The WWE Championship is the most prestigious title in professional wrestling today. The title has been functioning for over six decades, and there have been a plethora of legends who held the WWE Championship. The main event scene in the 2000s was red-hot with the likes of The Rock, Triple H, Randy Orton, and Edge among others having WWE Championship reigns. However, the World Heavyweight Championship was a welcomed addition in the fall of 2002 with the brand split in effect giving wrestlers more opportunities to get their hands on a World Championship.
Some talented wrestlers won the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship but it doesn’t guarantee that their World Championship reigns would be excellent. Some WWE World Champions had disappointing championship reigns failing to live up to expectations. World Title reigns were aplenty in the 2000s with many wrestlers getting a chance to cement their legacy as World Champions but didn’t have a good World Championship reign in this competitive decade.
10 CM Punk’s World Heavyweight Championship Reigns Failed To Deliver
Punk Benefitted From Winning The Money In The Bank Briefcase
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The World Heavyweight Title | Dropped The World Heavyweight Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edge | Chris Jericho | 69 Days | June 30, 2008 (Raw) – September 7, 2008 (Unforgiven) |
| 2 | Jeff Hardy | Jeff Hardy | 49 Days | June 7, 2009 (Extreme Rules) – July 26, 2009 (Night of Champions) |
| 3 | Jeff Hardy | The Undertaker | 42 Days | August 23, 2009 (SummerSlam) – October 4, 2009 (Hell in a Cell) |
CM Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match in 2008 and 2009, and in back-to-back years he successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to become the new World Heavyweight Champion at Edge and Jeff Hardy’s expenses. Punk was built as an underdog World Champion in his first World Heavyweight Championship reign with title defenses against Batista and JBL.
Punk’s World Heavyweight Championship reigns weren’t strong, and he turned heel during his second World Title reign. Punk feuded with Hardy and The Undertaker over the World Heavyweight Championship in 2009, but the Second City Saint should have held the World Heavyweight Championship longer than he did.
9 Rey Mysterio Wasn’t Booked Strongly As World Champion
Mysterio’s Fairytale World Championship Reign Fell Flat
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The World Heavyweight Title | Dropped The World Heavyweight Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurt Angle | King Booker | 112 Days | April 2, 2006 (WrestleMania 22) – July 23, 2006 (The Great American Bash) |
Rey Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match in style, and the Ultimate Underdog overcame obstacles by winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat match against reigning champion Kurt Angle and Randy Orton. The title was known as the World Championship during Mysterio’s first World Championship reign.
Mysterio was booked to face The Great Khali, Mark Henry, and Kane in non-title bouts which didn’t do Mysterio any favors as he was overpowered and lost those matches. Mysterio was the World Champion for 112 days and JBL was one of his main challengers for the title, and thanks to Chavo Guerrero betraying him, King Booker captured the World Heavyweight Championship from him.
8 Sheamus’ First WWE Championship Reign Fizzled Out
The Celtic Warrior’s Maiden WWE Championship Reign Was Unexpected
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The WWE Title | Dropped The WWE Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Cena | John Cena | 70 Days | December 13, 2009 (TLC) – February 21, 2010 (Elimination Chamber) |
At TLC 2009, Sheamus defeated John Cena in a tables match for the WWE Championship. The Celtic Warrior’s WWE Championship reign was one of the most shocking title changes in WWE history which hardly anyone saw coming. That was the highlight of his WWE Championship reign.
Sheamus closed out the decade as the WWE Champion, and he didn’t look dominant as champion as he recorded two DQ title defenses against Cena on an episode of Raw, and against Randy Orton at the 2010 Royal Rumble. His title reign came at the wrong time, and Cena regained the title from Sheamus in an Elimination Chamber match.
7 Jeff Hardy’s World Title Reigns In WWE Failed To Catch Fire
Hardy Had Three Short World Championship Reigns
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The World Title | Dropped The World Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edge | Edge | 42 Days | December 14, 2008 (Armageddon) – January 25, 2009 (Royal Rumble) |
| 2 | Edge | CM Punk | 3 Minutes And 10 Seconds | June 7, 2009 (Extreme Rules) – June 7, 2009 (Extreme Rules) |
| 3 | CM Punk | CM Punk | 28 Days | July 26, 2009 (Night of Champions) – August 23, 2009 (SummerSlam) |
Jeff Hardy was finally etched into the main event scene in 2008, and he closed out the year by winning his first WWE Championship at Armageddon in a triple threat match seeing off Edge and Triple H. However, Hardy’s WWE Championship reign was poor as he dropped the title back to the Rated-R Superstar at the 2009 Royal Rumble.
The Charismatic Enigma was back in the winner’s circle in 2009 as he became a two-time World Heavyweight Champion by defeating Edge and CM Punk for his respective World Title reigns. Unfortunately, Hardy’s World Title reigns collectively didn’t reach the 100-day mark, and despite the feel-good moments of his World Title wins, they failed to replicate that in his title defenses.
6 Goldberg’s World Heavyweight Championship Reign Wasn’t Great
Goldberg’s First WWE Run Wasn’t The Best
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The World Heavyweight Title | Dropped The World Heavyweight Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triple H | Triple H | 84 Days | September 21, 2003 (Unforgiven) – December 14, 2003 (Armageddon) |
Unquestionably, Goldberg should have won the World Heavyweight Championship in the Elimination Chamber match at SummerSlam 2003 where he looked dominant instead of beating Triple H at Unforgiven 2003 in an underwhelming title bout. Goldberg reunited with the Big Gold Belt that he held in WCW as WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
Goldberg’s three-month World Heavyweight Championship reign was bitterly disappointing despite defending the gold against the likes of Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, and the Game in another rematch at Survivor Series 2003. Ultimately, Goldberg’s championship reign was curtailed by the Game in a triple threat match at Armageddon that also featured Kane.
5 Shawn Michaels’ Final World Title Reign Was One Of His Worst Title Reigns
Michaels’ World Heavyweight Championship Reign Was Short-Lived
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The World Heavyweight Title | Dropped The World Heavyweight Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triple H | Triple H | 28 Days | November 17, 2002 (Survivor Series) – December 15, 2002 (Armageddon) |
The inaugural Elimination Chamber match took place at Survivor Series 2002 in the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden, and Shawn Michaels stood tall by lastly eliminating his former best friend Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. This was Michaels’ fourth and final World Championship reign, and his first one in four years.
Michaels’ World Heavyweight Championship reign was abrupt as he had one successful title defense against Rob Van Dam before Triple H crashed the party. After the jubilant scenes at Survivor Series, Michaels inevitably dropped the title back to Triple H in a Three Stages of Hell match at Armageddon.
4 Rob Van Dam Became His Worst Enemy During His WWE Championship Reign
RVD Only Has Himself To Blame For His Short WWE Championship Run
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The WWE Title | Dropped The WWE Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Cena | Edge | 22 Days | June 11, 2006 (ECW One Night Stand) – July 3, 2006 (Raw) |
Rob Van Dam was one of the most talented wrestlers in the 2000s, and RVD was rewarded by winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 22, and he defeated John Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006 for the WWE Championship. Things were looking positive for RVD as he was awarded the ECW Championship becoming the only man to hold the WWE and ECW Championships simultaneously.
It’s no secret that RVD likes to smoke marijuana but that proved to be his downfall as he was arrested and his runs as WWE Champion and ECW Champion ended on back-to-back nights. RVD managed to retain the WWE Championship against Edge at Vengeance 2006 before his title reign was ended by Edge on Raw in July 2006 and Big Show defeated him for the ECW Championship, 24 hours later.
Show Was The Wrong Choice To End Lesnar’s Unbeaten Run
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The WWE Title | Dropped The WWE Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triple H | Triple H | 50 Days | November 14, 1999 (Survivor Series) – January 3, 2000 (Raw) |
| 2 | Brock Lesnar | Kurt Angle | 28 Days | November 17, 2002 (Survivor Series) – December 15, 2002 (Armageddon) |
Big Show’s haul of championships is impressive as he is a two-time WWE Champion and a two-time World Heavyweight Champion along with many other accolades. However, the World’s Largest Athlete’s couple of WWE Championship reigns were bitterly disappointing.
Show started the new millennium as the WWE Champion, but days into 2000, Show dropped the WWE Championship back to Triple H. Two years later, Show had a surprising second WWE Championship reign as he was built as a monster heel, and he ended Brock Lesnar’s unbeaten run at Survivor Series 2002. Show was a transitional WWE Champion as a month later, Kurt Angle beat him for the WWE Championship at Armageddon.
2 Hulk Hogan Won The WWE Championship Again After A Solid WrestleMania 18 Showing
The Hulkster Was Once Again On Top
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The WWE Title | Dropped The WWE Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triple H | The Undertaker | 28 Days | April 21, 2002 (Backlash) – May 19, 2002 (Judgment Day) |
Hulk Hogan and The Rock stole the show at WrestleMania 18 in a bout that should have closed out the show. However, one month later, Hogan won the WWE Championship for the sixth time when he defeated Triple H for the gold at Backlash 2002.
Hogan was once again the man but it was at the wrong time. Hogan was no longer functioning at the peak of his powers, and taking the spotlight from others with his dreadful in-ring performances. His WWE Championship reign for nostalgia purposes lasted a month as The Undertaker ended Hogan’s WWE Championship reign for the second time, over a decade from the first time he achieved that feat.
1 The Great Khali Is One Of The Worst World Champions In WWE History
Khali’s In-Ring Performances Were Dreadful
| Number Of World Title Reigns In The 2000s | Defeated For The World Heavyweight Title | Dropped The World Heavyweight Title To | Title Length | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Won the title in a Battle Royal | Batista | 60 Days | July 20, 2007 (SmackDown) – September 16, 2007 (Unforgiven) |
The Great Khali failed to beat John Cena for the WWE Championship in 2007, but Khali was drafted back to SmackDown, and he was in the right place at the right time. Edge relinquished the World Heavyweight Championship due to injury, and The Great Khali was the beneficiary as he won the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in a battle royal becoming the first Indian-born World Champion in WWE history.
Khali defended the World Heavyweight Championship three times, but he was a lackluster champion. His in-ring skills were non-existent, and fans rejoiced when Khali dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Batista in a triple threat match at Unforgiven 2007 with fellow former champion Rey Mysterio involved.
