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WWE's Universal Championship is one of two titles currently draped across the shoulders of "The Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns. Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon first announced the creation of the title back on the July 25, 2016, episode of Monday Night RAW. The title was first won by Finn Balor at the 2016 SummerSlam Premium Live Event, and since then it's become one of WWE's most significant titles.
During the existence of the Universal Championship, there have been two main designs for the title. The Universal Title was first introduced as a bright-red belt and was heavily criticized for its design. On the November 15, 2019, episode of SmackDown, Bray Wyatt introduced the blue version of the Universal Championship, which remains the current version of the belt. There was also a third version of the title that was custom-made for The Fiend.
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Throughout the history of the Universal Championship, only three WWE Superstars have won both the red and blue versions of the title. But who are those three wrestlers?
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#3. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2018 to begin his first reign as Universal Champion. During his run with the red version of the title, The Big Dog held onto the gold for over 60 days before relinquishing the title due to his real-life battle with leukemia. The most notable match of Roman's first reign happened inside Hell in a Cell against Braun Strowman in a bout that ended in a no contest.
Currently, in his second reign, The Tribal Chief has smashed all foes who stood in his way. During this historic run, Roman bested the likes of Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Cesaro, John Cena, Edge, Daniel Bryan, Braun Strowman, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, Matt Riddle, and his cousin Jey Uso.
Roman Reigns is currently the longest-reigning Universal Champion in WWE history, with a reign that's now over 950 days and counting. He first won the blue version of the Universal Title at WWE Payback on August 30, 2020. In April 2022, during the main event of Night Two of WrestleMania 38, Reigns won the WWE Championship from Lesnar, becoming the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
#2. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt's first reign as Universal Champion began on Halloween. On October 31, 2019, The Fiend defeated Seth Rollins in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Wyatt's first reign initially began with the red design of the Universal Championship, but he'd soon introduce the modern-day blue title just two weeks later. In November 2019, Wyatt also introduced the custom-made Fiend version of the Universal Championship. The Fiend is the only in-ring performer to receive a custom Universal Title.
During his first run as Universal Champion, Bray Wyatt fought off foes like Daniel Bryan and The Miz. With 119 days as champion under his belt, Wyatt dropped the title to Goldberg at the 2020 Super ShowDown Premium Live Event. This made Wyatt the only wrestler whose Universal Title reign both started and ended in Saudi Arabia.
Bray's baby boy Knash Sixx Rotunda appeared to have fun with the blue belt during The Fiend's first reign as Universal Champion.
"Knash says he likes the blue title so shut the hell up about it," said Wyatt on Instagram.
Wyatt regained the blue belt from Braun Strowman at SummerSlam 2020. However, he would lose the title a week later to Roman Reigns in a triple-threat match that also involved The Monster Among Men. Wyatt's second reign with the Universal Championship is the second-shortest reign in the title's history. However, it was followed by the longest reign of a WWE world champion since Hulk Hogan's four-year WWE Championship run in the 1980s. In other words, The Fiend's footnote of a title reign was succeeded by something genuinely historic in modern-day WWE.
#1. WCW icon Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg shocked the wrestling world when he returned after 12 years to squash Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2016. His comeback was so successful that it led to Goldberg challenging for RAW's top title on pay-per-view a few months later. Goldberg won the red version of the Universal Title from Kevin Owens in the main event of WWE Fastlane 2017. This made the former WCW star the third official titleholder of the Universal Championship.
A month after squashing KO to become Universal Champion, Goldberg dropped the title to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33. A year later, the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Goldberg made an in-ring comeback in 2019, but he'd have to wait until Super ShowDown 2020 to wrestle for the Universal Championship again. During that Saudi show, Goldberg vanquished "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, winning the blue version of the Universal Title as a result of the match's outcome.
Goldberg was originally scheduled to defend the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns at 2020's WrestleMania, but after The Big Dog pulled out of the event, Braun Strowman was named as his replacement. The WCW legend lost the Universal Title during the penultimate match of WrestleMania 36 Night One. Goldberg is the only wrestler to defend and lose both the red and blue versions of the Universal Championship at WrestleMania.
