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The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship contested in the American promotion WWE on the SmackDown brand. It was originally known as the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship and began as a regional championship created by and defended in Jim Crockett Jr.'s Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, a territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Harley Race became the inaugural champion on the title's introduction on January 1, 1975. Turner Broadcasting bought Mid-Atlantic in November 1988 and renamed it World Championship Wrestling (WCW) after its primary television program.
In March 2001, the then-WWF bought selected assets of WCW.[1] This resulted in the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship becoming a championship for the WWF, which referred to it as the WCW United States Championship. At Survivor Series in November 2001, the WCW United States and WWF Intercontinental Championships were unified, resulting in the United States Championship being deactivated. In July 2003, the title was reactivated as the WWE United States Championship. It is the only active WWE championship not created by the promotion. As of the 2023 WWE Draft it is exclusive to the SmackDown brand.
The championship is contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participants execute scripted finishes rather than contend in direct competition. Some reigns were held by champions using a ring name, while others used their real name. Shinsuke Nakamura is the current champion in his third reign. He defeated LA Knight at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 30, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Overall, there have been 12
different champions. Ric Flair holds the record for having the most reigns at six,[2] while John Cena holds the record for most reigns under the WWE banner at five. Lex Luger holds the longest reign, with his third reign lasting 53 days, while Dean Ambrose holds the longest reign under the WWE banner at 351 days (overall the third longest in the title's history).[3] "Stunning" Steve Austin's second reign was the shortest, lasting approximately five minutes. Only two men, Lex Luger and Rick Rude, have held the championship continuously for one year (365 days) or more.
Name[4][5] | Years[4][5] |
---|---|
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) | January 1, 1975 – January 27, 1981 |
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Undisputed version) | January 27, 1981 – January 1991 |
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship | January 1991 – March 26, 2001 |
WCW Canadian Championship (unofficially) | July 18, 2000 – October 29, 2000 |
WCW United States Championship | June 24, 2001 – November 18, 2001 |
WWE United States Championship | July 27, 2003 – present |
No. | Overall reign number |
---|---|
Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
Days | Number of days held |
Days recog. | Number of days held recognized by the promotion |
† | Championship change is unrecognized by the promotion |
<1 | Reign lasted less than a day |
+ | Current reign is changing daily |
No. | Champion | Championship change | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | Days recog. | |||||
National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) / Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) | ||||||||||
1 | Harley Race | January 1, 1975 | House show | Tallahassee, FL | 1 | 183 | 183 | Defeated Johnny Weaver in a tournament final to become the inaugural NWA United States Heavyweight Champion for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. | [6][4][7] | |
2 | Johnny Valentine | July 3, 1975 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 1 | 93 | 92 | [6][7] | ||
— | Vacated | October 4, 1975 | — | — | — | — | — | Vacated when Johnny Valentine suffered a career-ending injury in a plane crash. | [4][8][7] | |
3 | Terry Funk | November 9, 1975 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 1 | 18 | 18 | Defeated Paul Jones in a tournament final for the vacant title. | [4][7] | |
4 | Paul Jones | November 27, 1975 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 1 | 107 | 106 | [6][7] | ||
5 | Blackjack Mulligan | March 13, 1976 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 1 | 217 | 217 | [6][7] | ||
6 | Paul Jones | October 16, 1976 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 2 | 43 | 42 | WWE recognizes Jones' reign as ending on November 28, 1976. | [6][7] | |
† | Blackjack Mulligan | November 28, 1976 | House show | Charlotte, NC | 2 | 11 | — | [4][7] | ||
† | Paul Jones | December 9, 1976 | House show | Winston-Salem, NC | 3 | 6 | — | [4][7] | ||
7 | Blackjack Mulligan | December 15, 1976 | House show | Raleigh, NC | 2(3) | 204 | 204 | [6][7] | ||
8 | Bobo Brazil | July 7, 1977 | House show | Norfolk, VA | 1 | 22 | 21 | [6][7] | ||
9 | Ric Flair | July 29, 1977 | House show | Richmond, VA | 1 | 84 | 83 | [6][7][9] | ||
10 | Ricky Steamboat | October 21, 1977 | House show | Charleston, SC | 1 | 72 | 72 | [6][7] | ||
11 | Blackjack Mulligan | January 1, 1978 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 3(4) | 77 | 77 | [4][6][7] | ||
12 | Mr. Wrestling | March 19, 1978 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 1 | 21 | 21 | [6][7] | ||
13 | Ric Flair | April 9, 1978 | House show | Charlotte, NC | 2 | 253 | 251 | [6][7] | ||
14 | Ricky Steamboat | December 17, 1978 | House show | Toronto, ON, Canada | 2 | 105 | 104 | [6][7] | ||
15 | Ric Flair | April 1, 1979 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 3 | 133 | 133 | [6][7] | ||
— | Vacated | August 12, 1979 | — | — | — | — | — | Vacated when Ric Flair won the NWA World Tag Team Championship four days prior. | [4][7] | |
16 | Jimmy Snuka | September 1, 1979 | House show | Charlotte, NC | 1 | 231 | 232 | Defeated Ricky Steamboat in a tournament final for the vacant title. WWE recognizes Snuka's reign as ending on April 20, 1980. |
[4][10][7] | |
17 | Ric Flair | April 19, 1980 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 4 | 98 | 97 | WWE recognizes Flair's reign as beginning on April 20, 1980, although in reality, he won the title on April 19, 1980. | [6][10][7] | |
† | Greg Valentine | July 26, 1980 | House show | Charlotte, NC | 1 | 121 | — | [4][7] | ||
† | Ric Flair | November 24, 1980 | House show | Greenville, SC | 5 | 64 | — | Although this reign is not recognized, a WWE.com article recognized Flair as a six-time champion. | [6][11][7] | |
18 | Roddy Piper | January 27, 1981 | House show | Raleigh, NC | 1 | 193 | 193 | The title became the undisputed NWA United States Heavyweight Championship in January 1981 after the NWA San Francisco office, the last other promotion to recognize its own United States Heavyweight Champion, closed. | [6][7] | |
19 | Wahoo McDaniel | August 8, 1981 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 1 | 31 | 31 | [6][7] | ||
— | Vacated | September 8, 1981 | — | — | — | — | — | Vacated when Wahoo McDaniel was injured by Abdullah the Butcher. | [12][7] | |
20 | Sgt. Slaughter | October 4, 1981 | House show | Charlotte, NC | 1 | 229 | 228 | Defeated Ricky Steamboat in a tournament final for the vacant title. | [12][7] | |
21 | Wahoo McDaniel | May 21, 1982 | House show | Richmond, VA | 2 | 17 | 17 | [6][7] | ||
22 | Sgt. Slaughter | June 7, 1982 | House show | Greenville, SC | 2 | 76 | 75 | Awarded the title due to Wahoo McDaniel being injured by Don Muraco and Roddy Piper before the match. | [13][7] | |
23 | Wahoo McDaniel | August 22, 1982 | House show | Charlotte, NC | 3 | 74 | 74 | [6][7] | ||
24 | Greg Valentine | November 4, 1982 | House show | Norfolk, VA | 1(2) | 163 | 162 | [6][7] | ||
25 | Roddy Piper | April 16, 1983 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 2 | 14 | 14 | [6][7] | ||
26 | Greg Valentine | May 1, 1983 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 2(3) | 228 | 228 | Valentine won when Roddy Piper suffered a large cut over his left ear and the referee stopped the match. | [6][14][7] | |
27 | Dick Slater | December 14, 1983 | House show | Shelby, NC | 1 | 129 | 129 | [6] | ||
28 | Ricky Steamboat | April 21, 1984 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 3 | 64 | 63 | [6] | ||
29 | Wahoo McDaniel | June 24, 1984 | House show | Greensboro, NC | 4 | 7 | 6 | [6] | ||
— | Vacated | July 1, 1984 | — | — | — | — | — | Wahoo McDaniel was stripped of the title due to Tully Blanchard interfering in McDaniel's title defense. | [4] | |
30 | Wahoo McDaniel | October 7, 1984 | House show | Charlotte, NC | 5 | 167 | 167 | Defeated Manny Fernandez in a tournament final for the vacant title. | [4] | |
31 | Magnum T. A. | March 23, 1985 | Worldwide Wrestling | Charlotte, NC | 1 | 120 | 119 | [15] | ||
32 | Tully Blanchard | July 21, 1985 | House show | Charlotte, NC | 1 | 130 | 129 | [16] | ||
33 | Magnum T. A. | November 28, 1985 | Starrcade | Greensboro, NC | 2 | 182 | 153 | This was an "I Quit" steel cage match. WWE recognizes Magnum T. A. as being stripped of the title on May 1, 1986. |
[17][18] | |
— | Vacated | May 29, 1986 | — | — | — | — | — | Magnum T. A. was stripped of the title for attacking NWA president Bob Geigel. | [17] | |
34 | Nikita Koloff | August 17, 1986 | House show | Charlotte, NC | 1 | 328 | 327 | Defeated Magnum T. A. in a best of seven series for the vacant title,[4][19] Koloff defeated Wahoo McDaniel on September 28, 1986 to unify the NWA National Heavyweight Championship into the U.S. title.[20] |
[21] | |
35 | Lex Luger | July 11, 1987 | Great American Bash | Greensboro, NC | 1 | 138 | 137 | This was a steel cage match.[22][23] | [24] | |
36 | Dusty Rhodes | November 26, 1987 | Starrcade | Chicago, IL | 1 | 141 | 140 | This was a steel cage match.[25] | [26] | |
— | Vacated | April 9, 1988 | — | — | — | — | — | Dusty Rhodes was stripped of the title and suspended for 120 days for attacking NWA President Jim Crockett. | [4] | |
37 | Barry Windham | May 13, 1988 | House show | Houston, TX | 1 | 283 | 282 | Defeated Nikita Koloff in a tournament final for the vacant title. | [27][28] | |
National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) / World Championship Wrestling (WCW) | ||||||||||
38 | Lex Luger | February 20, 1989 | Chi-Town Rumble | Chicago, IL | 2 | 76 | 75 | [29] | ||
39 | Michael Hayes | May 7, 1989 | WrestleWar | Nashville, TN | 1 | 15 | 14 | [30][31] | ||
40 | Lex Luger | May 22, 1989 | House show | Bluefield, WV | 3 | 523 | 522 | Aired on NWA World Wide Wrestling on June 10, 1989. | ||
41 | Stan Hansen | October 27, 1990 | Halloween Havoc | Chicago, IL | 1 | 50 | 49 | [32] | ||
42 | Lex Luger | December 16, 1990 | Starrcade | St. Louis, MO | 4 | 210 | 209 | This was a Texas Bullrope match. During Luger's reign in 1991, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) split from the NWA and the title was renamed as the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship. |
[33] | |
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) | ||||||||||
— | Vacated | July 14, 1991 | The Great American Bash | Baltimore, MD | — | — | — | Vacated when Lex Luger won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. | [33] | |
43 | Sting | August 25, 1991 | House show | Atlanta, GA | 1 | 86 | 85 | Defeated Steve Austin in a tournament final for the vacant title. | [34] | |
44 | Rick Rude | November 19, 1991 | Clash of the Champions XVII | Savannah, GA | 1 | 378 | 377 | [35] | ||
— | Vacated | December 1, 1992 | — | — | — | — | — | Vacated due to Rick Rude suffering an injury. | [35] | |
45 | Dustin Rhodes | January 11, 1993 | Saturday Night | Atlanta, GA | 1 | 138 | 109 | Defeated Ricky Steamboat in a match that was originally made to determine the No. 1 contender. But, upon Rick Rude's vacating the title, the match was instead made to decide the new champion. Aired on tape delay on January 16, 1993. WWE's official title history incorrectly lists his reign as lasting 109 days, ending on May 1, 1993. |
[36] | |
— | Vacated | May 29, 1993 | WCW Saturday Night | — | — | — | — | The WCW Board of Directors announced the title had been held-up, several weeks after Rhodes' controversial title defense against Rick Rude that ended in Rude appearing to win via pinfall, and taking possession of the title belt, despite both wrestlers' shoulders being off the mat. | [36] | |
46 | Dustin Rhodes | August 30, 1993 | Saturday Night | Atlanta, GA | 2 | 119 | 118 | Defeated Rick Rude in a rematch for the vacant title. Aired on tape delay on September 11, 1993. |
[37] | |
47 | Steve Austin | December 27, 1993 | Starrcade '93: 10th Anniversary | Charlotte, NC | 1 | 240 | 239 | This was a two out of three falls match.[38] | [39] | |
48 | Ricky Steamboat | August 24, 1994 | Clash of the Champions XXVIII | Cedar Rapids, IA | 4 | 25 | 24 | [40] | ||
49 | Steve Austin | September 18, 1994 | Fall Brawl 1994: War Games | Roanoke, VA | 2 | <1 | <1 | Awarded the title due to Ricky Steamboat being injured. | [41] | |
50 | Jim Duggan | September 18, 1994 | Fall Brawl 1994: War Games | Roanoke, VA | 1 | 100 | 99 | [42] | ||
51 | Vader | December 27, 1994 | Starrcade | Nashville, TN | 1 | 88 | 87 | [43] | ||
— | Vacated | March 25, 1995 | Saturday Night | Atlanta, GA | — | — | — | Vader was stripped of the title by WCW commissioner Nick Bockwinkel for hospitalizing Dave Sullivan one week prior. | [4] | |
52 | Sting | June 18, 1995 | The Great American Bash | Dayton, OH | 2 | 148 | 147 | Defeated Meng in a tournament final for the vacant title. | [44] | |
53 | Kensuke Sasaki | November 13, 1995 | WCW World in Japan | Tokyo, Japan | 1 | 44 | 43 | Won the title at a New Japan Pro-Wrestling event. | [45] | |
54 | One Man Gang | December 27, 1995 | Starrcade: World Cup of Wrestling | Nashville, TN | 1 | 33 | 32 | Won in a post-PPV dark match. Although the match was restarted and Kensuke Sasaki subsequently retained the title, it was never acknowledged by WCW, nor is it acknowledged by WWE. | [46] | |
55 | Konnan | January 29, 1996 | Main Event | Canton, OH | 1 | 160 | 159 | [47] | ||
56 | Ric Flair | July 7, 1996 | Bash at the Beach | Daytona Beach, FL | 5(6) | 141 | 140 | [48] | ||
— | Vacated | November 25, 1996 | — | — | — | — | — | Vacated due to Ric Flair suffering a shoulder injury. | [48] | |
57 | Eddie Guerrero | December 29, 1996 | Starrcade | Nashville, TN | 1 | 77 | 76 | Defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a tournament final for the vacant title. | [49] | |
58 | Dean Malenko | March 16, 1997 | Uncensored | North Charleston, SC | 1 | 85 | 84 | This was a no disqualification match | [50] | |
59 | Jeff Jarrett | June 9, 1997 | Nitro | Boston, MA | 1 | 73 | 72 | [50] | ||
60 | Steve McMichael | August 21, 1997 | Clash of the Champions XXXV | Nashville, TN | 1 | 25 | 24 | [51] | ||
61 | Curt Hennig | September 15, 1997 | Nitro | Charlotte, NC | 1 | 104 | 103 | [52] | ||
62 | Diamond Dallas Page | December 28, 1997 | Starrcade | Washington, D.C. | 1 | 112 | 111 | [53] | ||
63 | Raven | April 19, 1998 | Spring Stampede | Denver, CO | 1 | 1 | <1 | This was a "Raven's Rules" match. | [54] | |
64 | Goldberg | April 20, 1998 | Nitro | Colorado Springs, CO | 1 | 77 | 90 | This was a "Raven's Rules" match. WWE's official title history incorrectly lists Goldberg's reign as lasting 90 days, ending on July 20, 1998. |
[55] | |
— | Vacated | July 6, 1998 | Nitro | Atlanta, GA | — | — | — | Vacated when Goldberg won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. | [4] | |
65 | Bret Hart | July 20, 1998 | Nitro | Salt Lake City, UT | 1 | 21 | 20 | Defeated Diamond Dallas Page for the vacant title. | [56][57] | |
66 | Lex Luger | August 10, 1998 | Nitro | Rapid City, SD | 5 | 3 | 2 | [58] | ||
67 | Bret Hart | August 13, 1998 | Thunder | Fargo, ND | 2 | 74 | 73 | [59] | ||
68 | Diamond Dallas Page | October 26, 1998 | Nitro | Phoenix, AZ | 2 | 35 | 34 | [60] | ||
69 | Bret Hart | November 30, 1998 | Nitro | Chattanooga, TN | 3 | 70 | 69 | This was a no disqualification match. | [61] | |
70 | Roddy Piper | February 8, 1999 | Nitro | Buffalo, NY | 3 | 13 | 12 | [62] | ||
71 | Scott Hall | February 21, 1999 | SuperBrawl IX | Oakland, CA | 1 | 25 | 24 | [63] | ||
— | Vacated | March 18, 1999 | Thunder | Lexington, KY | — | — | — | Scott Hall was stripped of the title by WCW President Ric Flair. | [63] | |
72 | Scott Steiner | April 11, 1999 | Spring Stampede | Tacoma, WA | 1 | 85 | 84 | Defeated Booker T in a tournament final for the vacant title. | [64] | |
— | Vacated | July 5, 1999 | Nitro | Atlanta, GA | — | — | — | Scott Steiner was stripped of the title by WCW President Ric Flair. | [64] | |
73 | David Flair | July 5, 1999 | Nitro | Atlanta, GA | 1 | 35 | 34 | Awarded the title by his father, WCW President Ric Flair. | [65] | |
74 | Chris Benoit | August 9, 1999 | Nitro | Boise, ID | 1 | 34 | 33 | [65] | ||
75 | Sid Vicious | September 12, 1999 | Fall Brawl | Winston-Salem, NC | 1 | 42 | 41 | [66] | ||
76 | Goldberg | October 24, 1999 | Halloween Havoc | Paradise, NV | 2 | 1 | <1 | Won the title when Sid Vicious suffered excessive bleeding and the referee stopped the match. | [66][67] | |
77 | Bret Hart | October 25, 1999 | Nitro | Phoenix, AZ | 4 | 14 | 13 | [68] | ||
78 | Scott Hall | November 8, 1999 | Nitro | Indianapolis, IN | 2 | 41 | 40 | This was a four-way ladder match, also involving Sid Vicious and Goldberg. | [69] | |
79 | Chris Benoit | December 19, 1999 | Starrcade | Washington, D.C. | 2 | 1 | <1 | Awarded the title when Scott Hall suffered a knee injury during the match. | [69] | |
80 | Jeff Jarrett | December 20, 1999 | Nitro | Baltimore, MD | 2 | 27 | 26 | This was a ladder match. | [70] | |
— | Vacated | January 16, 2000 | Souled Out | Cincinnati, OH | — | — | — | Vacated due to Jeff Jarrett suffering an injury. | [70] | |
81 | Jeff Jarrett | January 17, 2000 | Nitro | Columbus, OH | 3 | 84 | 83 | Awarded by WCW Commissioner Kevin Nash. | [71] | |
— | Vacated | April 10, 2000 | Nitro | Denver, CO | — | — | — | All WCW titles were declared vacant by Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff after WCW was rebooted. | [72] | |
82 | Scott Steiner | April 16, 2000 | Spring Stampede | Chicago, IL | 2 | 84 | 83 | Defeated Sting in a tournament final for the vacant title.[73] | [72] | |
— | Vacated | July 9, 2000 | Bash at the Beach | Daytona Beach, FL | — | — | — | Scott Steiner was stripped of the title when he used the banned Steiner Recliner submission hold on Mike Awesome.[74] | [72] | |
83 | Lance Storm | July 18, 2000 | Nitro | Auburn Hills, MI | 1 | 66 | 65 | Defeated Mike Awesome in a tournament final for the vacant title. Storm unofficially renamed the title the WCW Canadian Heavyweight Championship. | [75] | |
84 | Terry Funk | September 22, 2000 | House show | Amarillo, TX | 2 | 1 | <1 | This title change was not recognized by WCW, but is recognized by WWE. | [76] | |
85 | Lance Storm | September 23, 2000 | House show | Lubbock, TX | 2 | 36 | 35 | This title change was not recognized by WCW, but is recognized by WWE. | [77] | |
86 | Gen. Rection | October 29, 2000 | Halloween Havoc | Paradise, NV | 1 | 12 | 14 | Defeated Lance Storm and Jim Duggan in a handicap match. WWE recognizes his reign as ending on November 13, 2000, when the following episode aired on tape delay. |
[78] | |
87 | Lance Storm | November 10, 2000 | Nitro | London, England | 3 | 16 | 12 | WWE recognizes his reign as beginning on November 13, 2000, when the episode aired on tape delay. | [79][4] | |
88 | Gen. Rection | November 26, 2000 | Mayhem | Milwaukee, WI | 2 | 49 | 48 | [80] | ||
89 | Shane Douglas | January 14, 2001 | Sin | Indianapolis, IN | 1 | 22 | 21 | This was a First Blood Chain match. | [81] | |
90 | Rick Steiner | February 5, 2001 | Nitro | Tupelo, MS | 1 | 41 | 40 | [82] | ||
91 | Booker T | March 18, 2001 | Greed | Jacksonville, FL | 1 | 128 | 127 | The title and other selected assets of WCW were purchased by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It was subsequently referred to as the WCW United States Championship and was defended on WWF programming. | [83] | |
World Wrestling Federation (WWF) | ||||||||||
92 | Chris Kanyon | July 24, 2001 | SmackDown! | Pittsburgh, PA | 1 | 48 | 45 | Given the title by Booker T as he was also the WCW Champion. WWE recognizes Kanyon's reign as beginning on July 26, 2001, when the episode aired on tape delay. |
[84] | |
93 | Tajiri | September 10, 2001 | Raw | San Antonio, TX | 1 | 13 | 12 | [85] | ||
94 | Rhyno | September 23, 2001 | Unforgiven | Pittsburgh, PA | 1 | 29 | 28 | [86] | ||
95 | Kurt Angle | October 22, 2001 | Raw | Kansas City, MO | 1 | 21 | 20 | [87] | ||
96 | Edge | November 12, 2001 | Raw | Boston, MA | 1 | 6 | 5 | [88] | ||
— | Unified | November 18, 2001 | Survivor Series | Greensboro, NC | — | — | — | Edge defeated WWF Intercontinental Champion Test in a title unification match. Edge became the Intercontinental Champion while the United States title was deactivated. In May 2002, the WWF became WWE. | [88] | |
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE): SmackDown | ||||||||||
97 | Eddie Guerrero | July 27, 2003 | Vengeance | Denver, CO | 2 | 84 | 83 | The title was reactivated as the WWE United States Championship as an exclusive title of the SmackDown brand. Guerrero defeated Chris Benoit in a tournament final for the revived title. | [89] | |
98 | Big Show | October 19, 2003 | No Mercy | Baltimore, MD | 1 | 147 | 146 | [90] | ||
99 | John Cena | March 14, 2004 | WrestleMania XX | New York, NY | 1 | 114 | 136 | WWE's official title history incorrectly lists Cena's reign as lasting 136 days, ending on July 29, 2004. The match description for Booker T's title win states that Cena was stripped of the title "a few weeks prior" to the July 29, 2004 tape delay episode of SmackDown! | [91] | |
— | Vacated | July 6, 2004 | SmackDown! | Winnipeg, MB, Canada | — | — | — | John Cena was stripped of the title after attacking SmackDown! General Manager Kurt Angle. Aired on tape delay on July 8, 2004. |
[92] | |
100 | Booker T | July 27, 2004 | SmackDown! | Cincinnati, OH | 2 | 68 | 65 | This was an eight-way elimination match, also involving John Cena, René Duprée, Kenzo Suzuki, Rob Van Dam, Billy Gunn, Charlie Haas, and Luther Reigns. WWE recognizes Booker T's reign as beginning on July 29, 2004, when the episode aired on tape delay. |
[92] | |
101 | John Cena | October 3, 2004 | No Mercy | East Rutherford, NJ | 2 | 2 | 3 | This was the fifth match of a Best of Five series. WWE recognizes Cena's reign as ending on October 7, 2004, when the following episode aired on tape delay. |
[93] | |
102 | Carlito Caribbean Cool | October 5, 2004 | SmackDown! | Boston, MA | 1 | 42 | 41 | WWE recognizes Carlito's reign as beginning on October 7, 2004 and ending on November 18, 2004, both episodes of which aired on tape delay. | [94][95] | |
103 | John Cena | November 16, 2004 | SmackDown! | Dayton, OH | 3 | 105 | 104 | WWE recognizes Cena's reign as beginning on November 18, 2004 and ending on March 3, 2005, both episodes of which aired on tape delay. | [96] | |
104 | Orlando Jordan | March 1, 2005 | SmackDown! | Albany, NY | 1 | 173 | 170 | WWE recognizes Jordan's reign as beginning on March 3, 2005, when the episode aired on tape delay. | [97] | |
105 | Chris Benoit | August 21, 2005 | SummerSlam | Washington, D.C. | 3 | 58 | 60 | WWE recognizes Benoit's reign as ending on October 21, 2005, when the following episode aired on tape delay. | [98] | |
106 | Booker T | October 18, 2005 | SmackDown! | Reno, NV | 3 | 35 | 34 | WWE recognizes Booker T's reign as beginning on October 21, 2005 and ending on November 25, 2005, both episodes of which aired on tape delay. | [99] | |
— | Vacated | November 22, 2005 | SmackDown! | Sheffield, England | — | — | — | Vacated when Booker T's title defense against Chris Benoit ended in a double pinfall.[5] Aired on tape delay on November 25, 2005. |
[99] | |
107 | Booker T | January 10, 2006 | SmackDown! | Philadelphia, PA | 4 | 40 | 36 | Booker T faced Chris Benoit in a Best of Seven series, winning the first three matches; Randy Orton substituted for Booker T after that due to injury, losing the next three matches, but winning the final for the vacant title. WWE recognizes Booker T's reign as beginning on January 13, 2006, when the episode aired on tape delay. |
[100] | |
108 | Chris Benoit | February 19, 2006 | No Way Out | Baltimore, MD | 4 | 42 | 41 | [101] | ||
109 | John "Bradshaw" Layfield | April 2, 2006 | WrestleMania 22 | Rosemont, IL | 1 | 51 | 53 | WWE recognizes JBL's reign as ending on May 26, 2006, when the following episode aired on tape delay. | [102] | |
110 | Bobby Lashley | May 23, 2006 | SmackDown! | Bakersfield, CA | 1 | 49 | 48 | WWE recognizes Lashley's reign as beginning on May 26, 2006 and ending on July 14, 2006, both episodes of which aired on tape delay. | [103] | |
111 | Finlay | July 11, 2006 | SmackDown! | Minneapolis, MN | 1 | 49 | 48 | WWE recognizes Finlay's reign as beginning on July 14, 2006 and ending on September 1, 2006, both episodes of which aired on tape delay. | [104] | |
112 | Mr. Kennedy | August 29, 2006 | SmackDown! | Reading, PA | 1 | 42 | 41 | This was a triple threat match, also involving Bobby Lashley who Kennedy pinned. WWE recognizes Kennedy's reign as beginning on September 1, 2006 and ending on October 13, 2006, both episodes of which aired on tape delay. |
[105][106] | |
113 | Chris Benoit | October 10, 2006 | SmackDown! | Jacksonville, FL | 5 | 222 | 218 | WWE recognizes Benoit's reign as beginning on October 13, 2006, when the episode aired on tape delay. | [107][108] | |
114 | Montel Vontavious Porter | May 20, 2007 | Judgment Day | St. Louis, MO | 1 | 343 | 342 | This was a two out of three falls match. | [109][110] | |
115 | Matt Hardy | April 27, 2008 | Backlash | Baltimore, MD | 1 | 84 | 83 | The title became exclusive to the ECW brand following the 2008 WWE Draft. | [111][112] | |
WWE: ECW | ||||||||||
116 | Shelton Benjamin | July 20, 2008 | The Great American Bash | Uniondale, NY | 1 | 240 | 242 | The title was returned to SmackDown due to Benjamin's status as a SmackDown wrestler. | [113][114] | |
WWE: SmackDown | ||||||||||
117 | Montel Vontavious Porter | March 17, 2009 | SmackDown | Corpus Christi, TX | 2 | 76 | 72 | The title became exclusive to the Raw brand following the 2009 WWE Draft. | [115][116] | |
WWE: Raw | ||||||||||
118 | Kofi Kingston | June 1, 2009 | Raw | Birmingham, AL | 1 | 126 | 125 | [117][118] | ||
119 | The Miz | October 5, 2009 | Raw | Wilkes-Barre, PA | 1 | 224 | 223 | [119][120] | ||
120 | Bret Hart | May 17, 2010 | Raw | Toronto, ON, Canada | 5 | 7 | 6 | This was a no disqualification, no countout match. | [121][122] | |
— | Vacated | May 24, 2010 | Raw | Toledo, OH | — | — | — | Vacated when Bret Hart became the Raw General Manager. | [121][123] | |
121 | R-Truth | May 24, 2010 | Raw | Toledo, OH | 1 | 21 | 20 | Defeated The Miz to win the vacant title. | [123][124] | |
122 | The Miz | June 14, 2010 | Raw | Charlotte, NC | 2 | 97 | 96 | This was a fatal four-way match, also involving John Morrison and Zack Ryder. | [125][126] | |
123 | Daniel Bryan | September 19, 2010 | Night of Champions | Rosemont, IL | 1 | 176 | 176 | [127] | ||
124 | Sheamus | March 14, 2011 | Raw | St. Louis, MO | 1 | 48 | 47 | If Sheamus lost, he would have quit WWE. Title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand following the 2011 WWE Draft. |
[128] | |
WWE: SmackDown | ||||||||||
125 | Kofi Kingston | May 1, 2011 | Extreme Rules | Tampa, FL | 2 | 49 | 48 | This was a tables match. The title became exclusive to Raw due to Kingston's status as a Raw wrestler. | [129] | |
WWE: Raw | ||||||||||
126 | Dolph Ziggler | June 19, 2011 | Capitol Punishment | Washington, D.C. | 1 | 182 | 181 | On August 29, 2011, the brand extension ended, allowing the United States Champion to appear on both Raw and SmackDown. | [130] | |
WWE (unbranded) | ||||||||||
127 | Zack Ryder | December 18, 2011 | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | Baltimore, MD | 1 | 29 | 28 | [131] | ||
128 | Jack Swagger | January 16, 2012 | Raw | Anaheim, CA | 1 | 49 | 49 | [132] | ||
129 | Santino Marella | March 5, 2012 | Raw | Boston, MA | 1 | 167 | 166 | [133] | ||
130 | Antonio Cesaro | August 19, 2012 | SummerSlam Pre-Show |
Los Angeles, CA | 1 | 239 | 239 | [134] | ||
131 | Kofi Kingston | April 15, 2013 | Raw | Greenville, SC | 3 | 34 | 34 | [135] | ||
132 | Dean Ambrose | May 19, 2013 | Extreme Rules | St. Louis, MO | 1 | 351 | 350 | [3][136] | ||
133 | Sheamus | May 5, 2014 | Raw | Albany, NY | 2 | 182 | 182 | This was a 20-man battle royal. Sheamus lastly eliminated Dean Ambrose to win the match and the title. | [137] | |
134 | Rusev | November 3, 2014 | Raw Backstage Pass | Buffalo, NY | 1 | 146 | 145 | [138] | ||
135 | John Cena | March 29, 2015 | WrestleMania 31 | Santa Clara, CA | 4 | 147 | 146 | [139] | ||
136 | Seth Rollins | August 23, 2015 | SummerSlam | Brooklyn, NY | 1 | 28 | 28 | This was a winner takes all match, in which Rollins defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. | [140] | |
137 | John Cena | September 20, 2015 | Night of Champions | Houston, TX | 5 | 35 | 34 | [141] | ||
138 | Alberto Del Rio | October 25, 2015 | Hell in a Cell | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | 78 | 78 | [142] | ||
139 | Kalisto | January 11, 2016 | Raw | New Orleans, LA | 1 | 1 | 2 | WWE recognizes Kalisto's reign as ending on January 14, 2016, when the following episode aired on tape delay. | [143] | |
140 | Alberto Del Rio | January 12, 2016 | SmackDown | Lafayette, LA | 2 | 12 | 10 | WWE recognizes Del Rio's reign as beginning on January 14, 2016, when the episode aired on tape delay. | [144] | |
141 | Kalisto | January 24, 2016 | Royal Rumble | Orlando, FL | 2 | 119 | 119 | [145] | ||
142 | Rusev | May 22, 2016 | Extreme Rules | Newark, NJ | 2 | 126 | 126 | The brand extension returned in July and the title became exclusive to the Raw brand following the 2016 WWE Draft. | [146] | |
WWE: Raw | ||||||||||
143 | Roman Reigns | September 25, 2016 | Clash of Champions | Indianapolis, IN | 1 | 106 | 106 | [147] | ||
144 | Chris Jericho | January 9, 2017 | Raw | New Orleans, LA | 1 | 83 | 82 | This was a 2-on-1 handicap match, also involving Kevin Owens, who teamed with Jericho. Jericho pinned Roman Reigns to win the title. | [148] | |
145 | Kevin Owens | April 2, 2017 | WrestleMania 33 | Orlando, FL | 1 | 28 | 28 | The title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand following the 2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up. | [149] | |
WWE: SmackDown | ||||||||||
146 | Chris Jericho | April 30, 2017 | Payback | San Jose, CA | 2 | 2 | 2 | Since Jericho won, he was transferred to the SmackDown brand. | [150] | |
147 | Kevin Owens | May 2, 2017 | SmackDown | Fresno, CA | 2 | 66 | 65 | [151] | ||
148 | AJ Styles | July 7, 2017 | WWE Live | New York, NY | 1 | 16 | 16 | [152] | ||
149 | Kevin Owens | July 23, 2017 | Battleground | Philadelphia, PA | 3 | 2 | 2 | [153] | ||
150 | AJ Styles | July 25, 2017 | SmackDown | Richmond, VA | 2 | 75 | 74 | This was a triple threat match also involving Chris Jericho, who Styles pinned. | [154] | |
151 | Baron Corbin | October 8, 2017 | Hell in a Cell | Detroit, MI | 1 | 70 | 69 | This was a triple threat match also involving Tye Dillinger, who Corbin pinned. | [155] | |
152 | Dolph Ziggler | December 17, 2017 | Clash of Champions | Boston, MA | 2 | 9 | 8 | This was a triple threat match also involving Bobby Roode. | [156] | |
— | Vacated | December 26, 2017 | SmackDown | Rosemont, IL | — | — | — | SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan ruled that Dolph Ziggler vacated the title after he left the belt in the ring on the December 19 episode of SmackDown. | [157] | |
153 | Bobby Roode | January 16, 2018 | SmackDown | Laredo, TX | 1 | 54 | 53 | Defeated Jinder Mahal in a tournament final to win the vacant title. | [158] | |
154 | Randy Orton | March 11, 2018 | Fastlane | Columbus, OH | 1 | 28 | 27 | [159] | ||
155 | Jinder Mahal | April 8, 2018 | WrestleMania 34 | New Orleans, LA | 1 | 8 | 8 | This was a fatal four-way match, also involving Bobby Roode and Rusev who Mahal pinned. The title became exclusive to the Raw brand following the first night of the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up. |
[160] | |
WWE: Raw | ||||||||||
156 | Jeff Hardy | April 16, 2018 | Raw | Hartford, CT | 1 | 90 | 89 | Title transferred back to the SmackDown brand on the second night of the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up. | [161] | |
WWE: SmackDown | ||||||||||
157 | Shinsuke Nakamura | July 15, 2018 | Extreme Rules | Pittsburgh, PA | 1 | 156 | 163 | WWE recognizes Nakamura's reign as ending on December 25, 2018, when the following episode aired on tape delay. | [162] | |
158 | Rusev | December 18, 2018 | SmackDown | Fresno, CA | 3 | 40 | 32 | WWE recognizes Rusev's reign as beginning on December 25, 2018, when the episode aired on tape delay. | [163][164] | |
159 | Shinsuke Nakamura | January 27, 2019 | Royal Rumble Kickoff |
Phoenix, AZ | 2 | 2 | 2 | [165] | ||
160 | R-Truth | January 29, 2019 | SmackDown | Phoenix, AZ | 2 | 35 | 35 | [166] | ||
161 | Samoa Joe | March 5, 2019 | SmackDown | Wilkes-Barre, PA | 1 | 75 | 74 | This was a fatal four-way match also involving Rey Mysterio and Andrade, who Joe pinned. The title became exclusive to the Raw brand following the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up. |
[167] | |
WWE: Raw | ||||||||||
162 | Rey Mysterio | May 19, 2019 | Money in the Bank | Hartford, CT | 1 | 15 | 15 | [168] | ||
163 | Samoa Joe | June 3, 2019 | Raw | Austin, TX | 2 | 20 | 19 | Rey Mysterio voluntarily relinquished the title back to Joe due to Mysterio suffering a legitimate shoulder injury and the controversial way in which he won the title at Money in the Bank (Joe's left shoulder was not down when the referee counted the pin). | [169] | |
164 | Ricochet | June 23, 2019 | Stomping Grounds | Tacoma, WA | 1 | 21 | 21 | [170] | ||
165 | AJ Styles | July 14, 2019 | Extreme Rules | Philadelphia, PA | 3 | 134 | 134 | [171] | ||
166 | Rey Mysterio | November 25, 2019 | Raw | Rosemont, IL | 2 | 31 | 30 | [172] | ||
167 | Andrade | December 26, 2019 | WWE Live | New York, NY | 1 | 151 | 150 | [173] | ||
168 | Apollo Crews | May 25, 2020 | Raw | Orlando, FL | 1 | 97 | 96 | [174] | ||
169 | Bobby Lashley | August 30, 2020 | Payback | Orlando, FL | 2 | 175 | 175 | [175] | ||
170 | Riddle | February 21, 2021 | Elimination Chamber | St. Petersburg, FL | 1 | 49 | 49 | This was a triple threat match also involving John Morrison, who Riddle pinned. | [176] | |
171 | Sheamus | April 11, 2021 | WrestleMania 37 Night 2 |
Tampa, FL | 3 | 132 | 131 | [177] | ||
172 | Damian Priest | August 21, 2021 | SummerSlam | Paradise, NV | 1 | 191 | 191 | [178] | ||
173 | Finn Bálor | February 28, 2022 | Raw | Columbus, OH | 1 | 49 | 48 | [179] | ||
174 | Theory | April 18, 2022 | Raw | Buffalo, NY | 1 | 75 | 74 | [180] | ||
175 | Bobby Lashley | July 2, 2022 | Money in the Bank | Paradise, NV | 3 | 100 | 100 | [181] | ||
176 | Seth "Freakin" Rollins | October 10, 2022 | Raw | Brooklyn, NY | 2 | 47 | 47 | [182] | ||
177 | Austin Theory | November 26, 2022 | Survivor Series: WarGames | Boston, MA | 2 | 258 | 257 | This was a triple threat match, also involving Bobby Lashley. Austin Theory was formerly known as Theory. The title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand following the 2023 WWE Draft. |
[183] | |
WWE: SmackDown | ||||||||||
178 | Rey Mysterio | August 11, 2023 | SmackDown | Calgary, AB, Canada | 3 | 85 | 84 | Austin Theory was due to face Santos Escobar, who had won the United States Championship Invitational Tournament, but was taken out by Theory before the match started. WWE Official Adam Pearce then allowed Mysterio to take Escobar's place for the title match. | [184] | |
179 | Logan Paul | November 4, 2023 | Crown Jewel | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 1 | 273 | 273 | [185] | ||
180 | LA Knight | August 3, 2024 | SummerSlam | Cleveland, OH | 1 | 119 | 118 | [186] | ||
181 | Shinsuke Nakamura | November 30, 2024 | Survivor Series: WarGames | Vancouver, BC, Canada | 3 | 27+ | 27+ | [187] |
As of December 27, 2024.
† | Indicates the current champion |
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