Last Updated on April 3, 2024 by Avik Das
WWE recently revived the World Heavyweight Championship, making it a primary world title of the company and retiring the Universal Championship, which was active for seven years. Seth Rollins added himself to the as the first champion after the big return to the big gold, which looks slightly different with a modified design and the WWE logo on the front nowadays.
Interestingly, the World Heavyweight Title was a property of WCW. It was the preliminary world title of the company, existing there from 1991 until its demise in 2001. The good look of the belt prompted WWE to use it as a world title when Vince McMahon bought WCW. We saw two different world titles, WWE Championship, and the World Heavyweight Championship, in the Ruthless Aggression era. Therefore, when the brand split was introduced, two different world titles for two different brands made sense, to say the least. Before the gold was brought back this year, the original World Heavyweight Championship in WWE was active for eleven years. After its introduction in 2002, the belt was functional till 2013. The decade-long run of the title produced some phenomenal world champions who eventually became big stars. This article ranks the best champions to wear the big gold in WWE.
#10 Randy Orton
Randy Orton is The Viper of WWE, who has created a legacy. Incidentally, he began his wrestling career with a ‘legend killer’ gimmick, but two decades later, he is a legend himself. His maiden world title triumph was at SummerSlam 2004. The title victory also made him the youngest World Heavyweight Champion, a record that is still intact in WWE today. Randy Orton is a fourteen-time world champion in WWE. Out of those fourteen, he enjoyed four reigns with the iconic big gold. As a hated heel, his reigns as the World Heavyweight Champion was stupendous. While he was the youngest man to capture the big gold, he was also the last champion in 2013 before the title was unified with the WWE Championship.
#9 Kane
With a towering physique and menacing persona, Kane was the man to be scared of. He made a mark by making his debut in the Attitude Era as the kayfabe brother of The Undertaker. Over the years, we have seen distinct avatars of Kane, including a corporate one. Kane became a Grand Slam Champion in his WWE career. Despite his aura, screen presence, and character work, Kane won a world title only once. The Big Red Machine made the list of champions by capturing the big gold in 2010. His reign was outstanding, lasting 154 days.
#8 Goldberg
When Goldberg holds a title, he certainly elevates its status. He had an epoch-making title reign as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, which lasted till the end of the unbeaten streak. His intensity, power, monstrous look, and resoluteness made him a monster whenever he hoisted the belt. When he arrived at WWE, he didn’t take long to capture the big gold again under the WWE banner, and his feud with Evolution, especially Triple H, was the highlight of the title. Even with just one title run, Goldberg’s run was among the best holders of the belt.
#7 King Booker
Booker T’s aura, in-ring dexterities, and inconceivable ability of gimmick changes made him the star of yesterday. He was one of the wrestlers to be signed from WCW to WWE, with four World Heavyweight Championship reigns to his name in the previous company. Even though it took a while, Booker T finally entered the title picture under the King Booker gimmick. His victory at King of the Ring gave birth to that gimmick. His astonishing run as the champion ended at 126 days.
#6 Sheamus
Sheamus was quick to grab the WWE Championship a couple of months following his main roster debut. However, he captured the World Heavyweight Championship in 2012. His match against Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 28 gave him the big gold at the Grandest Stage of Them All, securing the win in just the right seconds. Even though The Celtic Warrior had a solo reign with the big hold, it was imposing. He was a fighting champion. We saw some great title defenses in that 211-day run as the champion.
RELEVANT CONTENT: 10 Extravagant Outfits Seth Rollins Wore In WWE
#5 John Cena
It’s no surprise that John Cena is in this list since he is a record sixteen-time WWE, most by any Superstar under the WWE banner. Out of his sixteen world title triumphs, The Leader of Cenation captured the World Heavyweight Championship only three times, so he wore the WWE Championship thirteen times to attain the record feat. However, none of the championship reigns with the big gold lengthy, making his combined three reigns 155 days. He won those titles in his prime and deserves to be in the top five.
#4 The Undertaker
The Undertaker was such a character who didn’t need a title to elevate his status on the roster. While his first WWE Championship was after beating Hulk Hogan, his career rested with seven world titles to his name. In the Ruthless Aggression Era, The Undertaker won the World Heavyweight Championship three times with a combined run of 210 days. Each of his title reigns was noteworthy, and he definitely uplifted the prestige of the big gold.
#3 Batista
Batista entered the prestigious title scene following his famous win over Triple H at the Grandest Stage of Them All. The win at Royal Rumble 2005 gave him the right to challenge for a world title. With Triple H as the holder of the gold, The Animal faced his former Evolution leader in the main event of WrestleMania 21.Four of Batista’s six world title reigns were as the World Heavyweight Champion. He enjoyed lengthy runs as the champion, with the first one stretching a record 282 days.
#2 Edge
A groundbreaking seven World Heavyweight Championship runs, which is the most among any Superstar, speaks volumes of the Rated R Superstar’s domination with the big gold. The seven reigns were crucial to make him the eleven-time world champion, which is a reason for his spot in the top two. As a hated heel, Edge was ruthless, treacherous, opportunist, and manipulating. He spent the majority of his championship days as a bad guy.
#1 Triple H
While Triple H is the King of Kings in WWE, he also asserts similar dominance in the list of WWE World Heavyweight Champions. With five reigns as the prestigious gold belt, The Game is the most successful holder of the big gold, having 616 days combined days as the champion. During the Ruthless Aggression Era, Triple H’s championship reigns affirmed his rank as a top heel. He was engaged in feuds with several incredible baby faces of the roster with the belt in the picture.
CHECK CONTENT: 7 No Makeup Photos of WWE’s Alexa Bliss Showcasing Her Natural Beauty
Avik Das is the founder of Sportsheed. He is a sports lover with broad knowledge of Professional Wrestling, MMA, Football, and Cricket. He has an English major and has previously written articles for various sports and entertainment websites
