List of World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)

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Edge as the World Heavyweight Champion during his first reign
Edge as the World Heavyweight Champion during his first reign

This is a chronological list of wrestlers that have been World Heavyweight Champion, sorted by ring name. The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title, currently the highest ranked championship on World Wrestling Entertainment's SmackDown! brand. It was originally created in 2002 by RAW general manager Eric Bischoff when the original WWE Championship became exclusive to SmackDown!.[1] It was later transferred to SmackDown! when WWE Champion John Cena and World Heavyweight Champion Batista switched brands as part of the 2005 Draft Lottery.[1]

Officially, WWE's position regarding the history of the World Heavyweight Championship is that it is not the same title as the WCW Championship or NWA Championship before it, but rather a new title that does not inherit the championship history of the previous two titles.[2] The World Heavyweight Championship is the successor to both titles and traces its lineage from them just as the WCW Championship succeeded the NWA Championship and traced its lineage from it as well.[3][4] For a list of wrestlers who have held those belts, see List of WCW World Heavyweight Champions and List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions respectively.

There have been a total of 12 recognized champions who have had a combined 18 official reigns.

Contents

Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes:
Triple H 1 September 2, 2002 Milwaukee, WI Awarded title by Eric Bischoff on RAW. Defeated Kane on October 20, 2002 in Little Rock, AR to unify the Intercontinental Championship into the World title.[1][5]
Shawn Michaels 1 November 17, 2002 New York, NY This was the first ever Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series, also involving Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Chris Jericho and Kane.[6]
Triple H 2 December 15, 2002 Sunrise, FL This was a Three Stages of Hell match at Armageddon, consisting of a street fight, steel cage match, and ladder match; Triple H won the first and third falls.[7]
Goldberg 1 September 21, 2003 Hershey, PA Won the title at WWE Unforgiven.[8]
Triple H 3 December 14, 2003 Orlando, FL This was a triple threat match at Armageddon, also involving Kane.[9]
Chris Benoit 1 March 14, 2004 New York, NY This was a triple threat match at WrestleMania XX, also involving Shawn Michaels.[10]
Randy Orton 1 August 15, 2004 Toronto, ON Won the title at SummerSlam.[11]
Triple H 4 September 12, 2004 Portland, OR Won the title at Unforgiven.[12]
Vacated December 6, 2004 Charlotte, NC Vacated on RAW when a Triple Threat match between Triple H, Chris Benoit, and Edge the week prior in Baltimore, MD ended in a double victory as Edge pinned Benoit while Benoit simultaneously made him submit.[1][13]
Triple H 5 January 9, 2005 San Juan, PR This was an Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution, also involving Batista, Chris Jericho, Edge, Chris Benoit, and Randy Orton.[13]
Batista 1 April 3, 2005 Los Angeles, CA Won the title at WrestleMania 21.[14] The title becomes a SmackDown! exclusive world title on June 28, 2005 after Batista gets drafted from RAW.[1]
Vacated January 10, 2006 Philadelphia, PA Vacated due to triceps injury on the January 13 episode of SmackDown!.[15]
Kurt Angle 1 January 10, 2006 Philadelphia, PA Won a 20-man battle royal on the January 13 edition of SmackDown!.[15]
Rey Mysterio 1 April 2, 2006 Chicago, IL This was a triple threat match at WrestleMania 22, also involving Randy Orton.[16]
King Booker 1 July 23, 2006 Indianapolis, IN Won the title at The Great American Bash.[17]
Batista 2 November 26, 2006 Philadelphia, PA Won the title at Survivor Series.[18]
The Undertaker 1 April 1, 2007 Detroit, MI Won the title at WrestleMania 23.[19]
Edge 1 May 8, 2007 Pittsburgh, PA Cashed in his "Money in the Bank" contract after The Undertaker and Batista fought to a draw in a steel cage match on the May 11 SmackDown!.[20]
Vacated July 17, 2007 Laredo, TX Vacated due to a pectoral injury on the July 20 SmackDown!.[21]
The Great Khali 1 July 17, 2007 Laredo, TX Won a 20-man battle royal on the July 20 edition of SmackDown!.[21]
Batista 3 September 16, 2007 Memphis, TN This was a triple threat match at Unforgiven, also involving Rey Mysterio.[22]
Edge 2 December 16, 2007 Pittsburgh, PA This was a triple threat match at Armageddon, also involving The Undertaker.[23]

  1. ^ a b c d e World Heavyweight Championship history. Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
  2. ^ World Heavyweight Championship title history
  3. ^ WCW World Heavyweight Championship history at WWE.com
  4. ^ World Heavyweight Championship turns five years old. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-09.
  5. ^ Triple H's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  6. ^ Shawn Michaels' first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  7. ^ Triple H's second reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  8. ^ Goldberg's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  9. ^ Triple H's third reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  10. ^ Chris Benoit's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  11. ^ Randy Orton's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  12. ^ Triple H's fourth reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  13. ^ a b Triple H's fifth reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  14. ^ Batista's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  15. ^ a b Kurt Angle's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  16. ^ Rey Mysterio's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  17. ^ King Booker's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  18. ^ Batista's second reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  19. ^ The Undertaker's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.
  20. ^ Edge's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
  21. ^ a b The Great Khali's first reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
  22. ^ Batista's third reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
  23. ^ Edge's second reign. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-16.

v • d • e
Current World Wrestling Entertainment championships and accomplishments
Brand Championships
 RAW: WWE • Intercontinental • World Tag Team • Women's
SmackDown!: World Heavyweight • United States • Tag Team • Cruiserweight
ECW: ECW
Developmental Championships
 Ohio Valley Wrestling: Heavyweight • Television • Southern Tag Team • Women's
Florida Championship Wrestling: Southern Heavyweight
Other accomplishments
 Royal Rumble • Money in the Bank • King of the Ring • Diva Search
Championship lists
 List of current champions in WWE
WWE (reigns) • Intercontinental (reigns) • World Tag Team (reigns) • Women's (reigns)
World Heavyweight (reigns) • United States (reigns) • Tag Team (reigns) • Cruiserweight (reigns)
ECW (reigns)


Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heavyweight_Champions_%28WWE%29"
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