Every Wrestler Who Won The WWE And World Heavyweight Championship, Ranked

The WWE Championship is the most prestigious title in company history. The title is the biggest prize in the business, with the top title functioning since 1963. Many legendary wrestlers won the WWE Championship. However, with WWE gaining the acquisition of WCW in March 2001, WWE’s roster became bloated, and a year later, the brand split was created with wrestlers drafted to Raw and SmackDown. The Undisputed WWE Championship solely became the WWE Championship in September 2002, with Brock Lesnar being drafted to SmackDown. That left Raw without a world champion, and the World Heavyweight Championship was created.

The original World Heavyweight Championship was active for 11 years until it was unified with the WWE Championship at TLC 2013. A new World Heavyweight Championship was created in 2023 under a brand-new lineage. Nevertheless, some wrestlers were fortunate to win both championships. The wrestlers who captured both titles are rated on their in-ring skills, promo skills, storytelling, and charisma.

19

Alberto Del Rio

Del Rio Lacked Charisma As World Champion

Alberto Del Rio chased after the World Heavyweight Championship after winning the 2011 Royal Rumble match but failed to beat Edge for the title at WrestleMania 27. He lost to Christian for the vacant title at Extreme Rules 2011 in a ladder match. However, the Mexican Aristocrat became a two-time WWE Champion after he defeated CM Punk for the title after cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase at SummerSlam 2011.

He also saw off John Cena and CM Punk at Hell in a Cell 2011 in a triple threat match for the WWE Championship. Nevertheless, Del Rio won the World Heavyweight Championship twice in 2013, and he was a face in his first run as World Heavyweight Champion. Del Rio wasn’t a popular world champion, and fans were pleased to see him lose the World Heavyweight Championship to John Cena at Hell in a Cell 2013.

18

Big Show

The World’s Largest Athlete Had Average World Championship Runs

Big Show is one of the most successful wrestlers in WWE history. He’s a Grand Slam Champion and a four-time WWE world champion. Show became one of the youngest WWE Champions in history when he defeated Triple H for the WWE Championship in a triple threat match also involving The Rock at Survivor Series 1999.

Show had a love affair with Survivor Series as he clinched his second WWE Championship at the titular event in 2002 when he ended Brock Lesnar’s unbeaten streak. Nevertheless, Show won the World Heavyweight Championship twice, and his reign in 2012 saw him feud with Sheamus over the title with their match at Hell in a Cell 2012, an underrated gem.

17

Kane

The Big Red Machine Waited Over A Decade For A Second World Championship Reign

Kane ended Steve Austin’s first WWE Championship reign when he defeated him in a First Blood match at King of the Ring 1998. However, the Big Red Machine’s WWE Championship run only lasted 24 hours as he dropped the title back to Austin on the following episode of Raw.

Kane had several opportunities to win a world championship again, but he had to wait 12 years to strike world championship gold. Kane won the Money in the Bank ladder match in 2010 for a future World Heavyweight Championship opportunity. He successfully cashed in his briefcase on the same night and defeated Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship. Kane engaged in a feud with his brother, The Undertaker, and won a trio of their world title matches. Ultimately, Kane’s 154-day run was ended by Edge in a fatal-4-way TLC match.

16

Sheamus

Sheamus’ Babyface World Championship Run Was Boring

Unquestionably, Sheamus defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship at TLC 2009 in a tables match was one of the most shocking title changes in WWE history. The Celtic Warrior won the WWE Championship three times, and he traded the title with Roman Reigns in late 2015.

Sheamus won the 2012 Royal Rumble match, and he defeated Daniel Bryan in just 18 seconds to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Sheamus held the title for seven months, but despite being a babyface, Sheamus wasn’t a popular World Heavyweight Champion.

15

Batista

The Animal Was A Solid World Heavyweight Champion

Batista is synonymous with his World Heavyweight Championship runs, and he dethroned his former Evolution mentor Triple H for his first reign as World Hevyweight Champion. However, the Animal’s 282-day reign was curtailed due to a legitimate triceps injury.

The Animal won the World Heavyweight Championship four times in total, and he had some excellent matches with the likes of The Undertaker and Edge over the Big Gold Belt. Furthermore, Batista won the WWE Championship twice with his sixth and final world championship run as a heel in his rivalry with John Cena, with Batista dropping the title back to Cena at WrestleMania 26.

14

Jeff Hardy

Hardy’s WWE Championship Win Was Electric

Fans rejoiced when Jeff Hardy finally became a world champion in WWE when he defeated Edge and Triple H in a triple threat match for the WWE Championship at Armageddon 2008. Hardy’s daredevil style of wrestling captivated the audience.

Hardy’s WWE Championship reign failed to cut the mustard as he was champion for just six weeks, and he dropped the title back to Edge at the 2009 Royal Rumble as his brother Matt betrayed him. Jeff won the World Heavyweight Championship twice in 2009, and his rivalry with CM Punk was personal and underrated. He dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Punk in an epic TLC match at SummerSlam, and he left WWE after losing a steel cage match to Punk in a rematch.

13

Rey Mysterio

Mysterio’s World Championship Win At WrestleMania 22 Was Emotional

WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio’s victory in the 2006 Royal Rumble match was superb as he paid homage to the late Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio converted his Rumble win into the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 when he defeated Kurt Angle and Randy Orton for the title.

Mysterio’s World Heavyweight Championship reign was average, and he won the title for a second time in 2010, which lasted 28 days. However, Mysterio’s third world championship reign was by far his worst. He won the vacant WWE Championship in a tournament in July 2011, but John Cena invoked his rematch clause and ended Mysterio’s WWE Championship reign, the same night that the Ultimate Underdog won the title.

12

Drew McIntyre

McIntyre Held The Fort For WWE In Uncertain Times

Drew McIntyre eliminated the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar from the 2020 men’s Royal Rumble match, and McIntyre won it after eliminating Roman Reigns. It was inevitable that McIntyre was going to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship and defeated him for the title at WrestleMania 36.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic struck during the Scottish Warrior’s WWE Championship reign. McIntyre won the WWE Championship twice, and he won the new version of the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40 when he saw off Seth Rollins for the title. McIntyre’s World Heavyweight Championship reign lasted under six minutes as, for the second time, a world title reign of his ended via Money in the Bank cash-in with Damian Priest unseating him as champion.

11

Randy Orton

The Viper Is The Youngest World Champion In WWE History

14-time WWE world champion Randy Orton is one of the greatest WWE wrestlers of all time. Orton became the youngest world champion in WWE history at 24 when he won the title at SummerSlam 2004. Orton had to wait three years for his second world championship reign in 2007, as he was awarded the WWE Championship at No Mercy.

Orton’s an excellent in-ring performer, and his storytelling as a heel was outstanding, especially in his feud with Triple H. Orton was the final World Heavyweight Champion as he unified the title with the WWE Championship at TLC 2013 when he defeated John Cena in a TLC match.

10

Edge

The Rated-R Superstar Won The Most World Heavyweight Titles In WWE History

No man in WWE history has won the World Heavyweight Championship more times than Edge. The WWE Hall of Famer has won a staggering 31 championships throughout his illustrious career, and 11 of those were world titles. The Rated-R Superstar is a record-setting seven-time World Heavyweight Champion with a couple of wins apiece against The Undertaker and John Cena, claiming the Big Gold Belt.

Edge won the WWE Championship for the first time at New Year’s Revolution 2006, becoming the first man to successfully cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at John Cena’s expense. Edge was a superb heel world champion, as fans hated him when he allied with Lita and Vickie Guerrero, who was the General Manager of SmackDown.

9

Triple H

World Championships Were The Most Important Thing To Triple H

A world championship means more to Triple H than life itself. That’s how important a world championship was to Triple H. The Cerebral Assassin is a 14-time WWE world champion. Triple H was awarded the World Heavyweight Championship by Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff, becoming the first World Heavyweight Champion in September 2002.

Triple H headlined several WrestleManias as a world champion; sometimes, he walked out victorious, and sometimes, he walked out titleless. Nevertheless, Triple H is one of the best in-ring competitors. Whether he was a babyface or heel world champion, he’d cut a brilliant promo and engaged in some spectacular championship matches.

8

John Cena

Cena Is One World Title Win Away From History

John Cena shocked the world at Elimination Chamber: Toronto on March 1, 2025, when he turned heel for the first time in over two decades. Cena is set to challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 41, and he is seeking a record-breaking 17th world championship reign.

Cena’s been the face that ran the place for a decade, and he defeated many major names such as Edge, Randy Orton, The Rock, and Chris Jericho, among others, to kickstart his world championship reigns. Cena won many major world championship matches in the main event of WrestleMania, and while he’s good on the mic, his in-ring work has been good but not on an elite level.

7

The Undertaker

Undertaker Never Needed A World Title To Get Over

The Undertaker is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and while the Phenom is a seven-time WWE world champion, he didn’t need world titles to solidify his greatness. The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan for his first and final WWE Championship reigns. He defeated Sycho Sid, Batista, and Edge to kickstart three of his world championship reigns during his legendary 21-0 WrestleMania unbeaten streak.

Undertaker engaged in some fascinating battles during his world championship reigns, and his seventh world championship reign was the longest of his career, holding the gold for 140 days. The Undertaker dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Chris Jericho inside the Elimination Chamber in 2010, all thanks to Shawn Michaels.

6

Chris Jericho

Jericho Finally Won The Big One

December 9, 2001, is a date that will live in professional wrestling infamy as Chris Jericho defeated The Rock and Steve Austin in the same night at Vengeance to become the first-ever Undisputed WWE Champion with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship’s fate sealed into retirement. Jericho held the Undisputed WWE Championship for three months, inevitably dropping the title to Triple H in the main event of WrestleMania 18.

Jericho’s career has been filled with championships, but he had to wait six years to hold a world championship again. Jericho became a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, and the highlights of his title reigns were seeing off Shawn Michaels in an epic ladder match at No Mercy 2008, and he retained the title against Edge at WrestleMania 26.

5

CM Punk

Punk Had A Dominant WWE Championship Reign In The 2010s

CM Punk won the World Heavyweight Championship three times, and the Straight Edge Savior won his first couple of world title reigns, all thanks to successfully cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Punk’s feud over the World Heavyweight Championship in 2009 was off the charts, and Punk eventually dropped the title to The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell in 2009.

Punk scored a fourth world championship reign in front of his hometown fans in Chicago when he defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship. However, WWE finally got it right with Punk’s world title reigns at the fifth attempt when he won the WWE Championship for the second time at Survivor Series 2011. He held the title for the entire calendar year in 2012, becoming the first man since Hulk Hogan, 25 years prior, to hold the WWE Championship for a calendar year. Ultimately, Punk’s in-ring work and promo work, along with his storytelling, was top tier during his second WWE Title run.

4

Seth Rollins

Rollins Is An Underrated WWE World Champion

Seth Rollins made history at WrestleMania 31 when he became the first Money in the Bank holder to successfully cash in their briefcase at WrestleMania. It was the Heist of the Century when Rollins defeated Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns to win the WWE Championship. Rollins was briefly a double champion as he became the first man in WWE history to hold the WWE and United States Championships simultaneously when he defeated John Cena at SummerSlam 2015.

Unfortunately, Rollins tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus on a European tour in November 2015, forcing him to relinquish the title at 231 days. Furthermore, Rollins’ second WWE Championship reign was abrupt, but he made history as the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion under a new lineage from the original. Rollins was the perfect champion to establish the title, and he had an excellent title run, with his reign lasting 316 days.

3

Daniel Bryan

Bryan Is One Of The Best Technical World Champions In History

Daniel Bryan was over in 2013 and 2014, and WWE could ignore the reactions that Bryan was receiving. Bryan won the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in 2011 when he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Big Show at TLC. He dropped the title to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28 in just 18 seconds.

Bryan won the WWE Championship twice in 2013 by defeating John Cena for the title at SummerSlam and Night of Champions. Bryan’s third WWE Championship win at WrestleMania 30 was an emotional moment as he overcame Randy Orton and Batista. Unfortunately, the injury bug struck again with Bryan on the shelf. Furthermore, Bryan won the WWE Championship for the fourth time as a heel when he beat AJ Styles for the title in November 2018. “The New Daniel Bryan” had a new mean streak, and his WWE Championship reign was curtailed by Kofi Kingston at WrestleMania 35.

2

Kurt Angle

The Olympic Gold Medalist Is A Submission Specialist

Kurt Angle is one of the greatest in-ring technical wrestlers in WWE history. The Olympic Gold Medalist had one of the best rookie years in company history, and he defeated The Rock for the WWE Championship at No Mercy 2000. Angle won the WWE Championship four times with wins over Rock, Steve Austin, Big Show, and Brock Lesnar for his WWE Title reigns.

Angle and Brock Lesnar had some intriguing tussles over the WWE Championship in 2003, with Lesnar coming out on top. The Wrestling Machine captured the World Heavyweight Championship in 2006 after Batista relinquished the World Heavyweight Championship due to injury. Angle and The Undertaker created magic at No Way Out, with Angle triumphant before losing the title to Rey Mysterio in a triple threat match at WrestleMania 22.

1

Shawn Michaels

The Heartbreak’s Boyhood Dream Came True

Shawn Michaels is a legend in the professional wrestling business, and the two-time WWE Hall of Famer won his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 12 when he defeated his bitter rival Bret Hart in a 60-minute Iron Man match. Michaels won the WWE Championship three times, with the final time as a heel as he beat the Hitman for the title at Survivor Series 1997 in the Montreal Screwjob.

Michaels sustained a career-threatening back injury that ruled him out of action for four years at the 1998 Royal Rumble. He dropped the WWE Championship to Steve Austin at WrestleMania 14, but he captured the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series 2002 when he prevailed in the inaugural Elimination Chamber match. Michaels had the total package as he had the charisma, was one of the all-time greats in the ring, and could cut one heck of a promo. His final world title reign may have lasted a month, but fans were pleased to see Michaels get one more run as a world champion.