Greatest WWE Champion of ALL time?

[HBsam31]

I voted Hogan, and after reading the posts some convinced me Sammartino was the guy. In the end though I still have to vote Hogan with Sammartino a very very very close second. Hogan reinvented what wrestling was. Hogan was a brand. I remember Begging my parents to buy me a Hulkamania workout set. At 7 years old I was doing Hogan's workout every morning? I know Austin Is ahead of Hogan in merch sales, but damn i would like to see those numbers because the Hogan name sold a lot of stuff. Sammartino was also a household name as well, and he laid the groundwork for Hogan, but Hogan took it and made it the global success that it came to be.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

Too much love for HBK in those votes. His reigns were far from memorable.

Reign 1
Feud with British Bulldog
Feud with Vader
Feud with Pyscho Sid

Reign 2
Lost his smile and dropped the title

Reign 3
Montreal screwjob
Feud with Stone Cold

He is a great performer but other than the screwjob, which doesn't really count, only his feud with Stone Cold is really memorable. If we're talking about greatest CHAMPION in terms of best rivalries as champion either Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold for sure. I voted for Austin, because he was my era.

The belt never meant more than when Hogan and Austin had it.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

HBK gets props for ultimately establishing Austin as the true #1 guy but he never clearly established himself as #1 himself for a long run.

In my opinion (and I know there's people who disagree) but I think Bret did way more to establish Austin as a #1 than Michaels did.

Also, HBK's first title reign was long. Something like 8 months? WM12 to Survivor Series? Although you're right, it wasn't terribly memorable.

Austin himself never had a dominant title run, although he was extremely popular.

I disagree with this. His first/second title run (interrupted by 1 day of Kane as champion) lasted 6-7 months when you combine them. Other than that 1 day, I'd say that's a long run. And he was booked to be very dominant. Went over Foley and Undertaker... It took both Undertaker and Kane, two of the biggest stars just to beat him... and it often took everything McMahon had to in order to beat him.

Between WM14 - 15, Austin was booked as the most dominant thing in the world, in my opinion.

 

[Savage]

Im going with Bret Hart. It's a tough choice but I think he carried it with the most pride and made the title really feel like an honor to hold. Something about the way he carried himself as champion. Never backing down to a challenge, usually the under dog, always standing for what was right... etc. He was kind of like the Rocky Balboa of pro wrestling.

 

[relentless1]

Hogan gets the vote. no contest that hogan is the GREATEST WWF champion of all time, followed by bruno, hogans first reign revolutionized the buisness, bruno may have had the belt for 8 years but the WWWF stayed in somewhat the same position over 11 years, in the 4 years that Hogan had shot the WWF into the stratosphere, nobody , not even austin equates to what hogan did for the business single handedly ( infront of the camera that is) Austin had help from dx and rock, makind etc, hogan carried the WWF for nearly 10 years and he did it with style and a huge following.

 

[theBec2101]

It depends on how you are determining the greatest champion of all time. If your going by length of title reigns or how many reigns you got is different then being most popular, most marketable, and most entertaining. I don’t get it. If you judge the by title reign length, who they beat, and how many times it makes no sense because it is a predetermined sport. I know you’re going to say certain people are better wrestlers etc and they were entrusted with carrying the belt, but before the 90's wrestling wasn’t on TV that much. so yea Bruno was champion forever but one specific person might of saw him wrestler 6 times a year. I am not knocking any wrestlers or anything but hard to compare who is the greatest from Bruno to Austin. I have to look up Bruno to watch his matches. Now if it was Hogan, Backland and Bruno that maybe are a little fairer. They were in the era of not being on TV 2-4 nights a week and house shows.
Anyway I have to go with Austin. Stats don’t lie. He made the most for himself and the business. That mean he was more marketable, entertaining, and popular. I am sorry I can’t just judge by title reigns in a predetermined sport.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

I disagree with this. His first/second title run (interrupted by 1 day of Kane as champion) lasted 6-7 months when you combine them. Other than that 1 day, I'd say that's a long run. And he was booked to be very dominant. Went over Foley and Undertaker... It took both Undertaker and Kane, two of the biggest stars just to beat him... and it often took everything McMahon had to in order to beat him.

Between WM14 - 15, Austin was booked as the most dominant thing in the world, in my opinion.

Absolutely true. While he was technically a two time champ in 98. Those regins are seperated by 24 hours since he lost the title at KOTR and won it back on the following Raw. So he basically held the title from April-September which was roughly 6 months. During that time he dominated Mankind/Dude Love/Cactus Jack with all the odds stacked against him. Then he lost to Kane after Undertaker interfered but won it back the next night and ended the summer by beating a face Taker clean at SummerSlam (something that I don't think had been done clean to a face Taker up to that point). Then it finally took Taker and Kane to take the title away from Austin.

But then right after he lost the title the story shifted back to Austin chasing the title which itself was a 6 month story that had so many good moments:

Austin one upping McMahon constantly (Bang 3:16 and the Corvette come to mind)

Survivor Series deadly game where Austin gets screwed by Shane

Rock Bottom and Austin beating Taker in a buried alive match to enter the Rumble

Royal Rumble with Austin getting screwed by Rock so Vince could win

St. Valentine's Day Massacre with Austin winning what I think was the last blue steel cage match with Show's debut to get a title shot

Austin/Rock WM 15 build just was perfect, leading to the match and Austin finally becoming champ again.

After writing all that I can't help but think how perfect everything was booked during that time.

 

[The HEEL JuiceLee]

It has to be Hogan.Im a huge HBK fan,but i cant vote for him just because i like him more.Now HBK,Macho Man,Kurt Angle, & Bret Hart are way better wrestlers and
in-ring competitors,but nobody conected with the crowd better than Hogan. He single handily brought WWE & wrestling in general to the main stream.There is not 1 pro wrestler will tell you otherwise.Even Flair will tell you that.Without Hogan there would be no WrestleMania.He was "THE" champion!!!Look at the guys he defended his belt against,its a who's who of Hall of famers.You have Iron Shiek,Roddy Piper,Pauk Orndorf,
Andre the Giant,King Kong Bundy,Ted DiBiase,Ultimate Warrior,Macho Man,Undertaker,
Bam Bam Bigelow, Yokosuna, & Bret Hart.I know Bruno held the title for 8years straight
but that was a way different time in the territory days.There was still the AWA,NWA,WCCW,& many other teritory belts with many other champs.When Hogan was
WWF champ the WWF belt was the top belt in wrestling,the only other belt at that time was the NWA belt but even there champ at that time Ric Flair knew the WWF belt was
#1.