5 lowest drawing WWE Champions of all time

There is no prize richer in the WWE, than the WWE Championship. Since its inception in April 1963, 51 men have held the prestigious title, with its lineage spanning from the very first champion Buddy Rogers, to The Dreadlock Dynamo Kofi Kingston.

But throughout those 56 years, there have been all sorts of champions, some successful and some not so fortunate. Whilst Superstars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Hulk Hogan were able to set the world on fire with their title reigns, others weren't so lucky.

Whether it be bad booking, negative fan response or other problems, these WWE Superstars struggled to draw a crowd despite being the top dog in the WWE.

Here are the five lowest drawing WWE Champions who struggled to excite the crowd.

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#5: Sycho Sid

Sycho Sid struggled to excite fans after capturing the WWF Championship during the mid-90s

As WCW Monday Nitro started dominating WWF Monday Night RAW in the ratings in late 1996, it was clear something needed to be changed. That change came in the form of Sycho Sid, who captured the WWF Championship at the 1996 Survivor Series.

Capturing the title, some feared that the company had returned to the land of the giants it was during the Hulkamania era.

Sid's tenure as Champion though failed to set the world on fire, as Sid was highly unpopular with fans, who had grown accustomed to the quick, athletic style of former champions Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

Losing the title at WrestleMania 13 to the Undertaker in 1997, Sid would never again regain the richest prize in WWE, though would have several world championship reigns years later in WCW.

#4: Bret 'Hitman' Hart

Hart captured his first WWF Championship defeating Ric Flair.

Bret Hart may be lauded as the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be, but his time with the WWE Championship was anything but.

For this list, we're looking at Hart's early reigns with the title, as WWE business began to nose-dive when he became champion in 1992, and recovered slightly when Hogan returned to win the title at WrestleMania 9 the following year.

His second reign didn't fare much better, as the company entered a slump during the mid-90s, and though Hart tried to make things work as the face of a new generation, fans weren't buying it.

And when WCW debuted their new 'Monday Nitro' show the following year, things got even worse for the company. Though Hart would have much better runs in 1996 and 1997, these early title reigns couldn't have done much to boost his confidence.

#3: The Miz

Despite being Champion, The Miz was an afterthought in the WrestleMania 27 main event.

When The Miz won the 2010 RAW Money in the Bank ladder match, things were already going well for the A-Lister.

Already the U.S. Champion, Miz was prominently featured as an upper-mid-carder on the brand, and after losing the star-spangled strap in September, cashed in on a downed Randy Orton that November to become WWE Champion.

Despite retaining the title against the likes of the Viper and John Cena on pay per view, Miz's reign failed to captivate crowds and ended after 160 days.

The final nail in the Miz's reign, was his Main Event match against Cena at WrestleMania 27, where the entire focus was on Cena's budding feud with The Rock. Though the A-Lister retained the title in what should've been the biggest match of the year, this win failed to excite the crowd.

#2: Shawn Michaels

HBK's emotional win came at a bad time for WWE business.

The showstopper may be regarded as one of the greatest Superstars of all time, but even he had problems whilst holding the richest prize in WWE.

Though his epic title win at WrestleMania 12 is fondly remembered, Shawn Michaels' first reign came during a company low point, as WCW was continuing to gain momentum against the McMahon-led promotion.

Being a much smaller star than the likes of Hulk Hogan, Savage and Warrior probably didn't help the Heart Break Kid either, as many fans still questioned how such a smaller star could topple giants like Sid and Vader.

Whilst Michaels would eventually win over fans with his athletic ability and incredible character work (as both a face and heel), the WWF wouldn't really turn the tide in the Monday Night War until the Attitude Era, a golden age which Michaels had the miss the majority of due to his back.

#1: Diesel

Diesel held the title for nearly a whole year.

Kevin Nash has had a lot of names in wrestling. Diesel. Oz. Big Daddy Cool. But one name that he doesn't want to be associated with him is as the worst drawing WWE Champion of all time.

Winning the title from Bob Backlund at a live event in late 1994, the company certainly pushed Diesel as a star, with the seven-footer holding the gold for nearly an entire year.

Despite high profile feuds, the WWF saw a steep decline in viewers as Big Daddy Cool became another victim of the mid-90s slump.

Losing the title in late 1995, Diesel would never again hold gold in WWE, as after a WrestleMania loss to The Undertaker, would jump ship to WCW.

There, Nash would have much greater success, becoming a multiple-time WCW World Champion, as well as ushering in one of wrestling's most iconic factions: the nWo.