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WWE introduced the WWWF Championship in 1963, with The Nature Boy Buddy Rogers becoming the inaugural champion. Since that time, over 50 Superstars have held the title, for a total of nearly 1,500 reigns altogether. Some of the greatest professional wrestlers in history have held the belt, including the current Undisputed Champion.
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Roman Reigns has been the top name in all of professional wrestling for several years now, as he has been the Undisputed Champion for over 1,000 days and counting. The number of days is not as important as the overall significance of Roman's 3-year run as champion.
During his reign, Roman Reigns has pushed the company through difficult times at the height of the COVID pandemic. His storytelling and presence both in and out of the ring has been paramount for WWE's recent success.
At this point, the entire world has acknowledged Roman Reigns as the "Head of the Table." There is no question that he is the most dominant pro wrestler in recent memory. With that said, there are legends that have come before him who have arguably had better title reigns. Here is our list of 4 title reigns that were better than Roman Reigns' 3-year run.
#4 - 16-time WWE Champion John Cena
When the history books are rewritten, John Cena will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Not only will he be recognized for his in-ring work, but his charitable contributions away from WWE are unparalleled.
Shortly after his Doctor of Thuganomics run, Cena defeated JBL to win his first World Championship. John then introduced the world to the infamous spinner belt, which represented the WWE Championship for several years. Cena carried the belt for nearly a year until Edge cashed in his Money In The Bank contract at the 2006 New Year's Revolution event, defeating Cena to win the title.
However, Cena would win the title back when he defeated Edge at Unforgiven. He went on to carry the title for almost 400 days before suffering an injury, resulting in the WWE Championship being vacated.
We will never know how long Cena would have carried the WWE Championship, had he not sustained an injury. This was arguably one of Cena's best championship reigns. Cena would go on to have a historic 16 reigns as a WWE World Champion. Despite not having a run as long as Roman's, Cena's title reign set a standard that champions today strive to meet.
#3 - Former WWWF Champion Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund is probably one of the most eccentric personalities in wrestling history. Despite his quirky demeanor, Backlund was once feared by all opponents and was an extremely talented in-ring performer. Backlund helped the company remain competitive as the top promotion during the height of the territory era.
On February 20, 1978, Bob Backlund defeated Superstar Billy Graham to become the WWWF Champion. Early during his title reign, the company rebranded from WWWF to WWF, making Backlund the first person to carry an official WWF title. Bob would hold the title for a historic 2,135 days before eventually losing the title to The Iron Shiek on an episode of WWF on MSG Network on December 26, 1983.
Backlund retired in 2013, ending a legendary 45-year career. Bob Backlund was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013, where he rightfully took his place among the all-time greats in WWE history.
#2 - Longest reigning WWE Champion of all time Bruno Sammartino
"The Italian Strongman, The Living Legend, The Strongest Man in the World..." These are all monikers that Bruno Sammartino held during his iconic wrestling career which spanned 3 decades. Sammartino is credited by many as being the one who catapulted the McMahon family business into the place of prominence it holds today.
Buddy Rogers is recognized as the company's first champion. However, Rogers suffered a progressive series of heart complications that led to an emergency decision being made, which resulted in Bruno Sammartino being crowned as champion. He carried the title twice for a combined 4,040 days. He held the title for 2,803 days during his first reign, which is a record that stands to this day.
#1 - 6-time WWE Champion The Immortal Hulk Hogan
If you ask the average person on the street to name one professional wrestler, chances are they will say Hulk Hogan. No other name in the history of the industry is more synonymous with pro wrestling than Hulk Hogan.
For over 3 decades, Hulk Hogan was the standard-bearer for all things pro wrestling. His list of accolades would take all day to mention, but his title reigns will be talked about forever. One fact that is not mentioned too often, is that Hogan also held the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in 1980, prior to returning to WWE where he became known as the primary reason for the company entering the mainstream.
On January 23, 1984, Hulk Hogan defeated then-champion The Iron Shiek, to become the new WWF Champion. This was his first of 6 title reigns with the company, but it would be the most significant because of the era in which this win represented. Following his win, Gorilla Monsoon declared "Hulkamania is here!" This was the beginning of a nearly 1500-day run that ushered in one of the most memorable eras in wrestling history.
How do you think Roman's title run stacks up against legends like Backlund and Sammartino? Sound off in the comments section below.
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