WWE Title WWE Title History

#
Wrestler
Date
Location
1
Buddy Rogers 1
1/24/63
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2
Bruno Sammartino
5/17/63
New York, New York
3
Ivan Koloff
1/18/71
New York, New York
4
Pedro Morales 2
2/8/71
New York, New York
5
Stan Stasiak
12/1/73
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6
Bruno Sammartino (2)
12/9/73
New York, New York
7
Billy Graham
4/30/77
Baltimore, Maryland
8
Bob Backlund 3
2/20/78
New York, New York
9
Antonio Inoki 4
11/30/79
Tokushima, Japan
10
Bob Backlund (2) 5
12/12/79
New York, New York
11
Iron Sheik 6
12/26/83
New York, New York
12
Hulk Hogan
1/23/84
New York, New York
13
Andre the Giant 7
2/5/88
Indianapolis, Indiana
14
Randy Savage 8
3/27/88
Atlantic City, New Jersy
15
Hulk Hogan (2)
2/4/89
Atlantic City, New Jersy
16
Ultimate Warrior
4/1/90
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
17
Sgt. Slaughter
1/19/91
Miami, Florida
18
Hulk Hogan (3)
3/24/91
Los Angeles, California
19
The Undertaker
11/27/91
Detroit, Michigan
20
Hulk Hogan (4) 9
12/3/91
San Antonio, Texas
21
Ric Flair 10
1/19/92
Albany, New York
22
Randy Savage (2)
4/5/92
Indianapolis, Indiana
23
Ric Flair (2)
9/1/92
Hershey, Pennsylvania
24
Bret Hart
10/12/92
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
25
Yokozuna
4/4/93
Las Vegas, Nevada
26
Hulk Hogan (5) 11
4/4/93
Las Vegas, Nevada
27
Yokozuna (2)
6/13/93
Dayton, Ohio
28
Bret Hart (2)
3/20/94
New York, New York
29
Bob Backlund (3)
11/23/94
San Antonio, Texas
30
Diesel
11/26/94
New York, New York
31
Bret Hart (3)
11/19/95
Landover, Maryland
32
Shawn Michaels
3/31/96
Anaheim, California
33
Sycho Sid
11/17/96
New York, New York
34
Shawn Michaels 12
1/19/97
San Antonio, Texas
35
Bret Hart (4) 13
2/16/97
Chattanooga, Tennessee
36
Sycho Sid (2)
2/17/97
Nashville, Tennessee
37
The Undertaker (2)
3/23/97
Chicago, Illinois
38
Bret Hart (5)
8/3/97
East Rutherford, New Jersy
39
Shawn Michaels (3) 14
11/9/97
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
40
Steve Austin
3/29/98
Boston, Massachusetts
41
Kane 15
6/28/98
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
42
Steve Austin (2)
6/29/98
Cleveland, Ohio
43
The Rock 16
11/15/98
St. Lois, Missouri
44
Mankind
12/29/98
Worcester, Massachusetts
45
The Rock (2)
1/24/99
Anaheim, California
46
Mankind (2)
1/26/99
Tuscon, Arizona
47
The Rock (3)
2/15/99
Birmingham, Alabama
48
Stone Cold Steve Austin (3)
3/28/99
Philidelphia, Pennslyvania
49
The Undertaker (3)17
5/23/99
Kansas City, Missouri
50
Stone Cold Steve Austin (4)
6/28/99
Charlotte, North Carolina
51
Mankind (3)
8/22/99
Minneapolis, Minnesota
52
Triple H
8/23/99
Iowa State University
53
Vince McMahon
9/14/99
Las Vegas, Nevada
54
Triple H (2)18
9/26/99
Charlotte, North Carolina
55
The Big Show
11/14/99
Detroit, Michigan
56
Triple H (3)
1/3/00
Miami, Florida
57
The Rock (4)
4/30/00
Washington, D.C.
58
Triple H (4)19
5/21/00
Louisville, Kentucky
59
The Rock (5)20
6/25/00
Boston, Massachusetts
60
Kurt Angle
10/22/00
Albany, New York
61
The Rock (6)
02/25/01
Las Vegas, Nevada
62
Stone Cold Steve Austin (5)
04/01/01
Houston, Texas
63
Kurt Angle (2)
09/23/01
Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania
64
Stone Cold Steve Austin (6)
10/08/01
Indianapolis, Indiana
65
Chris Jericho21
12/09/01
San Diego, California
66
Triple H (5)
03/17/02
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
67
Hulk Hogan (6)22
04/21/02
Kansas City, Missouri
68
The Undertaker (4)
05/19/02
Nashville, Tennessee
69
The Rock (7)
07/21/02
Detriot, Michigan
70
Brock Lesnar23
08/25/02
Uniondale, New York
71
Big Show (2)
11/17/02
New York, New York
72
Kurt Angle (3)
12/15/02
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
73
Brock Lesnar (2)
03/30/03
Seattle, Washington
74
Kurt Angle (4)
07/27/03
Denver, Colorado
75
Brock Lesnar (3)
09/16/03
Raleigh, North Carolina
76
Eddie Guerrero
02/15/04
San Francisco, California
Notes
1. Different stories as to how Rogers was awarded the title have been claimed. One says he defeated Antonio Rocca in the finals of a fictitious tournament in Rio de Janeiro for the title. Others say he was awarded the title by promoters breaking with the NWA, who didn't recognize his one-fall loss to Lou Thesz in a match for the NWA World Title.

2. Title is reduced from world to regional when the WWWF joins the NWA in 1971.

3. Renamed WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 3/79.

4. Inoki was pinned by Bob Backlund in a rematch in Tokyo, Japan, but WWF President Hisashi Shinma declares the match a no-contest due to interference from Tiger Jeet Singh. Inoki was offered the belt back from Shinma, but declined.

5. Backlund defeats Bobby Duncum for the vacant belt.

6. Sheik defeats Bob Backlund with the Camel Clutch. Backlund's manager, Aarnold Skaaland, threw in the towel to end a 4-year title reign.

7. Andre attempts to hand the belt over to Ted DiBiase, but WWF President Jack Tunney rules that the belt cannot be given away. Andre forfeits the title instead.

8. Savage defeats Ted DiBiase in the finals of a tournament to win the vacant belt.

9. Belt is held on 12/4/91 up after a pair of contraversial title changes, set to be given to the winner of the next Royal Rumble.

10. Flair wins the Royal Rumble, eliminating Sid Justice last for the World Heavyweight Championship. He had been claiming to be the "Real World's Champion", carrying his NWA World Heavyweight Title belt to the ring with him (which the WWF always censored).

11. Mr. Fuji challenges Hulk Hogan immediately after Yokozuna pins Bret Hart for the title. Hogan defeats him that same night for the belt.

12. Michaels vacates the title due to a knee injury.

13. Hart defeats Vader, Steve Austin, and the Undertaker in a "Final Four" match, eliminating UT last with a clothesline over the top and to the floor.

14. Referee Earl Hebner suddenly calls for the bell (at Vince McMahon's order) while Michaels has Bret Hart in Bret's own Sharpshooter, regardless of the fact that there was no indication of a submission.

15. Austin's forehead is busted open in a First Blood Match by an interfering Undertaker, giving Kane the win and the title.

16. After Kane and Undertaker pin Austin at the same time in a triple threat match at IYH: Break Down, the title is declared vacant. After Austin causes the title to remain vacant at October's IYH event, McMahon orders a title tournament to take place at the Survivor Series. The Rock wins the title by beating the Big Boss Man, Ken Shamrock, and the Undertaker to get to the finals. In the finals, Rocky beats Mankind when Vince McMahon orders the bell rung without Mankind submitting to the Sharpshooter, a slap in the face to Bret Hart based on what happened to him a year earlier.

17. Shane McMahon serves as special referee, he makes a fast count and awards the title to the Undertaker.

18. Vince McMahon declares the title vacant after winning it on Smackdown!, and puts the title on the line in a 6-way match at the Unforgiven PPV. Triple H defeats Kane, the Big Show, The British Bulldog, the Rock, and Mankind to recapture the title.

19. Triple H defeats the Rock in an Iron Man Match 6-5 falls, when the Undertaker comes in at the last moment and delivers a chokeslam and Tombstone Piledriver to Triple H, causing the Rock to be disqualified, and Triple H to be awarded the title.

20. The Rock (teaming with Undertaker and Kane) pins Vince McMahon (teaming with Triple H and Shane McMahon). As the rules of the match state the champion doesn't have to be pinned, the Rock wins the belt.

21. Chris Jericho first defeats the Rock earlier in the night for the WCW title, then beats Steve Austin for the WWF title in a second match to determine the first ever Undisputed Champion. The WWF and WCW title are now one, and simply called the Undisputed WWF Championship.

22. World Wrestling Federation Entertainment officially changes their name to World Wrestling Entertainment on May 6, 2002, thus getting the "F" out and becoming WWE. Hulk Hogan is the first WWE Champion.

23. Brock Lesnar signs an exclusive Smackdown! contract while WWE Champion. This prompts RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff to resurrect the WCW title under the guise of the World Heavyweight Title to become the exclusive World title for RAW. The WWE title is now the exclusive property of Smackdown! and only fought for by Smackdown! superstars.