Top 10 Greatest WWE Champions of All Time

The Top Ten
1 John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. (/ˈsiːnə/; born April 23, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, rapper, actor, and reality television show host signed to WWE, where he is assigned to the SmackDown brand... read more

John Cena is the seventh-longest reigning WWE champion of all time and the fourth-longest reigning WWE champion in combined number of days. He never cheated, never took help from outsiders, and always won by heart. He is even better than Triple H, CM Punk, Randy Orton, and The Undertaker.

Cena's the greatest!

I've met that guy once in my gym, and he was so humble and friendly. Took a picture, and we worked out together. Not once did he talk about himself. Instead, he kept talking about how to achieve my dream of becoming a successful architect. I've been your fan since I was 10, John. You're the reason I never gave up. Thanks, champ.

2 The Rock Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American and Canadian actor, producer and semi-retired professional wrestler, signed with WWE.

The Rock broke barriers in regard to being a champion. He was the youngest WWE Champion ever (now surpassed by Lesnar & Orton) in a deep talent pool. The Rock also became the first seven-time WWE Champion, beating Angle & Taker at Vengeance 2002. Had The Rock stayed a full-time wrestler, he would have surpassed Flair's record by now.

The Rock is the greatest wrestler, the greatest WWE champion, the most charismatic wrestler, and the most electrifying man in all sports. He and Stone Cold are the greatest of all time.

3 Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American professional wrestler, actor, television personality, entrepreneur and rock bassist.

Hulk Hogan was a six-time WWE champion for a total of 2,185 days. He became a pop culture icon when he first defeated the Iron Sheik for the title in 1984 and put WWE on the map during his four-year reign. He would go on to win the WWE championship five more times in his career with memorable matches against Andre the Giant, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, and The Undertaker.

In my book, Hulk Hogan is #1 personally. He was my draw and many others! To be fair in ranking, Sammartino should be 1st and Hogan second. This list is obviously upside down. Look at Sammartino's stats: he's the MSG sold-out king, the steel cage king, and, although I don't want to admit it, the WWE Champion king! He had 2 reigns totaling 4,040 days. Period.

Hulk Hogan is clearly #2. He main-evented WrestleMania more than any WWE superstar ever, at least 11 times! Come on, he did it at Mania X8 when he was not even champ. Even Y2J & H knew they should not have had the last slot on the card. Marketing got it right: icon vs. icon! This was 9 years after he left the company, and how old was he?! The man lost twice at the SkyDome but won many hearts. He went to company #2 at the time, WCW, and became WCW King.

These two men are on my Mount Rushmore of wrestling. Enough said. I will leave you with this: if you cannot put warm booties in seats consistently, you are not an elite champion. You are a placeholder champion. Period. Hogan's record is 3,365 days, including the WCW World Championship. That's 2,000-plus days with WWE alone. Yes, it was a different time, a time dominated, in my opinion, by the best. Numbers don't lie, people. I will stick with numbers that many say will never change. I agree. Long live the spirit of wrestling, the oldest sport in the world!

4 The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name The Undertaker, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he has worked since 1990, making him the company's longest tenured in-ring performer . Calaway began his wrestling career with World... read more

First of all, he had the greatest winning streak at WrestleMania: 21-0. He defeated almost all top WWE superstars in his career, fair and square. He kicks out over and over, no matter which move it is, but he never gives up his match so easily. His willpower is very high. He has a phenomenal entrance style. His match is an art. His voice is so loud. His height, figure, and the style of a deadman are awesome. He is a true phenom of WWE.

He is the legend who has an undefeated streak which ended at 21-1. He reigned over WWE, and WWE is at this point because of The Undertaker, as he took WWE with him. At the age of 51, he is the fittest athlete in WWE. All I have to say is that The Undertaker is a legend.

5 Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson on December 18, 1964, later Steven James Williams), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American actor, media personality, producer, and retired professional wrestler who is signed to a legends contract for WWE... read more

There are a million reasons why Stone Cold was the best champion, and here they are: Smoking Skull Championship. The best belt of all time.

Stone Cold should be number 1 because he drew big crowds, filled arenas, and was once declared by Mr. McMahon as the greatest WWE champion of all time!

He is the leader of the Attitude Era, the best era in the history of WWE. He is the biggest name in WWE history, and the most profitable superstar in WWE according to Mr. McMahon.

6 Bruno Sammartino Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was born in Pizzoferrato, Abruzzo, Italy, to Alfonso and Emilia Sammartino on October 6, 1935. He then died on April 18, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. He is known for his powerful bearhug finishing move, and is widely considered to be one of the... read more

Bruno had literally two reigns, and if you combined those two reigns together, you get 4,040 days. That's more than the reigns of Triple H, The Rock, John Cena, and Randy Orton combined. The only reason he lost the belt is that he thought he had enough time with the title, which makes a lot of sense, so he lost it to Ivan Koloff.

Never mind what I said about The Rock. I didn't see Bruno here until I scrolled down. Bruno held the title for more than 11 years, which is still more than Cena, Taker, and Rock's title reigns combined. Bruno should be number one. Rick should be number two.

7 Triple H Paul Michael Levesque, better known by his ring name Triple H, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, corporate executive, and actor.

Triple H won the 2002 Royal Rumble match by eliminating Kurt Angle. He went on to WrestleMania to meet the Undisputed WWF Champion Chris Jericho. At No Way Out, Kurt Angle defeated Triple H to steal his title shot, with Stephanie McMahon as the special guest referee. I thought it was going to be Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho for the Undisputed WWF Championship. On the February 18, 2002 edition of Raw, Triple H defeated Kurt Angle to regain his title shot. At WrestleMania, Triple H defeated Chris Jericho to win the Undisputed WWF Championship!

8 CM Punk Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks, also known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American comic book writer, actor, upcoming mixed martial artist and retired professional wrestler who is signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship... read more

When it comes to match quality during one's title reign, Punk is in a class of his own. His in-ring and microphone skills put him among the best in the business.

CM Punk has always proved that he is the best in the world. He has beaten The Undertaker, John Cena, etc. Come on, he held the WWE Championship for 434 days, more than anyone else in the modern era.

He has been WWE champion for 434 consecutive days. He has dangerous legs and amazing fighting skills. Briefly, he is the best champion ever.

9 Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels was born on July 22, 1965 . He is an American professional wrestler. He is the first wrestler to win all the titles the WWE could have offered. He is known for his moves and looks. His nickname provided by WWE is HBK (Heart Break Kid). He was in DX (Degeneration X) a tag team with Triple... read more

Charisma, looks, humor, and brilliant acting that always bring out the best crowd reactions. And the superkick is flawless.

How can Kane, a man who held the title for a DAY, be ranked higher than the man who beat Bret Hart in a brutal Iron Man match?

Not only was he a great wrestler, but he was also terrific on the mic and in displaying his character. He is an all-time great.

10 Randy Orton Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed with WWE, where he is a member of the SmackDown brand. He is a 12-time world champion, having held the WWE World Championship eight times and the World Heavyweight Championship four times.

Randy should be first because he is the best in the business. John Cena has played a babyface in his career. It's simple to be a babyface. But on the other hand, Randy has played both babyface and heel very well. It's very hard to change the face and please the crowd for so long. That's why my pick is Randy Orton. He is the 12-time World Champion.

Up to 12 world titles now, so underrated. He was better than Cena throughout their incredible rivalry, not taking anything away from the amazing Cena though.

Randy Orton deserves to be in the top five. Randy Orton proves he is one of the best, and he has great nicknames in the WWE: The Viper, The Apex Predator, and the best one, The Legend Killer. He has become a great superstar in WWE, and he has been great because he was the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history and the first WWE World Heavyweight Champion. PERIOD.

The Contenders
11 Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart, better known by his ring name Bret "The Hitman" Hart, is a Canadian-American writer, actor and retired professional and amateur wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler.

This guy had to bring the WWF back after Hogan bailed, and no one wanted to watch them anymore. He consistently fought twice a night and overseas, which other champions never did, but he did it for us. He is and will always be The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be, and you know it!

Bret Hart brought legitimacy which was never there before. He was a technical specialist and a great mentor.

Thanks for the good times, Bret. Don't judge Seth, or I'm coming for you!

12 Bob Backlund Robert Louis Backlund is an American retired professional wrestler with an in-ring career spanning over 30 years, best known for his tenures in the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation, where he is a two-time WWWF/WWF Heavyweight Champion/WWF World Heavyweight Champion, as well... read more
13 Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler, professional American football player, and mixed martial artist who is currently signed to WWE.

He is the fastest rising superstar in just two years, from March 18, 2002, to March 18, 2004. The youngest WWE champion... three-time WWE champion in just two years, 900 pounds deadlift, F5 the Big Show, UFC Heavyweight Champion, NJPW Intercontinental Champion, OVW Tag Team Champion, and the one who broke The Undertaker's Undefeated Streak. Royal Rumble debut and winner...

He is the most powerful wrestler in history. The reason he has so few championships to his name is that opponents cheat and keep interfering in the matches. Brock Lesnar can withstand anyone. He is also the UFC Champion, and that's the reason everyone is so afraid of him. And those who show that they are not afraid of THE BEAST do it only for popularity, mind it. Good luck to those who are going to face him at WrestleMania, Raw, or SummerSlam... Sia.

14 Randy Savage Randy Mario Poffo, better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and color commentator best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation and later the World Championship Wrestling.

Give me a break, how is Macho Man not at the top of the list? Not calling him Number 1, but look, CM Punk? Jeff Hardy? Wow, who is voting here? You know this isn't real, right? It's kind of a vote on the best entertainer, not who could actually win in a fight.

Won titles when they were hard to win and not changing hands every month. Great charisma and actually made Warrior look good in matches. Was much better than Hogan.

Maybe the first of the great athletes in WWE. He was quick, strong, technical, and had a great character. The Savage vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat match may be the best match I've ever seen.

15 Ric Flair Richard Morgan "Ric" Fliehr, better known by his ring name Ric Flair, is a professional wrestling manager and American retired professional wrestler currently signed to the WWE under a legends appearance contract.

Ric is easily the greatest champion of all time. Look at his body of work. It's not about popularity or being a nice guy. It's about the interviews and performances in the ring, and Flair sold the match both in the interviews and in the ring. He held titles in the '70s, '80s, '90s, and 2000s. Four decades – how can you compare that to the others? The people who made this list didn't even mention Bob Backlund. I have known wrestling for four decades.

Most entertaining showman and best interviews in wrestling. Ever.

Why can't he be number 1? He is a 15-time world champion!

16 Edge Adam Joseph Copeland is a Canadian actor and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Smackdown brand under the ring name Edge.

Great moves, great look, great humor, great heel. He's the guy you loved to hate, and it isn't the same with him gone.

He's one of the best workers. Just look at WrestleMania X8 with Booker T. Both men were great.

17 Pedro Morales Pedro Antonio Morales was a Puerto Rican retired professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances in the United States with Worldwide Wrestling Associates and the World Wide Wrestling Federation.
18 The Miz Michael Gregory "Mike" Mizanin is an American professional wrestler, reality television star, and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown Live brand under the ring name The Miz.
19 Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, singer-songwriter, painter and musician.

Jeff is truly a revolutionary in the sport. His journey to the title was unique and heart-wrenching, and once he finally won, you couldn't help but either cry alongside him.

He is a great star in wrestling history.

He is the most awesome player in WWE and TNA's history. He is my WWE boy. The Swanton Bomb is his best finisher.

20 Mankind Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, color commentator, and retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, under the company's "Legends" program, acting as a company ambassador. Foley has wrestled under his real name and various personas, including Mankind,... read more

He was super charismatic and one of the best wrestlers of the Attitude Era. He was awesome.

21 Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (Roman Reigns) was born on May 25, 1985. He is an American professional wrestler and former professional Canadian football player.

He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs under ring name Roman Reigns.

His finishing move is Spear and Moment of Silence... read more

Roman Reigns has not won titles till now, but he is a very great wrestler. He has taken on The Undertaker, Kane, John Cena, Randy Orton, and all other great superstars easily with a spear.

He is a good WWE superstar and wrestler.

Roman Reigns is the real wrestler because he defeated the League of Nations.

22 Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez, better known by the ring name Rey Mysterio, is a Mexican-American professional wrestler who currently works for WWE on the Smackdown brand.

WWE failed to give appropriate time and chance to the young and little man popularly known as "The Greatest Underdog".

Rey, you are the best in the world.

Why isn't Mysterio at the top of the list? He is the fastest little man, better than John Cena.

23 Diesel Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE under their legends program. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Diesel, and World Championship Wrestling under his real name.
24 Sheamus Stephen Farrelly is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, where he performs under the ring name Sheamus.

Sheamus is a real warrior, especially with his Brogue Kick. He survives every time like a warrior. I am a very big fan of you and love you.

Sheamus is better than Randy Orton.

Sheamus is unbeatable. He has many skills: the Irish Curse, Brogue Kick, and chokeslam. Please vote for Sheamus, fella!

25 Daniel Bryan Bryan Lloyd Danielson is an American professional wrestler best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Daniel Bryan. He is a five time WWE world champion.

You can bet Randy for the Championship. Can you do it? Yes, yes, yes.

From Daniel.

Say yes, yes, yes. He is an amazing superstar.

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