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On the Raw of the Superstar Shakeup, Jeff Hardy beat Jinder Mahal to become the latest Grand Slam Champion in WWE. He was the 12th man to complete the modern WWE Grand Slam, and the fourth to complete both the modern and old versions of the Grand Slam.
The Grand Slam in WWE consists of holding a world title (WWE or Universal Championship), a tag team title (Raw or SmackDown Tag Team Championships) and both the United States and Intercontinental championships.
There was an older version which also included a tertiary championship, which was either the European or the Hardcore title. This is defunct now.
This list will be grading all the modern Grand Slam Champions on the basis of their general reign in WWE, and the varying levels of success they have had.
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#1 Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle completed the Grand Slam after becoming the inaugural WWE Tag Team Champions along with Chris Benoit on October 20th, 2002.
He had won the WWE Championship on October 22nd, 2000 and the United States Championship exactly a year later. He also won the Intercontinental Championship on February 27th, 2000.
Angle was the first winner of the modern Grand Slam and is also the quickest person to achieve this feat. He has had a storied career, shooting straight to the top of the WWE mountain and remaining in the main event until his departure in 2006.
He feuded with Hulk Hogan, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, John Cena, Rey Mysterio and many of the other biggest names in the history of the industry.
He returned to the WWE in 2017, getting inducted into the Hall of Fame and becoming Raw General Manager.
Angle has been a star player for his entire WWE career. His character has been protected and built.
He has been a key cog for WWE for a long time and even today is making the vilified General Manager role relatively fun to watch on TV. Everything he's achieved has been well deserved and fun to watch.
Grade: A
#2 Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero completed the Grand Slam on February 15 2004, defeating Brock Lesnar to become WWE Championship.
He and Chavo Guerrero had been Tag Team Champions in 2002. Latino Heat won the US Championship in 2002, and the Intercontinental Championship in 2000.
Eddie was one of the small guys from WCW that left in search of recognition in the WWE. That he did get in the WWE, even though it took him a while.
He was in the mid-card for a majority of his run, but he got so over that WWE ultimately had to push him to the top.
His run at the top of the card didn't last too long, as Eddie suffered from severe self-confidence issues and dropped the belt to JBL soon enough. It's a shame that right before his next major push, Guerrero passed away.
He has had a good run, where he became essential to all the purists watching, however, he didn't really get the spotlight as a bonafide star even though he went into a WrestleMania as champion. This lack of long-term investment is the only blotch on a seamless career.
Grade: B
#3 Edge
Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on the 8th of January, 2006 against John Cena to win the WWE Championship and complete the Grand Slam.
Before that, Edge had won both secondary championships in 1999 (Intercontinental) and 2001 (United States). He was a Tag Team specialist but won his first eligible title with Rey Mysterio in 2002.
Edge was a wrestler that showed his brilliance throughout, but everyone feared he would never be given the push he deserves.
He was a tag team stalwart with Christian, but his rivalry with John Cena was what made him into a bonafide star.
He became the biggest heel in wrestling and had wonderful feuds with The Undertaker, Batista, Matt and Jeff Hardy etc.
His career got cut short after his neck and spinal injuries caught up with him in 2011, and he retired as world champion.
Edge was firmly backed by the machine after 2005, and for the 6 years after that he was the biggest hand that the company had.
He main evented WrestleMania 24 against The Undertaker and became synonymous with SmackDown and the World Heavyweight Championships.
His immediate Hall of Fame induction also speaks volumes about how he is and will be remembered.
Grade: A
#4 The Big Show
Paul Wight or The Big Show completed the Grand Slam after winning the Intercontinental Championship in 2012 against Cody Rhodes.
He had won the WWE Championship back in his debut year of 1999 and later added the United States Championship in 2003. His tag team with Chris Jericho won him the WWE Tag Team Championships in 2009.
Big Show has been perhaps one of the worst booked characters on the main roster. He has had multiple stop-start pushes and has seen his character change more times than Mick Foley when he portrayed three gimmicks at once.
However, he did rack up a legendary career, winning both the modern and old Grand Slams. He has been the one man WWE can use in whichever portion of the card and with any character.
That versatility may have broken his integrity but doesn't change his capabilities as a performer.
The lack of a concrete structure for Big Show has hampered his entire career in retrospect. He has cried on television but also been a ruthless giant.
He debuted almost killing Steve Austin but has been eviscerated by Stephanie McMahon. This has hurt his legacy, but he will go down as one of the biggest stars in WWE history.
Grade: B-
#5 The Miz
The Miz is best known for being one of the best Intercontinental Champions in recent memory, however, it was also the last title he won.
He captured the IC Championship on the 23rd of July, 2012. He had been a WWE Champion in 2010 and the US Champion the year prior.
He and John Morrison had won the Tag Team Championships back in 2007.
The Miz is arguably the best thing about WWE TV at the moment. He injected a breath of fresh air in the Intercontinental Championship and is bound to have a run with a world title sooner rather than later.
He has had rivalries with John Cena, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles and many more. He has been successful inside and outside the promotion.
He has been a permanent fixture in WWE for the past 11 years, however, he hasn't really been the biggest thing up until very recently.
Even as WWE Champion, The Miz played third fiddle to John Cena and The Rock, who arguably ruined his championship run.
His face run also was a massive failure, and his initial runs with the belt were very short. However, his longevity is unparalleled and he is currently one of the biggest stars on the roster.
Grade: B
#6 Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan completed the Grand Slam after his win in the Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania 31 on the 29th of March, 2015.
He had won the WWE Championship in 2013, US Championship in 2010 and the Tag Team Championships in 2012.
Bryan fought from the doomed reality show NXT. He won his first title by beating his mentor on the show, The Miz, with whom he still has a rivalry with.
He took a while to find his footing on the main roster but started a push towards superstardom after winning the Money in the Bank in 2011 and winning the World Heavyweight belt.
His disastrous loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28 created a groundswell of support for him which culminated with him winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 30.
Bryan was forced to retire from injuries in early 2016 and made his wrestling return at WrestleMania 34.
He is one wrestler whose WWE career can be viewed as a mixed bag. Even though he has always been a championship fighter, he has never done well with any of the belts.
He has had half-assed investment from the WWE, and never got a deserving push. When he did become the biggest star in the company, Bryan was forced to retire due to injuries.
His recent comeback seems promising, and everyone is excited about his run now.
Grade: B+
#7 Chris Jericho
Jericho is the first of three superstars to complete the Grand Slam in 2017, and he did that by winning the United States Championship against Roman Reigns on 9th of January.
He had started this quest in 1999, winning the Intercontinental Championship. He followed that up with the WWE Championship in 2001 and the Tag Team Championships with Edge in 2009.
Jericho has been one of the best superstars on the roster for almost 20 years. He has always been used as a utility man, someone who can fit in wherever he is needed.
However, unlike The Big Show, his character hasn't been destroyed. He finds ways to reinvent himself all the time, with his latest run as Kevin Owens' best friend one of the most entertaining things on TV in 2016.
He has been in feuds with the biggest stars in wrestling history, like Cena, The Rock, Steve Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Edge etc.
Jericho may have never been the guy at any point of his WWE run, but it would be a crime to not recognize him as one of the biggest WWE stars in the history of the company.
His longevity and constant character interest and buzz make him one of the best to ever lace up a pair of boots.
Grade: A+
#8 Dean Ambrose
The Lunatic Fringe became the first Grand Slam Champion out of his shield trifecta when he won the Raw/WWE Tag Team Championships with Seth Rollins on the 20th of August, 2017.
He had won the WWE Championship in spectacular fashion in 2016, and had won his first Intercontinental Championship at the tail-end of 2015. He won the US Championship in 2013.
Dean Ambrose is a wrestler that will always be over with the crowds. He is loved and cheered by the vast majority of the WWE Universe and will generate one of the biggest pops of 2018 when he returns from injury.
He, however, hasn't had the same levels of investment by WWE as compared to his Shield brothers.
That doesn't take away the fact that he beat both of them on the same night and was the first of them to beat Cena.
He has had memorable feuds with Seth Rollins, Styles, Lesnar, Owens and The Miz.
Inconsistent booking has affected Ambrose's run on the main roster, but his booking post the Draft in 2016 is very promising.
He has been one of the biggest stars in WWE for a while, and he is going to be pushed straight back into the role of a main eventer when he returns.
However, he hasn't done as much as most of the other icons on this list.
Grade: B
#9 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns completed the Grand Slam after he triumphed over The Miz to win the Intercontinental Championship on the 20th of November, 2017.
Before that, Reigns was a WWE Tag Team Champion with Seth Rollins in 2012. He won the US Title in 2016, and the WWE Championship the year prior to 2015.
Reigns has been pegged to be the next Cena (someone who is yet to complete the Grand Slam) and hasn't been well received by the crowds.
However, that hasn't stopped him from rampaging through the main roster up until 2016. After 2016, he has been shown to be more human, losing to Finn Balor, Rollins and taking the pinfall in the Shield Triple Threat that same year.
He had a strong 2017, being prepped for Lesnar at WrestleMania 34, but was dominated and put to rest easily.
Reigns has had consistently strong booking, but WWE have been using him incorrectly, which isn't endearing him any further to the WWE Universe.
However, when the boos can be looked past, Reigns has been a dominant force, who has won everything and dominated everyone.
This consistency put him up there with some of the greats in WWE.
Grade: A
#10 Randy Orton
Randy Orton joined the illustrious club of Grand Slam Champions a few months ago on the 11th of March, 2018 capturing the United States Championship.
He achieved this 15 years after winning his first title, which was the Intercontinental Championship in 2003.
He followed that up with the WWE Championship in 2007 and waited 9 years before winning the Tag Team Titles with Luke Harper in 2016.
Randy Orton is easily one of the most recognisable members of the WWE roster, as he has been doing this for over 15 years now.
He has spent almost his entire career at the top of the card, only now shifting to the mid-card. Orton has had epic encounters with The Undertaker, Triple H, Batista, Shawn Michaels and none other than his storied rival Cena.
He has, however, lost his edge recently, playing an unsuited babyface character.
Orton has been the example of the WWE machine making someone a star. WWE has given him every opportunity, booked him with engaging and good characters and given him room to grow.
However, Orton's own fallacies and laziness has hurt him at times. His in-ring work maybe smooth, but has reached a point where its just rest holds and a finisher.
Nonetheless, he is one of the biggest names to ever lace up a pair of boots and will go down in history as one of the best champions WWE has ever had and will ever have.
Grade: B
#11 Seth Rollins
Rollins just completed the Grand Slam at WrestleMania 34 (April 9, 2018) winning the Intercontinental Championship at the event.
He started this journey by winning the WWE Tag Team Titles with Reigns in 2013, following it up with the WWE and United States Championships in 2015.
Rollins has been one of the biggest stars in WWE in recent memory, being protected the entirety of his career.
He dominated with the Shield and got instant singles success after turning on Reigns and Ambrose in 2014.
He won the Money in the Bank and had an epic cash-in at WrestleMania 31. His title run was cut short by injury, but he returned and won the title again, just to lose it to a cashing-in Ambrose.
He has feuded with the likes of Cena, Triple H, Sting, Reigns and Ambrose.
Rollins has been dominant on the main roster, however his title reigns have all fallen below expectations.
His tag title run was dominant, but his singles title reigns have not been the best. He had an average WWE Championship run and a non-existent US title reign.
His Intercontinental title reign shows promise, but it is up to WWE to not pair him up with Kane and ruin another championship reign for Rollins.
Grade: A
#12 Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy is the current United States Champion, and it is also the belt that helped him complete the Grand Slam as he won it on the 16th of April, 2018 defeating Jinder Mahal.
This journey started in 2001 when he won the Intercontinental Championship. He then won the WWE Championship in 2008 and the Raw Tag Team Championships in 2017 with brother Matt Hardy.
Hardy will go down in history as one of the most beloved superstars to ever step foot in the squared circle.
He has had a tremendous fanbase which hasn't wavered ever in his career. WWE, however, took a lot of time to finally give Hardy the push he deserved and became WWE Champion only in 2008.
His main event run was cut short as he left the company in 2009 and just returned in 2017.
Hardy is one of the most charismatic wrestlers to have wrestled, but his indiscretions coupled with WWE never going all in with him have affected his image as one of the greatest ever.
His drug issues have curtailed his pushes before and WWE didn't give him a good world title run even when he got to the promise land.
However, his tag team runs with his brother will always be legendary. His current US Title seems promising, but we will be cautiously optimistic about it.
Grade: B
