List of Longest Reigning WWE Champions

The WWE Championship has long been considered the epitome of success in WWE. The golden strap. The coveted prize. The title that represents the pinnacle of achievement in sports entertainment: is the WWE Championship. It's a symbol held aloft by the stars, the elite, the warriors who have proven their dominance night after night.

But for a select few, the reign goes beyond mere victory. They don't just grasp the title, they embrace it, holding it tight for months, even years, etching their names in the annals of WWE history. These superstars stood tall as champions for an extraordinary length of time. These titans of tenacity held the WWE Championship more than anyone else.

Who has held the WWE Championship the longest?

Bruno Sammartino held the WWE Championship for 2803 days in a single reign. This is the longest anyone has ever held the WWE Championship. Speaking of total time as the WWE Champion, the distinction remains with Sammartino only who held the gold for 4040 days across his two reigns.

10 Wrestlers with the longest WWE Championship reign

Bruno Sammartino - 2803 Days

Bruno Sammartino was only the second wrestler after Buddy Rogers to get their hands on the WWE Championship. After Rogers became the inaugural champion in April, 1963, Sammartino defeated him at a House Show in New York just 22 days later to become the new champion. His reign would then go on to last almost an eternity. He held the gold for about eight years before finally dropping it to Ivan Koloff in January, 1971.

Bob Backlund - 2135 Days

Bob Backlund defeated Superstar Billy Graham in February 1978 to get his hands on the WWE Championship. The superstar would go on to hold the belt for about six years before dropping it to the Iron Sheik. While his reign is considered by WWE to be uninterrupted for these 2135 days, he actually lost it once. In 1979, he lost the belt to NJPW founder Antonio Inoki in Japan, but that reign is not officially considered.

Hulk Hogan - 1474 Days

After Iron Sheik defeated Backlund for the title, he dropped it to Hulk Hogan in less than a month. The Hulkster’s reign at the top began in January 1984 and went on for years. Hogan is widely considered as wrestling’s first biggest star, and his title reign has a great role to play here. The Hulkamania ran wild for four years before Andre the Giant defeated him at The Main Event via controversial means.

Bruno Sammartino - 1237 Days

While a 1000-day reign is a dream for anyone, Sammartino achieved it, twice. Having already held the belt for about seven years, he won the title once again for more than three years. He picked the title from Stan Stasiak in 1973 and finally dropped it to Superstar Billy Graham in 1977.

Pedro Morales - 1027 Days

After Ivan Koloff ended Bruno Sammartino’s seven-year reign, he dropped the belt to Pedro Morales in three weeks. Morales, however, held the title longer and it took someone three years to get the gold off his chest. The man behind the job was Stan Stasiak, who could then hold it only for 9 days before losing it to Sammartino.

Roman Reigns - 675+ Days

If we talk of Roman Reigns’ world title reign, then it is good enough to have him rank just below Hulk Hogan. However, speaking of only his WWE Championship reign, he falls a bit lower in the list, but still very impressive. In a title vs. title match at WrestleMania 38, Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar to become the WWE Champion. He would go on to combine the title with his Universal Championship and be the champion of both belts.

CM Punk - 434 Days

The iconic 434 day-reign is a cult classic among wrestling fans. The Summer of Punk in 2011 sent shockwaves all around the world. After losing the world title to Alberto Del Rio late that year, he reclaimed it at Survivor Series. The Second City Saint would go on to hold the belt for the whole of 2012 before dropping it to The Rock at Royal Rumble 2013.

John Cena - 380 Days

At Unforgiven 2006, John Cena defeated Edge in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to win the WWE Championship for the third time. In a roster filled up to the brim, Cena would go on to hold the gold for more than a year. Even more surprising is the fact that he did not lose the title in the end. Cena was forced to vacate the gold due to an injury.

Randy Savage - 371 Days

Hulk Hogan’s 1474-day reign was ended by Andre the Giant, who gifted the belt to Ted DiBiase. This was, however, not considered by WWE, and thus, a tournament was organized to crown the new champion. DiBiase anyway made it to the final at WrestleMania IV against The Machoman Randy Savage. Savage’s charm was too much for DiBiase to handle as he would go on to win the title for the first time. Savage then held the belt for a whole year before losing it to Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania V. Interestingly, Hogan also held the WWE Championship up until the next year’s WrestleMania.

AJ Styles - 371 Days

After Jinder Mahal had shocked the world by winning the WWE Championship, his reign was finally ended by AJ Styles on the RAW before the Survivor Series. Styles would then go on to hold the belt for a whole year on the house he built. He finally lost it to Daniel Bryan on the RAW before the next year’s Survivor Series. Interestingly, they both were defeated by Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series.