Top 10 WORLD Champions of all time

[CrucifiedRaven]

I don't know a lot of old NWA/AWA stuff... So it's hard to rank Gagne, Bochwinkel, Thesz, Race, Dory Funk Jr, Dan Severn, Kiniski, O'Connor, Rogers, Brisco, etc and how they compare to guys like Bret Hart, Rock, Austin, etc...

I'd assume at least the top 5 are:

5. Harley Race (NWA)
4. Lou Thesz (NWA)
3. Bruno Sammartino (WWWF)
2. Hulk Hogan (WWF/WCW)
1. Ric Flair (NWA/WCW/WWF)

To round out the top 10, from the modern era I'd say Bret Hart and Steve Austin need to be on the list. And I'd say Dory Funk Jr (NWA), Bob Backlund (WWWF) and probably Verne Gagne (AWA) should be as well. Can't rank them though.

[Lorenzo von Matterhorn]

Here's 9 people I think fit that mold. I couldn't decide on a 10th. Sting? Brock Lesnar? Randy Savage? Harley Race? All my picks are based on what they did AS CHAMPIONS. There are better men in the wrestling business that did cool things that had nothing to do with World titles. There are also guys I just don't know about. So please don't judge my picks because "____ is WAY better than ____", if you're talking about guys that wrestled before 1990. That's as far back as I'm willing to consider myself competent.

Antonio Inoki: The first ever IWGP Heavyweight Champion - convenient, since he founded the company - and held it for quite some time. Also one of the few Japanese legends to win the WWF Championship, amidst some controversy, defeated Bob Backlund. It wasn't necessarily a "championship achievement", per say, but he also defeated possibly the greatest World Champion of all time, Ric Flair, in front of 190,000 people on Day 2 of "Collision in Korea". The list of Japanese World Champions more deserving, if any, is very small. Maybe Shinya Hashimoto?

Verne Gagne: Ten times the AWA World Champion. 4,677 days divided evenly comes out to more than a year per reign. Significantly more, in fact. I mean, John Cena won the WWE title 10 times, but is there even a comparison in numbers?

Ric Flair: Whether you count 22 or 16, he stil holds the record for World Titles. Even if those reigns were shit, that's still an impressive achievement. Many of them were not though, and boast some of the greatest runs in pro wrestling history. He's Ric Flair. He's the guy I think of when I hear the words "World Champion".

Lou Thesz: One of the most iconic "traveling champions" in pro wrestling history. He was big enough in his own territories, he'd travel around the country trying to unify World titles into his own NWA WOrld Championship. In my book, he's kind of the name in Undisputed Champions. I'm sure there are better men then me who could coach ya'll on the legend of Lou Thesz, but if I have learned things correctly, he got so big in America he wanted to go to Japan and expand the NWA Title picture. He beat some of the biggest names over there too.

Hulk Hogan: Quite possibly the biggest drawing World Champion in wrestling history. I wasn't alive, but I do know that when he lost the belt to Andre, who sold it to the Million Dollar Man, that was prime time news. Hulk Hogan, both in WWF and to a lesser extent WCW, was the World Champion of the mainstream fans; beloved by pop culture marks. He was every bit a rock star as he was a professional wrestler, and I think taht changed the business in a lot of ways.

John Cena: I've heard people say he's a poor man's Hulk Hogan. I personally like him more than the Hulkster, but that's the generation of wrestling I was dealt by fate. Take it up with your god. Had I been born in 1980 instead of 1990, I guarantee you I would have been a Hulkamaniac. I would go as Superman, the White Ranger, etc. for Halloween as a young kid. It wasn't until I got a bit older that started liking Batman, and realized how awesome the Green Ranger "heel turn" was. ANYWAYS, point is John Cena is this generations Hulk Hogan, like it or not. That means he's as close to a main stream World Champion as we got, and he's pushed the business a lot further than I would have thought he ever could. It's his fault we have a WWE Championshpi with bling and a spinner plate, for Christ's sake. And unlike Jeff Hardy's purple beast, that whirling bitch will not die...

Triple H: I didn't care for many of his later title runs, but Triple H was one of those guys who was legitimately a World Champ. You looked at him and that big gold belt, and they just belonged to each other. Short reigns aside, he still rocked that title and was a symbol of Monday Night Raw for several years. When I first got into the WWE product, Triple H was THE guy as head of Evolution. THat's what brought me to the proverbial "dance'. If Chris Benoit had won the title from ANYBODY else at WrestleMania, that moment wouldn't have been so iconic. But Triple H wore those suits to the ring and wined and dined with guys like Ric Flair; he was "the man", and he carried that persona every time he held the belt. My favorite moment of his career might just be promo he cut after losing the title; validating Benoit's legitimacy as Champion, but also kept himself over in a big way.

Edge: The "Rated-R Superstar" burned through way too many World Title reigns in such a short time, but a few of those wins are the most memorable of the last decade. Cashing in Money in the Bank the first time was a big deal, and such a great step in his Hall of Fame career. His title feud with John Cena might just be the best World Championship picture of the modern era. One of the last real edgy programs - pun not intended - for either man before the PG era reared its head.

Bret Hart: I don't believe for a minute he's the best there ever was, is, or will ever be. However, I do believe he was a World Champion through and through. He was a guy who truly appreciated the concept of prestige and honor, and took his roll as Champion seriously. He realized there was a correlation between being the guy with the belt, and holding the proverbial "ball" for the company. There are few people in the history of the business who are aware, let alone willing to accept that kind of responsibility. And Hart was VERY vocal about the guys he didnt' feel could be Champion, because they couldn't lead the locker room. Hart = Respect = World Champion.

Originally Posted by starkmoto

not having The Rock on this list makes it null and void. The greatest on the mic and in the ring, can't be beat. The Smackdown, the People's Elbow, The eyebrow, and enough material on the mic to be entertaining EVERY TIME he touches it. C'mon Man! Lawler r u serious?

Yes, and NONE of that has to do with his reigns as World Champion. Don't get me wrong, I love the Rock, but he was entertaining with or without the title. Go look at the amount of titles he's won, compared to the days he's held those belts. Rocky has BARELY managed one year as World Champion with ALL of his titles combined. You look at all the guys that I mentioned, except for maybe Edge, and you can pick legendary title run after run from their careers. But Rocky won and lost that belt with such frequency it started losing its meaning. Saying he's the "greatest on the mic and in the ring, can't be beat" shows a lot of ignorance for better wrestlers that came before him. On the mic...maybe, I'll give you that. He's phenomenal. But telling me that hands down, with no argument, he's the best in the ring of all time? That's flat out ridiculous. The Rock had some of the best opponents in history, and reigned during a time with some really great wrestlers; that helped him out a LOT. But even if I gave you that he was the greatest pro wrestler of all time, which I just will not, that still doesn't make him the greatest WORLD CHAMPION.

[nbkush]

Originally Posted by HGR

Antonio Inoki: The first ever IWGP Heavyweight Champion - convenient, since he founded the company - and held it for quite some time. Also one of the few Japanese legends to win the WWF Championship, amidst some controversy, defeated Bob Backlund. It wasn't necessarily a "championship achievement", per say, but he also defeated possibly the greatest World Champion of all time, Ric Flair, in front of 190,000 people on Day 2 of "Collision in Korea". The list of Japanese World Champions more deserving, if any, is very small. Maybe Shinya Hashimoto?

Hulk Hogan was the first ever IWGP Heavyweight Champ. If any Japanese World Champion is deserving it is Keiji Mutoh aka The Great Muta: NWA Heavyweight Champ, 3 time AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champ, 4 time IWGP Heavyweight Champ, second wrestler to ever hold these belts similtaneously. No Japanese wrestler has had as much success while wrestling in the US.

[Lorenzo von Matterhorn]

Originally Posted by nbkush

Hulk Hogan was the first ever IWGP Heavyweight Champ. If any Japanese World Champion is deserving it is Keiji Mutoh aka The Great Muta: NWA Heavyweight Champ, 3 time AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champ, 4 time IWGP Heavyweight Champ, second wrestler to ever hold these belts similtaneously. No Japanese wrestler has had as much success while wrestling in the US.

He was the first guy to hold the belt, yes. If I remember correctly he won an international tournament and the belt became a symbol of that victory. NJPW officially recognizes Antonio Inoki as the "first World Champion" after he beat Hogan in the final round of a tournament to crown the first ever champion.

Like I said, there's a LOT of great talent I don't know enough about. Muta is one of them I really want to learn more of; currently I know the most about Antonio Inoki and his contribution to the Japanese wrestling world. If you know more about the scene, and say that Muta was a better World Champion, I concede to your knowledge.

[fdogg83097]

Im not sure who I would have a top ten, there are so many factors but my number one will always be Ric Flair. He was someone who could go to the territories and make anyone there look good. That to me is the measuring stick of a world champion. He could play the heel or the face, he could talk up his challengers and make you want to see the match. I grew up with the 80's NWA and to see Flair defend against the likes of Dusty, Magnum, and Steamboat only to face the heels of Wahoo, Nikita, Blanchard. He made them all look good and not lose any impact of their characters. That to me is why Ric Flair will always be the Man.

[HBsam31]

This is really a tough list to compile, but I am going to finally give it a shot.

10. Jerry Lawler - I remember seeing him on magazine cover with like 5 belts around him. He is The King of Memphis wrestling and feel he deserves a mention.

9. Bret Hart - He basically carried the World title scene and the company after Hogan left. Was a fighting champion, and it can't be underestimated what Bret did for the company after Hogan.

8. Sting - A personal favorite of mine. He was right there with Flair for a time. The main opponent of the NWO. Title wins over Hogan and Flair. Carried WCW on the face side of things for a long while

7. Verne Gagne - He was the AWA always in the title scene there.

6. Harley Race - A true tough guy 8 times NWA Champ. Ruled that title before Flair.

5. Bob Backlund - Dominated the WWF title after Bruno. One of the lonest reigning champs in WWE history. Relied on him when there weren't many other.

4. Lou Thez - One of the longest reigns ever. A wrestler's wrestler. Honestly I don't know to much about him other than what I have read.

3. Bruno Sammartino - Longest WWE champ. A top draw of his time. Sold out arenas all over the Northeast. Mega face of the company before Hogan.

2. Ric Flair - Was a toss up here if Flair should be 1 or 2. Still not sure. !6 times world champ. Better than Hogan in the ring and on the mic like the poster above me said.

1. Hulk Hogan - Flair may be better, but I just can't deny what Hogan did for the sport. He brought it mainstream in the 80's and then in the 90's he pretty much changed the face of pro wrestling again. Like him or not I think he needs to be number 1 on this list.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Hashtag Killer

3. "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair - 22x World Champion [don't let them lie to you] (NWA World title 13x, WCW World title 7x, WWF World title 2x)

"WOOOOOOO!"

The record that they claim is 16x World Champion, but the truth of the matter is, 22 times is the real number of times that Ric Flair has locked in that dreaded figure four and walked out the World Heavyweight Champion. And the legacy tells for itself, for he's the only man to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice! Without a doubt, one of the most intense competitors in the ring, Ric Flair has become known as simply "the best" in all of professional wrestling.

2. Hulk Hogan - 12x World Champion (6x in both WCW & WWF/E)

"Whatcha gonna do, when the Hulkster and all the Hulkamaniacs run wild on you!"

The real American who brought wrestling into the limelight. Hulk is the guy that is unanimous with the business. From the Silverscreen to the Vitamins to the nWo and even to TNA's General Manager... Hulk Hogan has done it all. He's absolutely the greatest man to ever lace up a pair as far as wrestling's fame is concerned. And for four years, he dominated as champion in the 80s... but when it comes down to it, there's still one man who in my opinion can top his reign.

If you are going to count Flair's unofficial titles then let's count all of HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN'S too. 5 WWF World, 8 WCW World, 2 AWA World, 1 NWA World, 1 Undisputed World (WWF/E & WCW/WHC World titles combined), 1 IWGP World - total 18x World champion.

Plus let us not forget that when he won the WWF World title in 1984 he was also the reigning IWGP World champion making him the first (and ONLY) wrestler to be World champion in America and Japan at the same time, making him wrestling only true WORLD champion.

Clearly HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN belongs at the top.

[justtxyank]

Originally Posted by The Boss

If you are going to count Flair's unofficial titles then let's count all of HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN'S too. 5 WWF World, 8 WCW World, 2 AWA World, 1 NWA World, 1 Undisputed World (WWF/E & WCW/WHC World titles combined), 1 IWGP World - total 18x World champion.

Plus let us not forget that when he won the WWF World title in 1984 he was also the reigning IWGP World champion making him the first (and ONLY) wrestler to be World champion in America and Japan at the same time, making him wrestling only true WORLD champion.

Clearly HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN belongs at the top.

A little different.

Hogan's number gets inflated if you retroactively count title reigns that were not considered world title reigns at the time.

Flair's number has been deflated by the WWE deciding not to count reigns retroactively.

I will not count Jerry Lawler on my list. The USWA title was never a recognized "world title" and to count it as such now would be ridiculous. I'm not even sure the AWA belt was still recognized by the time he won it. Lawler is a regional champion and star and one of the best ever, but he's not one of the best "world champions" ever.

My list:

1) Hulk Hogan- best WWF Champion in history and one of the best WCW champions in history. As those are the two biggest promotions in US history, I rank him #1.

2) Ric Flair- the torchbearer for the NWA and WCW for years. His title reigns are unprecedented.

3) Lou Thesz- as has been stated in this thread repeatedly, he was the backbone of the business prior to the boom period starting. Recognized and respected world wide, even by shoot organizations.

4) Bruno Sammartino- The biggest star in the Northeast which was the biggest market during the 70s and 80s. His title reigns were legendary.

5) Vader (2x Triple Crown, 3x IWGP World, 3x WCW World)- This may be the controversial one on my list, but Vader was an awesome world champion for WCW and in Japan. When people talk about heel champions he gets overlooked because too many fans of WCW from his era have quit watching or talking about wrestling. Vader was great and was dominate.

6) Harley Race- before Flair there was Harley Race. He was a true champion and meant so much to the belt prior to Flair.

7) Toshiaki Kawada (5x Triple Crown)- the underrated star from Japan here in the States. For my money the best Puro had to offer in the 90s. Better than Misawa and Kobashi.

8) Triple H- His reigns were among the best in WWF and WWE history when they happened. His heel runs are up there with anyone as the best heel runs in history, and he did them in a promotion that has traditionally shied away from heel runs.

9) Jumbo Tsuruta- the man who made the triple crown legit.

10) Bret Hart- I said it in another thread, but he was one of the most credible champions of the 90s. Great matches, great feuds and brought respect to the title.

Notable off the list: Sting. I'm a huge Sting fan and think the Sting vs Hogan/nWo was one of the biggest programs ever, but I just don't think that many of Sting's title reigns were actually all that good. His biggest should have been the one after beating Hogan, but that reign kind of sucked.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by justtxyank

A little different.

Hogan's number gets inflated if you retroactively count title reigns that were not considered world title reigns at the time.

Flair's number has been deflated by the WWE deciding not to count reigns retroactively.

Not quite. Both HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN and Flair had title wins that weren't originally (in some cases STILL aren't) officially recognized. Flair's 22 reigns and HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN'S 18 reigns consist of ACTUAL (as opposed to "official") title wins.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by HGR

He was the first guy to hold the belt, yes. If I remember correctly he won an international tournament and the belt became a symbol of that victory. NJPW officially recognizes Antonio Inoki as the "first World Champion" after he beat Hogan in the final round of a tournament to crown the first ever champion.

Actually HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN was given a trophy to represent the tournament victory and the belt was to represent the championship. For the next few years the winner of the tournament was given a SHOT AT THE TITLE (much like the Royal Rumble winner gets a shot at the title). Not all Tournament winners went on to win the title (proving that the belt did not go to the winner).

In 1983 HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN won the tournament to become the first champion.

In 1984 Antonio Inoki won the tournament and got a shot at Champion HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN (who was not in the tournament but still champion). Inoki won the title only after defeating HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN.

In 1985 Andre the Giant won the tournament and got a shot at Antonio Inoki (who was not in the tournament). Andre failed to defeat Inoki and never got the title.

In 1986 Antonio Inoki won the tournament to win the vacant title.

In 1987 Masa Saito won the tournament and got a shot at champion Inoki (who was not in the tournament). Saito failed to defeat Inoki and never got the title.

The IWGP World title then became a regularly defended title.

So as you can see the belt did not just go to the tournament winner and guys held the title who weren't even in the tournament. Plus both HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN and Antonio Inoki defended the title on separate occasions showing that it was separate from the tournament.

The confusion lies in the fact that the title wasn't regularly defended at first, nor was it yet the top title in New Japan. But it was a championship none the less.