Who was the most abysmal world champion in WWE/WCW history?

[Vader]

If memory serves, HHH was simply given the Big Gold belt on Raw. Granted, he was considered the number 1 contender before Lesnar was signed with Smackdown, but this further defaced the value of the belt and instantly made it second tier, despite it being on the 1st tier show. I wouldn't say this is an undeserving act by HHH, but the way he got the title just added fuel to the argument that he had slept his way to the top, etc.

I don't get all the Jarrett hate personally. One of the original posters is quoting the Rise and Fall of WCW documentary that lambasted Jarrett who basically extorted Vince. Well consider the source of the documentary and Vince's remarks about Jarrett in the last episode of Nitro.

Jarrett and Steiner were good heel draws for WCW in their dying years. Jarrett was elevated too quickly, and him instantly being put in the Heavyweight Title chase after being the IC holder in the WWF discredited the WCW more.

Besides the obvious, you have lackluster reigns for WCW in the early 90s from several guys that weren't doing much for the company IMO.

Unless I missed it, I don't believe anyone has mentioned the ridiculous reign of Bob Backlund either.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

Ron Simmonds' reign, whilst I wouldn't say was the worst of all time, certainly deserves a mention. I mean, he defended the title on pay per view against the Barbarian FFS!! (Halloween Havoc '92 for those who were wondering); for such a momentous achievement (first African-American world champion in the major leagues), and after a good victory (powerslamming Vader to pin him), Simmonds' run was very poorly booked.

I also dislike any short reign. Sting and Vader I believe traded the world title on the UK tour in 1993 within a few days of each other; the last poster mentioned Backlund in 1995; the ridiculous amounts of changes in WCW 2000; Bret Hart winning at Final Four then losing to Sid the next night. All these denigrate the prestige of the title IMO. I know the old school mentality was that faces only fight heels, which is why transitional champions like Stan Stasiak (was it nine days?) carried the belt, but if only the company was brave enough back then to try, for example, Sammartino v Morales, the two top faces against each other. It could have altered the course of wrestling history!

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

The absolute worst of all was Vince Russo. The fact that he ever held a belt was an abomination and a disgrace. Arquette's reign deserves the hate it gets, but at least a tiny miniscule argument can be made for it, to help promote an underrated movie that WCW played a big part in. Russo had no business being anywhere near the belt and NOTHING justifies that reign.

I agree with this totally.

I'm not one of the people that lays into Vince Russo for everything he did, calling him the "anti-christ of wrestling" etc, I do enjoy some of the things he did and do think he talks sense sometimes. However, this was his biggest mistake, and a perfect example of how someone's ego can run away with them.

Russo was a magazine writer and a wrestling storyline writer. He wasn't a wrestler, and shouldn't have been an on-screen character at all- let alone competing in a match. To write himself into the show and make himself the WCW Champion was an insult to the business and an absolute disgrace. If I had watched WCW at that time I would certainly have stopped watching after that. There is no possible explanation as to why Russo gave himself the title other than he did it because he could.

David Arquette as champion was another stupid decision, but at least there was SOME kind of thought behind it- the Ready To Rumble movie. It did get WCW some mainstream publicity, and Arquette did at least attempt to treat the belt with respect and donated all the money he earned to charity. It certainly shouldn't have happened but it wasn't as bad as Russo getting the title.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Yea, if you want to elevate a midcarder to the main event... you have to build them up. You can't just throw the title on a career midcarder. And that's exactly what happened with Jarrett. It wasn't believable, and literally made WCW look like the B show in comparison to The Rock or Triple H at the time on the other show.




This is exactly my point. They all "accidentally" won the title and lost or vacated it right away as part of an angle. It doesn't change the fact that in the record book they go down as former world champions, and that can devalue the championship. But they were never meant to be taken as a serious championship win or reign.

However, I need to ask to everyone who is choosing Russo's title win but not McMahon's. How are they any different?

Vince McMahon's reign worked in context, as did his Rumble win. While it would have been infinitely better to put it on Shane, who was a worker of the level to make it stick for the purposes of the infinite heat it created, it was worth it. Vince McMahon was older at the time but in (albiet roided) awesome shape for a guy his age, it was dumb and wish fulfillment of the worst kind for him... but it was also kinda cool to see the guy who clearly COULD have been a top wrestler had his father allowed it get that title. Vince's acting when he won it was great VKM was in shape, prepared, knew the magnitude of it and made it great TV at the time in the context of the story and the war. While he was physically out of it, bloodied and battered he would have been that teenager again who his dad refused to let him get "in the business that way" and the match worked, he earned it hardway taking the beating.

Vince Russo didn't, he knew he was popping a rating or hotshotting, he did it cos he could not cos he should. He had no business entering a ring much less lifting the title.

 

[tdmoon]

What about Andre the Giant? He didn't even defend the belt before he sold it to Dibiase. Then the title was declared vacant.

 

[rmp0012002]

What about Andre the Giant? He didn't even defend the belt before he sold it to Dibiase. Then the title was declared vacant.

While I don't think anyone can top arquette and Russo, Andre's was pretty pathetic as it lasted all of 30 seconds.