World Title History

Updated: 1/27/99


Numbers appearing in (parenthesis) are number of times a wrestler has held the World Title.

#
Wrestler
Date
Location
1
Buddy Rogers 1
1/24/63
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2
Bruno Sammartino
5/17/63
New York, New York
3
Ivan Koloff
1/18/71
New York, New York
4
Pedro Morales 2
2/8/71
New York, New York
5
Stan Stasiak
12/1/73
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6
Bruno Sammartino (2)
12/9/73
New York, New York
7
Billy Graham
4/30/77
Baltimore, Maryland
8
Bob Backlund 3
2/20/78
New York, New York
9
Antonio Inoki 4
11/30/79
Tokushima, Japan
10
Bob Backlund (2) 5
12/12/79
New York, New York
11
Iron Sheik 6
12/26/83
New York, New York
12
Hulk Hogan
1/23/84
New York, New York
13
Andre the Giant 7
2/5/88
Indianapolis, Indiana
14
Randy Savage 8
3/27/88
Atlantic City, New Jersy
15
Hulk Hogan (2)
2/4/89
Atlantic City, New Jersy
16
Ultimate Warrior
4/1/90
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
17
Sgt. Slaughter
1/19/91
Miami, Florida
18
Hulk Hogan (3)
3/24/91
Los Angeles, California
19
The Undertaker
11/27/91
Detroit, Michigan
20
Hulk Hogan (4) 9
12/3/91
San Antonio, Texas
21
Ric Flair 10
1/19/92
Albany, New York
22
Randy Savage (2)
4/5/92
Indianapolis, Indiana
23
Ric Flair (2)
9/1/92
Hershey, Pennsylvania
24
Bret Hart
10/12/92
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
25
Yokozuna
4/4/93
Las Vegas, Nevada
26
Hulk Hogan (5) 11
4/4/93
Las Vegas, Nevada
27
Yokozuna (2)
6/13/93
Dayton, Ohio
28
Bret Hart (2)
3/20/94
New York, New York
29
Bob Backlund (3)
11/23/94
San Antonio, Texas
30
Diesel
11/26/94
New York, New York
31
Bret Hart (3)
11/19/95
Landover, Maryland
32
Shawn Michaels
3/31/96
Anaheim, California
33
Sycho Sid
11/17/96
New York, New York
34
Shawn Michaels 12
1/19/97
San Antonio, Texas
35
Bret Hart (4) 13
2/16/97
Chattanooga, Tennessee
36
Sycho Sid (2)
2/17/97
Nashville, Tennessee
37
The Undertaker (2)
3/23/97
Chicago, Illinois
38
Bret Hart (5)
8/3/97
East Rutherford, New Jersy
39
Shawn Michaels (3) 14
11/9/97
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
40
Steve Austin
3/29/98
Boston, Massachusetts
41
Kane 15
6/28/98
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
42
Steve Austin (2)
6/29/98
Cleveland, Ohio
43
Rocky Maivia 16
11/15/98
St. Louis, Missouri
44
Mankind
1/4/99
Worcester, Massachusetts
45
Rocky Maivia 17
1/24/99
Anaheim, California
Notes
1. Different stories as to how Rogers was awarded the title have been claimed. One says he defeated Antonio Rocca in the finals of a fictitious tournament in Rio de Janeiro for the title. Others say he was awarded the title by promoters breaking with the NWA, who didn't recognize his one-fall loss to Lou Thesz in a match for the NWA World Title.

2. Title is reduced from world to regional when the WWWF joins the NWA in 1971.

3. Renamed WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 3/79.

4. Inoki was pinned by Bob Backlund in a rematch in Tokyo, Japan, but WWF President Hisashi Shinma declares the match a no-contest due to interference from Tiger Jeet Singh. Inoki was offered the belt back from Shinma, but declined.

5. Backlund defeats Bobby Duncum for the vacant belt.

6. Sheik defeats Bob Backlund with the Camel Clutch. Backlund's manager, Aarnold Skaaland, threw in the towel to end a 4-year title reign.

7. Andre attempts to hand the belt over to Ted DiBiase, but WWF President Jack Tunney rules that the belt cannot be given away. Andre forfeits the title instead.

8. Savage defeats Ted DiBiase in the finals of a tournament to win the vacant belt.

9. Belt is held on 12/4/91 up after a pair of contraversial title changes, set to be given to the winner of the next Royal Rumble.

10. Flair wins the Royal Rumble, eliminating Sid Justice last for the World Heavyweight Championship. He had been claiming to be the "Real World's Champion", carrying his NWA World Heavyweight Title belt to the ring with him (which the WWF always censored).

11. Mr. Fuji challenges Hulk Hogan immediately after Yokozuna pins Bret Hart for the title. Hogan defeats him that same night for the belt.

12. Michaels vacates the title due to a knee injury.

13. Hart defeats Vader, Steve Austin, and the Undertaker in a "Final Four" match, eliminating UT last with a clothesline over the top and to the floor.

14. Referee Earl Hebner suddenly calls for the bell (at Vince McMahon's order) while Michaels has Bret Hart in Bret's own Sharpshooter, regardless of the fact that there was no indication of a submission.

15. Austin's forehead is busted open in a First Blood Match by an interfering Undertaker, giving Kane the win and the title.

16. Maivia wins a one-night tournament, defeating the Big Bossman, Ken Shamrock, Undertaker, and Mankind (in that order). In mock to the double-cross from a year earler (see note 14 above), Vince McMahon called for the bell as Rocky applied the Sharpshooter hold to Mankind for the "submission".

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