The WWE World Heavyweight Championship was introduced in 2002 and soon it became a prestigious title and winning it was also a big deal. The World Heavyweight Championship was active for 11 years, from 2002 to 2013, and the title was brought back under a different lineage a decade later. There have been many stunning World Heavyweight Champions who were better than the others and loved by the WWE Universe.
10) Booker T
When Booker T won the King of the Ring tournament in 2006, he was named “King Booker.” A few months later, he won the world heavyweight title after defeating Rey Mysterio. A highlight of Booker T’s title reign was retaining his championship in a “Champion of Champions” match against WWE Champion John Cena and Big Show. A few weeks later, it was Batista who ended Booker’s world championship run.
9) Chris Jericho
When Chris Jericho turned heel in 2008, it was the best period of his WWE career. Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship at Championship Scramble and retained the title against Shawn Michaels in a ladder match at No Mercy. He lost the title to Batista but regained it in a steel cage match, until losing the title to John Cena. Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship for the third and final time by defeating The Undertaker in an Elimination Chamber match in 2010, and he successfully defended it against Edge at WrestleMania 26.
8) Seth Rollins
When Triple H announced that the World Heavyweight Championship would return under a new dynasty, Seth Rollins became the first World Heavyweight Champion to capture the gold by defeating AJ Styles. Rollins went on to become a great champion, defeating wrestlers like Damian Priest, Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor, Sami Zayn and Drew McIntyre during his title reign. Rollins has held the title for 230 days and counting, and it is the longest World Championship reign in his WWE career.
7) Randy Orton
The 14-time WWE World Champion Randy Orton has etched his name in WWE history as the youngest World Champion in WWE history, as he won the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2004 at the age of 24. His reign was ended by his former Evolution teammate, Triple H. “The Viper” won the World Heavyweight title again, nearly seven years later. He had an interesting feud with Christian over the big gold. He became the last World Heavyweight Champion after defeating John Cena in a title-unification TLC match in 2013.
6) CM Punk
CM Punk became a Triple Crown Champion in 2008 and won two of his three World Heavyweight Championships by cashing in his Money in the Bank. He cashed it on Edge and Jeff Hardy in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Punk’s first World Heavyweight Championship reign was average, but he had some strong title defenses. He turned heel in 2009 and had an interesting feud with Jeff Hardy and The Undertaker over the title. His third-world title run was stopped by The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell.
5) The Undertaker
When The Undertaker won the 2007 Royal Rumble, he got a shot at the Big Gold against Batista. The Deadman won the title at WrestleMania 23. His first couple of World Heavyweight Title reigns were short, but his seventh and final World Title reign in his WWE career lasted 140 days. The Undertaker defeated wrestlers like CM Punk, Batista and Rey Mysterio during his final World Heavyweight Championship reign. His reign was stopped by Chris Jericho in the Elimination Chamber in 2010.
4) Batista
Batista is one of the best World Champions in WWE history, having dethroned Triple H at WrestleMania 21 for his first World Heavyweight Championship run. He defeated The Game in three consecutive matches to solidify his place as one of the top names in the business. Batista’s second World Heavyweight Championship reign lasted 126 days after he dethroned Booker T. His final World title run lasted only eight days when he lost the championship to Chris Jericho.
3) John Cena
The 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena had three of his World Championship reigns as World Heavyweight Champion. Cena was the face of the company for a decade and dominated the WWE Championship reign. His first World Heavyweight Championship reign was his best, as he successfully retained the title against the likes of Chris Jericho and JBL. He lost the title to Edge in an Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out 2009. The third and last time he won the World Heavyweight title was in 2013 at Hell in a Cell against Alberto Del Rio.
2) Triple H
Triple H became the first World Heavyweight Champion in 2002 when Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff awarded him the title. He was the perfect choice to become the inaugural title holder and establish this new world championship. The Game was a five-time World Heavyweight Champion and he held the title for 616 days, the longest. Additionally, he had Evolution, which ensured that he would retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
1) Edge
Edge is one of the best World Heavyweight Champions in WWE history. No Superstar has held the World Heavyweight title more times than Edge. He won the title seven times and his second title reign was his longest, lasting three months. Edge had exciting feuds with stars like The Undertaker, John Cena, Batista and Jeff Hardy over the gold belt. Unfortunately, Edge had to vacate the title twice due to injury.
