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This is the title history of the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The title was introduced in 1979 when Pat Patterson was awarded the championship he won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In total, there have been 90 distinct championship holders as of November 2024.
The wrestler with the most reigns as Intercontinental Champion is Chris Jericho with 9. The longest reigning Intercontinental Champion is Gunther. The current champion is Bron Breakker, who is in his second reign.
No. | Champion | Reign | Date | Days held | Location | Event | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pat Patterson | 1 | September 1, 1979 | 233 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | — | Patterson become the first champion as a result of defeating Ted DiBiase to win the WWF North American Heavyweight Championship on June 19, 1979 in Allentown, PA, and defeating Johnny Rodz in a fictional tournament final in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. | [1][2] |
2 | Ken Patera | 1 | April 21, 1980 | 231 | New York, NY | WWF on MSG Network | [3] | |
3 | Pedro Morales | 1 | December 8, 1980 | 194 | WWF | Became the first Triple Crown Champion as a result of this win. | [4] | |
4 | Don Muraco | 1 | June 20, 1981 | 156 | Philadelphia, PA | WWF on PRISM Network | [5] | |
5 | Pedro Morales | 2 | November 23, 1981 | 425 | New York, NY | WWF on MSG Network | [6] | |
6 | Don Muraco | 2 | January 22, 1983 | 385 | During his reign, the WWF left the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). | [7] | ||
7 | Tito Santana | 1 | February 11, 1984 | 226 | Boston, MA | WWF | [8] | |
8 | Greg Valentine | 1 | September 24, 1984 | 285 | London, ON, Canada | Maple Leaf Wrestling | Aired on October 13, 1984 on tape delay. | [9] |
9 | Tito Santana | 2 | July 6, 1985 | 217 | Baltimore, MD | House show | This was a steel cage match. | [10] |
10 | Randy Savage | 1 | February 8, 1986 | 414 | Boston, MA | WWF on NESN | [11] | |
11 | Ricky Steamboat | 1 | March 29, 1987 | 65 | Pontiac, MI | WrestleMania III | [12] | |
12 | The Honky Tonk Man | 1 | June 2, 1987 | 454 | Buffalo, NY | Superstars of Wrestling | Aired on June 13, 1987 on tape delay. | [13][14] |
13 | The Ultimate Warrior | 1 | August 29, 1988 | 216 | New York, NY | SummerSlam | [15] | |
14 | Rick Rude | 1 | April 2, 1989 | 148 | Atlantic City, NJ | WrestleMania V | [16] | |
15 | The Ultimate Warrior | 2 | August 28, 1989 | 216 | East Rutherford, NJ | SummerSlam | [17] | |
— | Vacated | — | April 3, 1990 | — | Syracuse, NY | Wrestling Challenge | Warrior gave up the title to focus on defending the WWF Championship. WWE lists April 1, 1990, the day of Warrior's title win at WrestleMania VI, as the date the title was vacated. | [17] |
16 | Mr. Perfect | 1 | April 23, 1990 | 126 | Austin, TX | Superstars of Wrestling | Defeated Tito Santana in a tournament final. Aired on May 19, 1990 on tape delay. | [13][18] |
17 | The Texas Tornado | 1 | August 27, 1990 | 84 | Philadelphia, PA | SummerSlam | [19] | |
18 | Mr. Perfect | 2 | November 19, 1990 | 280 | Rochester, NY | Superstars of Wrestling | Aired on December 15, 1990 on tape delay. | [13][20] |
19 | Bret Hart | 1 | August 26, 1991 | 144 | New York, NY | SummerSlam | [21] | |
20 | The Mountie | 1 | January 17, 1992 | 2 | Springfield, MA | House show | [22] | |
21 | Roddy Piper | 1 | January 19, 1992 | 77 | Albany, NY | Royal Rumble | [23] | |
22 | Bret Hart | 2 | April 5, 1992 | 146 | Indianapolis, IN | WrestleMania VIII | [24] | |
23 | The British Bulldog | 1 | August 29, 1992 | 59 | London, England | SummerSlam | [25] | |
24 | Shawn Michaels | 1 | October 27, 1992 | 202 | Terre Haute, IN | Saturday Night's Main Event | Aired on the November 14, 1992 edition on tape delay. | [26][27] |
25 | Marty Jannetty | 1 | May 17, 1993 | 20 | New York, NY | Raw | [28] | |
26 | Shawn Michaels | 2 | June 6, 1993 | 113 | Albany, NY | House show | [29] | |
— | Vacated | — | September 27, 1993 | — | — | — | Michaels was stripped of the title for failing to defend it within 30 days. In reality, Michaels was suspended for testing positive for steroids. | [30].[31] |
27 | Razor Ramon | 1 | September 27, 1993 | 198 | New Haven, CT | Raw | Ramon and Rick Martel were the final two participants in a battle royal, in which the last two would face off the next week for the vacant title; Ramon won the match which aired October 11, 1993 on tape delay.
Shawn Michaels returned in November 1993, saying he was the legitimate champion as nobody defeated him for the title (though not recognized as such by WWF). Ramon went on to defeat Michaels in a ladder match on March 20, 1994 at WrestleMania X to become undisputed champion. |
[30][32] |
28 | Diesel | 1 | April 13, 1994 | 138 | Rochester, NY | WWF Superstars of Wrestling | Aired on April 30, 1994 on tape delay. | [33] |
29 | Razor Ramon | 2 | August 29, 1994 | 146 | Chicago, IL | SummerSlam | [34] | |
30 | Jeff Jarrett | 1 | January 22, 1995 | 94 | Tampa, FL | Royal Rumble | [35] | |
– | Bob Holly | † | April 26, 1995 | <1 | Moline, IL | WWF Action Zone | Defeated Jarrett to win the title. Later that night, it was judged that Jarrett's foot had been on the rope during the pinfall, and Holly was stripped of the Intercontinental Championship. This reign is no longer recognized by WWE. | [36] |
— | Vacated | — | — | Held up when match between Jarrett and Holly ended controversially. | [37] | |||
31 | Jeff Jarrett | 2 | April 26, 1995 | 23 | Moline, IL | WWF Action Zone | Defeated Bob Holly in a rematch for the vacant title. | [37] |
32 | Razor Ramon | 3 | May 19, 1995 | 2 | Montreal, QC, Canada | House show | This was a ladder match. WWE lists the end of Ramon's reign on May 22, 1995. | [38] |
33 | Jeff Jarrett | 3 | May 21, 1995 | 63 | Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada | WWE lists the start of Jarrett's reign on May 22, 1995. | [39] | |
34 | Shawn Michaels | 3 | July 23, 1995 | 91 | Nashville, TN | In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks | [40] | |
35 | Dean Douglas | 1 | October 22, 1995 | <1 | Winnipeg, MB, Canada | In Your House 4: Great White North | Douglas won the title by forfeit because Michaels was attacked outside a nightclub in Syracuse, NY on October 14, 1995. This is the title's shortest reign to date, lasting 14 minutes. | [41] |
36 | Razor Ramon | 4 | 91 | [42] | ||||
37 | Goldust | 1 | January 21, 1996 | 71 | Fresno, CA | Royal Rumble | WWE lists the end of Goldust's reign on March 25, 1996. | [43] |
— | Vacated | — | April 1, 1996 | — | San Bernardino, CA | Raw | Held up when a title defense against Savio Vega ends in a no contest. Aired April 15, 1996 on tape delay. | [43][44][45] |
38 | Goldust | 2 | April 1, 1996 | 83 | San Bernardino, CA | Raw | Defeated Savio Vega in a rematch. Aired April 22, 1996 on tape delay. | [44][45] |
39 | Ahmed Johnson | 1 | June 23, 1996 | 50 | Milwaukee, WI | King of the Ring | WWE lists the end of Johnson's reign on August 19, 1996. | [46] |
— | Vacated | — | August 12, 1996 | — | Seattle, WA | Raw | Johnson gave up the title after being attacked by the debuting Faarooq after winning an 11-man battle royal. | [46] |
40 | Marc Mero | 1 | September 23, 1996 | 28 | Hershey, PA | Raw | Defeated Faarooq in a tournament final. | [44][47] |
41 | Hunter Hearst Helmsley | 1 | October 21, 1996 | 115 | Fort Wayne, IN | [48] | ||
42 | Rocky Maivia | 1 | February 13, 1997 | 74 | Lowell, MA | [49] | ||
43 | Owen Hart | 1 | April 28, 1997 | 97 | Omaha, NE | Raw is War | [50] | |
44 | Steve Austin | 1 | August 3, 1997 | 36 | East Rutherford, NJ | SummerSlam | WWE mistakenly lists the end of Austin's reign on October 5, 1997 (lasting 63 days). | [51] |
— | Vacated | — | September 8, 1997 | — | — | — | Vacated because of a neck injury that Austin suffered when he won the title. | [51][52] |
45 | Owen Hart | 2 | October 5, 1997 | 35 | St. Louis, MO | Bad Blood: In Your House | Defeated Faarooq in a tournament final for the vacant championship. | [53][54] |
46 | Steve Austin | 2 | November 9, 1997 | 29 | Montreal, QC | Survivor Series | [55] | |
47 | The Rock | 2 | December 8, 1997 | 265 | Portland, ME | Raw is War | Austin handed the title to The Rock, who was formerly known as Rocky Maivia. | [56] |
48 | Triple H | 2 | August 30, 1998 | 40 | New York, NY | SummerSlam | This was a Ladder match. Triple H was formerly known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley. WWE mistakenly lists the end of Triple H's reign on October 12, 1998 (lasting 43 days). | [57] |
— | Vacated | — | October 9, 1998 | — | — | — | Vacated because of a knee injury. | [57] |
49 | Ken Shamrock | 1 | October 12, 1998 | 125 | Uniondale, NY | Raw is War | Defeated X-Pac in a tournament final for the vacant championship. | [58][59] |
50 | Val Venis | 1 | February 14, 1999 | 29 | Memphis, TN | St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House | Billy Gunn was the special guest referee. | [60][61] |
51 | Road Dogg | 1 | March 15, 1999 | 14 | San Jose, CA | Raw is War | [62] | |
52 | Goldust | 3 | March 29, 1999 | East Rutherford, NJ | [63] | |||
53 | The Godfather | 1 | April 12, 1999 | 43 | Detroit, MI | [64] | ||
54 | Jeff Jarrett | 4 | May 25, 1999 | 60 | Moline, IL | WWE lists the start of Jarrett's reign on May 31, 1999, when the match aired on tape delay. Just over a week earlier, Jarrett's tag team partner, the Blue Blazer, was meant to win the title at Over the Edge, but he died after an entrance accident. The title was instead later dropped to his friend and partner, Jarrett, in Owen Hart's memory.[source?] | [65] | |
55 | Edge | 1 | July 24, 1999 | 1 | Toronto, ON | House show | [66] | |
56 | Jeff Jarrett | 5 | July 25, 1999 | 2 | Buffalo, NY | Fully Loaded | WWE lists the end of Jarrett's reign on July 26, 1999. | [67] |
57 | D'Lo Brown | 1 | July 27, 1999 | 26 | Columbus, OH | Raw is War | This was a Winner Takes All match, which was also for Brown's WWF European Championship. The match aired on August 2, 1999 on tape delay, but WWE lists the start of Brown's reign on July 26, 1999. | [68] |
58 | Jeff Jarrett | 6 | August 22, 1999 | 56 | Minneapolis, MN | SummerSlam | Jarrett also won the European Championship in the match. The following day, he gave the European title to Mark Henry as a gift for helping him defeat Brown. | [69] |
59 | Chyna | 1 | October 17, 1999 | 56 | Cleveland, OH | No Mercy | This was a Good Housekeeping match. Chyna became the first and only female Intercontinental Champion. | [70][71] |
60 | Chris Jericho | 1 | December 12, 1999 | 22 | Sunrise, FL | Armageddon | [72] | |
— | Chris Jericho and Chyna | 1† | January 3, 2000 | 20 | Miami, FL | Raw is War | On December 28, 1999 (aired December 30, 1999) on SmackDown!, a title match between Chyna and Jericho ended in a double pinfall; as a result they were recognized as co-champions. WWE does not list this period as an official reign but as a vacancy. | [2][73] |
61 | Chris Jericho | 2 | January 23, 2000 | 35 | New York, NY | Royal Rumble | Jericho defeated Chyna and Hardcore Holly in a triple threat match to become undisputed champion. | [73] |
62 | Kurt Angle | 1 | February 27, 2000 | 35 | Hartford, CT | No Way Out | Angle was also European Champion during this time. | [74] |
63 | Chris Benoit | 1 | April 2, 2000 | 30 | Anaheim, CA | WrestleMania 2000 | Benoit won the first fall of a two-fall Triple Threat Match between Chris Jericho (who Benoit pinned) and Kurt Angle, where both of Angle's championships were on the line. WWE lists the end of Benoit's reign on July 22, 1999 (lasting 49 days). | [75] |
64 | Chris Jericho | 3 | May 2, 2000 | 6 | Richmond, VA | SmackDown! | WWE lists the start of Jericho's reign on May 4, 2000, when the match aired on tape delay. | [76] |
65 | Chris Benoit | 2 | May 8, 2000 | 43 | Uniondale, NY | Raw is War | Triple H was the special outside enforcer. | [77] |
66 | Rikishi | 1 | June 20, 2000 | 14 | Memphis, TN | SmackDown! | WWE lists the start of Rikishi's reign on June 22, 2000, and the end on July 6, 2000. Both matches aired on tape delay. | [78] |
67 | Val Venis | 2 | July 4, 2000 | 54 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | WWE lists the start of Venis' reign on July 6, 2000, when the match aired on tape delay. | [79] | |
68 | Chyna | 2 | August 27, 2000 | 8 | Raleigh, NC | SummerSlam | This was a mixed tag team matchbetween the teams of Chyna and Eddie Guerrero and Venis and Trish Stratus, in which the winner of the fall would win the title. Chyna pinned Stratus to win Venis' title. | [80] |
69 | Eddie Guerrero | 1 | September 4, 2000 | 78 | Lexington, KY | Raw is War | This was a triple threat match, also involving Kurt Angle. WWE lists the end of Guerrero's reign on November 23, 2000, when the match aired on tape delay. | [81] |
70 | Billy Gunn | 1 | November 21, 2000 | 19 | Sunrise, FL | SmackDown! | WWE lists the start of Gunn's reign on November 23, 2000, when the match aired on tape delay. | [82] |
71 | Chris Benoit | 3 | December 10, 2000 | 42 | Birmingham, AL | Armageddon | [83] | |
72 | Chris Jericho | 4 | January 21, 2001 | 72 | New Orleans, LA | Royal Rumble | This was a ladder match. WWE lists the end of Jericho's reign on April 5, 2001, when the match aired on tape delay. | [84] |
73 | Triple H | 3 | April 3, 2001 | 7 | Oklahoma City, OK | SmackDown! | WWE lists the start of Triple H's reign on April 5, 2001, and the end on April 12, 2001. Both matches aired on tape delay. | [85] |
74 | Jeff Hardy | 1 | April 10, 2001 | 6 | Philadelphia, PA | Hardy became the youngest Intercontinental champion to date. WWE lists the start of Hardy's reign on April 12, 2001, when the match aired on tape delay. | [86] | |
75 | Triple H | 4 | April 16, 2001 | 34 | Knoxville, TN | Raw is War | [87] | |
76 | Kane | 1 | May 20, 2001 | 37 | Sacramento, CA | Judgment Day | This was a chain match. WWE lists the end of Kane's reign on June 28, 2001, when the match aired on tape delay. | [88][89] |
77 | Albert | 1 | June 26, 2001 | 27 | New York, NY | SmackDown | This was a no disqualification match. WWE lists the start of Albert's reign on June 28, 2001, when the match aired on tape delay. | [90] |
78 | Lance Storm | 1 | July 23, 2001 | 27 | Buffalo, NY | Raw is War | [91] | |
79 | Edge | 2 | August 19, 2001 | 35 | San Jose, CA | SummerSlam | [92] | |
80 | Christian | 1 | September 23, 2001 | 28 | Pittsburgh, PA | Unforgiven | [93] | |
81 | Edge | 3 | October 21, 2001 | 15 | St. Louis, MO | No Mercy | This was a ladder match. | [94] |
82 | Test | 1 | November 5, 2001 | 13 | Uniondale, NY | Raw | [95] | |
83 | Edge | 4 | November 18, 2001 | 63 | Greensboro, NC | Survivor Series | This title unification match was also for Edge's WCW United States Championship, which then became inactive. | [96] |
84 | William Regal | 1 | January 20, 2002 | 56 | Atlanta, GA | Royal Rumble | [97] | |
85 | Rob Van Dam | 1 | March 17, 2002 | 35 | Toronto, ON, Canada | WrestleMania X8 | On March 25, 2002, the championship became exclusive to the Raw brand when Van Dam was drafted there as part of the 2002 WWE Draft. | [98] |
86 | Eddie Guerrero | 2 | April 21, 2002 | 36 | Kansas City, MO | Backlash | The title was renamed the WWE Intercontinental Championship on May 6, 2002 after World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. settled a lawsuit with the World Wide Fund for Nature, and it became simply World Wrestling Entertainment. | [99][100] |
87 | Rob Van Dam | 2 | May 27, 2002 | 63 | Edmonton, AB, Canada | Raw | This was a ladder match. On July 22, 2002, Van Dam defeated Jeff Hardy in a title unification match to also win his WWE European Championship, which was then retired. | [101] |
88 | Chris Benoit | 4 | July 29, 2002 | 27 | Greensboro, NC | The title became exclusive to SmackDown when Benoit went to the SmackDown brand on July 30 (aired August 1). WWE mistakenly lists the end of Benoit's reign on August 26, 2002. | [102][103] | |
89 | Rob Van Dam | 3 | August 25, 2002 | 22 | Uniondale, NY | SummerSlam | The title returned to the Raw brand because of Van Dam's status as a Raw superstar. The following night on Raw, Van Dam defeated Tommy Dreamer in a title unification match to also win his WWE Hardcore Championship, which was then retired. WWE mistakenly lists the start of Van Dam's reign on August 6, 2002 (lasting 40 days). | [103][104] |
90 | Chris Jericho | 5 | September 16, 2002 | 14 | Denver, CO | Raw | [105] | |
91 | Kane | 2 | September 30, 2002 | 20 | Houston, TX | [106] | ||
92 | Triple H | 5 | October 20, 2002 | <1 | North Little Rock, AR | No Mercy | This was a unification match to unify the Intercontinental Championship into the World Heavyweight Championship. | [107] |
— | Unified | — | October 20, 2002 | — | North Little Rock, AR | No Mercy | Unified with Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship.The Intercontinental Championship became inactive. | [107] |
93 | Christian | 2 | May 18, 2003 | 50 | Charlotte, NC | Judgment Day | Won a battle royal also involving Booker T, Val Venis, Chris Jericho, Goldust, Test, Lance Storm, Kane and Rob Van Dam to win the vacant title, which was reactivated by Raw Co-General Manager Stone Cold Steve Austin. | [108] |
94 | Booker T | 1 | July 7, 2003 | 34 | Montreal, QC, Canada | Raw | [109] | |
95 | Christian | 3 | August 10, 2003 | 50 | Des Moines, IA | House show | [110] | |
96 | Rob Van Dam | 4 | September 29, 2003 | 28 | Rosemont, IL | Raw | This was a ladder match. | [111] |
97 | Chris Jericho | 6 | October 27, 2003 | <1 | Fayetteville, NC | [112] | ||
98 | Rob Van Dam | 5 | 48 | This was a steel cage match. | [113] | |||
99 | Randy Orton | 1 | December 14, 2003 | 210 | Orlando, FL | Armageddon | Mick Foley was the special guest referee. | [114] |
100 | Edge | 5 | July 11, 2004 | 57 | Hartford, CT | Vengeance | [115] | |
— | Vacated | — | September 6, 2004 | — | Wichita Falls, TX | Raw | Vacated because of a groin injury. | [115] |
101 | Chris Jericho | 7 | September 12, 2004 | 37 | Portland, OR | Unforgiven | Defeated Christian in a ladder match to win the vacant title. | [116] |
102 | Shelton Benjamin | 1 | October 19, 2004 | 244 | Milwaukee, WI | Taboo Tuesday | Benjamin was voted into this match. | [117] |
103 | Carlito | 1 | June 20, 2005 | 90 | Phoenix, AZ | Raw | WWE mistakenly lists the end of Carlito's reign on September 19, 2005. | [118] |
104 | Ric Flair | 1 | September 18, 2005 | 155 | Oklahoma City, OK | Unforgiven | Flair became the oldest Intercontinental champion to date. WWE mistakenly lists the start of Flair's reign on September 19, 2005 (lasting 153 days). | [119] |
105 | Shelton Benjamin | 2 | February 20, 2006 | 69 | Trenton, NJ | Raw | [120] | |
106 | Rob Van Dam | 6 | April 30, 2006 | 15 | Lexington, KY | Backlash | This was a Winner Takes All match, which was also for Van Dam's Money in the Bank contract. | [121] |
107 | Shelton Benjamin | 3 | May 15, 2006 | 41 | Lubbock, TX | Raw | This was a 3-on-2 Handicap Texas Tornado match featuring Benjamin, Chris Masters and Triple H against WWE Champion John Cena and Rob Van Dam, in which anyone who beat Cena or Van Dam would win their respective title. Benjamin pinned Van Dam to win the Intercontinental title. | [122] |
108 | Johnny Nitro | 1 | June 25, 2006 | 99 | Charlotte, NC | Vengeance | This was a triple threat match, also involving Carlito. | [123] |
109 | Jeff Hardy | 2 | October 2, 2006 | 35 | Topeka, KS | Raw | [124] | |
110 | Johnny Nitro | 2 | November 6, 2006 | 7 | Columbus, OH | This was a no disqualification match. | [125] | |
111 | Jeff Hardy | 3 | November 13, 2006 | 98 | Manchester, England | [126] | ||
112 | Umaga | 1 | February 19, 2007 | 56 | Bakersfield, CA | [127] | ||
113 | Santino Marella | 1 | April 16, 2007 | 77 | Milan, Italy | This was a No Holds Barred match, Marella was "picked out of the audience" by Mr. McMahon. | [128] | |
114 | Umaga | 2 | July 2, 2007 | 62 | Dallas, TX | WWE lists the end of Umaga's reign on September 3, 2007, when the match aired on tape delay. | [129] | |
115 | Jeff Hardy | 4 | September 2, 2007 | 190 | Columbus, OH | WWE lists the start of Hardy's reign on September 3, 2007, when the match aired on tape delay. | [130] | |
116 | Chris Jericho | 8 | March 10, 2008 | 111 | Milwaukee, WI | [131] | ||
117 | Kofi Kingston | 1 | June 29, 2008 | 49 | Dallas, TX | Night of Champions | [132] | |
118 | Santino Marella | 2 | August 17, 2008 | 85 | Indianapolis, IN | SummerSlam | This was a mixed tag team match in which both the Intercontinental and Women's Championships were on the line. The title was won when partner Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James. | [133] |
119 | William Regal | 2 | November 10, 2008 | 70 | Manchester, England | Raw | [134] | |
120 | CM Punk | 1 | January 19, 2009 | 49 | Rosemont, IL | This was a no-disqualification match. | [135] | |
121 | John "Bradshaw" Layfield | 1 | March 9, 2009 | 27 | Jacksonville, FL | [136] | ||
122 | Rey Mysterio | 1 | April 5, 2009 | 63 | Houston, TX | WrestleMania XXV | On April 13, 2009, the title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand for the first time, when Mysterio was drafted there as part of the 2009 WWE Draft. | [137] |
123 | Chris Jericho | 9 | June 7, 2009 | 21 | New Orleans, LA | Extreme Rules | This was a No Holds Barred match. Jericho became a record nine-time champion. | [138] |
124 | Rey Mysterio | 2 | June 28, 2009 | 68 | Sacramento, CA | The Bash | This was a Mask vs. Title match. WWE lists the end of Mysterio's reign on September 4, 2009, when the match aired on tape delay. | [139] |
125 | John Morrison | 3 | September 1, 2009 | 100 | Cleveland, OH | SmackDown | WWE lists the start of Morrison's reign on September 4, 2009, when the match aired on tape delay. John Morrison was formerly known as Johnny Nitro. | [140] |
126 | Drew McIntyre | 1 | December 13, 2009 | 161 | San Antonio, TX | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | On May 7, 2010 Theodore Long suspended McIntyre and vacated the title. The following week on SmackDown, Kofi Kingston won a tournament to crown a new champion, but Mr. McMahon reversed Long's decision. The vacancy of the title and Kingston's championship win are not listed by WWE, and WWE continued to recognize McIntyre as champion during this time. | [141] |
127 | Kofi Kingston | 2 | May 23, 2010 | 66 | Detroit, MI | Over the Limit | WWE lists the end of Kingston's reign on August 6, 2010, when the match aired on tape delay. | [142] |
128 | Dolph Ziggler | 1 | July 28, 2010 | 160 | Laredo, TX | SmackDown | WWE lists the start of Ziggler's reign on August 6, 2010, and the end on January 7, 2011. Both matches aired on tape delay. | [143] |
129 | Kofi Kingston | 3 | January 4, 2011 | 77 | Tucson, AZ | WWE lists the start of Kingston's reign on January 7, 2011, and the end on March 25, 2011. Both matches aired on tape delay. | [144] | |
130 | Wade Barrett | 1 | March 22, 2011 | 89 | Columbus, OH | WWE lists the start of Barrett's reign on March 25, 2011, when the match aired on tape delay. | [145] | |
131 | Ezekiel Jackson | 1 | June 19, 2011 | 51 | Washington, D.C. | Capitol Punishment | WWE lists the end of Jackson's reign on August 12, 2011, when the match aired on tape delay. | [146] |
132 | Cody Rhodes | 1 | August 9, 2011 | 236 | Sacramento, CA | SmackDown | WWE lists the start of Rhodes' reign on August 12, 2011, when the match aired on tape delay. On August 29, 2011, the brand extension ended, allowing the championship to be defended on both the Raw and SmackDown brands. | [147] |
133 | Big Show | 1 | April 1, 2012 | 28 | Miami Gardens, FL | WrestleMania XXVIII | [148] | |
134 | Cody Rhodes | 2 | April 29, 2012 | 21 | Rosemont, IL | Extreme Rules | This was a tables match. | [149] |
135 | Christian | 4 | May 20, 2012 | 64 | Raleigh, NC | Over the Limit | [150] | |
136 | The Miz | 1 | July 23, 2012 | 85 | St. Louis, MO | Raw 1000 | [151] | |
137 | Kofi Kingston | 4 | October 16, 2012 | 74 | Memphis, TN | Main Event | WWE lists the start of Kingston's reign on October 17, 2012, and the end on December 31, 2012. Both matches aired on tape delay. | [152] |
138 | Wade Barrett | 2 | December 29, 2012 | 99 | Washington, D.C. | Raw | WWE lists the start of Jackson's reign on December 31, 2012, when the match aired on tape delay. | [153] |
139 | The Miz | 2 | April 7, 2013 | 1 | East Rutherford, NJ | WrestleMania 29 | Match aired live on YouTube and WWE.com as part of the WrestleMania 29 pre-show. | [154] |
140 | Wade Barrett | 3 | April 8, 2013 | 69 | Raw | [155] | ||
141 | Curtis Axel | 1 | June 16, 2013 | 155 | Rosemont, IL | Payback | This was a Triple Threat match, also involving The Miz. | [156] |
142 | Big E Langston | 1 | November 18, 2013 | 167 | Nashville, TN | Raw | On February 12, 2014, Big E Langston's ring name was shortened to "Big E". | [157] |
143 | Bad News Barrett | 4 | May 4, 2014 | 57 | East Rutherford, NJ | Extreme Rules | Bad News Barrett was formerly known as Wade Barrett. | [158] |
— | Vacated | — | June 30, 2014 | — | Hartford, CT | Raw | The title was vacated because of a shoulder injury. | [159] |
144 | The Miz | 3 | July 20, 2014 | 28 | Tampa, FL | Battleground | This was a 19-man battle royal. The Miz last eliminated Dolph Ziggler to win the vacant title. | [160] |
145 | Dolph Ziggler | 2 | August 17, 2014 | 35 | Los Angeles, CA | SummerSlam | [161] | |
146 | The Miz | 4 | September 21, 2014 | 1 | Nashville, TN | Night of Champions | [162] | |
147 | Dolph Ziggler | 3 | September 22, 2014 | 56 | Memphis, TN | Raw | [163] | |
148 | Luke Harper | 1 | November 17, 2014 | 27 | Roanoke, VA | [164] | ||
149 | Dolph Ziggler | 4 | December 14, 2014 | 22 | Cleveland, OH | TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs | This was a ladder match. | [165] |
150 | Bad News Barrett | 5 | January 5, 2015 | 83 | Corpus Christi, TX | Raw | Ziggler defeated Barrett in a singles match, but The Authority's Director of Operations Kane restarted the match as a 2-out-of-3 falls match, which Barrett won. | [166] |
151 | Daniel Bryan | 1 | March 29, 2015 | 43 | Santa Clara, CA | WrestleMania 31 | This was a seven-man ladder match, also involving Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, R-Truth, and Stardust. | [167] |
— | Vacated | — | May 11, 2015 | — | Cincinnati, OH | Raw | The title was vacated because Bryan suffered a concussion. | [168] |
152 | Ryback | 1 | May 31, 2015 | 112 | Corpus Christi, TX | Elimination Chamber | This was an Elimination Chamber match, also involving Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry, R-Truth, and King Barrett. Ryback pinned Sheamus to win the vacant title. | [169] |
153 | Kevin Owens | 1 | September 20, 2015 | 84 | Houston, TX | Night of Champions | [170] | |
154 | Dean Ambrose | 1 | December 13, 2015 | 64 | Boston, MA | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | ||
155 | Kevin Owens | 2 | February 15, 2016 | 48 | Anaheim, CA | Raw | This was a Fatal Five-Way match, also involving Tyler Breeze, Dolph Ziggler and Stardust. | |
156 | Zack Ryder | 1 | April 3, 2016 | 1 | Arlington, TX | WrestleMania 32 | This was a seven-man ladder match, also involving The Miz, Stardust, Dolph Ziggler, Sin Cara and Sami Zayn. | |
157 | The Miz | 5 | April 4, 2016 | 188 | Dallas, TX | Raw | On July 19, 2016, the brand extension returned and the title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand following the 2016 WWE Draft. | |
158 | Dolph Ziggler | 5 | October 9, 2016 | 37 | Sacramento, CA | No Mercy | This was a title vs. career match. Had Zigger lost, he would have been forced to retire from in-ring competition. | |
159 | The Miz | 6 | November 15, 2016 | 49 | Wilkes-Barre, PA | SmackDown | This was the 900th episode of SmackDown. | |
160 | Dean Ambrose | 2 | January 3, 2017 | 152 | Jacksonville, FL | On April 10, 2017, the title became exclusive to the Raw brand when Ambrose was drafted there as part of the 2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up. | ||
161 | The Miz | 7 | June 4, 2017 | 169 | Baltimore, MD | Extreme Rules | Had Ambrose been disqualified, he would have lost the title. | |
162 | Roman Reigns | 1 | November 20, 2017 | 63 | Houston, TX | Raw | ||
163 | The Miz | 8 | January 22, 2018 | 83 | Brooklyn, NY | Raw 25 Years | ||
164 | Seth Rollins | 1 | April 8, 2018 | 72 | New Orleans, LA | WrestleMania 34 | This was a Triple Threat match, also involving Finn Bálor. | |
165 | Dolph Ziggler | 6 | June 18, 2018 | 61 | Grand Rapids, MI | Raw | ||
166 | Seth Rollins | 2 | August 19, 2018 | 119 | Brooklyn, NY | SummerSlam | ||
167 | Dean Ambrose | 3 | December 16, 2018 | 29 | San Jose, CA | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | ||
168 | Bobby Lashley | 1 | January 14, 2019 | 34 | Memphis, TN | Raw | This was a Triple Threat match, also involving Seth Rollins | |
169 | Finn Bálor | 1 | February 17, 2019 | 22 | Houston, TX | Elimination Chamber | This was a 2-on-1 Handicap match, also involving Lio Rush. Bálor pinned Rush to win the title. | |
170 | Bobby Lashley | 2 | March 11, 2019 | 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | Raw | ||
171 | Finn Bálor | 2 | April 7, 2019 | 98 | East Rutherford, NJ | WrestleMania 35 | On April 16, 2019, the title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand when Bálor was drafted there as part of the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up. | |
172 | Shinsuke Nakamura | 1 | July 14, 2019 | 201 | Philadelphia, PA | Extreme Rules | ||
173 | Braun Strowman | 1 | January 31, 2020 | 37 | Tulsa, OK | SmackDown | ||
174 | Sami Zayn | 1 | March 8, 2020 | 65 | Philadelphia, PA | Elimination Chamber | This was a 3-on-1 Handicap match, also involving Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro who teamed with Zayn. Zayn pinned Braun Strowman to win the title. | |
— | Vacated | — | May 12, 2020 | — | — | — | Zayn was stripped of the title after choosing not to compete during the COVID-19 pandemic. In storyline, he said that he was still be the champion, and continued to carry around his copy of the belt after his return in August. | |
175 | AJ Styles | 1 | June 8, 2020 | 74 | Orlando, FL | SmackDown | Defeated Daniel Bryan in a tournament final for the vacant title.
WWE lists the start of Styles' reign on June 12, 2020, when the match aired on tape delay. WWE incorrectly lists Styles' reign as lasting 71 days, ending on August 22, 2020. | |
176 | Jeff Hardy | 5 | August 21, 2020 | 37 | ||||
177 | Sami Zayn | 2 | September 27, 2020 | 86 | Clash of Champions | This was a triple threat ladder match also involving AJ Styles in which the winner had to retrieve both Hardy's belt and Zayn's belt to become the undisputed champion. WWE lists the end of Zayn's reign on December 25, 2020, when the following episode aired on tape delay. | ||
178 | Big E | 2 | December 22, 2020 | 110 | St. Petersburg, FL | SmackDown | WWE lists the start of Big E's reign on December 25, 2020, when the match aired on tape delay. | |
179 | Apollo Crews | 1 | April 11, 2021 | 124 | Tampa, FL | WrestleMania 37 Night 2 | This was a Nigerian Drum Fight. | |
180 | King/Shinsuke Nakamura | 2 | August 13, 2021 | 182 | Tulsa, OK | SmackDown | King Nakamura was renamed back to Shinsuke Nakamura on October 8, 2021.
WWE lists the end of Nakamura's reign on February 18, 2022, when the following episode aired on tape delay. | |
181 | Sami Zayn | 3 | February 11, 2022 | 21 | New Orleans, LA | WWE lists the start of Zayn's reign on February 18, 2022, when the match aired on tape delay. | ||
182 | Ricochet | 1 | March 4, 2022 | 98 | Miami, FL | |||
183 | Gunther | 1 | June 10, 2022 | 666 | Baton Rouge, LA | This is the title's longest reign to date.
On April 28, 2023, the championship became exclusive to the Raw brand when Gunther was drafted there as part of the 2023 WWE Draft. | ||
184 | Sami Zayn | 4 | April 6, 2024 | 119 | Philadelphia, PA | WrestleMania XL Night 1 | ||
185 | Bron Breakker | 1 | August 3, 2024 | 51 | Cleveland, OH | SummerSlam | ||
186 | Jey Uso | 1 | September 23, 2024 | 28 | Ontario, CA | Raw | ||
187 | Bron Breakker | 2 | October 21, 2024 | 30+ | Philadelphia, PA |
† | Is the current champion |
---|
Rank | Wrestler | No. of reigns |
Combined days |
Combined days rec. by WWE |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gunther | 1 | 666 | |
2 | Pedro Morales | 2 | 619 | 617 |
3 | The Miz | 8 | 597 | 592 |
4 | Don Muraco | 2 | 541 | 539 |
5 | The Honky Tonk Man | 1 | 454 | 453 |
6 | Tito Santana | 2 | 443 | 441 |
7 | Razor Ramon | 4 | 437 | 434 |
8 | The Ultimate Warrior | 2 | 434 | 432 |
9 | Randy Savage | 1 | 414 | 413 |
10 | Mr. Perfect | 2 | 406 | 404 |
Shawn Michaels | 3 | 406 | 403 | |
12 | Wade/Bad News Barrett | 5 | 397 | 390 |
13 | Shinsuke/King Nakamura | 2 | 383 | 390 |
14 | Dolph Ziggler | 6 | 372 | 341 |
15 | Jeff Hardy | 5 | 366 | 359 |
16 | Shelton Benjamin | 3 | 354 | 352 |
17 | Rocky Maivia/The Rock | 2 | 339 | 337 |
18 | Chris Jericho | 9 | 318 | 311 |
19 | Jeff Jarrett | 6 | 298 | 284 |
20 | Bret Hart | 2 | 290 | 288 |
21 | Greg Valentine | 1 | 285 | 284 |
22 | Big E (Langston) | 2 | 277 | 272 |
23 | Sami Zayn | 4 | 291 | 286 |
24 | Kofi Kingston | 4 | 266 | 272 |
25 | Cody Rhodes | 2 | 257 | 254 |
26 | Dean Ambrose | 3 | 245 | 242 |
27 | Pat Patterson | 1 | 233 | 232 |
28 | Ken Patera | 1 | 231 | 230 |
29 | Rob Van Dam | 6 | 211 | 224 |
30 | Randy Orton | 1 | 210 | 209 |
31 | Johnny Nitro/John Morrison | 3 | 209 | 203 |
32 | Hunter Hearst Helmsley/Triple H | 5 | 196 | |
33 | Christian | 4 | 192 | 188 |
34 | Seth Rollins | 2 | 190 | |
35 | Edge | 5 | 171 | 166 |
36 | Goldust | 3 | 168 | 158 |
37 | Santino Marella | 2 | 162 | 160 |
38 | Drew McIntyre | 1 | 161 | 160 |
39 | Curtis Axel | 1 | 155 | |
Ric Flair | 1 | 155 | 153 | |
41 | Rick Rude | 1 | 148 | 147 |
42 | Chris Benoit | 4 | 142 | 159 |
43 | Diesel | 1 | 138 | 137 |
44 | Kevin Owens | 2 | 132 | 131 |
Owen Hart | 2 | 132 | 130 | |
46 | Rey Mysterio | 2 | 128 | 129 |
47 | William Regal | 2 | 126 | 124 |
48 | Ken Shamrock | 1 | 125 | 124 |
49 | Apollo Crews | 1 | 124 | 123 |
50 | Finn Bálor | 2 | 120 | 118 |
51 | Umaga | 2 | 118 | 119 |
52 | Eddie Guerrero | 2 | 114 | 116 |
53 | Ryback | 1 | 112 | 111 |
54 | Ricochet | 1 | 98 | |
55 | Carlito | 1 | 90 | |
56 | The Texas Tornado | 1 | 84 | 83 |
57 | Val Venis | 2 | 83 | 79 |
58 | Roddy Piper | 1 | 77 | 76 |
59 | AJ Styles | 1 | 74 | 71 |
60 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | 2 | 65 | 91 |
Ricky Steamboat | 1 | 65 | 64 | |
62 | Chyna | 2 | 64 | 62 |
63 | Roman Reigns | 1 | 63 | 62 |
64 | Bobby Lashley | 2 | 61 | 60 |
65 | The British Bulldog | 1 | 59 | 58 |
66 | Bron Breakker † | 2 | 80+ | |
67 | Kane | 2 | 57 | 58 |
68 | Ezekiel Jackson | 1 | 51 | 53 |
69 | Ahmed Johnson | 1 | 50 | 57 |
70 | CM Punk | 1 | 49 | 48 |
71 | Daniel Bryan | 1 | 43 | |
The Godfather | 1 | 43 | 42 | |
73 | Braun Strowman | 1 | 37 | 36 |
74 | Kurt Angle | 1 | 35 | 34 |
75 | Booker T | 1 | 34 | 33 |
76 | Jey Uso † | 1 | 28 | |
Big Show | 1 | 28 | 27 | |
Marc Mero | 1 | 28 | 27 | |
79 | Albert | 1 | 27 | 24 |
John "Bradshaw" Layfield | 1 | 27 | 26 | |
Lance Storm | 1 | 27 | 26 | |
Luke Harper | 1 | 27 | 26 | |
83 | D'Lo Brown | 1 | 26 | 27 |
84 | Marty Jannetty | 1 | 20 | |
85 | Billy Gunn | 1 | 19 | 17 |
86 | Rikishi | 1 | 14 | 13 |
Road Dogg | 1 | 14 | 13 | |
88 | Test | 1 | 13 | 12 |
89 | The Mountie | 1 | 2 | 1 |
90 | Zack Ryder | 1 | 1 | |
91 | Dean Douglas | 1 | <1 |
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