List of WCW World Heavyweight Champions
Reigns

List of WCW World Heavyweight Champions

Section Title: Reigns
Table Section Text: None

No.	Champion	Championship change	Reign statistics	Notes	Ref.

Date	Event	Location	Reign	Days

World Championship Wrestling

1	Ric Flair	January 11, 1991	House show	East Rutherford, New Jersey	1	171	Defeated Sting for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. WCW began recognizing Flair as WCW World Heavyweight Champion while still using the NWA belt (i.e.

—	Vacated	July 1, 1991	—	—	—	—	Ric Flair left for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was stripped of the title. When Flair left, he took the Big Gold Belt, which represented the NWA and WCW world titles, with him.

2	Lex Luger	July 14, 1991	The Great American Bash	Baltimore, Maryland	1	230	Luger was originally the number one contender to face Ric Flair, but after Flair left WCW for the WWF and the title declared vacant, Barry Windham was named the number two contender.

3	Sting	February 29, 1992	SuperBrawl II	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	1	134

4	Big Van Vader	July 12, 1992	The Great American Bash	Albany, Georgia	1	21

5	Ron Simmons	August 16, 1992	Main Event	Baltimore, Maryland	1	150	Due to injury, Sting was unable to have a rematch with Vader, so a raffle was done to take Sting's place as the number one contender.

6	Big Van Vader	December 30, 1992	House show	Baltimore, Maryland	2	71

7	Sting	March 11, 1993	House show	London, England	2	6

8	Big Van Vader	March 17, 1993	House show	Dublin, Ireland	3	285	During this reign in September 1993, WCW conclusively left the NWA and created a fictitious subsidiary called WCW International. Ric Flair, who had returned to WCW and won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, was recognized as the inaugural WCW International World Heavyweight Champion.

9	Ric Flair	December 27, 1993	Starrcade: 10th Anniversary	Charlotte, North Carolina	2	202	This was a title vs. career match.

—	Vacated	April 17, 1994	Spring Stampede	Chicago, Illinois	—	—	A title match between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat ended in a double pin, which resulted in the title being vacated.

10	Ric Flair	April 21, 1994	Saturday Night	Atlanta, Georgia	3	87	Flair defeated Ricky Steamboat in a rematch for the vacant title. During this reign in June 1994, Flair unified the title with the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship, which then ceased to exist.

11	Hulk Hogan	July 17, 1994	Bash at the Beach	Orlando, Florida	1	469

12	The Giant	October 29, 1995	Halloween Havoc	Detroit. Michigan	1	8	This was a match in which the title could change hands via disqualification due to a contract clause. The Giant was declared winner by disqualification after Hulk Hogan's manager, Jimmy Hart, interfered, followed by attacks on Hogan from members of The Dungeon of Doom.

—	Vacated	November 6, 1995	Nitro	Jacksonville, Florida	—	—	The Giant was stripped of the title due to the controversial finish of the Halloween Havoc match.

13	Randy Savage	November 26, 1995	World War 3	Norfolk, Virginia	1	31	This was the first-ever World War 3 match. Savage last eliminated One Man Gang to win the vacant title.

14	Ric Flair	December 27, 1995	Starrcade: World Cup of Wrestling	Nashville, Tennessee	4	26

15	Randy Savage	January 22, 1996	Nitro	Las Vegas, Nevada	2	20

16	Ric Flair	February 11, 1996	SuperBrawl VI	St. Petersburg, Florida	5	71	This was a steel cage match.

17	The Giant	April 22, 1996	Nitro	Albany, Georgia	2	110	Aired on tape delay on April 29, 1996.

18	Hollywood Hulk Hogan	August 10, 1996	Hog Wild	Sturgis, South Dakota	2	359	After the match, Hogan spray-painted the New World Order (nWo) initials on the title belt. It was often announced as the nWo/WCW World Heavyweight Championship during title defenses, though never officially renamed, while nWo members only referred to it as the nWo World Heavyweight Championship.

19	Lex Luger	August 4, 1997	Nitro	Auburn Hills, Michigan	2	5

20	Hollywood Hulk Hogan	August 9, 1997	Road Wild	Sturgis, South Dakota	3	141

21	Sting	December 28, 1997	Starrcade	Washington, D.C.	3	11	Hogan first pinned Sting, but guest referee Bret Hart accused the first referee, Nick Patrick, of making a fast count and restarted the match.

—	Vacated	January 8, 1998	Thunder	Daytona Beach, Florida	—	—	Sting was stripped of the title due to the controversy over the finish of the Starrcade match.

22	Sting	February 22, 1998	SuperBrawl VIII	Daly City, California	4	56	Defeated Hollywood Hulk Hogan in a rematch for the vacant title.

23	Randy Savage	April 19, 1998	Spring Stampede	Denver. Colorado	3	1	This was a no disqualification match.

24	Hollywood Hulk Hogan	April 20, 1998	Nitro	Colorado Springs, Colorado	4	77

25	Goldberg	July 6, 1998	Nitro	Atlanta, Georgia	1	174

26	Kevin Nash	December 27, 1998	Starrcade	Washington, D.C.	1	8

27	Hollywood Hulk Hogan	January 4, 1999	Nitro	Atlanta, Georgia	5	69	This was The Fingerpoke of Doom.

28	Ric Flair	March 14, 1999	Uncensored (1999)	Louisville, Kentucky	6	28	This was a First Blood barbed wire steel cage match.

29	Diamond Dallas Page	April 11, 1999	Spring Stampede	Tacoma, Washington	1	15	This was a four corners match, also involving Sting and Hollywood Hulk Hogan. Randy Savage was the special guest referee.

30	Sting	April 26, 1999	Nitro	Fargo, North Dakota	5	<1	WWE.com mistakenly lists Sting's reign as lasting from April 26, 1999 to April 29, 1999, despite this and the following match's descriptions stating that this reign began and ended on the same night.

31	Diamond Dallas Page	April 26, 1999	Nitro	Fargo, North Dakota	2	13	This was a four corners match, also involving Kevin Nash and Goldberg. WWE recognizes DDP's reign as lasting 14 days.

32	Kevin Nash	May 9, 1999	Slamboree	St. Louis, Missouri	2	63

33	Randy Savage	July 11, 1999	Bash at the Beach	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	4	1	This was a tag team match pitting Savage and Sid Vicious against Kevin Nash and Sting. Savage pinned Nash to win the title.

34	Hollywood Hulk Hogan	July 12, 1999	Nitro	Jacksonville, Florida	6	62	Hollywood Hogan reverted to his Hulkamania character midway through this reign.

35	Sting	September 12, 1999	Fall Brawl	Winston-Salem, North Carolina	6	43

—	Vacated	October 25, 1999	Nitro	Phoenix, Arizona	—	—	Sting was stripped of the title after losing an unsanctioned match against Goldberg and attacked referee Charles Robinson at Halloween Havoc.

36	Bret Hart	November 21, 1999	Mayhem	Toronto, Ontario	1	29	Defeated Chris Benoit in a tournament final for the vacant title.

—	Vacated	December 20, 1999	Nitro	Baltimore, Maryland	—	—	Bret Hart vacated the title due to the controversial end to a match with Goldberg at Starrcade.

37	Bret Hart	December 20, 1999	Nitro	Baltimore, Maryland	2	27	Defeated Goldberg in a rematch for the vacant title.

—	Vacated	January 16, 2000	Souled Out	Cincinnati, Ohio	—	—	Bret Hart vacated the title due to a legitimate injury that eventually forced him to retire nine months later.

38	Chris Benoit	January 16, 2000	Souled Out	Cincinnati, Ohio	1	1	Defeated Sid Vicious for the vacant title. The following day, after a dispute with management, he left WCW for the WWF.

—	Vacated	January 17, 2000	Nitro	Columbus, Ohio	—	—	In storyline, Chris Benoit was stripped of the title because he won the match although Sid Vicious' foot was under the rope during the submission.

39	Sid Vicious	January 24, 2000	Nitro	Los Angeles, California	1	1	Defeated The Harris Brothers for the right to face Kevin Nash. Sid then defeated Nash for the vacant title.

—	Vacated	January 25, 2000	Thunder	Las Vegas, Nevada	—	—	Sid Vicious was stripped of the title by Commissioner Kevin Nash due to Sid pinning the wrong Harris Brother. Aired on tape delay on January 26, 2000.

Kevin Nash	January 25, 2000	Thunder	Las Vegas, Nevada	3	<1	As Commissioner, Nash awarded himself the title. Aired on tape delay on January 26, 2000.

41	Sid Vicious	January 25, 2000	Thunder	Las Vegas, Nevada	2	76	This was a triangle steel cage match, also involving Kevin Nash and Ron Harris. Sid made Nash submit to win the vacant title.

—	Vacated	April 10, 2000	Nitro	Denver. Colorado	—	—	All WCW titles were declared vacant by Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff after WCW was rebooted.

42	Jeff Jarrett	April 16, 2000	Spring Stampede	Chicago, Illinois	1	8	Defeated Diamond Dallas Page in tournament final for the vacant title.

43	Diamond Dallas Page	April 24, 2000	Nitro	Rochester, New York	3	1	This was a steel cage match.

44	David Arquette	April 25, 2000	Thunder	Syracuse, New York	1	12	This was a tag team match pitting Arquette and Diamond Dallas Page against Eric Bischoff and Jeff Jarrett, in which whoever scored the fall would become champion.

45	Jeff Jarrett	May 7, 2000	Slamboree	Kansas City, Missouri	2	8	This was a Triple Cage match, also involving Diamond Dallas Page.

46	Ric Flair	May 15, 2000	Nitro	Biloxi, Mississippi	7	7	Despite being listed as Flair's sixth reign on WWE.com, the match description says that this was Flair's seventh reign.

—	Vacated	May 22, 2000	Nitro	Grand Rapids, Michigan	—	—	Vince Russo stripped Ric Flair of the title.

47	Jeff Jarrett	May 22, 2000	Nitro	Grand Rapids, Michigan	3	1	Vince Russo awarded the vacant title to Jarrett, but Kevin Nash stole the title belt. Nash was then forced to face Jarrett in a No Holds Barred match, which Jarrett won.

48	Kevin Nash	May 23, 2000	Thunder	Saginaw, Michigan	4	6	This was a triangle match, also involving Scott Steiner.

49	Ric Flair	May 29, 2000	Nitro	Salt Lake City, Utah	8	<1	Kevin Nash gave the title to Flair.

49	Jeff Jarrett	May 29, 2000	Nitro	Salt Lake City, Utah	4	41

50	Booker T	July 9, 2000	Bash at the Beach	Daytona Beach, Florida	1	50	Earlier that night, Hollywood Hulk Hogan faced Jeff Jarrett for the title in a controversial match that ended in a shoot.

51	Kevin Nash	August 28, 2000	Nitro	Las Cruces, New Mexico	5	20

52	Booker T	September 17, 2000	Fall Brawl	Buffalo, New York	2	8	This was a Caged Heat match.

53	Vince Russo	September 25, 2000	Nitro	Uniondale, New York	1	7	This was a steel cage match.

—	Vacated	October 2, 2000	Nitro	Daly City, California	—	—	Vince Russo decided he was not a wrestler and he did not want the title.

54	Booker T	October 2, 2000	Nitro	Daly City, California	3	55	Defeated Jeff Jarrett in a San Francisco 49ers match for the vacant title.

55	Scott Steiner	November 26, 2000	Mayhem	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	1	120	This was a straitjacket steel cage match.

56	Booker T	March 26, 2001	Nitro	Panama City Beach, Florida	4	120	This was the final episode of Nitro as WCW was purchased by the WWF on March 23, 2001. Booker T.

World Wrestling Federation

57	Kurt Angle	July 24, 2001	SmackDown	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	1	6	Aired on tape delay on July 26, 2001.

58	Booker T	July 30, 2001	Raw Is War	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	5	20

59	The Rock	August 19, 2001	SummerSlam	San Jose, California	1	63

60	Chris Jericho	October 21, 2001	No Mercy	St. Louis, Missouri	1	15

61	The Rock	November 5, 2001	Raw	Uniondale, New York	2	34	The title was referred to as the World Championship from November 19, 2001 after the demise of The Alliance.

62	Chris Jericho	December 9, 2001	Vengeance	San Diego, California	2	<1

—	Unified	December 9, 2001	Vengeance	San Diego, California	—	—	After defeating The Rock for the World Championship, Chris Jericho defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin to unify the World Championship with the WWF Championship.

Sentence(s)

Bret Hart was a two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion.

final_sentence: Bret Hart was a two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion.