The 411 Wrestling Top 5 2.06.12: Week 160 – Top WWE Champions
Posted by Larry Csonka on 02.06.2012
From Steve Austin, "Superstar" Billy Graham and John Cena to The Rock, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino and more, the 411 staff ranks their top 5 WWE Heavyweight Champions of all time!
Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling's Top 5 List. What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions. Most of our topics will be based on recent events in the Wrestling World, looking at those events that make us think of times past.
So, on to this week's topic…
TOP 5 WWWF – WWF – WWE CHAMPIONS
Jack Stevenson
5. John Cena - Yeah, I've picked John Cena. What of it? He's a proven draw in the modern day WWE, he carries himself like a champion, puts 100% into his work, and rises above his limited natural ability to put on tremendous matches when it really matters. He's also one of the few wrestlers who was absolutely made into a main event star by virtue of holding the WWE championship; going into Wrestlemania 21, he was a popular upper midcarder, and ten months later, when he lost his WWE championship to Edge, he was the biggest star the WWE had created since Austin or the Rock. Perhaps most importantly though, Cena defines modern day pro wrestling, for better or for worse. He'll be one of the few competitors from this time period that people will still debate and discuss decades down the line, and his frequent reigns as champion are intrinsically linked to that legacy. Obviously still active, Cena hasn't really done enough to push any higher than this 5th position, but the fact that he has already done enough as champion to merit his place on the list speaks volumes.
4. Steve Austin - I could well be persuaded that Austin deserves to be higher on the list, having spearheaded the late nineties WWF resurgence. He's one of the few wrestlers who shook up a whole company, changing the WWF's tendencies for more colourful, cartoony characters into ones for more adult, edgier, down to earth wrestlers who your average Joe could relate to. He also pretty much typified the WWE main event style that would dominate for years to come, with wild brawls, interference, ref bumps and referees. I've never actually been a huge Austin fan, especially after his broken neck negated his scientific wrestling pedigree, but he took the belt and ran with it, drawing lots of money and providing a fair few classic moments that will linger long in the memory of those of a certain age. No one can begrudge him a place on this list.
3. Bret Hart - Bret Hart's WWF championship reigns all fell from 1992 to 1997. This was, to the say the least, a turbulent period on and off the screen for the once all-conquering federation, but it's actually my favorite period in the history of the WWF, and that's in no small part thanks to Hart's quality as the champion. Throughout the difficult transition from the Hogan era, then the steroid trials, then the exponential growth of WCW, Bret just kept plugging away, putting on fantastic matches left, right and center with the likes of Shawn Michaels, The 1-2-3 Kid, Owen Hart and Diesel among others, and did so with distinction, without causing the unnecessary controversy that his equally talented counterpart HBK did. He wasn't a huge draw compared to the others on the list (though that's down more to WCW's popularity and the WWF's polarizing product more than anything)and that's why I can't put him higher than number three on the list, but Hart's efforts in carrying the federation on his shoulders for three years until Shawn Michaels was able to break into the main event deserves recognition.
2. Bruno Sammartino - Sammartino is the longest reigning WWE champion in history, amassing an astounding 4040 days as champion in the space of just two reigns. He never once got stale, drew all over the country, and tapped into the hearts of Italian-Americans who absolutely idolized him. He sold out Madison Square Garden time after time after time. He wrestled a veritable laundry list of absolute greats; Killer Kowalski, Giant Baba, Buddy Rogers, Bruiser Brody, Baron Von Raschke, Billy Graham, Ernie Ladd... the list just goes on and on and on. And, no matter what you think of him and his stance on wrestling today, it's undeniable he carried himself with total class throughout his entire career. I could so, so easily put him at number one, but my number one's contribution will probably be remembered for longer, and had better matches in the ring. But Sammartino is an all time great, and it's a shame younger fans will probably not be aware of the impact he made as the world champion of the fledgling WWWF.
1. Hulk Hogan - There's a strong argument to be had that Steve Austin, who I've placed at number four for no reason other than petty personal bias, should top this list. He took a company that was on life support and turned into back into the all-conquering powerhouse it was one, steamrolling the entire North American wrestling scene in the process. I respect that argument, and don't deny that what Austin achieved as WWF champion was absolutely remarkable... but Hulk Hogan did it better. And he did it better than Hart, Sammartino, Michaels, the Rock, Cena... I'm sure you don't want or need a history lesson on the U.S. wrestling landscape when Hogan first won the belt in 1984, but it's worth mentioning again that back then, the idea of a single wrestling company dominating the entire country was inconceivable. Hulk Hogan not only made it conceivable, he made it reality, and he did so almost single-handedly. His title reign ensured there was a company for Steve Austin to save in the first place. Not only that, but, taking the title reigns in isolation, there's a real argument to be made that Hogan put on better matches (Orndorff, Andre the Giant, Savage, Warrior...) cut the better promos, and hooked a more devoted fanbase. Finally, when it comes down to it, Hogan was just the better champion; he held the belt for longer, and was genuinely the biggest star in the whole company; even at his peak, the car-crash booking of Vince Russo meant Austin could never truly establish himself as the guy at the top of the mountain, while Sammartino never became the figurehead of a global company (though I'm sure he could have been if given the opportunity.) So, Hogan was the best champion of all time. Not just in the WWF, but in any promotion, ever. And it will take a lot to change my mind on that.
Wes Kirk
5. John Cena - I am going to pick the list of the top WWE champions according to how well they did for business. John Cena, as everybody knows, is the guy who WWE considers the face of their company and basically responsible for around a hundred million dollars of merchandise a year for young fans. Frankly, that's enough to put the guy on this list alone. Cena also is decent in the ring, and decent on the microphone, but his numbers leave him as one of the more important champions due to the money he brings in.
4. Bruno Sammartino - In the 1970's the WWWF was mostly marketed to a heavily Northeastern audience with a lot of Italian-Americans watching and there was nobody more appealing to them than the powerhouse Bruno Sammartino, one of the most popular champions of all time. The man with the record for the longest WWWF title reign in history competed against various heels for over seven years and brought record crowds into Madison Square Garden and kept the territory afloat, much like Hulk Hogan would do in the 1980's for the national WWF. Like Hogan, Bruno wasn't very skilled in the ring but it was his connection with the crowd that made people spend wild amounts of money to see him and sell out arena after arena, making the WWWF successful and able to achieve the national and international success later with Hulk Hogan at the championship helm.
3. The Rock - Along with Steve Austin, Rock was responsible for the popularity behind the Attitude Era and it was due to his championship runs and his spot at the top that got him into Hollywood, where he would become the most successful crossover star from wrestling ever. His movies stand with over a billion dollars collected from the box office and DVD sales and Rock's brilliant promos and his delivery made him a huge hit in no time in wrestling and in the movies. Rock had "it" and his promos were great, his in-ring skill was decent, and he was able to move merchandise like nobody's business which makes him a significant contributor to the group as he was not only good for the WWF at the time but also the man who opened the way for current stars to enjoy Hollywood fame and fortune.
2. Hulk Hogan - Hogan, obviously, is the man who made the WWF into an international sensation with his performance as champion from 1984 to 1988 and then in several title reigns beyond that. Hogan was a dynamic figure that connected with the audience during the time when the All American babyface was loved and hadn't been done to death, and his ability to seemingly shake off the pain from anybody or anything and come back to win was loved by millions the world over. Hogan sold millions of dollars for the WWF and turned the company from a territory to a national and then international sensation with his work in Japan. Hogan's title run of four years and a month stands as the second longest title reign in the WWE today, and isn't likely to ever get broken.
1. Steve Austin - If it wasn't for Stone Cold, there may not have been a WWF after the year 1998. During the big Monday Night War, the tide only turned when Steve Austin became WWE champion and broke box office and merchandise records as the top selling champion even over Hulk Hogan and faced off with Vince McMahon. Austin's first title run wasn't all that long but it was enough to propel Austin into the history books as basically being one of the only reasons to watch WWF at the time and gradually the show improved so much that WCW was left in the dust! Austin could talk, he could wrestle earlier in his career but had to change things up due to his neck injuries, connected to the audience as the hard working man who wanted to beat the hell out of his boss, and to this day remains a household name for his efforts in lifting the WWF from certain doom to winner of the Monday Night War, and that's the bottom line!
Sean Kelly
5. Shawn Michaels - Shawn carried the company during one of its darkest hours and put on memorable matches with the likes of the Undertaker, and of course, Bret Hart. While he may not have drawn as much money as others on this list, Michaels kept the company afloat during WCW's talent raids and was one of the pioneers of the "attitude" that would propel the WWE into the global powerhouse it is today. He created wrestling history with the Montreal Screwjob, gave us HHH and Diesel, and made the crotch chop popular in countless playgrounds and college campuses. For all these reasons, Shawn Michaels deserves to be recognized as one of the top WWE champions.
4. John Cena - Possibly a controversial choice, but Cena has been an extremely effective WWE champion. Whether drawing the cheers of the women and children, or the jeers of any post-pubescent male, people pay good money to see Cena compete. Not only that, but he's taken several superstars to the next level by giving them their first WWE title reign. Whether it's Edge's victory over Cena at New Year's Revolution, RVD's memorable One Night Stand, or CM Punk's Money in the Bank PPV match this past year, Cena made these guys into top-tier stars. Toss in the fact that John Cena has competed for the WWE title a staggering six times in the Wrestlemania main event, and you have one of the top WWE champions of all time.
3. Bruno Sammartino - Admittedly well before my time, but anyone who holds the WWE title for over 11 years with two reigns certainly belongs in the Top 5. Sammartino was THE top draw for the WWWF for decades, constantly selling out the mecca of Pro Wrestling, Madison Square Garden. Modern day wrestling fans may know him as the cranky old guy who hates the current product, but Bruno is a true legend in the industry, especially to the Italian immigrant population that absolutely adored him. Sammartino was arguably the top reason why the WWWF was best positioned to expand beyond the territory model and become a national company. For his lengthy title reigns, dedication to the company and reputation as an all-around classy guy, Sammartino belongs at toward the top of a short list of worthy champions.
2. Steve Austin - Oh hell yeah! "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is synonymous with the cash cow that was the Attitude Era. His altercation with Mike Tyson generated a lot of mainstream buzz and was the turning point in WWE's eventual victory in over WCW. Multiple esteemed wrestling personalities, from Jim Ross to Vince McMahon, have been quoted as saying that no one came close to drawing as much money as Steve Austin - which is the champion's primary responsibility. At the time, the Austin 3:16 shirt was everywhere, and ratings were at their highest when Austin was either champion or chasing the belt. Even with his debilitating neck injury, Austin put on classic matches with the Rock, Undertaker, HHH and Mick Foley during the most successful period in WWE's history. Putting aside the fact that he's my personal favorite, it's hard to argue against Steve Austin being one of the best WWE champs of all time.
1. Hulk Hogan - Not even close. For better or worse, Hulk Hogan IS professional wrestling to most people. No one in the entire industry is as much of a household name as Hulk Hogan. What Hogan lacked in athletic ability, he more than made up for with his unparalleled charisma. There would be no WWE without Hulk Hogan. Most people forget that the first Wrestlemania was a huge risk on McMahon's part, and he needed it to succeed in a big way. With the company's future on the line, McMahon put his entire financial well being on the shoulders of Hulkamania. And oh how did the Hulkster deliver. During his six WWE championship reigns, Hogan put over notable Superstars such as the Undertaker and the Ultimate Warrior. And who can forget the bodyslam heard 'round the world when Hogan defeated Andre the Giant in front of 93,000 people at Wrestlemania 3? Hulk Hogan was the man that took the WWE mainstream, and for that, he's the #1 WWE Champion of all time.
Francisco Ramirez
5. Bruno Sammartino - The man was like a god to many, especially to those of Italian blood and heritage. He ruled the New York scene for near a decade. While he wasn't the most technical, he had the tools needed to do the job. Not to mention incredible guts, coming back from a neck injury way too soon to have a match with Stan Hansen of all freaking people. Bruno might not be remembered as fondly since he really hasn't had much to do with the WWE since leaving, but that can never take away from the career and legacy the man left behind.
4. Bret Hart - Bret Hart stood firm as a credible champion when the WWE was in cartoon mode. He held the belt and defended it against such characters as practitioners of voodoo, sumo wrestlers and Bob Backlund. Sure he was the captain steering the WWE ship during harsh times through rough waters, but with Hart at the helm, the ship never sank. There may be more popular champions, but this one added credibility during a time that really needed it.
3. Hulk Hogan - Hogan without a doubt was the face of wrestling for almost two decades. His face was all over the place, how many pro wrestlers can say they have been on the cover of Sports Illustrated? He held the WWE Championship during one of wrestling's biggest booms, Hulkamania ran wild and kids learned to train say their prayers and eat their vitamins. Hogan became one of the most, if not the most popular superstar to ever lace a pair of boots, ask non-wrestling fans to name a wrestler and the majority to this day will say Hulk Hogan.
2. "Superstar" Billy Graham - Many might frown on this pick. Still I believe the "Superstar" had more of an impact than many would imagine. First off, the man was a heel, but he made it extremely cool to be a heel. This was when wrestling was black and white, it can be argued that Graham brought in shades of gray to wrestling. Decades before the Attitude Era. Hulk Hogan has been very vocal as to how much Billy Graham inspired him. It can be said that without Billy Graham, there would never be a Hulk Hogan, which would then mean that the boom of the 80's, the WWF reign and everything else that followed possibly might of never happened. All this, due to one WWWF champion.
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin - While Hogan was at the helm during one of the biggest booms, Steve Austin led the WWE to its most profitable time. Stone Cold took the WWE, with assistance of others of course, from the days of black and white, to the shades of gray that was the Attitude Era. Champions have come and gone, but none have made the impact that Stone Cold Steve Austin made.
TJ Hawke
5. John Cena - I really didn't want to put Cena on this list, but it's hard to deny how his reigns and constant presence in the WWE main event helped stabilize business after Wrestlemania 2005 and also the consistent quality of the main events he was in. Is Cena the ring technician of our time? No. Has he even improved much since 2007? Probably not, at least in any visible way. But he has consistently been in good-to-great matches as WWE Champion since 2005, and without him as the dominant WWE champion, it's hard to imagine what the state of the WWE's business would be at the moment.
4. Bret Hart - Hart was the serious, credible champion when the WWE needed someone like him the most. He wasn't the most popular champion, but his steady presence insured the WWE's survival during a dark period in their booking and business history. He consistently put on great matches, and he deserves to be remembered as one of the 5 all-time greatest WWE Champions.
3. Steve Austin - While Austin's reign was exciting and the most lucrative, Austin is number three for the lack of time he was on top of the company. He was champion on and off from Wrestlemania 1998 until Summerslam 1999, and that was a great time for the WWE. However, comparing that 17 month time period (where he dropped the belt numerous times) to the lengthy title runs of Bruno and Hogan seems foolish to me. Not to mention, that Austin's 2001 reigns (though I blame the booking and not his performance, which was awesome) saw the company start its decline.
2. Bruno Sammartino - Bruno carried the original WWWF Title for over 4000 days over 2 reigns, which is almost twice as long as the length of the combined 6 reigns of Hulk Hogan (the second longest reigning champion). He carried the WWWF promotion for an astounding amount of time, without ever getting stale. It's a shame that most WWE fans these days probably have no idea who he is.
1. Hulk Hogan - Hulk Hogan's historic WWF title run in the 1980's is the reason the WWE is as big as it is today. While Bruno carried the company early and Austin lead the charge against WCW, the foundations of the WWE as we know it were built on Hogan's title reign.
YOUR TURN KNOW IT ALLS List your Top Five for this week's topic on the comment section using the following format:
WWE title is the real world title in wrestling. anyone who says different is trolling..
Posted By: Guest#2245 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:06 PM
you aint a real world champion if you aint the WWE champion.
Posted By: MasterGuest (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:07 PM
"Hart was the serious, credible champion when the WWE needed someone like him the most. He wasn't the most popular champion, but his steady presence insured the WWE's survival during a dark period in their booking and business history."
It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM
Hulk Hogan without a doubt number 1!! Yes Steve Austin saved the WWE, but remember, there would have been no WWE to save if Hulk hadnt made it what it was and WWE was in bad shape bc of the nWo and who was apart of that? Oh ya, Hulk Hogan. Yes, Austin sold more merchandise and pay per view. But when Hulk did it, he had one shirt for almost 7 years and there was only 4 pay per views a year. Hulk is number one, Austin number 2.
Posted By: Rick Goodwin (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:14 PM
Honorable mention: Sid Vicious, Bob Backlund
5. Stan "The Man" Stasiak
4. Ted DiBiase Sr.
3. Rey Mysterio
2. Kane
1. Vince McMahon
Posted By: Guest#0402 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:16 PM
Posted By: Smark Mero (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:24 PM
great lists from all the writers, made their respective choices and presented the explanation for it.
just sad to see hulk hogan tranishing his legacy with his antics now-a-days.
Posted By: miloytheman (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:25 PM
Cena is only on the list due to lack depth. No one is even close currently, or even the past several years, to his mediocre drawing power. I saw The Rock headline a HOUSE SHOW that was sold out at the now known Wells Fargo Arena in Philly, then it was the First Union Center.
Posted By: Guest#7274 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:30 PM
Anyone other than Hogan at #1 is preposterous.
Posted By: The TradeMark Experience (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:32 PM
Having Hogan or Austin number one is great debate. Both are equally as important.
Maybe not for a ratings reason, I loved HBK's reign in 1996. He had to compete against WCW and the nWo, and that was tough. I remember JR saying in HBK's documentary that if HBK wasn't the champ in 1996 then he shudders to think what things could've been like. I agree 100%, if you had a guy who'd put on mediocre matches in the main event in 1996, that would've been hard to recover from.
Posted By: Jonbear (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:36 PM
5. The Miz
4. Shaemus
3. Del Rio
2. Vince McMahon
1. David Arquette
Honorable Mention: Paul Roma
Posted By: bob loblaw (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:39 PM
you aint a real world champion if you aint the WWE champion.
Posted By: MasterGuest (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:07 PM
Exactly, that's why a black guy has never won the WWE Championship. Half black don't count. I don't ever see it happening either.
Posted By: Guest#5363 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:41 PM
Woah, Wes Kirk actually putting Steve Austin at number 1 over Hulk Hogan??? I'm in shock!!!! I agree with him, but shocking!!
Posted By: Guest#8464 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:43 PM
Retarded list. No Undertaker ? And all picked the same ones
Posted By: mervin (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:43 PM
Ultimate Warrior
Posted By: hellwig (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:44 PM
WWE title is the real world title in wrestling. anyone who says different is trolling..
Posted By: Guest#2245 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:06 PM
What a mindless sheep
Posted By: Guest#3790 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:46 PM
5. Big Daddy Cool
4. Yokozuna
3. Brock Lesnar
2. Bob Backlund
1. Chris Benoit
Posted By: evan brawn (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:50 PM
JBL hands down
Posted By: qwerty (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:51 PM
Mick Foley
Posted By: blue weenie (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:52 PM
Good article. I think a really interesting top 5 could be the top 5 wwf/e title Reigns. Meaning any one of a superstars title reign like HBKs in 1996 or Triple H reign in 2000. Could be cool because it gives more variety in answers.
Posted By: Guest#6789 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:54 PM
Three wrestlers made every list and for good reasons. There really isn't any argument that Sammartino, Hogan, and Austin are the top three. The only debate is in what order. Cena made every list but one and putting Hart and Graham on the list over Cena was just dumb. I wish there was a nicer way to say it but there isn't. That really only leaves the number five spot up for grabs.
5-Bret Hart He gets dogged because he was the top guy during a down period but always think of how much worse it could have been if he weren't there. Every wrestler on this list can be said to have had a hand in saving the WWE at one time or another and that goes for Hart, too.
4-John Cena Business is down now and hardcore fans are sick of the guy but Cena deserves to be on this list. If they hadn't of had a top guy with some mainstream appeal and respect the Benoit tragedy could have killed the company. Also Cena has a legitimate chance of being the undisputed top guy in the company for longer than anyone since the company went national.
3-Bruno Sammartino Every reason he is on here has been well covered by the writers in the column. The reason I have him at three is because the fed wasn't national in his time. If he would have had national exposure who know what his legacy would be.
2-Hulk Hogan He was the WWF during the Rock 'n Wrestling era and the business wouldn't be what it is without him. Vince's push to go national could have flopped and bankrupted the company but it didn't and Hogan is the biggest reason why.
1-Steve Austin I'm of the age group that was the target audience of the company during Hogan's era and then again during Austin's era so I feel I can judge the merits of the two quite fairly and Austin was just a little better at everything. He drew a little more money, he cut a little better promo, and his matches were a little, and often a lot, better. It is close but Austin is the best WWF/E champion of all time.
Posted By: gpjunk (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:54 PM
5.Hart/Shawn/rock all had good reins but when you look at the rest of the company most of the time there where 1 or 2 other top guys they boll carried the company
4.Bruno
3.Austin bringing it back to mainstream
2.Bob Backlund for the amount of time he carried the company
1.Hulk Hogan perhaps the greatest self promoter of all time wish he had retired when WcW failed so we could remember him kindly
Posted By: Guest (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:56 PM
1.Hogan
2.Rock
3.3:16
4.Sammartino
5.Hitman
Posted By: TheR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:59 PM
I am a huge fan of both Bret Hart and Billy Graham, but my top 5 are:
Cena
Rock
Austin
Bruno
Hogan
Posted By: Mister J (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:01 AM
I couldn't agrtee more on Steve Austin at 1. Usually my ppicks are nowhere close the ones on here, but Austin is, in fact, the greatest WWE Champion in history. And this is from someone who isn't even a particularly big Austin fan. I would have places Shawn at 2 myself.
Posted By: Guest#0084 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:03 AM
"Hart was the serious, credible champion when the WWE needed someone like him the most. He wasn't the most popular champion, but his steady presence insured the WWE's survival during a dark period in their booking and business history."
It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM
Bullshit. Was it Bret that had a steroid scandal over his head? Bret didn't force Hogan out, or make the Warrior up and quit. Bret didn't force Sid to be a terrible wrestler, and a flake. Bret & Yoko were THE main-eventers in the 92-94 transition period. Flair bailed, Savage wasn't done, but he was clearly on the outs. Who was left to carry the ball? Bret. I'm sure Bret will tell you himself that he was not the ideal guy to carry an entire promotion on his back. However, he did it anyway, and brought some credibility, and excitement to the matches, and was a great champion. Top 5 easily.
Posted By: Jerry (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:05 AM
Under pretty much any criteria Cena deserves to be on this list, yet every one of you claimed it to be a "controversial" choice. Stop trying to appease the "smarks" and just stand by your selection. If 4 of the 5 writers agree Cena's a top WWE Champ then it's not really that controversial at all now is it.
Posted By: Guest#7071 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:06 AM
"It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM"
can you please elaborate on this?
Posted By: justwannaknowwhy (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:08 AM
Austin, Hogan, Sammartino are a clear top three in whatever order...and despite my personal dislike of Hogan I could make a strong case for any of them as #1.
Beyond that it gets subjective. I think that the Undertaker is clearly on their level in terms of importance, but that has nothing at all to do with any of his title reigns. In a strange sense he transcends the belt.
The Rock also...when I think of him I don't really think of him with the belt.
Billy Graham is worth considering, as it was really the first time Vince really gave a serious title reign to a heel, seriously altering the wrestling landscape.
You can't just write off Bob Backlund and his long title reign. I'm surprised that his name didn't even come up.
Hart, Triple H...Michaels, despite being in any list of the top performers doesn't necessarily make the list as a top champion.
Savage, fairly or not...and I say not...was always a clear second fiddle to Hogan.
Flair's glory days were with the NWA/WCW belt.
Can't ignore Cena, though he just kind of bores me...though not as much as Randy Orton...who I can and will ignore.
Hmm...I really can't even get it to a convincing five.
Edge? A lot of title reigns and whether holding or chasing the belt it was a strong part of his character.
Posted By: The Brain (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:14 AM
Hulk Hogan is number one for me. He was the perfect cartoon Heavyweight Champ. People wanted to see him be the champ more than chase the champ and he held the whole company together like no one else.
I prefer Rock and Austin, but for this topic of WWE Champions specifically, Hogan is no1.
Posted By: Oh! Lymping Hero (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:22 AM
I'm surprised nobody has brought up Bob Backlund. Top five (in no particular order) has to be Hogan, Austin, Sammartino, Backlund, Cena.
Posted By: BreastThereIsBreastThereWas (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:25 AM
WWE title is the real world title in wrestling. anyone who says different is trolling..
Posted By: Guest#2245 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:06 PM
you aint a real world champion if you aint the WWE champion.
Posted By: MasterGuest (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:07 PM
You guys should hang out. Find a mirror.
Posted By: Guest#4207 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:34 AM
Lots of hate for Bret Hart. Wether or not you like the guy, he gave his soul to the WWE from his first WWE title until Montreal and while his numbers as a draw in the ratings weren't the highest in history, it was during his reign (and thanks to his popularity internationally) that the WWE expanded its programming into the majority of the international markets it airs now. Rarely before him the they make international tours outside of the UK and Japan, but once Hart rose to main event status they were regularly running shows throughout Europe and the Middle East as well. His drawing power stateside might have been poor in comparison to the others on those lists, but around the globe Hart was a huge draw.
Posted By: Ty Huston (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:34 AM
Hogan, Cena, Austin, Rock, Flair.
Posted By: superstar (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:34 AM
HM: Superstar Billy Graham: 1st sports entertainer, created the moden pro wrestling promo, 1st tweener. Could have been as big or bigger than Hogan if it wasn't for politics, drugs and injuries.
5) Shawn Michaels. The greatest wrestler to ever hold the belt. Had the best in-ring run of any WwE champion in 96'(damn near ***** match out of SID??). His 2nd run founded DX and launched Austin, 2 factors that helped WWE go public. And @ WrestleMania 23 he was the challenger for the title in the biggest drawing PPV of all times.
4) The Rock. 2nd best promo champion of all time.(Flair is #1) classic feuds with Austin, HHH, Angle, Hogan, Foley etc. Cross over appeal with Hollywood which helped build the current WWE.
3) John Cena. Top guy for his era. Helped build Edge, Punk and countless others into champions. Was the champion @ WM 23, the biggest PPV ever.
2) Austin. The clear cut #2 in my book. Huge mainstream appeal and merch seller. Involved in the best matches and feuds to ever revolve around the WWE title. Would have been #1 if not for injuries(if he would have continued to main event 2003-present)
1) Hulk Hogan. Made the WWE and WrestleMania household names. The most recognizable wrestler of all time. Only pro wrestler to be on Sports Illustrated's cover. Constantly the champion of challenger for the belt for a decade. Won it in 3 differant decades. Was in the biggest rated TV WWE title match of all time(Main Event on NBC in 1988) I don't see how anyone else could be #1
Anyone think I should write for this site?
Posted By: sp1 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:35 AM
"While Austin's reign was exciting and the most lucrative, Austin is number three for the lack of time he was on top of the company. He was champion on and off from Wrestlemania 1998 until Summerslam 1999, and that was a great time for the WWE. However, comparing that 17 month time period (where he dropped the belt numerous times) to the lengthy title runs of Bruno and Hogan seems foolish to me. Not to mention, that Austin's 2001 reigns (though I blame the booking and not his performance, which was awesome) saw the company start its decline."
Agree wholeheartedly, and probably wouldn't even place him in my top 3. Loved Austin as a character, and he was a great draw for a 2 year time period, but he just doesn't have the longevity to compare to someone like Hogan. I'd even argue that in terms of quality, his 2001 reign was probably his best, and as stated, the company was beginning to decline by then. I could accept Steve as the greatest WWE superstar ever (though I think Hogan gets him there too on longevity), but the idea of him being the greatest champion is a little harder to swallow.
Posted By: AJP (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:38 AM
"It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM"
can you please elaborate on this?
Posted By: justwannaknowwhy (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:08 AM
Was it Bret that had a steroid scandal over his head?
Posted By: Jerry (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:05 AM
_______________________________________
Simply put, Bret was a terrible babyface champion. Yes he's incredible inside the ring but in terms of charisma, mic skills, and drawing power, he sucks. As a kid, I was a HUGE fan during Hulk Hogan's late 80s-early 90s run. When Hogan left and Bret became the top guy, I completely lost all interest in the WWF. The "it" factor that Hogan, Savage and Warrior had, Bret simply didn't have it. As a babyface, that is. I never really saw him as a main eventer until he turned heel in '97.
Blaming the decline on the steroid trial is a complete cop out. Most of the WWF's fans at the time were kids, very few of whom watched the news or read tabloids. I didn't even know about the steroid trial until years later. And besides, what does a trial have to do with the on-screen product? Did fans suddenly say, "Well Vince McMahon is on trial over steroids so I'm not going to watch wrestling anymore"??
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:54 AM
Also, for the record my top 5 are:
1-Hogan
2-Austin
3-Sammartino
4-Cena
5-Bret
These are the five men that for better or worse defined their respective eras as champions. Guys like Rock, Taker, Savage, Piper, and HBK arguably did their best work as non-champions. HHH sort of was the guy before Cena was ready, but he is not in the class of the five guys ahead of him on the list imo.
Posted By: Jerry (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:57 AM
1Bruno Sammartino 2 Hulk Hogan 3 Steve Austin 4 Bret Hart 5 Randy Savage
Posted By: Macho Man #1 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:01 AM
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Pedro Morales. He wasn't the greatest champion, but he had the unenviable task of following in Bruno Sammartino's shoes. And he didn't have the marketing machine the industry has now.
Posted By: K. Bett (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:11 AM
1) dude its obvious Hulk Hogan, c' mon that's a no brainer.
2) Bret Hart, he saved the WWE during it's dark days.
3) Austin, well he is credited for making wrestling popular again
4) Rock, see Austin
5) Sting, help maintain wcw in the game
Posted By: Rebel (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 02:01 AM
Come on, Sammartino is number one by a mile. The guy held the belt for nearly 1/4 of its existence! That alone makes him the greatest WWE Champion of all time. Furthermore, it was his endless drawing power that not only kept the WWWF afloat into the 80s, but was one of the main reasons the WWWF broke away from the NWA. The promoters knew they had a gold mine in Sammartino and they didn't want to share him with the NWA, so they formed the WWWF and pushed Sammartino into superstardom. Once again, Sammartino is easily the greatest WWE Champion of all time. Without him there simply would have been no promotion for Vince Jr. to take national, and Hogan would have stayed in the AWA.
Posted By: John (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 02:17 AM
Only choice I disagree with is HBK. Dude has no place on the list. He only wrestled Taker once as champion in an affair that's mostly memorable for his back injury and nothing else.
So you've got 2 memorable matches with Hart, a bunch of dickery, and horrible drawing power. Yeah, that's a top WWE champ right there.
Posted By: Guest#8904 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 02:55 AM
Love how everyone here knows putting cena on here is a justifiable and good choice, yet they act like apologetic pussys because...OH NOEZZZ CENAAAA!!!1111 wake up it's not 2006, cena hating is for marks and sheep.
Posted By: Guest#4394 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:07 AM
#5 John Cena: As much as I hate to admit it, Cena Draws. Despite the fact that he was basically force fed down our throats for the last 7 Years, he's proven to be a legitimate champion who can draw in a crowd, wether you love him or hate him. He's been the man of the WWE for quite some time.
#4 Hulk Hogan: Maybe he should be higher on my list, but since he's not much of a wrestler in the ring I just can't bring myself to rank him higher. Obviously he changed the industry, his name is synonymous with wrestling
#3 TRIPLE H/THE ROCK/MICK FOLEY: Yeah OK I cheated on this one, but quite frankly after the injury to #1 on my list in 1999. These three men each deserve a spot in the top 5 and one to me is not more significant than the other due to the fact that each of them stepped up big time to fill the void left when my #1 pick was out. Each broke out in their own unique way and continued the great rise of the WWE in the late 90's and early 2000's
#2 SHAWN MICHAELS: Throughout the mid 90's when the WWE was struggling to compete with WCW. The company was put on this man's shoulder's and he kept them going strong through a very uncertain time within WWE. Also Michaels to me is the greatest in-ring performer of all time bar none. The argument could be made that Bret Hart may deserve this spot, however, Bret Hart was very Vanilla as a character and his major success was due to how he made people around him look better. Michaels Started what my #1 pick would finish.
#1 STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN: This man changed the fate of the WWE and helped turn the company around. In a very uncertain time, Stone Cold emerged and brought fans back to WWE and reminded everyone why they enjoyed sports entertainment in the first place. As much as I would love to give this nod to Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Grabbed the ball and ran it in for a touchdown at just the right time.
Posted By: NexusFX (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:18 AM
Number one? Iron Sheik, No Iron Sheik, No Hulkamania!
Posted By: Khosrov Vaziri (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:21 AM
1.Hogan
2.Rock
3.3:16
4.Sammartino
5.Hitman
Posted By: TheR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:59 PM
How do you figure Tim Tebow should be #3?
Posted By: destro (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:25 AM
It makes me so angry Triple H isnt consistently shown in lists. He provided me with some of the greatest wrestling years ive seen as champion. 1999 and 2000 his matches were consistently ****. He has been champion 13 times. Show some respect fuckers.
5.Shawn Michaels
4. John Cena
3. Triple H
2. The Rock
1. Steve Austin
Hulk Hogan can fuck off. The most overrated wrestler is history. Didnt provide me with one good match. He can fuck offf!!!!
Posted By: John (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:30 AM
I would like to thank the writers for a very none biased list.And to all the haters hulk hogan is the G.O.A.T!!!!
Posted By: Guest#2611 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:33 AM
HBK never drew a fucking dime.That's why they didn't give him the strap til they had no choice.Then attitude came about and DX became a sensation but that last only like what?a year and a half before retirement..Bret was netter cuz ppl recognized him from the hogan days and he was such a good perfomer.Plus bret drew good business in canada and europe that kept the lights on the wwe when hogan left.shawn is a great worker and he helped influence a lot of shit but he aint draw jack shit til dx.Biggest champs gotta be Hogan Austin Cena and Bret in that order...Cena been drawing fuck u money for almost 8 years now and he's very young.Hell end up as top drawing perfomer of all time cuz he was around for so long.
Posted By: MacDollarz. (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:41 AM
No one wanted to see BackLund they used to chant boring and whitebread at him.He doesn't count.You guys are counting performance based guys and the kayfabe aspects.If that's the case HHH in 2000 and Bret are the examples of what a champion is:credibility and beleivablity.
Posted By: MacDollarz. (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 04:02 AM
I have a petty bias against the Montreal Canadiens. They haven't won any Stanley Cups lately and I dont like them...so I'll put the Carolina Hurricanes above them on my iist of greatest hockey teams ever.
I get that alot of us (Americans) don't like hockey but the analogy holds.
Posted By: Jared (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 05:04 AM
5 - The Miz - The most must see champion of all time!
4 - Sid - The best powerbomber of all time
3 - Andre The giant - So good he gave the belt up
2 - Yokozuna - The best wrestler based on a sumo wretler of all time
1 - Mr McMahon - Proved why he was the boss!!
Posted By: tit (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 05:26 AM
Where is THE greatest WWE champion o all times? I'm taking about Sheamus
Posted By: Guest#8309 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 05:28 AM
I'm a little surprised that HHH didn't get the nod at least once here.
Posted By: mr_wishart (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 06:19 AM
HM: Eddie Guerrero, Sycho Sid
5. JBL
4. The Miz
3. Diesel
2. Alberto Del Rio
1. Sheamus
Posted By: Guest#7278 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 06:39 AM
Bruno Bruno Bruno Bruno and Bruno. Keep in mind that Bruno drew sell outs on a monthly basis against pretty much a rotating cast of villains. He didn't have the luxury of only appearing in a city three times a year nor a worldwide talent pool to work against. Hogan had cable TV, Bruno worked on weak UHF stations when it was not hip to be a rasslin' fan. Even without a nationwide promotional machine behind him, Bruno WAS wrestling. Fans never got sick of seeing him and to the best of my knowledge he always did what was right for business, not solely for himself. Hogan drew more money but there's no way he would've during Bruno's heyday.
Posted By: J-Mo (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 06:40 AM
Faaackkkkkk!
Without Iron Sheik, there is no Hulk Hogan or WWF or WWE.
Hack Tuff!
Posted By: Sheiky Baby (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 06:57 AM
As much as I like HBK, he was better known for having great matches than being a successful world champion. If you combine all of his runs in the mid 90's, he only has just over a year with the title, and that was in an era when world titles actually meant something.
I'd also find it hard pressed to have Bret Hart on the list, more or less for the same reason, although Bret was given lengthier runs.
IMO, the top two are Hogan and Austin, in that order. Austin helped revitalize the WWF and brought it to the next big boom. But the injuries prevented him from having the kind of longevity it would take to top Hogan. He'd be number two at best.
Without Hogan's extended and successful run in the 80's, wrestling as we know it wouldn't have existed for Austin to take advantage of. Hogan MADE the WWF (and for that part wrestling) into what it is today, for better or worse, and for that reason, he deserves to be at the top).
Posted By: Michael L (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 07:11 AM
1 - Austin
2 - Hogan
3- Bruno
4 - The Rock
5 - Bret
I know without Hogan there is a chance the E isn't even around, but you can say the same thing about Austin during the WCW v WWF thing. If not for him the E might have gone under.
Posted By: Guest#1008 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 07:47 AM
My personal list 1.The rock.2.Steve Austin.3.Hulk Hogan.4.Edge.5.Randy Orton the 5 most popular champions in WWE history.You can say what you want about your fossils but they are nowhere near these 5 and HHH,CENA
Posted By: Guest#1173 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 08:01 AM
Simply put, Bret was a terrible babyface champion. Yes he's incredible inside the ring but in terms of charisma, mic skills, and drawing power, he sucks. As a kid, I was a HUGE fan during Hulk Hogan's late 80s-early 90s run. When Hogan left and Bret became the top guy, I completely lost all interest in the WWF. The "it" factor that Hogan, Savage and Warrior had, Bret simply didn't have it. As a babyface, that is. I never really saw him as a main eventer until he turned heel in '97.
Blaming the decline on the steroid trial is a complete cop out. Most of the WWF's fans at the time were kids, very few of whom watched the news or read tabloids. I didn't even know about the steroid trial until years later. And besides, what does a trial have to do with the on-screen product? Did fans suddenly say, "Well Vince McMahon is on trial over steroids so I'm not going to watch wrestling anymore"??
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:54 AM
You represent only one part of the audience. During Hogan's first run, I was more a fan of Steamboat and the Bulldogs/Bret Hart of the Hart Foundation because I appreciated good wrestling. I've always preferred people who let their actions speak for themselves, so promos didn't mean much to me.
Also, the reason the steroid scandal was a big deal in affecting the on-screen product was because it caused Vince to have to pick a champion who could represent the company but not be the image of steroid-enhanced that the media could attack. Bret was the best choice - he was an example of skill over strength. If he could prove that a wrestler like Bret could carry the company, it would help his defense that wrestlers didn't need to take steroids. He didn't make them take steroids because it wasn't necessary.
Posted By: Guest#7409 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 08:37 AM
not a single vote for Bobby Backlund?
Posted By: Jamal (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 09:00 AM
Bagging on Bruno's in-ring ability takes away your credibility. You likely only saw him in the mid 80's(if you even saw him at all) and thus you didn't see a guy drag a great 20 minute match out of Nikolai Volkoff in 76 at the Garden in a main event or guys who couldn't even take a proper bump like Brute Bernard and Skull Murphy, or his carrying of the immobile and slothly Giant Baba to 60 minute draws.
Bruno was the goods in the ring. Its revisionist history from guys who don't like Bruno that says he wasn't.
Posted By: Patrick Mullen (Registered) on February 06, 2012 at 09:05 AM
"Hart was the serious, credible champion when the WWE needed someone like him the most. He wasn't the most popular champion, but his steady presence insured the WWE's survival during a dark period in their booking and business history."
It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM
how would you know you're probably 12 reading it on Wikipedia and watching it on YouTube isn't the same as living it.
BRET HITMAN HART BEST THER IS BEST THERE WAS BEST THER EVER WILL BE!
Posted By: MMF (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 09:14 AM
kevin nash drew more money than any champion in the history of this business.
kevin nash is a pioneer. without kevin nash, wrestling would still be in vfw halls and high school gyms...and kevin drew the most money.
kevin nash was the single most infleuntial force in the history of professional wrestling...and kevin drew the most money.
Posted By: kevin nash (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 09:19 AM
5. Randy Savage
4. Macho King
3. Mr Madness
2. Randy Poffo
1. Macho Man
Posted By: Universal Hearthrob (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 09:44 AM
I miss the "Hogan" belt of the 80s. Certainly don't care for the fat spinner and hate that they trashing the WCW belt by making it a WWE belt.
Posted By: Comment Board Poster (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 09:50 AM
No Undertaker? I got back into watching wrestling, after a couple of years off, in the summer of 1997, both WWF and WCW (which was new for me) on European TV channels. The ONLY reason I continued to watch the WWF was The Undertaker. He kept me interested in the WWF.
Posted By: L. (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 09:51 AM
Steve Austin??????? You guys are morons. Anyone in the number one spot but Hulk Hogan is ridiculous. Austin's title reigns combined only equate to about one year. Marks.
Posted By: BRAIN (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 10:06 AM
i dont think the rock ever needed the WWE championship to be the best.. hes already the peoples champion
Posted By: wylun (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 10:37 AM
You know, outside of the early days red belt and the BIG Backlund/Hogan belt all of the WWF/E titles are rather toyish and hardly depict the elite look one would expect from a world title belt. Go back to BIG GREEN screw the winged eagle. Where's the belt Bruno is wearing in that pic, it's not the one in the title mix pic....that's kinda slick for the time period.
Posted By: Guest#2298 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 10:46 AM
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Pedro Morales. He wasn't the greatest champion, but he had the unenviable task of following in Bruno Sammartino's shoes. And he didn't have the marketing machine the industry has now.
Posted By: K. Bett (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:11 AM
_____________
Agreed...not to mention the fact that Pedro was still champ for nearly three years and carried WWWF as well, was the first Latino World Champion, and rallied the growing Latin American community in New York the same way that Sammartino held the support of the Italians. Morales was at least as important in expanding wrestling's popularity during his title reign as Bruno was during his.
Posted By: BJC (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 10:48 AM
In my opinion, John Cena shouldn't be on this list. This isn't a knock on John Cena. Cena is by far the most deserving of his era to be on a list like this. The only problem is that He has been the top champion in an era when being champion doesn't really matter. The title changes so much that even the most hardcore of hardcore fans can find it easy to forget who the current title holder is. And if it's easy to forget who the champ is, it's hard to call them one of the best champs.
Posted By: Bob (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 11:03 AM
It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM
I'm guessing you didn't watch wrestling during the 90s because Bret, his family, and the kliq were the only reasons to watch wwf in the mid 90s.
Horrible gimmicks such as Mantaur, the Godwinns, Men on a Mission, TL Hopper, The Goon, Sparky Plugg, Doink (as a face) Isaac Yankem, and Bastion Booger were the reason. WCW had comparable numbers before the NWO as well because they had their own silliness (the dungeon of doom.
Weak writing and gimmicks were the sign of the times and the workers are what kept the business profitable during those days.
Eventually the bookers realized that the fans craved more realistic gimmicks and storylines and started getting edgier while stealing ECW's talent and mimicking their style.
Posted By: Old School Wrestling Fan (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 11:25 AM
I don't believe in putting current wrestlers into all-time lists. Therefore, Cena doesn't make this list until he retires.
HM: Bruno Sammartino (He probably deserves to be higher however he was a little before my time and I did not get to see his impact first hand)
5 - Randy Savage
4 - Shawn Michaels
3 - Bret Hart
2 - Steve Austin
1 - Hulk Hogan
Posted By: Mr.Fuji (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 11:26 AM
It's such a subjective question.
HM: Mick Foley (w/ an assist from Tony Schiavone). Sure his runs with the title were unspectacular, but it was his winning of the championship (and the viewers it attracted) that started the downfall of WCW in the ratings.
HM: Superstar Billy Graham - the modern day prototype for the wrestlers as showmen (Hogan, Flair).
5. John Cena - it's kind of tough to include him in this list simply because he's lost the title too many times. He gets points for being the top man in the company for so long, so he makes this list, but barely.
4. Steve Austin - Was the biggest draw at the peak of the attitude era, but in reality, I don't think he ever needed the title to get over like he did. For Austin, the pursuit of the title was greater than his actual reigns.
3. Bob Backlund - he was the excellence of execution before Bret Hart. Undersized, babyface, and carried the company almost as long as...
2. Bruno Sammartino - the face of the WWWF. He was attracting Wrestlemania crowds when there was no WM.
1. Hulk Hogan - no matter how hard he tries to make himself a joke, Hogan was the quintessential champion.
Posted By: SpankyHamm (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 11:53 AM
Really kinda shocked not to see any Terry Funks on the list.
Posted By: Guest#9816 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Without Bret the WWF probably would have folded. Even Vince considered him the greatest worker ever.
But when you're making a list of top champions, you need to consider who non-fans of wrestling would know. If you walk up to a random person on the street and mention Bret Hart, would they know who he is?
Yes, they would. He was huge outside the US but even in the US he made appearances on the Simpsons and is in the Malcolm in the Middle opening, which was a very popular show at one time. He is a mainstream wrestler.
Other mainstream guys are UT, Stone Cold, Hogan, Warrior, Flair, Rock. I don't know about Sammartino as that was a long time ago. Andre probably is known too, and maybe Sgt. Slaughter mostly because of GI Joe and the shameless Iraqi storylines with Hogan. Macho Man Randy Savage is just as well known as any other top guy, even though he barely held the world title.
However if you ask about Cena or HBK or HHH I seriously doubt people know who they are. They're all much better than someone like Warrior, but that isn't what this is about. It's about how well known you are since this isn't a competitive sport.
Posted By: Guest#5416 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:21 PM
Blaming the decline on the steroid trial is a complete cop out. Most of the WWF's fans at the time were kids, very few of whom watched the news or read tabloids. I didn't even know about the steroid trial until years later. And besides, what does a trial have to do with the on-screen product? Did fans suddenly say, "Well Vince McMahon is on trial over steroids so I'm not going to watch wrestling anymore"??
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:54 AM
You may underestimate the fact that the parents of said children were well aware of the trial. How many parents told their kids they could not watch "that stuff" anymore. A few kids on my block for sure. Whether it was because of the steroids trial or not is uncertain, but it was the same timeframe.
Posted By: Jerry (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:28 PM
Big Show
Posted By: Guest#7952 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:44 PM
well done sean kelly, well done.
Posted By: James T. (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:49 PM
1.Hogan
2.Austin
3.Sammartino
4.Hart
5.Cena
Posted By: ripstamps (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:08 PM
5. Big Daddy Cool
4. Yokozuna
3. Brock Lesnar
2. Bob Backlund
1. Chris Benoit
Posted By: evan brawn (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:50 PM
Chris Benoit never won the WWE Championship
Posted By: jeff (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:09 PM
I'm glad to see that there are only a few trolls who think that wrestling was invented in the Attitude era. This site is sorely lacking in wrestling history. It's something that would be a very interesting departure from writing the same tired top ten lists which encompass the Hogan era forward. My list:
5. Bret Hart (I loved that he could always be cast as the underdog)
4. Bob Backlund (He was whitebread and vanilla, and he was exactly what the fans wanted at the time. You have to consider the era in which he had his heyday)
3. John Cena (Can't stand to watch him peddle his lowbrow nonsense, but I also can't deny that he is the biggest star in wrestling over the past 10 years)
2. Bruno Sammartino (I was not fortunate enough to see him in his heyday, but there ARE some YouTube videos out there you can watch. I highly recommend it.)
1. Hulk Hogan (Hogan was a force of nature in the early 80s. Not only did he bring wrestling to the mainstream, but I would say that no star of any sort in any capacity crossed over into so many areas as Hogan - movies, cartoons, music, wrestling, sports, etc.)
Posted By: History (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:34 PM
What kind of idiot puts Billy Graham ahead of Hogan? Jesus Christ.
Posted By: Joe (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:39 PM
"It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM"
Brett didnt create wrestling plumbers, garbage men, mantaurs, man-o-wars, clowns, hockey players, hog farmers, country singers, Ahmed Johnson etc. Dumb ass
Posted By: APrince66 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:40 PM
"Honorable mention: Sid Vicious, Bob Backlund
5. Stan "The Man" Stasiak
4. Ted DiBiase Sr.
3. Rey Mysterio
2. Kane
1. Vince McMahon
Posted By: Guest#0402 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:16 PM"
haha, you forgot Andre the Giant and Jack Swagger.
Posted By: Joe (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:42 PM
"It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM"
That's really just ignorant.
Posted By: Joe (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:45 PM
Where the hell is Bob Backlund in your lists? He was champion for 5 years! His era was the equivalent of the Golden Gate Bridge between the Sammartino and Hogan eras. He is easily an "A" level champion. There needs to be a little more perspective in a list like this.
Posted By: John (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 02:04 PM
Can't stand Hogan, but I can't deny no one other than Austin comes close to him.
Posted By: Bubba (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 02:04 PM
No Backlund love? For shame. Oh well, this list is pretty silly, anyway. You all pretty much rotated the order among seven guys. No creativity.
Posted By: Crow (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 02:18 PM
HM: Superstar Billy Graham: 1st sports entertainer, created the moden pro wrestling promo, 1st tweener. Could have been as big or bigger than Hogan if it wasn't for politics, drugs and injuries.
5) Shawn Michaels. The greatest wrestler to ever hold the belt. Had the best in-ring run of any WwE champion in 96'(damn near ***** match out of SID??). His 2nd run founded DX and launched Austin, 2 factors that helped WWE go public. And @ WrestleMania 23 he was the challenger for the title in the biggest drawing PPV of all times.
4) The Rock. 2nd best promo champion of all time.(Flair is #1) classic feuds with Austin, HHH, Angle, Hogan, Foley etc. Cross over appeal with Hollywood which helped build the current WWE.
3) John Cena. Top guy for his era. Helped build Edge, Punk and countless others into champions. Was the champion @ WM 23, the biggest PPV ever.
2) Austin. The clear cut #2 in my book. Huge mainstream appeal and merch seller. Involved in the best matches and feuds to ever revolve around the WWE title. Would have been #1 if not for injuries(if he would have continued to main event 2003-present)
1) Hulk Hogan. Made the WWE and WrestleMania household names. The most recognizable wrestler of all time. Only pro wrestler to be on Sports Illustrated's cover. Constantly the champion of challenger for the belt for a decade. Won it in 3 differant decades. Was in the biggest rated TV WWE title match of all time(Main Event on NBC in 1988) I don't see how anyone else could be #1
Anyone think I should write for this site?
Posted By: sp1 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:35 AM
NO!!! For sure
Posted By: PSP (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:17 PM
HM: The Rock - Austin IMO had a bigger impact on the overall product but The Rock is a cross-media star. Austins raise hell against authority attitude WAS the Attitude Era.
HM: Bob Backland - Bruno was the reason why the WWWF could split from the NWA. He was GOLD in the ring and as noted by others he drew huge crowds well before WM was even a thought. In reality Backland was fantastic, held the title for a long time, but I see him as a bridge between the gap that has the split from the NWA on one end and the going national with Hogan on the other.
5) John Cena
4) Bret Hart
3) Austin
2) Bruno Sammartino
1) Hogan
Posted By: T-Mirk (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:45 PM
"Honorable mention: Sid Vicious, Bob Backlund
5. Stan "The Man" Stasiak
4. Ted DiBiase Sr.
3. Rey Mysterio
2. Kane
1. Vince McMahon
Posted By: Guest#0402 (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:16 PM"
haha, you forgot Andre the Giant and Jack Swagger.
Posted By: Joe (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 01:42 PM
Jack Swagger never held the WWE championship.
Posted By: Guest#2581 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 04:08 PM
Anyone think I should write for this site?
Posted By: sp1 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:35 AM
We do!
Posted By: Google (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 04:30 PM
Are the people naming Edge trying to be trolls or are they actually retarded?
Posted By: Guest#5418 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 04:41 PM
I find it funny that people always credit the champion when the promotion draws well but always deflect the blame to any other possible factor when business is down. (Shawn, Bret)
Posted By: Guest#1562 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 04:45 PM
Cena cannot be considered one of the greatest champions because of the viewers he has lost since becoming champ(ratings went from high 4's to currently low 3's). He is only marketed to children because thats all he appeals to, he alienates the adult fanbase. And unlike Bret, he had plenty of talanted guys around him Undertaker,HBK,HHH,Rey,Benoit,Eddie,Batista,Edge,Punk.Being a long reigning champ doesnt make you a good one quality over quantity.
HM Undertaker: Longevity
HM Savage: Only two reigns but very impactfull, the predesesor to Bret and HBK, being the first "small wwf champ"
5.The Rock: Low on the list cause he didnt need the title. But his time as champ resulted in record ratings and ppv buys. He also created some of the greatest moments ever as champ Foley's first reign, Royal Rumble 99, Angle and Brock's first title wins, vs HHH iron man match, and ofcourse the rivalry amd matches with Austin.
4.Austin: In a four year span (1997-2001) he took the wwf from the brink of extinction after it lost it's biggest star (bret) to being the only wrestling company in America left standing, behind him(and Rock) the wwf had vanquished all foes. wcw and ecw can now rest in a video library thanks to Stone Cold and the legendary monents that he provided in the Attitude era.
3.Bret: Somewhere between the Hulkamania era and the Attitude Era there was the Hitman era. And if it wasnt for Bret opoening up international markets and putting on 5 star matches long enough for Austin to come in and save the ship, the wwf would have gone under years ago.
2.Bruno: The reason the wwwf even had a fanbase to begin with. He sold out msg more than anyone in his era and was the biggest(Only) draw in the comapny for over a decade.
1.Hulk- The reason that wrestling is mainstream, as great as Austin was and as big as The Rock currently is no one will ever personify wrestling to the general public more than Hulk Hogan.
Posted By: Guest#1632 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 04:57 PM
Funny how Cena apologists/fans call Cena bashers marks or sheep now when it used to be the other way around. The guy just doesn't seem like a wrestler. He doesn't completely suck, I just don't care when I see him. Don't even boo when he comes out, just be silent.
Posted By: Guest#0457 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 05:05 PM
The WWF belt* that looks like the NWA TV title of the 80s was pretty underrated.
*--Will WWE PG FOR KIDZ~!~ sue me for calling it a "belt"?!?
Posted By: Brad B (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 05:18 PM
Francisco picks Billy Graham? Sure, Billy Graham himself was imporant, due to insprining the likes of Hogan, Ventura, Rhodes, hell even Scott Steiner, but on the grand scale of important WWF champions, he does not crack the top five.
5: The Rock
4: John Cena
3: Bruno Sammartino
2: Steve Austin
1: Hulk Hogan
It's hard for me to put Cena ahead of the Rock, but the Rock had Austin, HHH and Foley around most of the time as Champion. Cena didn't have those advantages. Sammartino was the first big drawing Champion, but they were still a large regional promotion at that point. Austin brought the company out of a recession and made it more money than ever before, and is a VERY close second. But Hogan made the company into a household name and a world-wide presence.
Posted By: G-Walla (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 05:24 PM
For me its
5 edge
4 triple h
3 the rock
2 hulk
1 Austin. Nothing beats the sound of glass smashing.
Posted By: raw is war (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 06:23 PM
When making my list, I looked at the people who contributed to the company the most as WWE champion. For #5, I was torn between Michaels and Bret, but Michaels bringing in Diesel (a fellow WWE champion) and starting DX tilted the balance in his favor.
To me, Hogan is the clear #1 because he brought the company mainstream and made WrestleMania what it is today. His drawing power coupled with McMahon's business savvy is what killed the territory system, re-defining the entire wrestling landscape as we know it. Leading a Northeastern, regional promotion to becoming an international media powerhouse is a huge feat, and something no other WWE champion can claim, and thus Hogan is #1.
Austin was more fun, though.
Posted By: Sean Kelly (Registered) on February 06, 2012 at 06:29 PM
3) John Cena. Top guy for his era. Helped build Edge, Punk and countless others into champions. Was the champion @ WM 23, the biggest PPV ever.
Posted By: sp1 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 12:35 AM
Just because a guy is the top guy of his era doesnt mean he is on the list of the greatest of all time. Being one of the greatest isnt judged on the curve like being the best of your time.
1.Hogan
2.Rock
3.3:16
4.Sammartino
5.Hitman
Posted By: TheR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:59 PM
How do you figure Tim Tebow should be #3?
Posted By: destro (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 03:25 AM
3. 3:16 pose.
Posted By: TheR (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 06:37 PM
I have to defend my favorite wrestler, Bret Hart. I grew up watching WWF in the 1980s and 1990s and he was the absolute best. Sure, I loved Hogan and Savage, but for my money, no one was better than Bret Hart.
Posted By: Travis (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 06:37 PM
The Spinner Belt will always disgust me.
Posted By: Guest#8265 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 06:55 PM
Hulk Hogan: the worst, most overrated, least talented champion in history.
Posted By: Guest#9027 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 07:04 PM
"Hart was the serious, credible champion when the WWE needed someone like him the most. He wasn't the most popular champion, but his steady presence insured the WWE's survival during a dark period in their booking and business history."
It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM
No the dark days started before Bret got handed the ball.
Posted By: Mike H (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 08:03 PM
5) Undertaker
4) Steve Austin
3) The Rock
2) Andre the Giant
1) Hulk Hogan
Posted By: Brian (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 08:34 PM
Anyone who thinks that Hogan is not the most important wrestler/champion in WWE history is just simply wrong, but more importantly should stop pretending to understand wrestling. Is it annoying how delusional he has become in his old age? ABSOLUTELY! But you just cannot deny what he meant to the WWE and wrestling history in general. Simply put Flair and Hogan are the two biggest names in wrestling no matter how many people try to claim Austin, Rock, Cena, or anyone from any other continent.
Posted By: Guest#3179 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 09:48 PM
I wonder if Randy Savage had won either of his titles as a heel if he'd be on any one's list? I really think WWF dropped the ball on never having a heel Savage become champion.
My top 5
5) Bob Backlund
4) Shawn Michaels
3) Steve Austin
2) Bruno Sammartino
1) Hulk Hogan
I so wanted to put Bruno first and if you ask me next week I might have them there (this is just one of those topics) I wanted to put him there because in Bruno's day if you were champ YOU carried the company. There wasn't alot people paying a ticket to see any match on the undercard. The champion had to be able to draw money.
Posted By: Andre the Midget (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 09:55 PM
Fuck all of you. Especially Jack. Fucking trolls writing these "top #" lists.
Cena...lol. What a fucking joke.
Posted By: Guest#9173 (Guest) on February 06, 2012 at 10:05 PM
"Where the hell is Bob Backlund in your lists? He was champion for 5 years! His era was the equivalent of the Golden Gate Bridge between the Sammartino and Hogan eras. He is easily an "A" level champion. There needs to be a little more perspective in a list like this."
What do you expect? This column is comprised of a quagmire of plebeians who are deleterious to society and need the chicken wing procured on them!
Posted By: Guest#6165 (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 05:42 PM
"You know, outside of the early days red belt and the BIG Backlund/Hogan belt all of the WWF/E titles are rather toyish and hardly depict the elite look one would expect from a world title belt. Go back to BIG GREEN screw the winged eagle. Where's the belt Bruno is wearing in that pic, it's not the one in the title mix pic....that's kinda slick for the time period."
I have to disagree about the Winged Eagle. Liked Hogan '86 too.
Posted By: Guest#0476 (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 05:45 PM
"Hart was the serious, credible champion when the WWE needed someone like him the most. He wasn't the most popular champion, but his steady presence insured the WWE's survival during a dark period in their booking and business history."
It's always funny when people talk about Bret Hart as the guy who helped the WWF survive during its dark period. Uhh... Bret Hart is the reason it was a dark period in the first place.
Posted By: LR (Guest) on February 05, 2012 at 11:13 PM
Not true; Shawn Michaels and Diesel drew much less than Bret ever did.
Posted By: Guest#5187 (Guest) on February 08, 2012 at 01:41 AM
Bret Hart ahead of Austin. You're retarded.
Posted By: Guest#6581 (Guest) on February 08, 2012 at 11:56 AM
Seriously, not ONE mention of Backlund? He only held the belt for SIX FUCKING YEARS.
Posted By: Guest#9033 (Guest) on February 08, 2012 at 11:59 AM
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