top 10 WWF Champions of all time

[relentless1]

there is a article on main page where the author determines who he thinks the 10 greatest WWF champions of all time are, was just curious to see who everybody on the boards thinks are the 10 greatest champions are?

here are mine for arguments sake:

10. John Cena
9. HHH
8. The Rock
7. HBK
6. Macho Man
5. Bret Hart
4. Bob Backlund
3. Bruno Sammartino
2. Steve Austin
1. Hulk Hogan

Moderator's Note: Please remember to explain your list. If you just post a list with no explanation, you will receive an infraction. If this confuses you, please read our rules as it pertains to SPAM.

 

[thebarber]

1. HULK HOGAN
The face of WWE 1984-1990, basically unstoppable. Hogan is pro wrestling, his matches sold out arenas for years and years. In partnership with Vince McMahon, Hogan made wrestling and its performers house hold names. There is no ibgger star in the history of the business than Hulk Hogan.

2. BRUNO SAMMARTINO
The longest reigning champion in WWE history, Bruno was over massive in the territorial days

3. STEVE AUSTIN:
The second greatest star the industry has seen, his 6 reigns were all quite short in length, but he is still without a doubt the greatest since Hogan.

4. BRET HART
Bret was the flag bearer when WWE changed from land of giants through to the smaller, more technical styled wrestler. 5 title reigns, Hitman was responsible for keeping the WWE afloat in 1995-1997.

5. BOB BACKLUND:
Second longest reigning champion in WWE history, Backlund was technically sound and was Vince Snr' poster boy. Many great feuds, Backlund was one of the greatest, but does not compare to the above 4.

6. SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM
The first heel champ who was not a transitional; champion. Grahams reign was just shy on one year, he should have been turned babyface and had one hell of a run, hell he may have been Hogan if Vince went in that direction 6 years earlier. Graham transcended into mainstream, charismatic and over hugely.

7. THE ROCK
His feud with Austin is arguably one of the top 3 feuds in WWE history. 7 time champion and massively over, pity he was in Austins shadow for the majority of his run.

8. JOHN CENA
L;Like him or hate him, his million title reigns, including a well over one year reign, great matches against everybody whose anybody in the past 7 years, Cena deserves a spot in the top 10

9. RANDY SAVAGE
After Hogan the greatest guy of the 80s, the company could have revolved around Savage. His two reigns were great, but will always remembered for being Hogan's lackey

10. TRIPLE H
The first heel to really mortgage the WWE title for long periods, 7 or 8 reigns with the WWE title, has to be in the 10 somewhere.

 

[Baldy42179]

Unfortunatly since I didn't start watching till the late 80's I'll have to limit my response to what I am familer with.

10. EDGE - The Rated R superstar is one that never failed to attract attention whether it was the live sex show with Lita or the opportunistic superstar he made people tune in.

9. The Rock - The greatest entertainer while only being part time is still able to draw people just by saying he is going to be champion even though we all know he won't stick around.

8. Undertaker - How is he not listed one of the most steady and reliable personnel on the Roster it was always special when he was going for the belt or defending it.

7. The Ultimate Warrior - I probably have him this high just because this was around the time when I started watching and there was nothing bigger then the Wrestlemania VI match with Hogan

6. Shawn Michaels - The showstopper is the greatest performer the WWE has ever had the only reason he isn't higher on the list because his greatest matchs (expect the Iron Man Match with Brett) were not for the title.

5. John Cena - The fact that so many people complain about him shows that they pay attention to him. Whether you love or hate him he has been the face of WWE for the past 5 years.

4. Chris Jericho - The First Undisputed Champion who beat everyone from the Rock to Austin deserves to be mentioned in any greatest list.

3. Brett Hart - Ok so he has always been my favorite but I believe he proved you didn't have to be a monster to be a champion paving the way for people like Shawn Michaels, the Rock and Austin who are not know for their freaskish builds or being monsters

2. Steve Austin - Behing only Hogan in popularity if not for his reign and achievements who knows what the wrestling landscape would look like today.

1. And of course Hulk Hogan - Regardless of you belief of him as a person the character is the reason while wrestling is where it is. The Charisma was enough that even at 59 years old he can still draw people to a wrestling match

 

[mikeyado]

Josh Isenberg makes me giggle. His writes like a 12 year old trying composing an essay. "He would go on to hold the title...." etc.

Also: "He will never be the best wrestler, the best talker, or the best entertainer." Really? What exactly is he good at then? (Cue James Brown style shouts of.."Absolutely nothing"). Anyway, I digress. Hugely.

My list:

1.) Hulk Hogan: this needs very little explanation. The man who, more than anybody, made the WWE and the WWE title, what it is today.

2.) Bruno Sammartino: People go crazy over the length of Punk's reign, but this lad held it for over seven years. That's like somebody who won the title in 2005 still holding it now. Mental.

3.) John Cena: He's had ten reigns. For the last 6-7 years, he is the first person you think of when you think about the WWE title, minus points for that horrific spinning belt though.

4.) Bret Hart: A personal choice. When I got properly into wrestling in the mid-late 90's, he was the king of the mountian, winding Michaels up with his 'not once, not twice, 5 times chat.

5.) Diesel: One from left-field really, but he had a long reign and the way he destroyed Bob Backlund in 8 seconds was quite symbolic in terms of the new breed breaking away from the old school.

6.) C M Punk: he's made the WWE title cool again and broken up the horrible habit of title changes every couple of months. An iconic reign which will go down in history.

7.) The Rock: Because I've never been more excited about wrestling than when him and Austin were trading the title and headlining PPVs together. He shades it from the Austin just because I preferred him.

8.) Stone Cold Steve Austin: See above.

9.) Bob Backlund: You can't ignore a guy that had combined reigns of almost 10 years. Plus, everybody loves a slightly crazy middle anged ginger haired man.

10.) Shawn Michaels: Another personal choice because he is my favourite of all time but also because he was involved in some classics for the WWE title. The Iron Man Match with Bret, The Montreal Screwjob and the Austin/Tyson match at Mania, to name but a few.

 

[matman8540]

1. Bruno Sammartino--2 title reigns combining for 12 years total, 'nuff said.

2. Hulk Hogan--It pains me to say it, but he helped usher in the casual onlooker, and made pro wrestler "water cooler" talk at the office.

3. Bob Backlund--Technically, the 2nd best actual wrestler to hold the title (obviously, Kurt Angle being #1). Backlund held the title for nearly 6 years, and held off just about every challenge set before him.

4. Bret Hart--A great champion; whether face or heel. He proved to Vince that you didn't need to have the most ripped physique to be the man.

5. Superstar Billy Graham--The first heel not to be a "transistional" champion. The funny thing was that he won the title with his feet on the ropes, and lost the same way.

6. HHH--Regardless of the fact that he was the son-in-law, he proved his wrestling work ethic time and time again; also, became the first heel champion to leave Wrestlemania with his title intact.

7. John Cena--Love him or hate him (and I know most of the adults on here do), he has been the face of the WWE since taking the belt from JBL at Wrestlemania.

8. Stone Cold Steve Austin & the Rock--I couldn't put either of these men ahead of the other. Both were the faces of the Attitude Era, and you couldn't put one in a sentence without mentioning the other.

10--Shawn Michaels--The originator of the Attitude Era, but also had a few reigns before that and a reign or two after that.

Honorable mention--CM Punk--If his reign continues after Survivor Series, and turns back the Rock at the Royal Rumble, he will get on the top 10.

 

[kwig2121]

Ok I will bite on this....having been a follower of the WWF/WWE since around 1978 to present this would be my opinion:

1. Hulk Hogan- I'm not basing this strictly on how many reigns or how many years you held the belt alone. Hogan is #1 because he brought wrestling mainstream. Made the sport relevant. He was the straw that stirred the drink. NO PPV's, No wrestlemania, without Hogan.

2. Bruno Sammartino- The standard bearer the first real draw in wrestling, that made regional wrestling work. Bruno was the greatest small market champion or regional champion of all time. But he would have never made it on a National scale as his pride allowed him to think "he" was the business instead of doing what was best for the business.

3. Stone Cold Steve Austin- Austin was the biggest draw ever in the sport. The attitude era took WWF/WWE to great revenue and tv heights. Austin was the primary face in this revolution.

4. Bob Backlund- Boring. Plain. Bland. But this guy was a tremendous technical wrestler. Because Backlund was so small, not well defined, you could line anybody up to face him and we the fans probably believed he was going to lose. Backlund made wrestling believable and gave you so many different outstanding matchups like Muraco, Studd, Graham, Snuka, that elevated some average performers to greatness.

5. John Cena- The guy is polarizing. Cena had the most difficult task carrying the torch after the attitude era. And he succeeded through hard work dedication and determination. This guy has been the face of the franchise selling out merchandise, pay per views, going mainstream, with like four moves. But his charity work with make a wish, and his willingness to do so much humanitarian work like with the troops, places him top 5 of all time.

6. Brett Hart- The man was a great technical wrestler. But he is probably one of the most overrated wrestlers of all time. He didn't draw except in Canada. He didn't sell merchandise. He wasn't easy to work with (c screw job). Like Sammartino, Hart thought "HE" was the business instead of doing what was best for the business. He makes the list on his talent which was unquestionable.

7. HHH- Sure he was Vince's son in law. But the Game was a tremendous worker, especially as a heel, and when both Rock & Austin were out of WWE this man gave some of his best work and put the company on his back. Needs to get the credit he deserves as a singles wrestler, not for his versatility in comedy with DX.

8. The Rock- Rock suffers as a great champion because he didn't need the title. He will rank higher on the all-time great wrestlers than champions, but his work during the attitude era and invasion angle will always be remembered.

9. Shawn Michaels- Injury robbed Michaels of how high he would be on my list. No he wasn't better than Hart technically, but he had more charisma. Yes, HHH over the long haul was the better champion. But Michaels was a great performer, and a great worker. He made Diesel. He ushered in the Stone Cold era, and although it was personal, the Hart fued was an all-time great.

10. Randy Savage- Savage was a terrific wrestler. Had the eccentric look. The charisma. And Savage was a guy who could carry the promotion as a #1 World Champion, or #2 IC champion. The guy was versatile. He sold, he made other guys better, and was dynamic on the mike. A perfect compliment to Hogan during the evolution of wrestling.

Just missed: Billy Graham, Pedro Morales, Diesel.
One to watch: CM Punk

 

[Diss]

OK, I dont post a lot but I'll give this a shot.
Oh and can we do a WCW soon I want to be able to put David Arquette in my top 10

1- Hogan. The dude is wrestling and ruled Wrestling. his title runs were numerous and the belt always seemed to gravitate to him for the better part of two decades. Plus I really liked champions who WORE the belt. I mean it is a belt after all.

2- Stone Cold Steve Austin - A great title holder and general bad ass. The smoking skull belt was a great innovation and his ruling of the attitude era was epic

3- HHH. Had some of the longest runs as champion as a heel as I can remember. He was in the main event for about 5 years solid and revolutionized a heel champion. He was injured as a heel and got a huge pop upon his return which illustrated his popularity, importance and the fans appreciation of his hard work and dedication to his craft despite his good or bad status.

4- Bruno Sammartino : He is the (old gen) guy you think of when you think old school wrestling. I thought about Bob Backlund but then thought he looked like he couldnt punch his way out of a paper bag. Bruno was a beast, so he got the nod

5- John Cena: I honestly couldnt decide if he deserved to be high on the rankings for the fact that he has been the constant draw for a fledgling era (unless you are 10 years old) or lower due to the fact he is so one dimensional. For those reasons he came in at #5 but there is no denying his importance as a champion. He has held the strap for the better part of the decade and truth be told the WWE would be in better shape if he had the strap now too.

7 (edited change)- Brett Hart: The champion of the dead ball era (baseball reference fail?). Lets face it Brett held the title during the companies boring era leading them to eventually fall to WCW's rise. He was a great technical wrestler, some (he) might say the best ever. He deserves to be on the list for being the guy for those 5 years or so

6 (edited change)- HBK: See #6. basically the same stuff can be said but HBK is more enigmatic and entertaining. Hell I change my mind. HBK is 6 and Hart is 7. Call it a screwjob if you like

8- The Rock: could he have been higher? sure. Had he had a few more title runs instead of bolting during his prime to hollywood. Not blaming the guy. Getting paid a ton more and having other guys take your bumps for you seems like a logical choice to me.

9- Randy Savage: only two title runs but I can chalk that up to Hogan taking the spotlight more or less. He was a great champion and a great wrestler.

10- Vincent Kennedy McMahon - Just felt he belonged on this list more than the Ultimate Warrior and Mick Foley. I think his title run if you wanna call it that was more important to the company and storylines than either of the other 2.

A dissident is here....

 

[Wald]

.

6. Brett Hart- The man was a great technical wrestler. But he is probably one of the most overrated wrestlers of all time. He didn't draw except in Canada. He didn't sell merchandise. He wasn't easy to work with (c screw job). Like Sammartino, Hart thought "HE" was the business instead of doing what was best for the business. He makes the list on his talent which was unquestionable.

Bold bit is nonsense and the rest is very questionable too. He is probably the most popular WWF/E superstar ever here in Europe. He was bigger than Hogan back around 1991/92 and all the way through to when he left the WWF he was considered to be the man over here. To this day any of my age group that I talk to about wrestling, particularly the ones who stopped watching it as they entered their teens/adultgood, cite Bret Hart as the guy they loved. That answer is almost to the man.

As for the rest of it. If refusing to job when you're champion to a guy you don't want to work with makes you not easy to work with here's a list of other former champions who weren't easy to work with. Austin, Hogan, Michaels, Backlund, Savage, Flair, HHH, Nash, I'll end this right here by saying just about every wrestler has at one point decided they don't want to lose a match. Bret vs HBK is just the most talked about one because usually the guy refusing to job gets his way.

What else did you say, oh about the not being able to sell merchandise comment. Do you really think Bret would have been the face of the WWF from 1992-1997 is he couldn't sell t-shirts? You don't remember how the Hitman shades were the most sought after WWF item for a while? Think these things through and don't drink from the kool-aid before knocking a guy.

 

[fenderjapan]

This list is very different than what I would make for a "favorite wrestlers of all time" list. Don't take it for more than what it is... an opinion

1) Hulk Hogan - Not the best wrestler in the world but the most influential for the business.
2) Steve Austin - Most influential in the modern era
3) The Rock - Also, highly important in connecting wrestling with the mainstream and putting the entertainment in sports entertainment
4) Bruno Sammartino - Sort of like the Cy Young of the WWF...innovation
5) Bret Hart - As far as WWF Champions go he was the perfect mix of technical ability and rockstar type image
6) Shawn Michaels - More of a rockstar than Bret, and one of the innovators of high flying/fast paced wrestling
7) HHH - WWF's Top Heel for many years, in my opinion...not unlike Flair was for the NWA/WCW...different personality but same role
8) Undertaker - He would be higher on this list if the list was about greatest superstar, not greatest champion. Taker isn't remembered most for his title reigns. But he was a great champ.
9) Kurt Angle - A personal favorite of mine.
10) John Cena - Oh god, I know, I don't like him either. But lets be honest...he puts asses in the seats as Champ

 

[Headman]

Not sure if this is about who I liked best or who I believe was infact the best champion for the company. So I'll go with option B for my list and try not to be too biased.

#1 Hulk Hogan - Biggest star in the history of wrestling. When he won the championship, the belt was his whether he had it or not. The 3 year reign will probably be the last of it's kind.

#2 Stone Cold Steve Austin - It pains me to say this because I don't think he had a single noteworthy title reign. Still, he had huge title wins and he's probably the 2nd biggest star in the history of the WWE.

#3 John Cena - He's the closest thing to Hogan we've had since, well... Hulk Hogan. The reason I'm giving him the 3rd spot is because like Hogan he dominates his era with no close second to be found. He's had multiple long reigns with some of the best title defenses we've ever gotten out of a top star. Anyone who steps in the ring with him seems more important for having done so and that's what you want in a champion.

#4 Bruno Sammartino - He dominated the landscape for a decade and has the company's longest title reign. Why doesn't he rank higher? Same reason Joe Montana will get the nod over Otto Graham every time. The WWWF although a large territory was a regional company. The NWA champion was considered superior to the WWWF champion and no such claim could be made for the three champions above Bruno on this list.

#5 Triple H - He did everything these other guys did, but he did it mostly as a heel. He's the most dominant heel champion in the history of our industry and truly changed the way heel's were treated as champion in Mcmahon-land. Before Triple H, heels were either monsters or cowards who were giving reigns for the sole purpose of putting over the company's top baby face. Triple H was treated more like Ric Flair or Harly Race. He was constantly called the best in the business and backed it up, making a victory over him seem that much more important. It was hard for me not to give HHH the #4 spot, but here he is at #5.

#6 The Rock - Like Austin, the Rock never really had any memorable title reigns. Still, he had a bunch of reigns and he's one of the biggest stars ever. If we're rating greatest championship reigns the Rock doesn't make the list, but it would be hard to say having the belt on a multi-media mega star doesn't add a little luster to the title he once held.

#7 Bret Hart - The work horse champion. Bret carried the belt through the WWE's darkest days. If he were a quarterback he'd be a game manager not a gunslinger, but his ability to work with both larger and smaller guys opened the main event scene to people who never would have gotten the time of day with Hogan around. HBK being the first to come to mind.

#8 The Ultimate Warrior - Why would a guy who held the belt once and less for a year at that make my top 10? Because for a brief moment in time he was as big a star as Hulk Hogan. In my mind if the man's heart was really in the business he would have dominated the 1990's. His in-ring ability is often mocked but his matches with Savage, Hogan and Rude prove he could have good matches with the right person leading. He's one of the most charismatic superstars in history. Don't believe me? Why are people still talking about him? Nails was crazy in real life too and people don't talk about him. The Warrior was the real deal. He just didn't have the love for the game.

#9 HBK - The greatest in-ring performer ever to hold the belt. Why does he rank so low? Because he never really had a good reign. His best reign lasted from November of 97 to March of 98. Only two noteworthy things happened during this reign. One was screwing Bret Hart, the other was putting over Steve Austin at WM14. Still, as far as in-ring goes, it's HBK and Flair all the way.

#10 Randy Savage - Or Ric Flair. I dunno. Call it a tie. Both had two reigns. Both headlined Wrestlemania, but Savage did it three times. (Sort of). I don't care, they're both great.

 

[xavyer]

I know that a lot of people are going to fry me for not mentioning the Rock on this list, but aside from the fact that i just don't like the guy, i didn't see anything special in him, here's my list:

10.- Chris Jericho: He's the first ever undisputed champion, enough said.
9.- The Macho Man: When he was the champion, he kind of defied the odds, and his rivalry with Hulk Hogan was epic.
8.- Shawn Michaels.- Kind of like the same reason of the Macho Man, he also defeated the odds, and when he was a heel champion he was a lot of fun to watch, specialy when he formed Degeneration X.
7.- Bruno Sammartino.- The man was champion for a lot of years, he deserves respect.
6.- Hulk Hogan: He is who basicly put wrestling on the map, he wasn't the most gifted athlete, but he was a great entertainer and had many memoreble moments, i know that today he's a douche, but we can't deny the fact that he revolutionized the WWF.
5.- CM Punk: Ok, he may not be the most fighting champion, but the guy is very entertaining, he takes his roll very seriously.
4.- John Cena: The guy is the face of the WWE, wether you like him or hate him, he has been in some great matches, and in some great rivalries as well, he has done it all in the past 10 years.
3.- Edge: This guy has captured my attention when he cashed his money in the bank contract, he did it when no one expected it, no one saw it coming, and after that, his title reigns were memorable, like Cena, he had some of the best Rivalries.
2.- Stone Cold Steve Austin: A lot of people talk about the attitude era, this guy was the attitude era, he basicly reinvented wrestling, he started a lot of trends, he was the first superstar ever to stick it to the boss, whan he lost, he didn't cry or complain, he fought back, he was never intimidated, and sometimes he was very funny, talk about someone who defy the odds.
1.- Triple H.- I know that a lot of people are gonna go "what??", but this is the reason that to me he was the best champion, when he was the champion, he made everyone believe that to get the title from him they would go through hell and high water, he defended the title basicly with his life, he made the title prestigius, and who ever defeated him became a huge superstar, just ask John Cena and Batista, when he was a heel champion he was definitly the man to beat, he was the most evil, sadistic and twisted champion, and when he was a face champion, he was a fighting one.......

 

[King Rex 51]

10 Randy Savage From Memphis to MSG. He made people stand up and notice.

9 Sting He was the face of WCW

8 Bret Hart Maybe the best technical wrestler of his time.

7 Hulk Hogan Not a big fan but he did make wrestling main stream

6 Verne Gange Old school but very good

5 Nick Bockwinkle The best the AWA ever had.

4 Bruno Sammartino Without him the WWWF would have never survived

3 Harley Race I can't believe he isn't on more top ten lists

2 Lou Thez The first true undisputed world champion

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

 

[kwig2121]

You are a Brett Hart fan....if you took your Hitman shades off...you would know Hart drew nothing compared to Hogan, Austin, Rock or Cena as a champion which is fact.

I didn't say he wasn't easy to work with, what I said was Hart thought his character was more important than what was good for the business. That is again a fact as to to why his reconciliation with WWE took forever, not just the screwjob, not just the going to WCW thing he burned bridges.

Hart was popular to Hogan for a very small window, and even if I give you Europe he couldn't sell out MSG, and draw in the US which is fact.

Good wrestler, great technical wrestler but pales in comparison to the top 5 of all time WWE world champs.

 

[kwig2121]

Bold bit is nonsense and the rest is very questionable too. He is probably the most popular WWF/E superstar ever here in Europe. He was bigger than Hogan back around 1991/92 and all the way through to when he left the WWF he was considered to be the man over here. To this day any of my age group that I talk to about wrestling, particularly the ones who stopped watching it as they entered their teens/adultgood, cite Bret Hart as the guy they loved. That answer is almost to the man.

As for the rest of it. If refusing to job when you're champion to a guy you don't want to work with makes you not easy to work with here's a list of other former champions who weren't easy to work with. Austin, Hogan, Michaels, Backlund, Savage, Flair, HHH, Nash, I'll end this right here by saying just about every wrestler has at one point decided they don't want to lose a match. Bret vs HBK is just the most talked about one because usually the guy refusing to job gets his way.

What else did you say, oh about the not being able to sell merchandise comment. Do you really think Bret would have been the face of the WWF from 1992-1997 is he couldn't sell t-shirts? You don't remember how the Hitman shades were the most sought after WWF item for a while? Think these things through and don't drink from the kool-aid before knocking a guy.

You are a Brett Hart fan....if you took your Hitman shades off...you would know Hart drew nothing compared to Hogan, Austin, Rock or Cena as a champion which is fact.

I didn't say he wasn't easy to work with, what I said was Hart thought his character was more important than what was good for the business. That is again a fact as to to why his reconciliation with WWE took forever, not just the screwjob, not just the going to WCW thing he burned bridges.

Hart was popular to Hogan for a very small window, and even if I give you Europe he couldn't sell out MSG, and draw in the US which is fact.

Good wrestler, great technical wrestler but pales in comparison to the top 5 of all time WWE world champs.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

This is only WWF champions. Not counting NWA or WCW.

Honorable mentions:
Flair - Didn't make top 10 because most of his title wins were in NWA or WCW. He wasn't in the WWF for long.

Morales - Held the title for over 1,000 days in the 70s. Didn't make top 10 for me, just due to the number of other guys on the list.

Undertaker - Wasn't given the belt very often or for very long but he didn't need the WWF title to be a success.

Warrior - Insanely popular for a brief period of time. But unreliable and ultimately fizzled out.

CM Punk - Maybe one day... but not yet.

Jericho - First Undisputed champion... Though I never felt he was given a fair shake with the title other than this one 4ish month long reign. Should have been a main eventer as early as 2000 when he first beat HHH.


10. Backlund - A lot of people have said it above, but he was one of the main guys in 70s/80s for about 6 years before Hogan kicked the business into high gear.

9. Cena - I don't like him. But he's been the main guy since '04 or '05, or whenever he took over. Like him or not, he has been the face of the franchise and the top guy for a significant period of time.

8. Michaels - Many people may think I have Michaels ranked a little low, but he didn't have the ball for long. A great performer, no doubt. Took over being the top guy in 1996 and, like Bret, was one of the main guys keeping the WWF in business, despite hard times. I always maintain Bret and Shawn weren't the reason business wasn't doing well. They were the reason the company didn't go under.

7. Triple H - Triple H in my opinion peaked around 2000 - 2002. But he, like Savage, while not the #1 guy in the company, he was the most reliable. He lives and breathes the business... so much that he'll eventually take over the company. He was a champion during every era since the Attitude era began and deserves to be in the top 10.

6. Bret Hart - Bret was the face of the WWF from 1993 - 1997 and bridged the gap between Hogan and Austin. Business may not have been great, and it's a hard act to follow Hulk Hogan. But I always maintain that Bret and a couple of others were the ones keeping WWF alive during this period.

5. Savage - Macho Man was never the face of the company during the golden era, but he was the 2nd most popular and most reliable worker during one of the most popular era's in wrestling.

4. The Rock - In a similar boat as Austin... now he is even more popular with his movie career, but I place him behind Austin, because he aways seemed like the #2 guy until Austin went out injured in late '99. But from there, The Rock took the ball and never looked back.

3. Austin - Probably the 2nd or 3rd most popular wrestler of all time. Brought wrestling back to the mainstream for about 4-5 years, and he was the face of the company during this time.

2. Sammartino - Shouldn't need to explain this.. He could be #1, if it weren't for the insane popularity of:

1. Hogan - He was the ultimate WWF champion.. made wrestling mainstream and was the face of the company for a decade, during one of it's hottest times.

 

[Wald]

You are a Brett Hart fan....if you took your Hitman shades off...you would know Hart drew nothing compared to Hogan, Austin, Rock or Cena as a champion which is fact.

So? You said he didn't draw money outside of Canada, which is BS. Nothing about Hogan, Austin, Rock or Cena.

I didn't say he wasn't easy to work with

Yes you did, go back and read your post.

Hart was popular to Hogan for a very small window, and even if I give you Europe he couldn't sell out MSG, and draw in the US which is fact.

He sold it out quite a few times actually. Wrestlemania 10 was one of them for example, but he helped sell it out at Survivor Series 1996 with arguably a bigger drawing match than the title match. He sold it out as part of a house show tag match with Undertaker when they faced Diesel and HBk and again as a house show headlining with Goldust. Why do you think the WWE made a big deal of his return to MSG after a long absence?

When you state things as fact you should be aware that we have ways of checking them online. Here's a website to back my claims up:

http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90smsg.htm

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

On Bret not drawing:
No, he did not live up to Hogan. And no, he did not draw like Austin. But he did very well both in the US and around the world.. And Vince has gone on the record many times saying how well of a draw Bret was and how much he relied on him when the bottom fell out from under him in 1993.

Literally, the bottom fell out of the WWF in 1993.

Around WM 9 / WM 10:
Flair left
Hogan left
Savage left
Warrior left
Andre passed
DiBiase retired

Literally every main event star that Vince created in the previous 10 years was gone.

I don't know what this has to do with top WWF champions though. By carrying a company for 4-5 years, Bret absolutely deserves to be in top 10.

 

[HBsam31]

1. Hulk Hogan - He changed wrestling forever. Just a larger than life WWE star who when most people say wrestling this is who they think of.

2. Steve Austin - He pretty much saved the WWE in the late 90's. The only star that can give Hogan a run for his money when you talk about biggest draws.

3. Bruno Sammartino - I don't know all that much about him, but he had one of the longest reigns ever, and he sold out arenas everywhere he went.

4. Bob Backlund - Had another one of the top reigns lengthwise, and they really leaned on him in a time after Bruno and before Hulk. Probably one of the more underrated champions.

5. John Cena - Ok this may be a little hi, but like Backlund he has carried the WWE when they really didn't have any other big full time stars. Had the longest reign in today's era.

6. Bret Hart - He lived the WWF title. It was important to him, and it showed. He was a fighting champion that would take on all comers. He took the ball when Hulk Hogan left and did a fine job considering. First champ of the New Generation era.

7. Macho Man - One of the few guys to have a title reign during the Hogan era, and a year long at that. I always felt he should have had a few more runs, but his on screen friendship and feud with Hogan was the focal point of the WWF for almost 2 years.

8. HHH - Probably the best heel champion of out time. He has held the title numerous times including the dominant 2002 that really made him a huge star.

9. The Rock - I agree with the poster that said he is underrated because he never really needed the title. His fued with Foley over the title was amazing. So much star power during his time that to hold the title multiple time then should put him on this list.

10. HBK - he is a personal choice of mine, and although he didn't hold the title many times I think he deserves a spot on the list. His first run was at the worst time possible with the explosion of the NWO, but he held his own and put on great matches. I would have loved to see him have one more run at the end of his career, but he didn't need it. Some say he was better late in his career than when he actually held the title.

 

[Chris1-16]

4. The Rock - In a similar boat as Austin... now he is even more popular with his movie career, but I place him behind Austin, because he aways seemed like the #2 guy until Austin went out injured in late '99. But from there, The Rock took the ball and never looked back.

Ridiculous statement for numerous reasons:

1. He was the IC Champion for the majority of '98, so he wasn't even in the World Title Picture for most of that year.

2. Was heel for the majority of 1998-mid 1999, with a small 2 month timeframe as a face.

3. For the 6 1/2 months they were a face in '99, the first 3 months the McMahon-Austin storyline was still going on.

4. Austin suffered multiple injuries after Fully Loaded '99, he wrestled only around 10 more matches for the rest of that year, then he was sidelined even longer after Survivor Series.

5. Austin played politics in '99, the day after Fully Loaded management wanted him to help put over Billy Gunn and Jeff Jarrett for the rest of the year, he didn't want to because "they weren't over enough to get a rub from him". This didn't really end up mattering in the long run because Austin injured his knee the same week this happened, see #4.

6. Austin wasn't the champion for the last 3 months he was around in '99, HHH had the belt.

Austin's push was fine in 1998 and even some of 1999, but by the summer of '99 Austin was exposed with the politics and with the WWF still doing great business with him injured from August-December of that year.

 

[Tattooed Jesus]

I am only going to include wrestlers that were champion during the years that I have been watching wrestling, so no one before Hulk Hogan.

1) Hulk Hogan, he had just won his first WWF Championship when I started watching wrestling back in 1984. I was a huge Hulkamaniac as a kid and loved everything Hogan did, that was until the Ultimate Warrior showed up and I turned my back and Hogan and became one of the Warriors followers. Hogan changed the landscape of wrestling and transcended wrestling like no one before him had ever done before. So feel he has to be #1 on the list.

2) Stone Cold Steve Austin didn't have the longest or most reigns or even any spectacularly memorable moments as champion but I have to put him at #2 because like Hogan he defined an era that changed the whole look, feel, and popularity of wrestling as a whole.

3) John Cena has more haters than anyone but I am not among them, I have like Cena since the first time I saw him wrestle Kurt Angle and I think I always will. Like Hogan and Austin before him Cena has defined and represented the current era of wrestling proudly and done a damn good job of it.

4) The Macho Man Randy Savage was the work horse of the "Hogan" era of the WWF. Savage busted his ass night in and night out putting on the best matches of the card. When he finally got his chance to step out of the shadow of Hogan he shined bright as one of the best WWF Champions of all time. I wish he would have had more reigns or longer reigns as champ but I love the time that he was.

5) Bret the Hitman Hart was WWF Champion when just about no one gave a shit about the WWF. Did this mean he was gone just skate by and half ass it, hell no! Bret still went out and put everything he had into every match he had. I don't think there has ever been or ever will be or more purely technical perfect wrestling champion like Bret Hart was.

6) HHH he is the Game, he is one of the best of all time. A lot of people give him shit for marrying the bosses daughter to get where he is but I say bullshit. If HHH wasn't busting his ass and making Vince money, daughter be damned, he would have fired his ass like anyone else on the roster. I don't agree with all the politicking Hunter was a part of during some of his reigns but even still he almost always put on top notch matches that made him deserving of being a champion.

7) HBK I almost want to tie with Hunter but I will drop him just behind him because of all the times he had to give up the belt for numerous reasons. Much like Savage, HBK was a work horse that gave it all every time he stepped in a ring. Again he may not have had the most, longest, or memorable title reigns but the matches he had were amazing!

8) Chris Jericho, the first Undisputed Champion really says it all doesn't it. Beating two of the single biggest draws in all of wrestling history in the same night, gets him a spot in my top ten every time!

9) Edge, Mr Money in the Bank, the Ultimate Opportunist, the Rated R Superstar, call him what you like Edge made the most of everything chance he ever got. Be it as a singles or tag team competitor Edge was always there ready to step up and fill whatever spot was needed and fill it well. Not many people had a lot of faith in him that he could carry the title and the company with it but Edge proved all of them wrong time and time again.

10) CM Punk, BEST IN THE WORLD. There is a reason he carries that moniker. If he does go for over year as the WWE Champion it will be an accomplishment that very few can also lay claim to. Punk is one of those guys that no matter what he does he is does it at 110% every night and that is something I will always respect about him.

 

[justtxyank]

Bob Backlund was the face of the WWF prior to Hogan, but he was a terrible champion. While he was champion the WWF championship lost its status as a recognized world title for a brief period and business dropped steadily.

My list:

1) Hulk Hogan- To me there is no doubt about this. He turned the WWF from a regional market wrestling show into a global phenomenon.

2) Bruno Sammartino- Did tremendous business for the WWF. Inflation adjusted I bet he is close to Hogan.

3) Triple H- This may be a controversial pick, but as this list isn't greatest superstar but rather greatest champion, I pick HHH over Austin and Rock from the attitude era. He brought a ton of credibility to the belt and his title feuds were epic.

4) Bret Hart- Was incredibly credible as a champion and gave people the best matches of their careers in programs for the title. Is one of the 5 men I instantly think of when I think of the title.

5) Steve Austin- If this was greatest star or draw he'd be #1 or #2 on the list, but not as champion. I believe his best work was competing for someone else's title or being the badass fighting against McMahon.

6) John Cena- I'm not a fan and have basically quit watching wrestling under his reign, but he is the face of the generation and was a major star as a champion.

7) The Rock- Never needed the belt, but he shone with it. He did a great job of making the title seem like the most important thing in the world to him which is a very underrated skill for a champion.

8) Yokozuna- His runs are very underrated today and I'm not sure why. He was a monster and was very over as a heel. His run as a champion was outstanding and helped make Bret Hart an icon.

9) Randy Savage- He was on of the few men who could shine in a promotion that featured the power of Hulkamania running wild. His first reign was very good and he shone brightly during his prime.

10) Shawn Michaels- I debated whether or not he belonged on this list because his run as a champion was sort of meh to me. But, the matches were great every time. I went ahead and picked him over Diesel, Randy Savage, Jericho and Kurt Angle who were finalists but just had one reason or another not to make the list.

 

[HBKperfect23]

1) Hulk Hogan- Biggest draw ever. Put WWF on the map. Started crossover into pop culture with Rock-N-Wrestling.

2) Steve Austin-The biggest draw when wrestling was its most popular.

3) Bob Backlund- Great face/heel champion. Held the title in two different eras.

4) Randy Savage- The year reign where he turned heel as champion was one of the best ever. Also held the title when the roster was at its best in 1992.

5) Shawn Michaels- Had a great heel/face run. Started the attitude era. Delivered in the ring. Brought a new style to the main event.

6)Triple H- Throw back heel. I loved his long title reigns.

7) The Rock- One of the most over champions ever.

8)Yokozuna- Dominate heel. Very believable champion.

9) Undertaker- Although he never needed the title, he could always carry the ball and did so in multiple eras.

10)Bret Hart- I enjoyed his first run the most. Also liked the USA/Can stuff with him as champion.

Honorable mention- Diesil: love him or hate him, he was over and was a believable champion.
Bruno was left off my list simply because I didnt see his run

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

Ridiculous statement for numerous reasons:

1. He was the IC Champion for the majority of '98, so he wasn't even in the World Title Picture for most of that year.

2. Was heel for the majority of 1998-mid 1999, with a small 2 month timeframe as a face.

3. For the 6 1/2 months they were a face in '99, the first 3 months the McMahon-Austin storyline was still going on.

4. Austin suffered multiple injuries after Fully Loaded '99, he wrestled only around 10 more matches for the rest of that year, then he was sidelined even longer after Survivor Series.

5. Austin played politics in '99, the day after Fully Loaded management wanted him to help put over Billy Gunn and Jeff Jarrett for the rest of the year, he didn't want to because "they weren't over enough to get a rub from him". This didn't really end up mattering in the long run because Austin injured his knee the same week this happened, see #4.

6. Austin wasn't the champion for the last 3 months he was around in '99, HHH had the belt.

Austin's push was fine in 1998 and even some of 1999, but by the summer of '99 Austin was exposed with the politics and with the WWF still doing great business with him injured from August-December of that year.

I wasn't getting in to specifics of when either of them were champion. I know the history. When you look back though, most people will consider Rock as the #2 of the attitude era behind Austin.

I even said in my original post, late 1999 and onwards, Rock took the ball and ran with it. And went on to become way more popular than Austin at the mainstream level.

2000 was Rocky's year, no doubt about that. But when Austin came back in late 2000, the focus was back on him. RAW was all about who ran over Austin, the Austin/HHH feud, and then finally Austin vs Rock II at WM17... And even after that, Austin held the title for something like 8 months in 2001.

So between 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, Austin was their top guy for 3 out of those four years.

 

[lowandmighty]

The company now known as wwe has had some great champions over the years, my list of the greatest won't be the same as everyones as I can't say bruno or backlund or anyone like that just cause I never really watched them so it would be unfair to rank one over the other.

Here's my list.
10. Kane- A short title reign but a very memorable one and an achievement that gave his character some of the best staying power anyone has ever had.
9. The Ultimate Warrior- not one of the most successful champions although a good length run. He makes the list because of being the first and only person to cleanly beat Hulk Hogan for the championship.
8. Diesel- won in at the time the shortest championship match time of all time and a year long run.
7. Bret Hart- Put his heart and sole into every match. Did the best job ever of putting someone else over in a championship match against Shawn Michaels at wrestlemania 12 in one of the most memorable matches of all time.
6. Shawn Micheals- Brought freshness of a new generation to the title, his championship feuds were always entertaining because of his character.
5. Macho Man Randy Savage- Somewhat rode the wave of Hulkamania to his own benefit, one of the most memorable championship reigns ever with Elizabeth at his side and the explosion of the mega powers. Heartfelt emotion. We still don't really know if he legit hated Hogan at the time. Good acting.
4.JBL- Funniest champion ever.
3. Stone Cold Steve Austin. Him as the champion and how he portrayed his character made him one of the most popular wrestlers of all time.
2. The Rock- Best story lines and catch phrases ever, some of the best matches ever (vs mankind). He doesn't actually rank all that well in days as champion but the days he was were fucking brilliant. Really was the most "electrifying"
1. Hulk Hogan- I don't think that even requires an explanation.

..on the horizon though- CM Punk.

On reflection I forgot the undertaker! god how much of an idiot am I? So I'd say I'd make kane 10th, take out the warrior and put the undertaker 2nd.