5 youngest WWE Superstars to win a championship

In the world of professional wrestling, it's all about the gold. The opportunity to have your hand raised, a Championship title around your waist, and have your name etched in the history books for eternity.

In WWE, this is no different, with every Superstar who enters the company having aspirations of being the very best in their field, whether that be as a Tag Team, or as a singles star.

For many Superstars, the path to championship gold is long and complicated, filled with struggles and opponents blocking their path.

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But there are some Superstars who got to the top, in a relatively short amount of time.

These 5 Superstars probably spent countless nights dreaming of being a champion as kids, but certainly didn't have to wait long.

Here are the 5 youngest WWE Superstars to win a championship as part of the company.

#5. Essa Rios (21 years, 63 days. Light Heavyweight Championship)

When Essa Rios bounced onto the WWF roster, he did at just the tender age of 18.

Competing for the Light Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 14, Rios, who was wrestling as Águila came up short against the inaugural champion, Taka Michinoku.

Never one to say die, Rios continued, and in 2000 won the title on an episode of Heat, defeating Gillberg.

In fact, it was Rios who ended the record-setting 448-day reign of the Goldberg knock-off, and is also responsible for bringing in a certain red-haired manager, the fans would later know, as Lita.

The Light Heavyweight Championship was eventually retired in 2001, after it was merged with the WCW Cruiserweight championship after the InVasion storyline. This version of the gold was defended from 2001-2007, before it was brought back in 2016, and won by TJP.

Speaking of the final WWE Cruiserweight Champion in 2007...

#4.Hornswoggle (21 years, 51 days, WWE Cruiserweight Championship)

When the WWE split the rosters between RAW and SmackDown in 2002, the question of where the titles would land was up in the air.

Whilst RAW received the Intercontinental Championship, a long established stepping stone to World Title glory, SmackDown received the Cruiserweight Championship, allowing smaller stars to shine.

The smallest star in the division by far, was Hornswoggle, the "son" of Finlay, who had limited match experience but decided to enter a Cruiserweight open at the 2007 Great American Bash.

Seizing his moment, Hornswoggle found a gap in the melee, hitting Jamie Noble with a tadpole splash, and pinning the former Pit Bull to become champion.

Swoggle was even able to retain the title on multiple occassions, and was able to hold on to the title for months, before he was stripped of it by Vickie Guerrero, and the division retired for 9 years.

#3.Kenny Dykstra (20 years, 21 days. World Tag Team Championship)

When the Spirit Squad literally burst onto the scene in 2005, the group quickly became much-hated by fans, due to their cockiness and their incredibly annoying cheers.

So when the 5 cheerleaders took on Kane and The Big Show on the night after WrestleMania 22, many expected the quintet to be destroyed by the long-established former World Champions.

Instead, the trio used the numbers game, allowing squad members Kenny and Johnny to defeat the giants, shocking everyone in the WWE Universe, including themselves.

As champions, the 5 men incorporated the freebird rule, allowing all of them to be champions, similar to the New Day in recent years.

After a lengthy reign, the good fortune of the group came crashing down, when they faced Ric Flair and a fan-chosen partner at Cyber Sunday.

Partnering with Roddy Piper, the two legends made quick work, reliving the cheerleaders of the gold.

#2.Rene Dupree (19 years, 182 days, World Tag Team Championship)

When Rene Dupree debuted on Monday Night RAW, he made a big statement, attacking Scott Steiner after Steiner had compared Dupree's native France, to hell.

Less than a month into his career, the French Phenom became the youngest champion at the time, winning the World Tag Team Championships with Sylvan Grenier, after defeating the Dudley Boyz.

Their success only grew when they enlisted the help of Rob Conway, a pro-French sympathizer, who donned disguises such as an Army serviceman and a photographer in his efforts to keep the gold on La Resistance.

In September, the trio would lose the gold, dropping them back to the Dudleyz at Unforgiven, in a handicap tag team tables match.

Dupree held onto the record as the youngest champion in WWE history for close to 15 years, but he was eventually dethroned in 2018 by...

#1.Nicholas (10 years, RAW Tag Team Championship)

Nearly half the age of the number two spot on this list, it is unlikely we will ever see someone take the crown of youngest WWE Superstar to win a championship from Nicholas.

The son of WWE Referee John Cone, Nicholas was sat in the crowd for WrestleMania 34, and watched on when Braun Strowman talked about a mystery partner to face the Bar.

Instead of the reported returning Lashley (who did return the next night), Strowman picked Nicholas, who stood in the corner as Strowman decimated Sheamus and Cesaro.

In what has been a very divisive topic, the team won, with the 10-year-old barely able to hold the red and silver title above his head.

The reign of Nicholas did not last long, as he would surrender the title the next night, but vowed to return one day, with hopes of more titles for his collection.