10 Best WWE Champions in History

The WWE Championship changed hands for the first time in over 12 months on this past episode of Smackdown Live on November 13, 2018.Daniel Bryan defeated AJ Styles to win his fourth WWE Championship in an impromptu title match in an electric main event.Bryan, in a surprise, turned heel in winning the title, low blowing the champion, Styles to win the famous title.Where Bryan goes from here is anyone's guess at this point, but the turn to the dark side has breathed new life into his character and the WWE Championship gives him the ideal opportunity to build upon a legacy he already has with the title.Bryan, one of the most popular baby-faces of all time has had a love/hate relationship with the title. His first title win over John Cena at Summerslam 2013 was an instant classic, but WWE not believing in him as a top guy elected to put the strap on Money in the Bank briefcase holder and perennial title contender, Randy Orton.It wasn't until fan support swelled to such a degree that WWE could no longer ignore it that Bryan was given the title crowning he deserved at Wrestlemania XXX. Unfortunately for Bryan, an injury derailed what was originally planned to be a lengthy reign.Now, champion, once again, Bryan's legacy can be assured.The WWE Championship began life in April 1963 when WWE split from the NWA amid a dispute over the whom the NWA World Champion should be. When Lou Thesz won the NWA Championship from Buddy Rogers, WWE did not recognise the title change and withdrew from the organisation and named Rogers their first champion.Some 55 years later and the WWE Championship is the most important and prestigious title in wrestling. SK looks at the 10 best champions in the long history of the belt.#10 Randy OrtonRandy Orton captures his ninth WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 33Randy Orton became the youngest World Champion in WWE history when he defeated Chris Benoit at Summerslam 2004 at the tender age of 24. However, it wasn't until No Mercy 2007 where he won his first WWE Championship.His first title was awarded to him after John Cena had vacated it due to injury. His reign lasted around 10 minutes when he immediately lost it to Triple H in his first defence.Orton would achieve a measure of revenge against Triple H when he would regain the title later the same night in a thrilling Last Man Standing encounter.Orton would cement his place as champion with fine victories over Shawn Michaels at Cyber Sunday and Survivor Series. In fact, Orton would remain as champion until April of 2008 when he finally dropped the strap to Triple H once more.Orton won the 2009 Royal Rumble and challenged Triple H again at Wrestlemania 25, but would come up short in his quest to regain the gold. It was a temporary setback as Orton punted Triple H in the head to win a specially stipulated six-man tag team match at Backlash 2009 with the title at stake.Orton would win the title another two times in 2009 as he traded title victories with Cena and Batista.The third generation superstar supplanted Cena as the company's top babyface in the summer of 2010 and was rewarded with the WWE Championship in the main event of Night of Champions 2010 when he won a six-way bout to reclaim the gold. He lost the title in a hugely memorable angle when The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on him to steal away the title.Orton turned to the dark side with his seventh and eighth reigns as he became Corporate Champion and screwed fan favourite, Daniel Bryan out of the gold. That run ended when Bryan won an incredible contest at Wrestlemania XXX which also involved Batista.His final reign commencing in a dull encounter at Wrestlemania 33 with Bray Wyatt and culminating with an even worse bout with his successor, Jinder Mahal at Backlash 2017 just six weeks later.His best days may be behind him but Orton's credentials as one of the finest WWE Champions of all time are rivalled by few.

10 Best WWE Champions in History

#9 John Cena