Champion | Date Won | Location | Notes |
Buddy Rogers | April 1963 | -a- | |
Bruno Sammartino | May 17, 1963 | New York, NY | |
Ivan Koloff | January 18, 1971 | New York, NY | |
Pedro Morales | February 8, 1972 | New York, NY | -b- |
Stan Stasiak | December 1, 1973 | Philadelphia, PA | |
Bruno Sammartino [2] | December 10, 1973 | New York, NY | |
Superstar Billy Graham | April 30, 1977 | Baltimore, MD | |
Bob Backlund | February 20, 1978 | New York, NY | -c- |
Antonio Inoki | November 30, 1979 | Tokushima, Japan | -d- |
Bob Backlund [2] | December 12, 1979 | New York, NY | -e- |
Bob Backlund [3] | November 23, 1981 | New York, NY | -f- |
The Iron Sheik | December 26, 1983 | New York, NY | |
Hulk Hogan | January 23, 1984 | New York, NY | |
Andre the Giant | February 5, 1988 | Indianapolis, IN | -g- |
Randy Savage | March 27, 1988 | Atlantic City, NJ | -h- |
Hulk Hogan [2] | April 2, 1989 | Atlantic City, NJ | |
Ultimate Warrior | April 1, 1990 | Toronto, Ontario | |
Sgt. Slaughter | January 19, 1991 | Miami, FL | |
Hulk Hogan [3] | March 24, 1991 | Los Angeles, CA | |
The Undertaker | November 27, 1991 | Detroit, MI | |
Hulk Hogan [4] | December 3, 1991 | San Antonio, TX | -i- |
Ric Flair | January 19, 1992 | Albany, NY | -j- |
Randy Savage [2] | April 5, 1992 | Indianapolis, IN | |
Ric Flair [2] | September 1, 1992 | Hershey, PA | |
Bret Hart | October 12, 1992 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | |
Yokozuna | April 4, 1993 | Las Vegas, NV | |
Hulk Hogan [5] | April 4, 1993 | Las Vegas, NV | -k- |
Bret Hart [2] | March 20, 1994 | New York, NY | |
Bob Backlund [4] | November 23, 1994 | San Antonio, TX | |
Diesel | November 26, 1994 | New York, NY | |
Bret Hart [3] | November 19, 1995 | Landover, MD | |
Shawn Michaels | March 31, 1996 | Anaheim, CA | |
Sycho Sid | November 17, 1996 | New York, NY | |
Shawn Michaels [2] | January 19, 1997 | San Antonio, TX | -l- |
Bret Hart [4] | February 16, 1997 | Chattanooga, TN | -m- |
Sycho Sid [2] | February 17, 1997 | Nashville, TN | |
The Undertaker [2] | March 23, 1997 | Rosemont, IL | |
Bret Hart [5] | August 3, 1997 | East Rutherford, NJ | |
Shawn Michaels [3] | November 9, 1997 | Montreal, Quebec | |
Steve Austin | March 29, 1998 | Boston, MA | |
Kane | June 28, 1998 | Pittsburgh, PA | |
Steve Austin [2] | June 29, 1998 | Cleveland, OH | -n- |
The Rock | November 15, 1998 | St. Louis, MO | -o- |
Mankind | Decemeber 29, 1998 | Worcester, MA | |
The Rock [2] | January 24, 1999 | Anaheim, CA | |
Mankind [2] | January 26, 1999 | Tucson, AZ | |
The Rock [3] | February 15, 1999 | Birmingham, AL | |
Steve Austin [3] | March 28, 1999 | Philadelphia, PA | |
The Undertaker [3] | May 23, 1999 | Kansas City, MO | |
Steve Austin [4] | June 28, 1999 | Charlotte, NC | |
Mankind [3] | August 22, 1999 | Minneapolis, MN | |
Triple H | August 23, 1999 | Ames, IA | |
Vince McMahon | September 14, 1999 | Las Vegas, NV | -p- |
Triple H [2] | September 26, 1999 | Charlotte, NC | -q- |
The Big Show | November 14, 1999 | Detroit, MI | |
Triple H [3] | January 3, 2000 | Miami, FL | |
The Rock [4] | April 30, 2000 | Washington D.C. | |
Triple H [4] | May 21, 2000 | Louisville, KY | |
The Rock [5] | June 25, 2000 | Boston, MA | |
Kurt Angle | October 22, 2000 | Albany, NY | |
The Rock [6] | February 25, 2001 | Las Vegas, NV | |
Steve Austin [5] | April 1, 2001 | Houston, TX | |
Kurt Angle [2] | September 23, 2001 | Pittsburgh, PA | |
Steve Austin [6] | October 8, 2001 | Indianapolis, IN | |
Chris Jericho | December 9, 2001 | San Diego, CA | -r- |
Triple H [5] | Match 17, 2002 | Toronto, Ontario | |
Hulk Hogan [6] | April 21, 2002 | Kansas City, MO | |
The Undertaker [4] | May 19, 2002 | Nashville, TN | |
The Rock [7] | July 21, 2002 | Detroit, MI | |
Brock Lesnar | August 25, 2002 | Uniondale, NY | -s- |
-a- Awarded the title after he left the NWA still technically the NWA World Champion since teh NWA did not recognize his loss to Lou Thesz on January 24, 1963. Alternatly, Rogers defeated Antonino Rocca in the finals of a fictional tournament in Rio De Janero.
-b- Demoted to a regional title when the WWWF joins the NWA in 1971.
-c- Renamed the WWF title in March 1973.
-d- Backlund defeated Inoki on December 6, 1979 in a rematch. The match is thrown out by WWF president, Hisashi Shinma, due to the interference og Tiger Jeet Singh. Inoki refuses the belt and it is declared vacant.
-e- Defeated Bobby Duncum for the vacant belt. Title held-up after a title defense against Greg Valentine on October 19, 1981 when the referee mistakenly gives Valentine the belt after being pinned by Backlund.
-f- Defeated Valentine in a rematch.
-g- Gives the belt to Ted DiBiase immediatly after winning it. WWF president Jack Tunney announces that a title cannot be given away and vacated the title.
-h- Defeated Ted DiBiase in the finals of a tournament for the vacant belt.
-i- Help-up on December 4, 1991 after several controversial title changes.
-j- Wins the title by winning the 1992 Royal Rumble
-k- Yokozuna challenges Hogan immediatly after winning the belt and Hogan pinned him to win the title.
-l- Vacated the title on February 13, 1997 due to a knee injury.
-m- Defeated Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and Vader in a four corner match to win the vacant title.
-n- Vacated on September 27, 1998 when Austin is pinned by both Kane and The Undertaker in a Triple Threat Match.
-o- Defeated Mankind in the finals of a tournament for the vacant title.
-p- Vacated on September 20, 1999.
-q- Defeated The Big Show, Kane, Mankind, The Rock, and Davey Boy Smith in a Six-Pack Challenge to win the vacant title.
-r- Defeated Steve Austin to unify the WWF and WCW World Titles.
-s- Becomes an exclusive Smackdown! property when Lesnar signs a deal to wrestle exclusivly on that show.