WWE Championship

The WWE (World Heavyweight) Championship or WWE Championship is the World Heavyweight Championship created and promoted by the WWE. The championship was established by the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) on April 29, 1963 as the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship, following the promotion seceding from the National Wrestling Alliance.

It is the oldest championship currently recognized by the promotion, and is presented as being the most prestigious title in WWE, with many matches for the title having headlined pay per view (PPV) events - including WWE's signature PPV event WWE WrestleMania.

For the period between 2002–2013, the title was one of three world titles in WWE, along with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and ECW Championship (2006−2010). But following the decommissioning of the ECW title, and unification with the WWE World Heavyweight title, it is once again promoted as WWE's primary championship.

WWE Championship Names

WWWF World Heavyweight Championship - April 25, 1963 to February 8, 1971
WWWF Heavyweight Championship - February 8, 1971 to March 1, 1979
WWF Heavyweight Championship - March 1, 1979 to December 26, 1983
WWF World Heavyweight Championship - December 26, 1983 to March 30, 1998
WWF Championship - March 30, 1998 to December 9, 2001
Undisputed WWF Championship - December 9, 2001 to May 6, 2002
Undisputed WWE Championship - May 6, 2002 to May 19, 2002
WWE Undisputed Championship - May 19, 2002 to September 2, 2002
WWE Championship - September 2, 2002 to December 15, 2013
WWE (World Heavyweight) Championship - December 15, 2013 to June 27, 2016
WWE Championship - June 27, 2016 to July 25, 2016
WWE World Championship - July 26, 2016 to present

WWE Championship Designs

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WWE Championship Lineage

(Dates are the TV Air Dates where applicable)

World Wide Wrestling Federation

Buddy Rogers - April 25, 1963 — Won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro after the WWWF left the National Wrestling Alliance, of which Rogers was the 7th champion since defeating Pat O'Connor on 30 June 1961.
Bruno Sammartino:May 17, 1963 - Live Event
Ivan Koloff - January 18, 1971 - Live Event
Pedro Morales - February 8, 1971 - Live Event
Stan Stasiak - December 1, 1973 - Live Event
Bruno Sammartino 2: December 10, 1973 - Live Event
Billy Graham - April 30, 1977 - Live Event
Bob Backlund - February 20, 1978 - Live Event
- Antonio Inoki - November 30, 1979: Reign is not recognized by WWE.
- Vacated — December 6, 1979: Inoki immediately vacated the title after a rematch with Backlund ended in a no contest due to the interference of Tiger Jeet Singh.
- Bob Backlund - December 17, 1979 - WWE recognizes Backlund's first and second reigns as being uninterrupted, and considers this a continuation of the first.

World Wrestling Federation

Iron Sheik - December 26, 1983 - Live Event
Hulk Hogan - January 23, 1984 - Live Event
Andre the Giant - February 5, 1988 -The Main Event

Vacated: February 5, 1988 — The Main Event Immediately after winning the title from Hogan, André sold the title to Ted DiBiase; President Jack Tunney nullified this decision, and vacated the title.

Randy Savage - March 27, 1988 - WrestleMania 4
Hulk Hogan 2 - April 2, 1989 - WrestleMania 5
Ultimate Warrior: April 1, 1990 - WrestleMania 6
Sgt. Slaughter - January 19, 1991 - Royal Rumble
Hulk Hogan 3 - March 24, 1991 - WrestleMania 7
The Undertaker - November 27, 1991 - Survivor Series
Hulk Hogan 4 - December 3, 1991 - This Tuesday in Texas

Vacated: December 7, 1991 - Superstars of Wrestling Hogan was stripped of the title by Tunney due to the controversy surrounding both of the previous title changes.

Ric Flair - January 19, 1992 - Royal Rumble
Randy Savage 2 - April 5, 1992 - WrestleMania 8
Ric Flair 2 - September 14, 1992 - Prime Time
Bret Hart -: October 12, 1992 - Live Event
Yokozuna - April 4, 1993 - WrestleMania 9
Hulk Hogan 5 - April 4, 1993 - WrestleMania 9
Yokozuna 2 - June 13, 1993 King of the Ring
Bret Hart 2 - March 20, 1994 - WrestleMania 10
Bob Backlund 2 - November 23, 1994 -Survivor Series
Diesel - November 26, 1994 - Live Event
Bret Hart 3 - November 19, 1995 - Survivor Series
Shawn Michaels - March 31, 1996 - WrestleMania 12
Sycho Sid - November 17, 1996 - Survivor Series
Shawn Michaels 2 - January 19, 1997 - Royal Rumble

Vacated: February 13, 1997 — Michaels forfeited the title due to a knee injury.

Bret Hart 4 - February 16, 1997 - In Your House
Sycho Sid 2 - February 17, 1997 - Raw
The Undertaker 2 - March 23, 1997 - WrestleMania 13
Bret Hart 5 - August 3, 1997 - SummerSlam
Shawn Michaels 3 - November 9, 1997 - Survivor Series, Montreal Screwjob.
Stone Cold Steve Austin - March 29, 1998 - WrestleMania 14
Kane - June 28, 1998 - King of the Ring
Stone Cold Steve Austin 2 - June 29, 1998 - Raw

Vacated - September 27, 1998 - In Your House, Vacated after Kane and The Undertaker simultaneously pinned Austin in a triple threat match.

The Rock - November 15, 1998 - Survivor Series
Mankind - December 29, 1998 - Raw
The Rock 2 - January 24, 1999 - Royal Rumble
Mankind 2 - January 26, 1999 - Halftime Heat
The Rock 3 - February 15, 1999 - Raw
Stone Cold Steve Austin 3 - March 28, 1999 - WrestleMania 15
The Undertaker 3 - May 23, 1999 - Over the Edge
Stone Cold Steve Austin 4 - June 28, 1999 - Raw
Mankind 3 - August 22, 1999 - SummerSlam
Triple H - August 23, 1999 - Raw
Mr McMahon: September 16, 1999 - SmackDown

Vacated - September 20, 1999: Raw

Triple H 2 - September 26, 1999 - Unforgiven
Big Show - November 14, 1999 - Survivor Series
Triple H 3 - January 3, 2000 - Raw
The Rock 4 - April 30, 2000 - Backlash
Triple H 4 - May 21, 2000 - Judgment Day
The Rock 5 - June 25, 2000 - King of the Ring
Kurt Angle - October 22, 2000 - No Mercy
The Rock 6 - February 25, 2001 - No Way Out
Stone Cold Steve Austin 5 - April 1, 2001 - WrestleMania 17
Kurt Angle 2 - September 23, 2001 - Unforgiven
Stone Cold Steve Austin 6 - October 8, 2001 - Raw
Chris Jericho - December 9, 2001 - Vengeance
- Unified with the WCW Championship.
Triple H 5 - March 17, 2002 - WrestleMania
Hulk Hogan 6 - April 21, 2002 - Backlash

World Wrestling Entertainment - WWE

The Undertaker 4 - May 19, 2002 - Judgment Day
The Rock 7 - July 21, 2002 - Vengeance
Brock Lesnar - August 25, 2002 - SummerSlam
Big Show 2 - November 17, 2002 - Survivor Series
Kurt Angle 3 - December 15, 2002 - Armageddon
Brock Lesnar 2 - March 30, 2002: WrestleMania 19
Kurt Angle 4 - July 27, 2003 - Vengeance
Brock Lesnar 3 - September 16, 2003 - SmackDown
Eddie Guerrero - February 15, 2004 - No Way Out
John Bradshaw Layfield - June 27, 2004 - The Great American Bash
John Cena - April 3, 2005 - WrestleMania 21
Edge - January 8, 2006 - New Year's Revolution
John Cena 2 - January 29, 2006 - Royal Rumble
Rob Van Dam - June 11, 2006 ECW One Night Stand
Edge 2 - July 3, 2006 - Raw
John Cena 3 - September 17, 2006 - Unforgiven

Vacated: October 2, 2007 — ECW

Randy Orton - October 7, 2007 - No Mercy
Triple H 6 - October 7, 2007 - No Mercy
Randy Orton 2 - October 7, 2007 - No Mercy
Triple H 7 - April 27, 2008 - Backlash
Edge 3 - November 23, 2008 - Survivor Series
Jeff Hardy - December 14, 2008 - Armageddon
Edge 4 - January 25, 2009 - Royal Rumble
Triple H 8 - February 15, 2009 - No Way Out
Randy Orton 3 - April 26, 2009: Backlash
Batista - June 7, 2009 - Extreme Rules

Vacated — June 9, 2009

Randy Orton 4 - June 15, 2009 - Raw
John Cena 4 - September 13, 2009 - Breaking Point
Randy Orton 5 - October 4, 2009 - Hell in a Cell
John Cena 5 - October 25, 2009 - Bragging Rights
Sheamus - December 13, 2009 - TLC
John Cena 6 - February 21, 2010 - Elimination Chamber
Batista 2 - February 21, 2010 - Elimination Chamber
John Cena 7 - March 28, 2010 - WrestleMania 26
Sheamus 2 - June 20, 2010 - Fatal 4-Way
Randy Orton 6 - September 19, 2010 - Night of Champions
The Miz - November 22, 2010 - Raw
John Cena 8 - May 1, 2011 - Extreme Rules
CM Punk - July 17, 2011 - Money in the Bank
- Rey Mysterio - July 25, 2011 - Raw
- John Cena 9 - July 25, 2011 - Raw
Alberto Del Rio - August 14, 2011 - SummerSlam
John Cena 10 - September 18, 2011 - Night of Champions
Alberto Del Rio 2 - October 2, 2011 - Hell in a Cell
CM Punk 2 - November 20, 2011 - Survivor Series
The Rock 8 - January 27, 2013 - Royal Rumble
John Cena 11 - April 7, 2013 - WrestleMania 29
Daniel Bryan - August 18, 2013 - SummerSlam
Randy Orton 7 - August 18, 2013 - SummerSlam
Daniel Bryan 2 - September 15, 2013 - Daniel Bryan

Vacated — September 16, 2013 — Raw

Randy Orton 8 - October 27, 2013 - Hell in a Cell
- On December 15, 2013 at the TLC pay-per-view, Orton defeated John Cena to unify the WWE World Heavyweight Championship into his WWE Championship. Both belts were used till August 18 2014.
Daniel Bryan 3 - April 6, 2014 - WrestleMania 30

Vacated — June 9, 2014 — WWE Raw

John Cena 12 - June 29, 2014 - Money in the Bank
Brock Lesnar 4 - August 17, 2014 - SummerSlam
Seth Rollins - March 29 2015 - WrestleMania 31

Vacated: November 5, 2015 - Rollins injured his knee at a live event in Dublin, Ireland on November 4, 2015.

Roman Reigns - November 22 2015 - Survivor Series
Sheamus 3 - November 22 2015 - Survivor Series
- This was Sheamus' Money in the Bank Cash In.
Roman Reigns 2 - December 14 2015 - Raw
Triple H 8 - January 24 2016 - Royal Rumble
Roman Reigns 3 - April 3 2016 - WrestleMania 32
Dean Ambrose - June 19 2016 - Money in the Bank
AJ Styles - September 11 2016 - Backlash
John Cena 13 - January 29 2017 - Royal Rumble
Bray Wyatt - February 12 2017 - Elimination Chamber
Randy Orton 9 - April 2 2017 - WrestleMania 33
Jinder Mahal - May 21 2017 - Backlash
AJ Styles 2 - November 7 2017 - SmackDown Live
Daniel Bryan 4 - November 13 2018 - SmackDown Live
Kofi Kingston - April 7 2019 - WrestleMania 35
Brock Lesnar (5) - October 4 2019 - Friday Night SmackDown
Drew McIntyre - April 5 2020 - WrestleMania 36 (Night 2)
Randy Orton (10) - October 25 2020 - Hell in a Cell
Drew McIntyre (2) - November 16 2020 - Raw
The Miz (2) - February 21 2021 - Elimination Chamber
Bobby Lashley - March 1 2021 - Raw