Las Vegas, NV |
| Hulk Hogan | 4/4/93 | 70 | Las Vegas, NV |
| Yokozuna | 6/13/93 | 280 | Dayton, OH |
| Bret Hart | 3/20/94 | 248 | New York City, NY |
| Bob Backlund | 11/23/94 | 3 | San Antonio, TX |
| Diesel | 11/26/94 | 358 | New York City, NY |
| Bret Hart | 11/19/95 | 133 | Landover, MD |
| Shawn Michaels | 3/31/96 | 231 | Anaheim, CA |
| Psycho Sid | 11/17/96 | 63 | New York City, NY |
| Shawn Michaels | 1/19/97 | 25 | San Antonio, TX |
| Bret Hart | 2/16/97 | 1 | Chattanooga, TN |
| Psycho Sid | 2/17/97 | 34 | Nashville, TN |
| The Undertaker | 3/23/97 | 133 | Rosemont, IL |
| Bret Hart | 8/3/97 | 98 | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Shawn Michaels | 11/9/97 | 140 | Montreal, Quebec |
| Steve Austin | 3/29/98 | 91 | Boston, MA |
| Kane | 6/28/98 | 1 | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Steve Austin | 6/29/98 | 90 | Cleveland, OH |
| The Rock | 11/15/98 | 44 | St. Louis, MO |
| Mankind | 12/29/98 | 26 | Worcester, MA |
| The Rock | 1/24/99 | 2 | Anaheim, CA |
| Mankind | 1/26/99 | 20 | Tucson, AZ |
| The Rock | 2/15/99 | 41 | Birmingham, AL |
| Steve Austin | 3/28/99 | 56 | Philadelphia, PA |
| The Undertaker | 5/23/99 | 36 | Kansas City, MO |
| Steve Austin | 6/28/99 | 55 | Charlotte, NC |
| Mankind | 8/22/99 | 1 | Minneapolis, MN |
| Triple H | 8/23/99 | 22 | Ames, IA |
| Vince McMahon | 9/14/99 | 6 | Las Vegas, NV |
| Triple H | 9/26/99 | 49 | Charlotte, NC |
| Big Show | 11/14/99 | 50 | Detroit, MI |
| Triple H | 1/3/00 | 118 | Miami, FL |
| The Rock | 4/30/00 | 21 | Washington, DC |
| Triple H | 5/21/00 | 35 | Louisville, KY |
| The Rock | 6/25/00 | 119 | Boston, MA |
| Kurt Angle | 10/22/00 | 126 | Albany, NY |
| The Rock | 2/25/01 | 35 | Las Vegas, NV |
| Steve Austin | 4/1/01 | 175 | Houston, TX |
| Kurt Angle | 9/23/01 | 15 | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Steve Austin | 10/8/01 | 62 | Indianapolis, IN |
| Chris Jericho | 12/9/01 | 98 | San Diego, CA |
| Triple H | 3/17/02 | 35 | Toronto, Ontario |
| Hulk Hogan | 4/21/02 | 28 | Kansas City, MO |
| The Undertaker | 5/19/02 | 63 | Nashville, TN |
| The Rock | 7/21/02 | 35 | Detroit, MI |
| Brock Lesnar | 8/25/02 | 84 | Uniondale, NY |
| Big Show | 11/17/02 | 28 | New York City, NY |
| Kurt Angle | 12/15/02 | 105 | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| Brock Lesnar | 3/30/03 | 119 | Seattle, WA |
| Kurt Angle | 7/27/03 | 51 | Denver, CO |
| Brock Lesnar | 9/16/03 | 152 | Raleigh, NC |
| Eddie Guerrero | 2/15/04 | 133 | San Francisco, CA |
| JBL | 6/27/04 | 280 | Norfolk, VA |
| John Cena | 4/3/05 | 280 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Edge | 1/8/06 | 21 | Albany, NY |
| John Cena | 1/29/06 | 133 | Miami, FL |
| Rob Van Dam | 6/11/06 | 22 | New York City, NY |
| Edge | 7/3/06 | 76 | Philadelphia, PA |
| John Cena | 9/17/06 | 380 | Toronto, Ontario |
| Randy Orton | 10/7/07 | 0 | Rosemont, IL |
| Triple H | 10/7/07 | 0 | Rosemont, IL |
| Randy Orton | 10/7/07 | 203 | Rosemont, IL |
| Triple H | 4/27/08 | 210 | Baltimore, MD |
| Edge | 11/23/08 | 21 | Boston, MA |
| Jeff Hardy | 12/14/08 | 42 | Buffalo, NY |
| Edge | 1/25/09 | 21 | Detroit, MI |
| Triple H | 2/15/09 | 70 | Seattle, WA |
| Randy Orton | 4/26/09 | 42 | Providence, RI |
| Batista | 6/7/09 | 2 | New Orleans, LA |
| Randy Orton | 6/15/09 | 90 | Charlotte, NC |
| John Cena | 9/13/09 | 21 | Montreal, Quebec |
| Randy Orton | 10/4/09 | 21 | Newark, NJ |
| John Cena | 10/25/09 | 49 | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Sheamus | 12/13/09 | 70 | San Antonio, TX |
| John Cena | 2/21/10 | 0 | St. Louis, MO |
| Batista | 2/21/10 | 35 | St. Louis, MO |
| John Cena | 3/28/10 | 84 | Glendale, AZ |
| Sheamus | 6/20/10 | 91 | Uniondale, NY |
| Randy Orton | 9/19/10 | 64 | Rosemont, IL |
| The Miz | 11/22/10 | 160 | Orlando, FL |
| John Cena | 5/1/11 | 77 | Tampa, FL |
| CM Punk | 7/17/11 | 28 | Rosemont, IL |
| Rey Mysterio | 7/25/11 | 0 | Hampton, VA |
| John Cena | 7/25/11 | 20 | Hampton, VA |
| Alberto Del Rio | 8/14/11 | 35 | Los Angeles, CA |
| John Cena | 9/18/11 | 14 | Buffalo, NY |
| Alberto Del Rio | 10/2/11 | 49 | New Orleans, LA |
| CM Punk | 11/20/11 | 434 | New York City, NY |
| The Rock | 1/27/13 | 70 | Phoenix, AZ |
| John Cena | 4/7/13 | 133 | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Daniel Bryan | 8/18/13 | 0 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Randy Orton | 8/18/13 | 28 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Daniel Bryan | 9/15/13 | 1 | Detroit, MI |
| Randy Orton | 10/27/13 | 161 | Miami, FL |
| Daniel Bryan | 4/6/14 | 64 | New Orleans, LA |
| John Cena | 6/29/14 | 49 | Boston, MA |
| Brock Lesnar | 8/17/14 | 224 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Seth Rollins | 3/29/15 | 221 | San Jose, CA |
| Roman Reigns | 11/22/15 | 0 | Atlanta, GA |
| Sheamus | 11/22/15 | 22 | Atlanta, GA |
| Roman Reigns | 12/14/15 | 41 | Philadelphia, PA |
| Triple H | 1/24/16 | 70 | Orlando, FL |
| Roman Reigns | 4/3/16 | 77 | Arlington, TX |
| Seth Rollins | 6/19/16 | 0 | Las Vegas, NV |
| Dean Ambrose | 6/19/16 | 84 | Las Vegas, NV |
| AJ Styles | 9/11/16 | 140 | Richmond, VA |
| John Cena | 1/29/17 | 14 | San Antonio, TX |
| Bray Wyatt | 2/12/17 | 49 | Phoenix, AZ |
| Randy Orton | 4/2/17 | 49 | Orlando, FL |
| Jinder Mahal | 5/21/17 | 170 | Rosemont, IL |
| AJ Styles | 11/7/17 | 371 | Manchester, England |
| Daniel Bryan | 11/13/18 | 145 | St. Louis, MO |
| Kofi Kingston | 4/7/19 | 181 | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Brock Lesnar | 10/4/19 | 184 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Drew McIntyre | 4/5/20 | 203 | Orlando, FL |
| Randy Orton | 10/25/20 | 22 | Orlando, FL |
| Drew McIntyre | 11/16/20 | 97 | Orlando, FL |
| The Miz | 02/21/21 | 8 | Orlando, FL |
| Bobby Lashley | 03/01/21 | 195 | Orlando, FL |
| Big E | 09/13/21 | 110 | Boston, MA |
| Brock Lesnar | 01/01/22 | 28 | Atlanta, GA |
| Bobby Lashley | 01/29/22 | 20 | St Louis, MO |
| Brock Lesnar | 02/19/22 | 43 | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| Roman Reigns | 04/03/22 | 735 | |
| Cody Rhodes | 04/07/24 | 378 | Philadelphia, PA |
| John Cena | 04/20/25 | 105 | Paradise, NV |
| Cody Rhodes | 08/03/25 | 159 | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Drew McIntyre | 01/09/26 | C | Berlin, Germany |
WWE Championship Records & Stats
- Most Reigns: John Cena — 14 reigns
- Longest Single Reign: Bruno Sammartino — 2,803 days
- Shortest Reign: André the Giant — <1 day
- Youngest Champion: Randy Orton
- Oldest Champion: Vince McMahon (brief reign)
Notable WWE Championship Moments
- Bruno Sammartino dominates the 1960s: 2,803‑day reign
- Hulkamania Era: Hulk Hogan elevates the title globally
- Attitude Era Rivalries: Austin vs. Rock headline WrestleMania
- Cena Era: Modern face of WWE, 13–14 reigns
- Modern Era: Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre bring prestige back to the title
WWE Championship FAQ
Q: Who was the first WWE Champion?
A: Buddy Rogers in 1963.
Q: Who has the most WWE Championship reigns?
A: John Cena with 13–14 reigns.
Q: Who held the longest reign?
– Bruno Sammartino, 2803 days.
– Bob Backlund, 2135 days.
– Hulk Hogan, 1474 days.
– Bruno Sammartino, 1237 days.
– Pedro Morales, 1027 days.
Q: Who is the current champion?
A: Drew McIntyre (as of February 2026).
Since 2001, WrestlingAttitude is your number one source for WWE wrestling news, rumors and results. Make sure to follow us on social media where you can get the latest news in real time! We are facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram at the following links:
WA on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wrestlingattitude/
WA on Facebook (Women’s Wrestling) – https://www.facebook.com/WrestlingDivas/
WA on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wa_wrestling
WA on Instagram (Women’s Wrestling) – https://www.instagram.com/wa_wrestlingattitude/
WA on Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/realbadrose/wrestling/
