This rabbit hole I plunged myself into is extremely steep so I'm going to stick with to stats in my lifetime for the sake of sanity.
This first set looks at wrestlers who have held the World Championship or top championship of major promotions from around the world. I don't count anyone that held the WCW or ECW Championship when it was under the WWE banner. The other difficulty to determine is what quantifies as a World Championship? Back in the PWI days it was easier as a fan because they told you what they considered the World Championship to be so that I what I am going to run with.
During it's lifetime Pro Wrestling Illustrated has recognized the NWA, WWE, IWGP, AEW, WCW, ECW, AWA, TNA, Universal, and WWE World Heavyweight Championships. I am going to recognize the WWE, Universal, and WWE World titles as just the WWE. It's the same promotion after all.
Most World Championships
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair 16 time champion for 3,735 days
NWA Worlds Championship 10 for 3,116 days
WWE Championship 2 times for 118 days
WCW World Championship 8 times for 501 days
I know what you are thinking, that adds up to 20 reigns. WWE and previously WCW, therefore Ric Flair recognize 16 reigns with 8 NWA, 2 WWE, & 6 WCW.
John Cena 16 time champion for 1,392 days
WWE Championship 13 times for 1,254 days
World Heavyweight Championship 3 times for 138 days
Longest Reigning Champions
NWA
Combined: Lou Thesz three for 3,749 days
Single Reign: Lou Thesz for 1,941 days
Shortest: Shane Doulgas is recognized as champion for less than one day
AWA
Combined: Verne Gagne ten for 4,677 days
Single Reign: Verne Gagne for 2,625 days
Shortest: Verne Gagne, Mighty Igor, & Dick The Bruiser held the title for 7 days
WWE
Combined: Bruno Sammartino two for 4,040 days
Single Reign: Bruno Sammartino for 2,803 days
Shortest: fourteen wrestlers have held the titles for less than one day
WCW
Combined: Hulk Hogan six for 1,177 days
Single Reign: Hulk Hogan for 469 days
Shortest: Sting, Kevin Nash, & Ric Flair held the title for less than one day
ECW
Combined: "Franchise" Shane Douglas 4 for 874 days
Single Reign: "Franchise" Shane Douglas for 406 days
Shortest: Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman held the title for less than one day
IWGP
Combined: Kazuchika Okada 5 for 1,790 days
Single Reign: Kazuchika Okada for 720 days
Shortest: Kensuki Sasaki for 16 days
ROH
Combined: Jay Lethal 2 for 707 days
Single Reign: Samoa Joe for 645 days
Shortest: Kyle O'Reilly for 33 days
TNA/Impact
Combined: Kurt Angle 6 for 608 days
Single Reign: Bobby Roode for 256 days
Shortest: Kurt Angle was champion for one day
AEW
Combined: Jon Moxley for 197+ days
Single Reign: Jon Moxley for 197+ days
Shortest: Chris Jericho for 182 days
One of the greatest world champions in wrestling holding all the titles a combined nine times.
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair: NWA, WCW, & WWE
The first man to hold the three biggest world championships, at that time.
Sting: WCW, NWA, & TNA/Impact
Sting is the only man to hold the NWA World Championship in different eras. In the early days of the WCW before they withdrew from the NWA and then during the NWA/TNA days.
Kurt Angle: WWE, IWGP & Impact/TNA
Some will argue that Kurt Angle wasn't the read IWGP Championship, that NJPW had stripped Brock Lesnar of the Championship and crowned a new champion. However, after Angle defeated Lesnar for the championship he defended it at the WrestleKingdom II defeated Yuji Nagata. Also Kurt never held the NWA World Championship, yes when he became the first ever TNA world champion he held up the NWA title belt, but he was announced as the TNA World Champion.
NWA & AWA
Kurt Angle: WWE, IWGP & Impact/TNA
Some will argue that Kurt Angle wasn't the read IWGP Championship, that NJPW had stripped Brock Lesnar of the Championship and crowned a new champion. However, after Angle defeated Lesnar for the championship he defended it at the WrestleKingdom II defeated Yuji Nagata. Also Kurt never held the NWA World Championship, yes when he became the first ever TNA world champion he held up the NWA title belt, but he was announced as the TNA World Champion.
NWA & AWA
Pat O'Connor
Gene Kiniski
NWA & WWE
"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
Christian
NWA & IWGP
The Great Muta
Satoshi Kojima
Hiroyoshi Tenzan
NWA & ROH
Cody Rhodes
NWA & ROH
Cody Rhodes
NWA & Impact/TNA
Nick Aldis
NWA & ECW
Shane Douglas
Steve Corino
Sabu
Terry Funk
Raven
Rhini
NWA & WCW
Jeff Jarrett
WWE & WCW
Hulk Hogan
The Giant/Big Show
Kevin Nash
Sid Vicious
Bret "Hitman" Hart
Goldberg
Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Chris Benoit
Booker T
WWE & ROH
Daniel Bryan
CM Punk
Kevin Owens
Seth Rollins
WWE & IWGP
Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
WWE & Impact/TNA
Mick Foley
Rob Van Dam
Jeff Hardy
Alberto Del Rio
Drew McIntyre
WWE & AEW
Chris Jericho
WWE & AEW
Chris Jericho
Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley
WCW & IWGP
Big Van Vader
ECW & ROH
Jerry Lynn
TNA/Impact & ROH
Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Austin Aries
Eddie Edwards
Thanks for reading, please leave a comment, read my other posts, and like my blogs Facebook page, check out my weekly podcast The Wrestling Insomniac on the Nerdy Legion Podcast Network and while your at it pick up my book over at Amazon in Kindle or Paperback.
Until next time!
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