5 World Championship reigns fans may have forgotten about

As a member of the WWE roster, there can be no greater feeling than holding championship gold.

Not just a symbol of your skill and tenacity, being a champion means that your name will be inscribed in the record books, and even after you've gone, your name and legacy will live on.

And whilst holding any title gold in WWE must be great, there can be no greater feeling than holding a World Championship.

Reserved for the elite, the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships have symbolised the very best, and who the company has the most faith in.

But not all World Championship reigns are created equal, and whilst some stars have had many, lengthy reigns, others had ones so boring, fans may not even remember them.

Here are 5 WWE World Championship reigns, that fans have (probably) forgotten about.

#5 Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler's first brief reign came thanks to his business manager Vickie Guerrero.

Dolph Ziggler's career has always been mired in controversy, as the Show-Off has hinted at leaving the company on multiple occasions.

But in 2011, Ziggler would get the big one, and we say get, rather than win, as he didn't have to lift a finger to do so.

Feuding with Edge, the young Ziggler was assisted by then SmackDown GM Vickie Guerrero, who was also the ex of the Rated-R Superstar.

After Edge used the spear when the move was banned, Guerrero seized on the legal loophole, stripping the Canadian of the World Heavyweight Championship, and awarding it to her beau.

This reign wouldn't last long, as Teddy Long would re-emerge, stripping Ziggler of the gold minutes after he'd 'won' it, though Dolph would have another, lengthier reign (though still brief) in 2013.

#4: Bray Wyatt

Wyatt defeated five of SmackDown Live's best, but his reign didn't last long.

The most recent entry on this list, Bray Wyatt's ascent to the WWE Championship was a long time coming.

Debuting on the main roster in 2013, Wyatt had received a huge push from the start, toppling the monster Kane at SummerSlam.

However, Wyatt would quickly come up short in feuds against the likes of John Cena and The Undertaker, and whilst some argued that feuding with these huge stars was its own reward, taking so many losses definitely hurt the Eater of Worlds.

So when Wyatt captured the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber 2017, fans were hopeful that the once-promising Superstar would finally get his due.

Instead, Wyatt only won the title to lose it weeks later at WrestleMania 33 to Randy Orton, and has not received another World title opportunity since.

#3: Kane

Kane would hold the WWF Title for a day in 1998.

One of the most recognizable stars in WWE history, Kane certainly made a statement during his debut.

Appearing at the In Your House: Bad Blood event in 1997, the Big Red Machine would demolish his brother The Undertaker, handing Shawn Michaels the victory in the first Hell in a Cell match.

Instantly a huge star, it was only a matter of time before Kane went up against WWF Champion 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, which he did at King of the Ring 1998.

Promising to set himself on fire if he came up short, Kane certainly had a lot to lose, though Mr. McMahon gave the masked man the edge, making the title match first blood.

Kane was able to win, though his reign lasted just one day, and even their pay per view match was overshadowed by Mick Foley flying from the Cell structure earlier that night.

#2: The Big Show

Show is the only WWE Champion to get sent back to developmental.

Another giant of the industry, the Big Show debuted in the WWF in February 1999.

After a successful career in WCW, which saw the Giant hold their world Championship twice, the Big Show would be pushed for the WWF Title in November that year.

Replacing Steve Austin (who had been run down) in the triple threat match at Survivor Series, Show would upset both The Rock and Triple H to capture the gold.

Things quickly went downhill for the World's Largest Athlete though, as his inexperience and weight issues made his reign very lackluster.

Losing the title less than two months later, Show would be the first man eliminated in the WrestleMania 2000 main event, and by the summer of that year, had been sent back to OVW, a far fall for a former WWF Champion.

#1: Jack Swagger

Swagger cashed in Money in the Bank on Chris Jericho to become champion.

From the moment Jack Swagger became World Heavyweight Champion, everything changed.

Gone was the cocky, excitable man who had done push-ups during his entrance, now replaced by a stone-faced Champion, who fans truly despised.

Unfortunately for Swagger, his reign was often an afterthought, as he would often retain his title by DQ, or the skin of his teeth.

Things didn't get much better for him, when The Undertaker was found in a vegetative state not long after his big title win, leaving the supposed top star an afterthought in a whodunnit.

Losing the title to Rey Mysterio (who would only hold the gold for a month), Swagger quickly fell out of the main event picture and was released in 2017.

With his recent success in Bellator though, perhaps Swagger will return, a more credible threat than ever.