Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion? A top 10 list

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion? A top 10 list

Helix Odhiambo
June 1, 2023 at 10:18 AM

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion in WWE history? World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is the largest wrestling promotion competition globally. The sport has seen many great talents, like Hulk Hogan, Bob Backlund, John Cena, and Roman Reigns, entertain the masses with their unique styles and dominance.

Top 10 longest-reigning WWE champions
Wrestlers John Cena and Hulk Hogan present an award onstage at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards held at Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk on 14 August 2005 in Universal City, California. Photo: Kevin Winter
Source: Getty Images

WWE started in 1963 as the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Buddy Rogers won the first men's championship after defeating Antonino Rocca in the finals in April 1963. Since then, over 50 fighters have lifted the belt.

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion of all time?

Bruno Sammartino holds the record after defending his titles for 2,803 days. He is the second wrestler to win the award after Buddy Rogers in 1963. Bruno defeated the "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers to win his first title.

Top 10 longest-reigning WWE champions

Besides Sammartino, other legendary fighters with incredible records are Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan, Pedro Morales, CM Punk, and John Cena.

Wrestler

Days as reigning champion

Bruno Sammartino

2,803

Bob Backlund

2,135

Hulk Hogan

1,474

Pedro Morales

1,027

Roman Reigns

1000+

Brock Lesnar

504

CM Punk

434

John Cena

381

Randy Savage

371

AJ Styles

371

10. AJ Styles - 371 days

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion ever?
Wrestling superstar AJ Styles attends the 2018 Fan Expo Canada at Metro Toronto Convention Centre on 30 August 2018 in Toronto, Canada. Photo: Che Rosales
Source: Getty Images

Allen Neal Jones, popularly known as AJ Styles, defeated several top-tier wrestlers, including Kevin Owens, John Cena, and Shinsuke Nakamura. Styles won the title at an event on 7 November 2017 before losing to Daniel Bryan at the 2018 Survivor Series.

9. Randy Savage - 371 days

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion in smackdown history?
Macho Man Randy Savage appears in a store to launch his new CD "Be A Man" at FYE on 7 October 2003 in New York City, New York, United States. Photo: Shane Gritzinger
Source: Getty Images

Randy is a Hall of Famer who became WWE Champion at WrestleMania IV in 1988. He reigned for 371 days, between 27 March 1988 to 2 April 1989, cementing his place among the immortals. Savage had a flamboyant demeanour and high-flying wrestling style.

8. John Cena - 381 days

Who is the longest-reigning WWE Universal champion?
John Cena lifts a belt he won during an event at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, on 29 March 2015. Photo: Jed Jacobsohn
Source: Getty Images

John Cena is one of the greatest WWE stars in history. He is also a Hollywood actor. Cena won the championship on 17 September 2006 and defended it against top stars like Randy Orton, Edge, and Shawn Michaels. He lost his belt to Randy Orton at the 2007 SummerSlam on 2 October.

7. CM Punk - 434 days

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion in WWE?
CM Punk in the ring during AEW Dynamite on 26 January 2022 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. Photo: Frank Jansky
Source: Getty Images

Phillip Jack Brooks, better known as CM Punk, defeated top stars like Chris Jericho, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry, John Cena, Kane, and the Big Show. His reign began on 20 November 2011 at Madison Square Garden after defeating Alberto Del Rio in the Survivor Series. CM Punk lost his title to The Rock at the 2013 Royal Rumble.

6. Brock Lesnar - 504 days

Top 10 longest-reigning WWE champions
Brock Lesnar approaches the ring with his belt during an event at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, on 29 March 2015. Photo: Jed Jacobsohn
Source: Getty Images

Lesnar defeated John Cena on 17 August 2014 at SummerSlam to win his first belt. He defended it against top performers like Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, and Roman Reigns. Seth "Freakin" Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated Lesnar to win the championship on WrestleMania 31 on 29 March 2015.

Is Roman Reigns the longest-reigning champion?

Is Roman Reigns the longest-reigning champion?
Roman Reigns enters the ring with his belt before the Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on 19 August 2018. Photo: Rob Tringali
Source: Getty Images

Roman is the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and the fifth longest-reigning winner. He is also the only wrestler whose record is still active.

5. Roman Reigns - 1,000+ days

The reigning world champion defeated Lesnar on 30 August 2020 to start his historic dominance in the Universal Championship. Roman Reigns has defeated top wrestlers, including Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes. He reached the 1000th mark on 27 May 2023.

4. Pedro Morales - 1,027 days

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion of all time?
Pedro Morales was a Puerto Rican professional wrestler and one of the greatest in the WWE Championship. He died on 12 February 2019. Photo: @wwf_the_federation_years, @therealironsheik (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

Morales was a legendary professional wrestler and a Hall of Famer. He was the first WWE star to reach the 1000-day mark. His reign began on 8 February 1971 after defeating Ivan Koloff to win his first championship. The legendary Puerto Rican wrestler lost his record to Stan Stasiak on 1 December 1993.

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion ever? - Top 3

Hulk Hogan, Bob Backlund, and Bruno Sammartino hold the best winning records in the competition. They cemented their legendary status by demolishing their opponents.

3. Hulk Hogan - 1,474 days

Who is the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental champion
American professional wrestler and television personality Hulk Hogan flexes as he poses for a portrait circa 1995 in Los Angeles, California, on 1 January 1995. Photo: Ron Davis
Source: Getty Images

Terry Gene Bollea is famous for his ring name Hulk Hogan. He is a retired wrestler known for his charm and the iconic "Hulkamania" catchphrase. The Hall of Famer launched his historic run on 23 January 1984 after defeating the Iron Sheikh at Madison Square Garden. His incredible run ended on 5 February 1988 after a controversial defeat to André René Roussimoff (Andre the Giant).

2. Bob Backlund - 2,135 days

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion?
WWE Hall of Fame Inductee Bob Backlund during a ceremony at SAP Center in San Jose on 28 March 2015. Photo: Jed Jacobsohn
Source: Getty Images

Backlund is a Hall of Famer with two separate reigns, making him one of the best WWE wrestlers in history. His first rule lasted from 20 February 1978 to 26 December 1983, while his second reign began in November 1994 and ended in November 1995.

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion in smackdown history?

The legendary Bruno Sammartino is the undisputed "king of the ring" following his long-reigning streak as a WWE champion. The veteran held the title for 4,040 days in two different reigns across 11 years. However, his longest-single reign was 2,803 days.

1. Bruno Sammartino - 2,803 days

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion in 2023?
Bruno Sammartino held the World Wrestling Federation Championship for over twelve years throughout his two title reigns. Photo: Focus on Sport, Antony Matheus Linsen (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The late Italian-American professional wrestler had extraordinary power, durability, and ability to pull crowds. He was a fan favourite, admired by many because of his unique skills. Bruno's first rule lasted more than 2,803 days, from 17 May 1963 to 18 January 1971. His second record lasted over 1237 days, from 10 December 1973 to 30 April 1977.

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion in 2023

American professional wrestler Roman Reigns is the current champion in 2023, but Bruno Sammartino holds the record for the longest-reigning streak.

Who is the longest-reigning WWE Universal champion?

Roman Reigns is the longest-reigning winner of the title with 1002+ days. The Universal Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in WWE RAW. It was introduced on 25 July 2016 following the split of RAW and SmackDown. Finn Balor won the inaugural edition of the Universal Championship after defeating Seth Rollins in the final at SummerSlam on 21 August 2016.

Who are the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team champions?

Who are the longest-reigning WWE tag team champions?
The Usos during WWE Road to WrestleMania at the Lanxess Arena on 11 February 2016 in Cologne, Germany. Photo: Marc Pfitzenreuter
Source: Getty Images

Tag Team Championships involve a group of wrestlers working together as a team. Only one member stays in the ring and can get substituted by a teammate after gesturing. The Usos holds the record for the longest tag team title reign in WWE history at 622 days. The team comprises twin brothers Joshua Samuel Fatu and Jonathan Solofa Fatu.

Joshua and Jonathan won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship in 2021 from the Mysterios but lost to Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens in 2023. Other immortal Tag Teams are the Gallus (497 days), the New Day (483 days), and Demolition (478 days).

Who is the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental champion?

The Intercontinental Championship is another prestigious competition in the wrestling universe, introduced by WWE in 1979. Many top stars have participated and won the championship, including Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

Roy Wayne Farris (The Honky Tonk Man) holds the record for the longest win in 454 days. The Honky Tonk Man defeated Ricky Steamboat on 2 June 1987 at Superstars of Wrestling and lost to The Ultimate Warrior at Summerslam on 28 August 1989.

Who is the longest-reigning WWE Raw women's champion?

Who is the longest-reigning WWE RAW women's champion?
Becky Lynch (L), Meiko Satomura (C), and Bianca Belair (R) are among the best female wrestlers in WWE Championship. Photo: Etsuo Hara, Ronald Martinez (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Many female wrestlers have made a mark in WWE history and reached significant milestones. Meiko Satomura, Asura, Trish Stratus, Bianca Belair, and Becky Lynch are some of the most successful wrestlers in history, but who is the longest-reigning WWE women's champion?

Bianca Belair holds the record with 420 days of reign. She lost her impressive run to Asuka in May 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Belair has dominated the women's division with her sheer power and in-ring innovation. She surpassed Becky Lynch (398) to become the longest-reigning champion.

Who is the longest-reigning WWE Divas champion?

Who is the longest-reigning WWE Divas champion?
WWE Divas Nikki Bella (L), Maryse Ouellet (C), and AJ Lee (R) have made history in the competition. Photo: Marc Pfitzenreuter, Barry King, Mike Coppola (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

AJ Lee is the longest-reigning Divas champion with 406 days in three reigns. Divas Championship is among the most popular WWE competitions for women. The competition was founded in 2008 on SmackDown. Other best runs include Nikki Bella (307 days in two periods), Maryse (265 days in two reigns), and Eve Torres (260 days in three Divas Championship reigns.

Who is the longest-reigning WWE champion? Bruno Sammartino and Bianca Belair hold the record in men's and women's competitions, respectively. They are also among the best wrestlers in history.

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Authors
Helix Odhiambo photo
Helix Odhiambo
Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers.