5 times WWE Superstars swapped brands while holding a title

#4 Matt Hardy drafted to ECW from SmackDown as United States Champion (WWE Draft 2008)

Matt Hardy was drafted to WWE's ECW brand as United States Champion in 2008

WWE's ECW revival from 2006 to 2010 is often best forgotten about.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had hoped that a revival of Extreme Championship Wrestling as an alternative third brand could replicate the success of the respective ECW One Night Stand pay-per-views of 2005 and 2006.

#TBT 2008 as @WWE United States Champion pic.twitter.com/8TFAfvT76h

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) May 30, 2019

However, by 2007 WWE's version of ECW was largely seen by many as a developmental brand on cable television. The show largely featured younger, less developed and lesser known talents beginning their WWE main roster journey.

But with a desire still for television ratings and guiding some of the younger talents, veterans and well-known talent were occasionally drafted into "the land of the extreme."

One such example was Matt Hardy during the 2008 WWE Draft. After being engaged in a lengthy program with MVP, Matt Hardy finally defeated his long-term rival at Backlash in April 2008 to become the United States Champion for the first time.

As part of the Draft later that year, Hardy was drafted to the ECW brand. This meant, as champion, the WWE United States Championship briefly became exclusive to ECW. However this all changed the following month when Shelton Benjamin defeated Hardy for the United States Championship at The Great American Bash.

As Benjamin was a SmackDown superstar, the United States Championship once again became exclusive to WWE's blue brand.