The Complete History of the WWE Championship - Part 4

Ric Flair (January 19, 1992 - April 5, 1992)

Ric Flair last eliminates Sycho Sid to win the 1992 Royal Rumble match (and the WWE title)

Former eight time NWA World Champion, Ric Flair, added the WWE Championship to his World title resume at the 1992 edition of the Royal Rumble.

The vacant WWE Championship was up for grabs in the 30 Man Royal Rumble match and Flair entered the bout as the number three entrant. He lasted one hour and entered one of his best ever performances as he survived to win the bout, last eliminating Sycho Sid (with a little help from Hulk Hogan, whom Sid had ejected from the match moments earlier).

Flair was champion. However, the buy-rate for the 'Rumble wherein Flair had been positioned as one of the favorites drew a calamitous 225,000 buys on pay per view. Flair next defended the belt on the road against Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper with mixed results at the box office.

Flair was not the draw WWE had hoped for, and when the planned Flair/Hogan clash was scrapped, Macho Man Randy Savage was installed as an opponent for Flair in the WrestleMania title clash. However, that bout would be placed in the upper mid-card. Hogan versus Sid would be the final match on the show. Flair's reign was over.