List of WWE champions - wikipedia List of WWE champions This article is about a list of wrestlers who have held the current WWE Championship. For a list of wrestlers who have held the now - retired `` World Heavyweight Championship '', see List of World Heavyweight Champions ( WWE ). For a list of current title holders in WWE, see List of current champions in WWE. Two - time and current champion AJ Styles The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE, currently on the SmackDown brand. It is the first world title established in WWE, having been introduced in 1963 as the World Wide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) World Heavyweight Championship. The promotion was renamed World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) in 1979 and ended its affiliation with the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) in 1983, with the title also renamed to reflect the changes. In 2001, it was unified with the World Championship ( formerly the WCW World Heavyweight Championship ) following the WWF 's buyout of World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) and became the Undisputed WWF Championship. In 2002, the WWF was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) and split its roster into two brands, Raw and SmackDown. The title, now renamed WWE Championship, was then designated to the SmackDown brand while WWE established an alternate world title known as the World Heavyweight Championship for the Raw brand. A third alternate world title, the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, was reactivated for the ECW brand in 2006. It was vacated and decommissioned when the ECW brand disbanded in 2010. When WWE Champion Randy Orton defeated World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at the TLC pay - per - view on December 15, 2013, the World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the WWE Championship, resulting in the retiring of the former and the renaming of the latter to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. On June 27, 2016, the name was shortened back to the WWE Championship before assuming the WWE World Championship name on July 26, when the brand extension returned. It became designated to the SmackDown brand and WWE again established an alternate world title known as the WWE Universal Championship for the Raw brand. In December 2016, WWE again shortened the title 's name back to WWE Championship. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participants execute scripted finishes rather than contend in direct competition. Some reigns were held by champions using a ring name, while others use their real name. The first champion was Buddy Rogers, who won the championship in 1963. The champion with the single longest reign is Bruno Sammartino with a reign of 2,803 days, while the record for longest combined reign is also held by Sammartino at 4,040. The current champion is AJ Styles, who is in his second reign. He won the championship by defeating Jinder Mahal on SmackDown in Manchester, England on November 7, 2017. Overall, there have been 50 different official champions, with John Cena having the most reigns at thirteen. Seven men in history have held the championship for a continuous reign of one year ( 365 days ) or more : Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, John Cena and CM Punk. Contents 1 Title history 1.1 Names 1.2 Reigns 2 Combined reigns 3 References 4 External links Title History Names Name Years WWWF World Heavyweight Championship April 25, 1963 -- February 8, 1971 WWWF Heavyweight Championship February 8, 1971 -- March 1, 1979 WWF Heavyweight Championship March 1, 1979 -- December 26, 1983 WWF World Heavyweight Championship December 26, 1983 -- June 29, 1998 WWF Championship June 29, 1998 -- December 9, 2001 Undisputed WWF Championship December 9, 2001 -- May 6, 2002 Undisputed WWE Championship May 6, 2002 -- May 19, 2002 WWE Undisputed Championship May 19, 2002 -- September 2, 2002 WWE Championship September 2, 2002 -- December 15, 2013 WWE World Heavyweight Championship December 15, 2013 -- June 27, 2016 WWE Championship June 27, 2016 -- July 25, 2016 WWE World Championship July 26, 2016 -- December 9, 2016 WWE Championship December 10, 2016 -- present Reigns As of July 16, 2018. Reign The reign number for the specific champion listed Location The city in which the title was won Event The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the title was won † Indicates the title change is not recognized by WWE + Indicates the current reign is changing daily < 1 Indicates reign was less than a day No. Wrestler Reign Date Days held Location Event Notes Ref. Buddy Rogers April 25, 1963 7001220000000000000 ♠ 22 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- Won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro after the WWWF left the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ), of which Rogers had been the 7th NWA World Heavyweight Champion since defeating Pat O'Connor on June 30, 1961. After Rogers ' one fall loss to Lou Thesz for the title on January 24, 1963, Northeast promoters ( led by Vince McMahon Sr. and Toots Mondt ) did not recognize this title change and withdrew their membership from the NWA to form the World Wide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ). The WWWF billed Rogers as their world champion since January 25, but did not recognize him as the first ever WWWF World Heavyweight Champion until April 11. However, WWE.com lists Rogers ' reign and the establishment of the title beginning on April 25. Bruno Sammartino May 17, 1963 7003280300000000000 ♠ 2,803 New York, NY House show Ivan Koloff January 18, 1971 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 New York, NY House show Pedro Morales February 8, 1971 7003102700000000000 ♠ 1,027 New York, NY House show The title was renamed the WWWF Heavyweight Championship when WWWF rejoined the NWA in 1971. 5 Stan Stasiak December 1, 1973 7000900000000000000 ♠ 9 Philadelphia, PA House show 6 Bruno Sammartino December 10, 1973 7003123700000000000 ♠ 1,237 New York, NY House show 7 Superstar Billy Graham April 30, 1977 7002296000000000000 ♠ 296 Baltimore, MD House show 8 Bob Backlund February 20, 1978 7003213500000000000 ♠ 2,135 ( 7002648000000000000 ♠ 648 ) New York, NY House show The title was renamed the WWF Heavyweight Championship when the World Wide Wrestling Federation became the World Wrestling Federation in March 1979. -- Antonio Inoki November 30, 1979 7000600000000000000 ♠ 6 Tokushima, Japan House show -- Vacated -- December 6, 1979 -- Tokyo, Japan House show Antonio Inoki immediately vacated the title after a rematch with Bob Backlund ended in a no contest due to the interference of Tiger Jeet Singh. -- Bob Backlund December 17, 1979 7003147000000000000 ♠ 1,470 New York City, NY House show Backlund defeated Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death match to fill the vacancy. WWE recognizes Backlund 's first and second reigns as being uninterrupted and considers this a continuation of the first. 9 The Iron Sheik December 26, 1983 7001280000000000000 ♠ 28 New York City, NY House show The Iron Sheik won by submission when Bob Backlund 's manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel when Backlund was put into Sheik 's camel clutch to prevent any major injury. The title was renamed the WWF World Heavyweight Championship when the WWF ended its affiliation with the NWA. WWE recognizes Sheik 's reign as lasting 29 days. 10 Hulk Hogan January 23, 1984 7003147400000000000 ♠ 1,474 New York City, NY House show 11 André the Giant February 5, 1988 < 1 Indianapolis, IN The Main Event I André defeated Hulk Hogan when referee Earl Hebner, who was bribed by Ted DiBiase, scored the three - count, despite Hogan raising his shoulder past the two - count. -- Vacated -- February 5, 1988 -- Indianapolis, IN The Main Event I Immediately after winning the title from Hulk Hogan, André handed the championship belt to Ted DiBiase ; President Jack Tunney ruled this as vacating the title. 12 Randy Savage March 27, 1988 7002371000000000000 ♠ 371 Atlantic City, NJ WrestleMania IV Defeated Ted DiBiase in a tournament final to win the vacant title. 13 Hulk Hogan April 2, 1989 7002364000000000000 ♠ 364 Atlantic City, NJ WrestleMania V 14 The Ultimate Warrior April 1, 1990 7002293000000000000 ♠ 293 Toronto, ON WrestleMania VI This was a title for title match, in which Warrior also defended the Intercontinental Championship. 15 Sgt. Slaughter January 19, 1991 7001640000000000000 ♠ 64 Miami, FL Royal Rumble 16 Hulk Hogan March 24, 1991 7002248000000000000 ♠ 248 Los Angeles, CA WrestleMania VII 17 The Undertaker November 27, 1991 7000600000000000000 ♠ 6 Detroit, MI Survivor Series 18 Hulk Hogan December 3, 1991 7000100000000000000 ♠ 1 San Antonio, TX This Tuesday in Texas -- Vacated -- December 4, 1991 -- New Haven, CT Superstars of Wrestling Hulk Hogan was stripped of the title by WWF President Jack Tunney due to the controversy surrounding both of the previous title changes. Aired on tape delay on December 7, 1991. 19 Ric Flair January 19, 1992 7001770000000000000 ♠ 77 Albany, NY Royal Rumble This was the Royal Rumble match, in which Flair last eliminated Sid Justice to win the vacant title. 20 Randy Savage April 5, 1992 7002149000000000000 ♠ 149 Indianapolis, IN WrestleMania VIII 21 Ric Flair September 1, 1992 7001410000000000000 ♠ 41 Hershey, PA Prime Time Wrestling Aired on tape delay on September 14, 1992. 22 Bret Hart October 12, 1992 7002174000000000000 ♠ 174 Saskatoon, SK House show WWE recognizes Hart 's reign as lasting 175 days. 23 Yokozuna April 4, 1993 < 1 Las Vegas, NV WrestleMania IX 24 Hulk Hogan 5 7001700000000000000 ♠ 70 25 Yokozuna June 13, 1993 7002280000000000000 ♠ 280 Dayton, OH King of the Ring 26 Bret Hart March 20, 1994 7002248000000000000 ♠ 248 New York City, NY WrestleMania X Roddy Piper was the guest referee. 27 Bob Backlund November 23, 1994 7000300000000000000 ♠ 3 San Antonio, TX Survivor Series This was a `` Throw in the Towel '' submission match. 28 Diesel November 26, 1994 7002358000000000000 ♠ 358 New York City, NY House show 29 Bret Hart November 19, 1995 7002133000000000000 ♠ 133 Landover, MD Survivor Series This was a no disqualification match. 30 Shawn Michaels March 31, 1996 7002231000000000000 ♠ 231 Anaheim, CA WrestleMania XII This was a 60 - minute Iron Man match, in which Michaels won 1 -- 0 in overtime. 31 Sycho Sid November 17, 1996 7001630000000000000 ♠ 63 New York City, NY Survivor Series 32 Shawn Michaels January 19, 1997 7001250000000000000 ♠ 25 San Antonio, TX Royal Rumble -- Vacated -- February 13, 1997 -- Lowell, MA Raw Shawn Michaels forfeited the title due to a knee injury. 33 Bret Hart February 16, 1997 7000100000000000000 ♠ 1 Chattanooga, TN In Your House 13 : Final Four This was a four - way elimination match for the vacant title also involving Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and Vader. 34 Sycho Sid February 17, 1997 7001340000000000000 ♠ 34 Nashville, TN Raw 35 The Undertaker March 23, 1997 7002133000000000000 ♠ 133 Rosemont, IL WrestleMania 13 This was a no disqualification match. 36 Bret Hart 5 August 3, 1997 7001980000000000000 ♠ 98 East Rutherford, NJ SummerSlam Shawn Michaels was guest referee. 37 Shawn Michaels November 9, 1997 7002140000000000000 ♠ 140 Montreal, QC Survivor Series This was the Montreal Screwjob. 38 Stone Cold Steve Austin March 29, 1998 7001910000000000000 ♠ 91 Boston, MA WrestleMania XIV Mike Tyson was the special outside enforcer. 39 Kane June 28, 1998 7000100000000000000 ♠ 1 Pittsburgh, PA King of the Ring This was a First Blood match. 40 Stone Cold Steve Austin June 29, 1998 7001900000000000000 ♠ 90 Cleveland, OH Raw is War The title was renamed the WWF Championship. -- Vacated -- September 27, 1998 -- Hamilton, ON Breakdown : In Your House Vacated after Kane and The Undertaker simultaneously pinned Stone Cold Steve Austin in a triple threat match. A subsequent match for the vacant title at Judgment Day : In Your House between Kane and The Undertaker ended in a no contest. 41 The Rock November 15, 1998 7001440000000000000 ♠ 44 St. Louis, MO Survivor Series Defeated Mankind in the finals of a tournament for the vacant title in a recreation of the Montreal Screwjob. WWE recognizes The Rock 's reign as lasting 50 days, ending on January 4, 1999, when the following episode aired on tape delay. 42 Mankind December 29, 1998 7001260000000000000 ♠ 26 Worcester, MA Raw is War This was a no disqualification match. WWE recognizes Mankind 's reign as lasting 20 days, beginning on January 4, 1999, when the episode aired on tape delay. 43 The Rock January 24, 1999 7000200000000000000 ♠ 2 Anaheim, CA Royal Rumble This was an `` I Quit '' match, which The Rock won by knocking Mankind unconscious while someone backstage played an audio recording of Mankind saying `` I quit '' while The Rock placed the microphone against his face. WWE recognizes The Rock 's reign as lasting 7 days, ending on January 31, 1999, when the following match aired on tape delay. 44 Mankind January 26, 1999 7001200000000000000 ♠ 20 Tucson, AZ Halftime Heat This was an Empty Arena match that aired on tape delay as a special during halftime of Super Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999. WWE recognizes Mankind 's reign as lasting 15 days, beginning on January 31. 45 The Rock February 15, 1999 7001410000000000000 ♠ 41 Birmingham, AL Raw is War This was a ladder match. 46 Stone Cold Steve Austin March 28, 1999 7001560000000000000 ♠ 56 Philadelphia, PA WrestleMania XV This was a no disqualification match with Mankind as guest referee. 47 The Undertaker May 23, 1999 7001360000000000000 ♠ 36 Kansas City, MO Over the Edge Both Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon were guest referees. 48 Stone Cold Steve Austin June 28, 1999 7001550000000000000 ♠ 55 Charlotte, NC Raw is War 49 Mankind August 22, 1999 7000100000000000000 ♠ 1 Minneapolis, MN SummerSlam This was a triple threat match also involving Triple H. Jesse Ventura was guest referee. 50 Triple H August 23, 1999 7001220000000000000 ♠ 22 Ames, IA Raw is War Shane McMahon was guest referee. WWE recognizes Triple H 's reign as lasting 24 days, ending on September 16, 1999, when the following episode aired on tape delay. 51 Vince McMahon September 14, 1999 7000600000000000000 ♠ 6 Las Vegas, NV SmackDown ! Shane McMahon was guest referee. WWE recognizes Vince 's reign as lasting 4 days, beginning on September 16, 1999, when the episode aired on tape delay. -- Vacated -- September 20, 1999 -- Houston, TX Raw is War Vince McMahon vacated the title. 52 Triple H September 26, 1999 7001490000000000000 ♠ 49 Charlotte, NC Unforgiven This was a six - pack challenge match also involving The Rock, Mankind, Big Show, The British Bulldog, and Kane. Stone Cold Steve Austin was the special outside enforcer. 53 Big Show November 14, 1999 7001500000000000000 ♠ 50 Detroit, MI Survivor Series This was a triple threat match, also involving The Rock. 54 Triple H January 3, 2000 7002118000000000000 ♠ 118 Miami, FL Raw is War On April 17, 2000, Chris Jericho defeated Triple H for the WWF Championship after Earl Hebner 's fast - count. Later that night, Triple H forced Hebner to reverse the decision, nullifying Jericho 's reign and continuing Triple H 's. 55 The Rock April 30, 2000 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 Washington, D.C. Backlash Shane McMahon was guest referee. 56 Triple H May 21, 2000 7001350000000000000 ♠ 35 Louisville, KY Judgment Day This was a 60 - minute Iron Man match, which Triple H won 6 -- 5 with Shawn Michaels as guest referee. 57 The Rock 5 June 25, 2000 7002119000000000000 ♠ 119 Boston, MA King of the Ring This was a six - man tag team match with The Rock, The Undertaker, and Kane vs. Triple H, Vince McMahon, and Shane McMahon. The Rock pinned Vince to win Triple H 's title. 58 Kurt Angle October 22, 2000 7002126000000000000 ♠ 126 Albany, NY No Mercy This was a no disqualification match. 59 The Rock 6 February 25, 2001 7001350000000000000 ♠ 35 Las Vegas, NV No Way Out After the WWF purchased World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) in March 2001, the WCW Championship became a second concurrently active world championship in the WWF. 60 Stone Cold Steve Austin 5 April 1, 2001 7002175000000000000 ♠ 175 Houston, TX WrestleMania X-Seven This was a no disqualification match. WWE recognizes Austin 's reign as lasting 176 days. 61 Kurt Angle September 23, 2001 7001150000000000000 ♠ 15 Pittsburgh, PA Unforgiven 62 Stone Cold Steve Austin 6 October 8, 2001 7001620000000000000 ♠ 62 Indianapolis, IN Raw 63 Chris Jericho December 9, 2001 7001980000000000000 ♠ 98 San Diego, CA Vengeance Earlier the same night, Jericho defeated ( WCW ) World Champion The Rock for that title. By defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship, Jericho unified both titles as the Undisputed WWF Championship. 64 Triple H 5 March 17, 2002 7001350000000000000 ♠ 35 Toronto, ON WrestleMania X8 In late March 2002, due to the WWF 's roster having doubled in size, the brand extension began, splitting the roster between the Raw and SmackDown brands, represented by the TV shows of the same name. Championships were assigned to be exclusive to a specific brand. The Undisputed Championship and the Women 's Championship were non-exclusive at this time, and were defended on both brands. 65 Hollywood Hulk Hogan 6 April 21, 2002 7001280000000000000 ♠ 28 Kansas City, MO Backlash On May 6, 2002, after the World Wrestling Federation was renamed `` World Wrestling Entertainment '' due to a lawsuit by the World Wide Fund for Nature, the title was also renamed : Undisputed WWE Championship and then WWE Undisputed Championship. 66 The Undertaker May 19, 2002 7001630000000000000 ♠ 63 Nashville, TN Judgment Day On May 20, 2002, Rob Van Dam pinned The Undertaker for the title. Raw owner Ric Flair immediately restarted the match due to The Undertaker 's foot being on the ropes and The Undertaker subsequently pinned Van Dam, nullifying Van Dam 's reign and continuing Undertaker 's. 67 The Rock 7 July 21, 2002 7001350000000000000 ♠ 35 Detroit, MI Vengeance This was a triple threat match, also involving Kurt Angle. 68 Brock Lesnar August 25, 2002 7001840000000000000 ♠ 84 Uniondale, NY SummerSlam The following night, Lesnar signed a deal to appear exclusively on the SmackDown brand, making the championship exclusive to the brand. The World Heavyweight Championship was then created for the Raw brand. On September 2, 2002, the Undisputed Championship became the WWE Championship as it was no longer `` undisputed ''. 69 Big Show November 17, 2002 7001280000000000000 ♠ 28 New York, NY Survivor Series 70 Kurt Angle December 15, 2002 7002105000000000000 ♠ 105 Sunrise, FL Armageddon 71 Brock Lesnar March 30, 2003 7002119000000000000 ♠ 119 Seattle, WA WrestleMania XIX 72 Kurt Angle July 27, 2003 7001510000000000000 ♠ 51 Denver, CO Vengeance This was a triple threat match also involving Big Show. WWE recognizes Angle 's reign as lasting 53 days, ending on September 18, 2003, when the following episode aired on tape delay. 73 Brock Lesnar September 16, 2003 7002152000000000000 ♠ 152 Raleigh, NC SmackDown ! This was a 60 - minute Iron Man match. WWE recognizes Lesnar 's reign as lasting 151 days, beginning on September 18, 2003, when the episode aired on tape delay. 74 Eddie Guerrero February 15, 2004 7002133000000000000 ♠ 133 Daly City, CA No Way Out 75 John Bradshaw Layfield June 27, 2004 7002280000000000000 ♠ 280 Norfolk, VA The Great American Bash This was a Texas Bullrope match. 76 John Cena April 3, 2005 7002280000000000000 ♠ 280 Los Angeles, CA WrestleMania 21 The title became exclusive to the Raw brand following the 2005 WWE draft lottery. 77 Edge January 8, 2006 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 Albany, NY New Year 's Revolution Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank contract from WrestleMania 21 immediately after John Cena won an Elimination Chamber match. 78 John Cena January 29, 2006 7002133000000000000 ♠ 133 Miami, FL Royal Rumble 79 Rob Van Dam June 11, 2006 7001220000000000000 ♠ 22 New York City, NY ECW One Night Stand Van Dam cashed in his Money in the Bank contract from WrestleMania 22. This was an Extreme Rules match. The title became property of the new ECW brand due to Van Dam 's status as an ECW wrestler. The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was subsequently reactivated for the brand and awarded to Van Dam. 80 Edge July 3, 2006 7001760000000000000 ♠ 76 Philadelphia, PA Raw This was a triple threat match also involving John Cena. The title became exclusive to the Raw brand due to Edge 's status as a Raw superstar. 81 John Cena September 17, 2006 7002380000000000000 ♠ 380 Toronto, ON Unforgiven This was a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. WWE recognizes Cena 's reign as lasting 381 days. -- Vacated -- October 2, 2007 -- Dayton, OH ECW Vacated when John Cena suffered a torn right pectoral tendon. 82 Randy Orton October 7, 2007 < 1 Rosemont, IL No Mercy Orton was originally scheduled to have a Last Man Standing match against John Cena for the title, but due to Cena vacating the title Vince McMahon awarded it to Orton. 83 Triple H 6 < 1 Defeated Randy Orton in the opening match after Vince McMahon accepted Triple H 's open challenge on Orton 's behalf. 84 Randy Orton 7002203000000000000 ♠ 203 Due to promising the match type, Vince McMahon made Triple H defend the title against Orton in a Last Man Standing match. 85 Triple H 7 April 27, 2008 7002210000000000000 ♠ 210 Baltimore, MD Backlash This was a fatal four - way elimination match also involving John Cena and John Bradshaw Layfield. The title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand following the 2008 WWE draft. 86 Edge November 23, 2008 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 Boston, MA Survivor Series This was a triple threat match also involving Vladimir Kozlov. Jeff Hardy had originally been scheduled to take part in the match, but did not participate after being ( in storyline ) attacked prior to the event. Triple H and Kozlov started the match before Edge was revealed as Hardy 's surprise replacement. 87 Jeff Hardy December 14, 2008 7001420000000000000 ♠ 42 Buffalo, NY Armageddon This was a triple threat match, also involving Triple H. 88 Edge January 25, 2009 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 Detroit, MI Royal Rumble This was a no - disqualification match. 89 Triple H 8 February 15, 2009 7001700000000000000 ♠ 70 Seattle, WA No Way Out This was an Elimination Chamber match also involving Jeff Hardy, Vladimir Kozlov, The Undertaker, and Big Show. The title became exclusive to the Raw brand following the 2009 WWE draft. WWE recognizes Triple H 's reign as lasting 69 days. 90 Randy Orton April 26, 2009 7001420000000000000 ♠ 42 Providence, RI Backlash This was a six - man tag team match with Orton, Ted DiBiase, and Cody Rhodes against Triple H, Shane McMahon, and Batista. Orton won the championship due to his team winning. 91 Batista June 7, 2009 7000200000000000000 ♠ 2 New Orleans, LA Extreme Rules This was a steel cage match. -- Vacated -- June 9, 2009 -- -- -- Vacated when Batista suffered a torn left biceps. 92 Randy Orton June 15, 2009 7001900000000000000 ♠ 90 Charlotte, NC Raw This was a fatal four - way match for the vacant title also involving Triple H, John Cena, and Big Show. 93 John Cena September 13, 2009 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 Montreal, QC Breaking Point This was an `` I Quit '' match. If anyone interfered on Randy Orton 's behalf, he would have forfeited the title. 94 Randy Orton 5 October 4, 2009 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 Newark, NJ Hell in a Cell This was a Hell in a Cell match. 95 John Cena 5 October 25, 2009 7001490000000000000 ♠ 49 Pittsburgh, PA Bragging Rights This was a 60 - minute Anything Goes Iron Man match in which Cena won 6 - 5. If Cena lost, he would have had to leave the Raw brand. 96 Sheamus December 13, 2009 7001700000000000000 ♠ 70 San Antonio, TX TLC : Tables, Ladders & Chairs This was a tables match. On February 16, 2010, the ECW brand was disbanded and the ECW Championship was deactivated. 97 John Cena 6 February 21, 2010 < 1 St. Louis, MO Elimination Chamber This was an Elimination Chamber match also involving Triple H, Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase, and Kofi Kingston. 98 Batista 7001350000000000000 ♠ 35 Mr. McMahon granted SmackDown wrestler Batista a championship match with John Cena after Cena won the Elimination Chamber match. Batista then transferred to the Raw roster after winning the title. WWE recognizes Batista 's reign as lasting 36 days. 99 John Cena 7 March 28, 2010 7001840000000000000 ♠ 84 Glendale, AZ WrestleMania XXVI 100 Sheamus June 20, 2010 7001910000000000000 ♠ 91 Uniondale, NY Fatal 4 - Way This was a fatal four - way match also involving Edge and Randy Orton. 101 Randy Orton 6 September 19, 2010 7001640000000000000 ♠ 64 Rosemont, IL Night of Champions This was a Six - Pack Elimination Challenge match also involving Edge, John Cena, Chris Jericho, and Wade Barrett. 102 The Miz November 22, 2010 7002160000000000000 ♠ 160 Orlando, FL Raw The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank contract after Randy Orton had successfully defended the WWE Championship against Wade Barrett. WWE recognizes Miz 's reign as lasting 159 days. 103 John Cena 8 May 1, 2011 7001770000000000000 ♠ 77 Tampa, FL Extreme Rules This was a triple threat steel cage match also involving John Morrison. 104 CM Punk July 17, 2011 7001280000000000000 ♠ 28 Rosemont, IL Money in the Bank Punk ( kayfabe ) left WWE the day after with the championship. He returned on the July 25, 2011 episode of Raw ; his reign was deemed to continue through this period. 105 Rey Mysterio ( and CM Punk ) ( 1 ) July 25, 2011 < 1 Hampton, VA Raw Defeated The Miz in a tournament final to crown a new champion. CM Punk was also recognized as WWE Champion. 106 John Cena ( and CM Punk ) 9 ( 1 ) 7001200000000000000 ♠ 20 New Chief Operating Officer Triple H decreed that Rey Mysterio had to face former champion Cena. CM Punk was also recognized as WWE Champion. -- CM Punk August 14, 2011 -- Los Angeles, CA SummerSlam Punk defeated John Cena in a match to determine the undisputed champion. This is considered a continuation of Punk 's first reign, lasting a total of 28 days. Triple H was guest referee. 107 Alberto Del Rio 7001350000000000000 ♠ 35 Del Rio cashed in his Money in the Bank contract after CM Punk was attacked by Kevin Nash. On August 29, 2011, the first brand extension ended, allowing the WWE Champion to appear on both Raw and SmackDown. 108 John Cena 10 September 18, 2011 7001140000000000000 ♠ 14 Buffalo, NY Night of Champions 109 Alberto Del Rio October 2, 2011 7001490000000000000 ♠ 49 New Orleans, LA Hell in a Cell This was a triple threat Hell in a Cell match also involving CM Punk. 110 CM Punk November 20, 2011 7002434000000000000 ♠ 434 New York City, NY Survivor Series WWE recognizes Punk 's reign as lasting 435 days. 111 The Rock 8 January 27, 2013 7001700000000000000 ♠ 70 Phoenix, AZ Royal Rumble CM Punk had initially won, but the match was then restarted by Mr. McMahon due to interference by The Shield. 112 John Cena 11 April 7, 2013 7002133000000000000 ♠ 133 East Rutherford, NJ WrestleMania 29 113 Daniel Bryan August 18, 2013 < 1 Los Angeles, CA SummerSlam Triple H was guest referee. 114 Randy Orton 7 7001280000000000000 ♠ 28 Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. Triple H was guest referee. WWE recognizes Orton 's reign as lasting 29 days. 115 Daniel Bryan September 15, 2013 Detroit, MI Night of Champions -- Vacated -- September 16, 2013 -- Cleveland, OH Raw Vacated after a controversial finish when Daniel Bryan defeated Randy Orton to win the title. A subsequent match for the vacant title at Battleground between Bryan and Orton ended in a no contest. 116 Randy Orton 8 October 27, 2013 7002161000000000000 ♠ 161 Miami, FL Hell in a Cell Orton defeated Daniel Bryan in a Hell in a Cell match for the vacant title with Shawn Michaels serving as guest referee. On December 15, 2013 at TLC, Orton defeated John Cena to unify the World Heavyweight Championship with the WWE Championship. The World Heavyweight Championship was retired and the WWE Championship became known as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. 117 Daniel Bryan April 6, 2014 7001640000000000000 ♠ 64 New Orleans, LA WrestleMania XXX This was a triple threat match also involving Batista. -- Vacated -- June 9, 2014 -- Minneapolis, MN Raw Daniel Bryan was stripped of the title due to a neck injury. 118 John Cena 12 June 29, 2014 7001490000000000000 ♠ 49 Boston, MA Money in the Bank This was a ladder match for the vacant title also involving Alberto Del Rio, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Kane, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and Sheamus. WWE recognizes Cena 's reign as lasting 50 days. 119 Brock Lesnar August 17, 2014 7002224000000000000 ♠ 224 Los Angeles, CA SummerSlam 120 Seth Rollins March 29, 2015 7002220000000000000 ♠ 220 Santa Clara, CA WrestleMania 31 Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract during a singles match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, making it a triple threat match and subsequently pinned Reigns. -- Vacated -- November 4, 2015 -- -- -- Vacated after Seth Rollins suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and a damaged meniscus at a live show in Dublin, Ireland. 121 Roman Reigns November 22, 2015 < 1 Atlanta, GA Survivor Series Defeated Dean Ambrose in a tournament final to win the vacant title. 122 Sheamus 7001220000000000000 ♠ 22 Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. WWE recognizes Sheamus ' reign as lasting 23 days. 123 Roman Reigns December 14, 2015 7001410000000000000 ♠ 41 Philadelphia, PA Raw This was a title vs. career match. 124 Triple H 9 January 24, 2016 7001700000000000000 ♠ 70 Orlando, FL Royal Rumble This was the Royal Rumble match in which Roman Reigns defended the title. Reigns was eliminated by Triple H, who lastly eliminated Dean Ambrose. 125 Roman Reigns April 3, 2016 7001770000000000000 ♠ 77 Arlington, TX WrestleMania 32 126 Seth Rollins June 19, 2016 < 1 Las Vegas, NV Money in the Bank 127 Dean Ambrose 7001840000000000000 ♠ 84 Ambrose cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and the title 's name reverted to WWE Championship. The brand extension returned and the title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand following the 2016 WWE draft. The WWE Universal Championship was created for the Raw brand ; the WWE Championship was renamed to WWE World Championship. 128 AJ Styles September 11, 2016 7002140000000000000 ♠ 140 Richmond, VA Backlash In December 2016, the title 's name was shortened back to WWE Championship. 129 John Cena 13 January 29, 2017 7001140000000000000 ♠ 14 San Antonio, TX Royal Rumble WWE recognizes Cena 's reign as lasting 15 days. 130 Bray Wyatt February 12, 2017 7001490000000000000 ♠ 49 Phoenix, AZ Elimination Chamber This was an Elimination Chamber match also involving AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Dean Ambrose, and The Miz. 131 Randy Orton 9 April 2, 2017 7001490000000000000 ♠ 49 Orlando, FL WrestleMania 33 WWE recognizes Orton 's reign as lasting 50 days. 132 Jinder Mahal May 21, 2017 7002170000000000000 ♠ 170 Rosemont, IL Backlash 133 AJ Styles November 7, 2017 7002251000000000000 ♠ 251 + Manchester, England SmackDown Live Combined reigns Record 13 - time champion John Cena, shown here with the `` Spinner Belt '' which represented the championship from 2005 -- 2013 Bruno Sammartino, who reigned for a combined 4,040 days as champion As of July 16, 2018. † Indicates the current champion < 1 Indications reign was less than a day + Indicates reign is changing daily Rank Wrestler No. of reigns Combined days Combined days recognized by WWE Bruno Sammartino 4,040 Hulk Hogan 6 2,185 Bob Backlund 2,138 John Cena 13 1,254 1,257 5 Pedro Morales 1,027 6 Randy Orton 9 658 660 7 Bret Hart 5 654 655 8 Triple H 9 609 610 9 Brock Lesnar 579 578 10 Stone Cold Steve Austin 6 529 530 11 Randy Savage 520 12 CM Punk 462 463 13 Shawn Michaels 396 14 AJ Styles † 391 + 15 The Rock 8 367 378 16 Diesel 358 17 Kurt Angle 297 299 18 Superstar Billy Graham 296 19 The Ultimate Warrior 293 20 Yokozuna 280 John Bradshaw Layfield 280 22 The Undertaker 238 23 Seth Rollins 220 24 Sheamus 183 184 25 Jinder Mahal 170 26 The Miz 160 159 27 Edge 139 28 Eddie Guerrero 133 29 Roman Reigns 118 Ric Flair 118 31 Chris Jericho 98 32 Sycho Sid 97 33 Alberto Del Rio 84 Dean Ambrose 84 35 Big Show 78 36 Daniel Bryan 65 37 Sgt. Slaughter 64 38 Bray Wyatt 49 39 Mankind 47 36 40 Jeff Hardy 42 41 Batista 37 38 42 The Iron Sheik 28 29 43 Buddy Rogers 22 Rob Van Dam 22 45 Ivan Koloff 21 46 Stan Stasiak 9 47 Vince McMahon 6 -- Antonio Inoki 6 -- 48 Kane 49 Rey Mysterio < 1 André the Giant < 1 References Jump up ^ `` WWE Entertainment, Inc. Acquires WCW from Turner Broadcasting ''. WWE. 2001 - 03 - 21. Archived from the original on 2005 - 04 - 08. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 17. ^ Jump up to : `` Chris Jericho Becomes First Undisputed Champion of Professional Wrestling ''. WWE. 2001 - 12 - 09. Archived from the original on 2006 - 01 - 17. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 17. ^ Jump up to : `` World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Drops The `` F '' To Emphasize the `` E '' for Entertainment ``. WWE. 2002 - 05 - 06. Archived from the original on 2005 - 03 - 21. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ `` WWE Entertainment To Make RAW and SmackDown Distinct Television Brands ''. WWE. 2002 - 03 - 27. 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Professional wrestling portal External links Official WWE Championship Title History WWE Championship history at Wrestling Titles.com Current championships in WWE Championships Raw Universal reigns Intercontinental reigns Women 's reigns Tag Team reigns Cruiserweight reigns SmackDown WWE reigns United States reigns Women 's reigns Tag Team reigns NXT NXT reigns North American reigns Women 's reigns Tag Team reigns NXT UK United Kingdom reigns Accomplishments André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal WrestleMania Women 's Battle Royal Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Triple Crown Grand Slam King of the Ring Money in the Bank Royal Rumble Greatest Royal Rumble Slammy Award WWE tournaments Former championships WWE Champions Buddy Rogers Bruno Sammartino Ivan Koloff Pedro Morales Stan Stasiak Superstar Billy Graham Bob Backlund The Iron Sheik Hulk Hogan André the Giant Randy Savage The Ultimate Warrior Sgt. Slaughter The Undertaker Ric Flair Bret Hart Yokozuna Diesel Shawn Michaels Sycho Sid Stone Cold Steve Austin Kane The Rock Mankind Triple H Vince McMahon Big Show Kurt Angle Chris Jericho Brock Lesnar Eddie Guerrero John `` Bradshaw '' Layfield John Cena Edge Rob Van Dam Randy Orton Jeff Hardy Batista Sheamus The Miz CM Punk Rey Mysterio Alberto Del Rio Daniel Bryan Seth Rollins Roman Reigns Dean Ambrose AJ Styles ( current ) Bray Wyatt Jinder Mahal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_WWE_Champions&oldid=850466948 '' Categories : World heavyweight wrestling championships WWE championships Professional wrestling champion lists Hidden categories : Articles with hCards Featured lists Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Nederlands Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi ไทย Türkçe Українська 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 16 July 2018, at 02 : 01 ( UTC ). 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Question: who has the most title defenses in wwe
Answer: John Cena