Top 10 WORLD Champions of all time

[Trill Co$by]

Doing one of just the WWF or even WCW titles would be too easy, and doesn't bold too much claim as to who is the best. However, because so many promotions out there want to call claim to World titles, I'm going to lessen the list a bit of eligible claims for this list. Anybody who's held a World HEAVYWEIGHT title for NWA, WCW, WCCW, ECW, USWA, WWF, WWWF, WWE, AWA, and TNA are eligible for this list. So if they're not on that list, then they don't count.

--

10.Jerry "The King" Lawler - 28x USWA Unified World Champion

I will admit that being born in Tennessee and raised on USWA, I have a strong bias towards Jerry. He's the guy that I would go up to the Nashville shows and watch wrestle. He's the guy that I would cheer for, even when he was the bad guy. I watched Jerry from the time I was a kid, until even in today's time period. Even as a WWE commentator, he's still not afraid to lace up a pair of boots and entertain small crowds... afterall, how many of Vince's contracted workers can say that they're able to still work independent shows full time? Even more shocking? He's still able to not only draw big crowds, but work really great matches. He single handedly made The Miz's title reign as unique as it was.

9. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WWF Championship 6x

Some will say he belongs higher, and I would concede normally... if this were a list for simply the WWF/WWE title. But it's not. It's a list of the best world champions, and while he's definitely top 10, he's no where near top 5 in my honest opinion. That said, I'm still a huge fan of his and believe he's definitely worthy of the career he was given.

8. Bruno Sammartino - 2x WWWF World Champion

Held the title twice for a combined 11 years in total... second to only Lou Thesz. His eight year title reign is often considered the longest in wrestling history, or at least to the modern generation of fans. Though that is highly untrue, what is true is the fact that before Hulk Hogan was ever even thought of, Sammartino was running things for Vinny Mac and for very good reason.

7. Sting - 14x World Champion (WCW [World/International World] 8x, TNA World 4x, NWA 2x)

If you're going to count it by technicalities, then Sting is a 15 time world champion with the addition of WWA's world title. However, since that doesn't merit the list of promotions, he can't honestly be listed as such. Even still, that doesn't deny the fact that he is and forever will be one of the most exciting individuals to watch perform in a squared circle. Not to mention, being able to withstand the money of Vinny Mac, Sting has made himself a mainstay to casual fans by never EVER stepping foot inside of a WWE ring... and he probably never will.

6. Bruno Sammartino - 2x WWWF World Champion

Held the title twice for a combined 11 years in total... second to only Lou Thesz. His eight year title reign is often considered the longest in wrestling history, or at least to the modern generation of fans. Though that is highly untrue, what is true is the fact that before Hulk Hogan was ever even thought of, Sammartino was running things for Vinny Mac and for very good reason.

5. Dusty Rhodes - 3x NWA World Championship

He's the American Dream for a reason... and there's absolutely no denying that Cody Rhodes and Goldust are without a doubt blessed to have such a lineage in their lives. Possibly the greatest rival in Ric Flair's storied career, and undoubtedly one of the most colorful world champions to ever lace up a pair of boots. Dusty Rhodes was NWA's resident face and heel at the times when they truly needed him to be, and for that he gets high praises.

4. Macho Man Randy Savage - 7x Worlds Champion (in qualifying promotions)

The one man who could easily enter an arena and call claim to being the "Most Electrifying Man" and have the movie star say nothing, and absolutely one of the business's most loved performers of all time. Randy is one of the best to lace up a pair of boots, and the fact that he's been a world champion nearly everywhere only proves that moreso.

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.

1. Lou Thesz - NWA World Championship 3x (for a total of 3,749 days combined)

Hulk Hogan may have ushered in fame, but that doesn't deny the fact that Lou Thesz is still the greatest of all time bar none. Ric Flair may have 16 World titles, but he's never even come close to the lengthy reign of Lou Thesz... One could argue that Thesz had an "easier" time in his day, but it's hard to argue with the facts that for 10 years straight, he was the guy that many promoters agreed should carry the title. For 10 years, he was the back bone of professional wrestling. The only name that can claim to be better than that is Bruno Sammartino, however his first reign only lasted eight years... plus Thesz traveled a lot more than Sammartino ever had to, proving he was a legit world champion.

 

[Rabbid Wolverine]

Number 8 and 6 are the same.

I like Lawler but I dont think he belongs on your list. From what I've heard about Memphis, it was a very small pond with one big fish. He probably did make others look good in the ring but whoelse was really going to were the belt?

I feel HBK/Bret Hart need to be on this list, they carried vince through some real tough times as champions and made any match with any opponent something you could watch and believe. I def feel Steve Austin was a better champ and needs to be 2nd or 3rd, he launched wwe and made the industry get mainstream attention, then others got a chance to follow.

But thats just my opinion.

 

[Kris Benwa]

Ha yeah Bruno Sammartino is twice so instead of one of those times you should have....Jeff Jarrett the guy is like a 15 time NWA champ haha jk jk but HHH would be good for the list he held it 13x and made the world heavyweight championship the number 1 title when he held it and was just overall a good champion.

 

[asiatic7]

Good thread. I agree with the poster above me. Bret needs to be added to the list. Bret was probably the last WORLD champion there was. Bret actually defended the WWF championship on just about all the continents. Back in the mid- nineties when WWF was going to places like Europe, South Africa, Canada etc., Bret had some excellent matches against some formidable foes.

Don't get me wrong, I know WWE still travels the world and has plenty of shows, but how many WWE championship matches are highlighted? Just in my humble opinion, I think Bret was best world champion I've ever seen.

On a side note... I think HHH is the best heel champion the buisness has ever seen.

Good thread again my man...

 

[relentless1]

1. Hulk Hogan- the man is the face of wrestling. period, hes a 12 x world champ, 5 of theose reigns lasted a year or more a couple of these happened in the 90s which is a feat unto itself.

2. Bruno Sammartino- held the WWWF championship for 12 years in 2 reigns, the Hogan of his day, nuff said

3. Ric Flair- the ultimate heel champion, 16x (official) worlds champion, he personified what being a cocky world champ was all about

4. Lou Thez- came from a time when being the world champ meant u had to be legit, he was the first big time world champion, for this he gets high up on the list

5. Bob Backlund, held the WWWF title for 5 years, fought everybody and was one of the most fit champs ever seen, another legit guy

6. Bret Hart- one of the best pure wrestlers to hold the belt, a former WWF and WCW champ loved the world over

7. Sting- the franchise of WCW, never put on a bad match, one of my personal favourites

8. Macho Man- #2 spot behind Hogan but was a much better wrestler, savage could go in the ring, one of the greatest wrestlers ever. period

9. Verne Gange- greatest AWA champ ever...even though he was the one putting the belt on himself....

10. Steve Austin- squeaks into the top 10 on the virtue of his being the face/ world champ in wrestling during the highest point of success wrestling has ever known and it can mostly be attributed to the 316 and his run(s) with the belt

 

[King Rex 51]

10 Jerry Lawler More Indy titles than anyone, ever.

9 Sting He was the face of WCW

8 Bret Hart He was the best "wrestler" at that time.

7 Hulk Hogan I am not a big Hogan fan but he did make wrestling main stream

6 Verne Gange Old school but very good.

5 Nick Bockwinkle The greatest AWA champion of all times

4 Bruno Sammartino He kept the WWWF alive

3 Harley Race I can't believe you have a top 10 list without him

2 Lou Thez The real undisputed world champion

1 Ric Flair The Nature Boy has truly done it all.

 

[Trill Co$by]

Number 8 was actually meant to be Bret Hart. Before I posted, I was looking over the original list and then realized some of the people were in the wrong places... For some reason, I can't seem to be able to edit that post to fix it.

 

[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?

 

[FlairFan2003]

How exactly do you discern the list, how do you evaluate ? For example, Rock & Austin were extremely popular but only dominated the title for very short times. Triple H & Cena have been more dominant strictly in the title scene than either Austin or Rock. Likewise Randy Savage has an impressive number of title reigns and there is no doubt he was an extremely successful star, but only two of his runs lasted over two months, he was essentially a short term bridge for much of his career between other, more dominant champions. Sting, counting his time in TNA, has had some dominant runs but he was never the long term solution in either WCW or TNA except early in his career when business was poor and his reigns were unimpressive.

For me, I look at duration, the length of time a major company turned to you, both in terms of individual reign length and number of years you dominated. Also, you have to factor in business, was business better with you on top vs other top stars of the time ?

With that in mind I dont see how anyone can compile this list without Hogan, Flair, and Bruno in the top three spots. Hogan & Flair dominated the title scene for nearly two decades, and business was always strong with them on top. You can look at Hogan's initial run in WCW (when he had trouble drawing early except when he faced Flair) as a black mark but the success of his heel turn & NWO run more than offset that. WWE essentially built their business on Sammartino, his two mammoth title runs lasting well over 9yrs. If Bruno had failed, the company would have been struggling to find a replacement, and maybe never would have achieved the market place dominance it had in the North East. Flair proved to be maybe the most reliable draw over three decades the industry has ever seen, at least in the US. The NWA was outdrawing the WWE through much of the mid west and mid south through out the WWE's 80s expansion, essentially creating a two party system by 1987, plus successfully invading WWE areas like Pgh & Phi. Even after The Crocketts sold out to Ted Turner WCW relied heavily on Flair and subsequently nearly went under when he left in 1991. Both Hogan & Flair were major draws outside the US. Flair drew well as champ in Puerto Rico, Japan, Singapore, & Germany as well as different cities in South America. These guys to me are a lock as the Top 3.

After that, I think you have to seriously look at Harley Race and Bob Backlund, Brett Hart (business decline aside he carried the top promotion for most of 5yrs, doing good business at big shows like WM & S-Slam), Lou Thesz, Nick Bockwinkle, Buddy Rogers, and at least consider Triple H. Despite the relative short nature and non conseuqence of his WCW runs I would consider Savage when you add in his two WWE runs.

I would not consider Austin, Rock, HBK, or Dusty Rhodes, all very popular but dominating the title scene for short periods (Dusty was a major factor in the title scene for much of the 80s but almost always as a challenger chasing Flair or Race). Same with Goldberg, Nash, Superstar Graham, Terry Funk, & Luger, all guys who had 1 really good run and not much else World Title wise.

 

[nbkush]

10. "Superstar" Billy Grahm: WWF champ, amazing charisma with a look to match

9. Harley Race: NWA champ, a "legitimate" bad ass

8. Verne Gange: he was the AWA, a "legitimate" pro wrestler

7. Bret Hart: a true world's champion and a fighting champion

6. Steve Austin: he is synonomous with one of the greatest periods in WWF history..the Attitude Era, he generated more money in merchandise sales than any wrestler in history

5. Buddy Rogers: NWA champ, 1st WWF champ...perfect charsima for wrestlings first golden era on television.

4. Lou Thesz: longest reinging NWA champ, a "legitimate" pro wrestler

3. Bruno Sammartino: longest reinging WWF champ, the face of the WWF from the early 60's to the late 70's

2. Hulk Hogan: the face of the WWF from the early 80's into the early 90's...brought wrestling into the mainstream

1. Ric Flair: 16 time World Champion a "wrestling fan's" champion, worked harder than Hogan was superior to him on the mic and in the ring

 

[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.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

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.

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]

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.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.