This is a chronological list of wrestlers that have been WCW World Heavyweight Champion by ring name. The WCW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship. Its lineage began when Ted Turner purchased Jim Crockett Promotions, which used the National Wrestling Alliance alliance name. Turner's organization was renamed World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and split from the NWA in 1991.[1] The WCW World Heavyweight Championship is the original world title of World Championship Wrestling. It was deactivated after WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) and the title was unified with the WWF Championship. There have been a total of 22 recognized champions who have had a combined 62 official reigns, with Ric Flair holding the most at seven (although the actual total is eight as WWE doesn't recognize the title being vacated after the Spring Stampede 1994 match, although WCW did recognize this). The championship has been known as: - WCW World Heavyweight Championship (January 1, 1991 – March 26, 2001)[2]
- WCW Championship (June 25, 2001 – November 18, 2001)[2]
- World Championship (November 19, 2001 - December 9, 2001)[3]
[edit] Title history - † indicates reigns and title changes not recognized by WWE.
| Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Days Held: | Location: | Event: | Notes: | | Ric Flair | 1 | January 11, 1991 | 171 | East Rutherford, NJ | Live event | Defeated Sting for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. WWE recognized it as an NWA reign extended to WCW, but it is not considered as one of Flair's 16 world titles, which are made of 2 WWE titles, 6 WCW titles and 8 NWA titles.[4] | | Vacant | July 1, 1991 | 0 | N/A | N/A | Flair left for the World Wrestling Federation and was stripped of the title.[5] | | Lex Luger | 1 | July 14, 1991 | 230 | Baltimore, MD | The Great American Bash (1991) | Defeated Barry Windham in a steel cage match.[5] | | Sting | 1 | February 29, 1992 | 134 | Milwaukee, WI | SuperBrawl II | [6][7] | | Big Van Vader | 1 | July 12, 1992 | 21 | Albany, GA | The Great American Bash (1992) | [8][9] | | Ron Simmons | 1 | August 2, 1992 | 150 | Baltimore, MD | Live event | Became first African American World Heavyweight Champion.[10] | | Big Van Vader | 2 | December 30, 1992 | 71 | Baltimore, MD | Live event | [3][11] | | Sting | 2 | March 11, 1993 | 6 | London, England | Live event | [3][12] | | Big Van Vader | 3 | March 17, 1993 | 285 | Dublin, Ireland | Live event | [3][13] | | Ric Flair | 2 | December 27, 1993 | 111 | Charlotte, NC | Starrcade (1993) | [14][15] | | Vacant | # | April 17, 1994 | 0 | Rosemont, IL | Spring Stampede (1994) | Title held up after Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat results in a double pin.[16] This occurrence is unrecognized by WWE, who considers Flair a six time WCW Champion, his first reign being an NWA reign extended to WCW. | | Ric Flair | 2(3)† | April 21, 1994 | 87 | Atlanta, GA | WCW Saturday Night | Defeated Steamboat in a rematch.[17] | | Hulk Hogan | 1 | July 17, 1994 | 469 | Orlando, FL | Bash at the Beach (1994) | This was Hogan's first match in WCW.[18][19] | | The Giant | 1 | October 29, 1995 | 8 | Detroit, MI | Halloween Havoc (1995) | Won in a match where the title could be changed by disqualification. The Giant defeated Hogan by disqualification when Jimmy Hart interfered.[20] | | Vacant | November 6, 1995 | 0 | Jacksonville, FL | Nitro | Stripped due to controversial finish of Halloween Havoc match.[20] | | Randy Savage | 1 | November 26, 1995 | 31 | Norfolk, VA | World War 3 (1995) | Won in a World War 3 match.[21][22] | | Ric Flair | 3(4)† | December 27, 1995 | 26 | Nashville, TN | Starrcade (1995) | [23][24] | | Randy Savage | 2 | January 22, 1996 | 20 | Las Vegas, NV | Nitro | [25] | | Ric Flair | 4(5)† | February 11, 1996 | 71 | St. Petersburg, FL | SuperBrawl VI | Won in a Steel cage match.[26][27] | | The Giant | 2 | April 22, 1996 | 110 | Albany, GA | Nitro | [28] | | Hollywood Hogan | 2 | August 10, 1996 | 359 | Sturgis, SD | Hog Wild (1996) | [29][30] | | Lex Luger | 2 | August 4, 1997 | 5 | Auburn Hills, MI | Nitro | [31] | | Hollywood Hogan | 3 | August 9, 1997 | 141 | Sturgis, SD | Road Wild (1997) | [32][33] | | Sting | 3 | December 28, 1997 | 11 | Washington, D.C. | Starrcade (1997) | Hogan first pinned Sting but guest referee Bret Hart accused the first referee Nick Patrick of making a fast count and restarted the match. Sting won by submission.[34][35][36] | | Vacant | January 6, 1998 | 0 | Daytona Beach, FL | Thunder | Aired January 8, 1998. Held up due to controversy over finish of December 28 match.[37] | | Sting | 4 | February 22, 1998 | 56 | Daly City, CA | SuperBrawl VIII | Defeated Hogan in a rematch.[37] | | Randy Savage | 3 | April 19, 1998 | 1 | Denver, CO | Spring Stampede (1998) | [38][39] | | Hollywood Hogan | 4 | April 20, 1998 | 77 | Colorado, Springs, CO | Nitro | Won a no-disqualification match.[40] | | Goldberg | 1 | July 6, 1998 | 174 | Atlanta, GA | Nitro | [41]also held WCW United States Championship | | Kevin Nash | 1 | December 27, 1998 | 8 | Washington, D.C. | Starrcade (1998) | [42][43] | | Hollywood Hogan | 5 | January 4, 1999 | 69 | Atlanta, GA | Nitro | Nash laid down for Hogan.[44] | | Ric Flair | 5(6)† | March 14, 1999 | 28 | Louisville, KY | Uncensored (1999) | Won a First Blood Steel Cage match.[45][46] | | Diamond Dallas Page | 1 | April 11, 1999 | 15 | Tacoma, WA | Spring Stampede (1999) | Defeated Flair, Sting, and Hollywood Hogan in a four-way match.[47][48] | | Sting | 5 | April 26, 1999 | 0 | Fargo, ND | Nitro | [49] | | Diamond Dallas Page | 2 | April 26, 1999 | 13 | Fargo, ND | Nitro | Defeated Sting, Kevin Nash, and Goldberg in a No Disqualification Fatal Four-Way match.[50] | | Kevin Nash | 2 | May 9, 1999 | 63 | St. Louis, MO | Slamboree (1999) | [51][52] | | Randy Savage | 4 | July 11, 1999 | 1 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | Bash at the Beach (1999) | Savage and Sid Vicious defeated Nash and Sting at in a tag team match where the one who scored the victory would be the champion.[53] | | Hulk Hogan | 6 | July 12, 1999 | 62 | Jacksonville, FL | Nitro | [54] | | Sting | 6 | September 12, 1999 | 43 | Winston-Salem, NC | Fall Brawl (1999) | [55][56] | | Vacant | October 25, 1999 | 0 | Phoenix, AZ | Nitro | Sting is stripped of the title after losing a non sanctioned match against Goldberg and attacking referee Charles Robinson at Halloween Havoc (1999).[57] | | Bret Hart | 1 | November 21, 1999 | 29 | Toronto, Ontario | Mayhem (1999) | Defeated Chris Benoit in a tournament final.[58][59][60] | | Vacant | December 20, 1999 | 0 | Baltimore, MD | Nitro | Hart vacates title because of controversial match with Bill Goldberg.[61] | | Bret Hart | 2 | December 20, 1999 | 27 | Baltimore, MD | Nitro | Defeated Goldberg in a rematch.[61] | | Vacant | January 16, 2000 | 0 | Cincinnati, OH | Souled Out (2000) | Hart vacates the title due to injury.[62] | | Chris Benoit | 1 | January 16, 2000 | 1 | Cincinnati, OH | Souled out (2000) | Defeated Sid Vicious.[63] | | Vacant | January 17, 2000 | 0 | N/A | N/A | Benoit forfeits the title and leaves for the WWF after dispute with management.[63][64] | | Sid Vicious | 1 | January 24, 2000 | 1 | Los Angeles, CA | Nitro | Defeated Kevin Nash after defeating the Harris Brothers for the right to wrestle Nash for the belt.[65] | | Vacant | January 25, 2000 | 0 | Las Vegas, NV | Thunder | Stripped by Commissioner Kevin Nash.[3] | | Kevin Nash | 3 | January 25, 2000 | 0 | Las Vegas, NV | Thunder | Awards himself the title.[3] Not listed by mistake in the title lineage at WWE.com.[66] | | Sid Vicious | 2 | January 25, 2000 | 76 | Las Vegas, NV | Thunder | Aired January 26, 2000.[67] | | Vacant | April 10, 2000 | 0 | Denver, CO | Nitro | All WCW titles were declared vacant by Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff after WCW was rebooted.[68] | | Jeff Jarrett | 1 | April 16, 2000 | 8 | Chicago, IL | Spring Stampede (2000) | Defeated Dallas Page in tournament final.[68] | | Diamond Dallas Page | 3 | April 24, 2000 | 1 | Rochester, NY | Nitro | Defeated Jeff Jarrett in a Cage Match | | David Arquette | 1 | April 25, 2000 | 12 | Syracuse, NY | Thunder | This was a tag team match where the first person to get the pinfall would be declared the champion, Arquette and Page defeated Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff when Arquette pinned Bischoff. Aired April 26, 2000.[69] | | Jeff Jarrett | 2 | May 7, 2000 | 8 | Kansas City, MO | Slamboree (2000) | Won in a Triple Cage match that also included Page.[70] | | Ric Flair | 6(7)† | May 15, 2000 | 7 | Biloxi, MS | Nitro | [71] | | Vacant | May 22, 2000 | 0 | Grand Rapids, MI | Nitro | Stripped by Vince Russo.[72] | | Jeff Jarrett | 3 | May 22, 2000 | 1 | Grand Rapids, MI | Nitro | Awarded by Vince Russo.[72] | | Kevin Nash | 4 | May 23, 2000 | 6 | Saginaw, MI | Thunder | Defeats Jarrett and Scott Steiner in a Triple Threat match. Aired on May 24, 2000.[73] | | Ric Flair | 7(8)† | May 29, 2000 | 0 | Salt Lake City, UT | Nitro | Awarded title by Nash.[73] | | Jeff Jarrett | 4 | May 29, 2000 | 41 | Salt Lake City, UT | Nitro | [74] | | Booker T | 1 | July 9, 2000 | 50 | Daytona Beach, FL | Bash at the Beach (2000) | The match was originally billed as Jarrett vs. Hogan (which Hogan won after Jarrett intentionally laid down for him),[75] but head writer Vince Russo stripped Hogan of the title after cutting a shoot promo about getting frustrated with dealing with Hogan's backstage politics, and announced that Jarrett was still the champion (nullifying the result of the Hogan match) and would defend the title in an impromptu match against Booker T.[76] | | Kevin Nash | 5 | August 28, 2000 | 20 | Las Cruces, NM | Nitro | [66] | | Booker T | 2 | September 17, 2000 | 8 | Buffalo, NY | Fall Brawl (2000) | Won a Caged Heat match.[77][78] | | Vince Russo | 1 | September 25, 2000 | 7 | Uniondale, NY | Nitro | Won in a steel cage match.[79] | | Vacant | October 2, 2000 | 0 | Daly City, CA | Nitro | Russo decides he is not a wrestler and does not want the title.[79] | | Booker T | 3 | October 2, 2000 | 55 | Daly City, CA | Nitro | Defeated Jeff Jarrett in a "San Francisco 49ers match".[80] | | Scott Steiner | 1 | November 26, 2000 | 120 | Milwaukee, WI | Mayhem (2000) | Won in a "Straight Jacket steel cage match".[81][82] | | Booker T | 4 | March 26, 2001 | 120 | Panama City Beach, FL | Nitro | Won on Nitro's final edition to become the last wrestler to hold the title under the WCW banner. WCW was purchased by the WWF.[83] | | Kurt Angle | 1 | July 24, 2001 | 6 | Pittsburgh, PA | SmackDown! | Became the first person to win the WCW Championship on WWF programing. Aired July 26, 2001.[84] | | Booker T | 5 | July 30, 2001 | 20 | Philadelphia, PA | RAW is WAR | [85] | | The Rock | 1 | August 19, 2001 | 63 | San Jose, CA | SummerSlam (2001) | [86][87] | | Chris Jericho | 1 | October 21, 2001 | 15 | St. Louis, MO | No Mercy (2001) | [88][89] | | The Rock | 2 | November 5, 2001 | 34 | Uniondale, NY | RAW is WAR | Referred to as simply the "World Championship" on November 19 after the demise of The Alliance.[90] | | Chris Jericho | 2 | December 9, 2001 | 0 | San Diego, CA | Vengeance (2001) | The title was then unified with the WWF Championship.[91] | [edit] List of combined reigns [edit] See also [edit] References [edit] External links |
