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WCW World Heavyweight Championship History

Complete list of every WCW World Heavyweight Championship reign — who held it, when they won it, and how long they kept it. Established Jan 11, 1991.

Final Champion
Chris Jericho
Final champion · Unified into the WWE Championship on December 9, 2001 following WCW's purchase by the WWF; the final champion was Chris Jericho, who became the first Undisputed WWF Champion.
63
Total Reigns
23
Champions
469
Longest (days)
Hulk Hogan
8×
Most Reigns
Ric Flair

Full Title Lineage

#ChampionWonReign
63 Chris Jericho2nd reign Defeated The Rock and then Steve Austin to unify the World Championship into the WWF Championship; the title was retired. Dec 9, 2001WWF Vengeance 2001San Diego, CA <1 day
62 The Rock2nd reign Renamed the World Championship from November 19, 2001 after the demise of The Alliance. Nov 5, 2001Raw Is WarUniondale, NY 34 days
61 Chris Jericho1st reign Oct 21, 2001WWF No Mercy 2001St. Louis, MO 15 days
60 The Rock1st reign Aug 19, 2001WWF SummerSlam 2001San Jose, CA 63 days
59 Booker T5th reign Jul 30, 2001Raw Is WarPhiladelphia, PA 20 days
58 Kurt Angle Jul 26, 2001SmackDown!Pittsburgh, PA 4 days
57 Booker T4th reign The final episode of Nitro; WCW had been purchased by the WWF on March 23, 2001, after which the title was defended on WWF programming as the WCW Championship. Mar 26, 2001WCW NitroPanama City, FL 122 days
56 Scott Steiner Nov 26, 2000WCW Mayhem 2000Milwaukee, WI 120 days
55 Booker T3rd reign Defeated Jeff Jarrett in a San Francisco 49ers match for the vacant title. Oct 2, 2000WCW NitroSan Francisco, CA 55 days
54 Vince Russo ↳ Russo vacated the title, deciding he was not a wrestler. Sep 25, 2000WCW NitroUniondale, NY 7 days
53 Booker T2nd reign Sep 17, 2000WCW Fall Brawl 2000Buffalo, NY 8 days
52 Kevin Nash5th reign Aug 28, 2000WCW NitroLas Cruces, NM 20 days
51 Booker T1st reign Won the title the night of the Hogan/Jarrett worked-shoot controversy. Jul 9, 2000WCW Bash at the Beach 2000Daytona Beach, FL 50 days
50 Jeff Jarrett4th reign May 29, 2000WCW NitroSalt Lake City, UT 41 days
49 Ric Flair8th reign Kevin Nash gave the title to Flair. May 29, 2000WCW NitroSalt Lake City, UT <1 day
48 Kevin Nash4th reign May 24, 2000WCW ThunderSaginaw, MI 5 days
47 Jeff Jarrett3rd reign Russo awarded the vacant title to Jarrett. May 22, 2000WCW NitroGrand Rapids, MI 2 days
46 Ric Flair7th reign ↳ Vince Russo stripped Ric Flair of the title. May 15, 2000WCW NitroBiloxi, MS 7 days
45 Jeff Jarrett2nd reign May 7, 2000WCW Slamboree 2000Kansas City, MO 8 days
44 David Arquette Won a tag match where whoever scored the fall became champion; the actor pinned Eric Bischoff. Apr 26, 2000WCW ThunderSyracuse, NY 11 days
43 Diamond Dallas Page3rd reign Apr 24, 2000WCW NitroRochester, NY 2 days
42 Jeff Jarrett1st reign Defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a tournament final for the vacant title. Apr 16, 2000WCW Spring Stampede 2000Chicago, IL 8 days
41 Sid Vicious2nd reign ↳ All WCW titles were declared vacant by Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff after WCW was rebooted. Jan 26, 2000WCW ThunderLas Vegas, NV 75 days
40 Kevin Nash3rd reign As Commissioner, Nash awarded himself the title. Jan 26, 2000WCW ThunderLas Vegas, NV <1 day
39 Sid Vicious1st reign Beat the Harris Brothers and then Kevin Nash for the vacant title. ↳ Sid was stripped by Commissioner Kevin Nash for pinning the wrong Harris brother. Jan 24, 2000WCW NitroLos Angeles, CA 2 days
38 Chris Benoit Defeated Sid Vicious for the vacant title. ↳ Benoit forfeited the title and left for the WWF days later. Jan 16, 2000WCW Souled Out 2000Cincinnati, OH 1 days
37 Bret Hart2nd reign Defeated Goldberg in a rematch for the vacant title. ↳ Hart vacated due to a legitimate concussion that eventually forced his retirement. Dec 20, 1999WCW NitroBaltimore, MD 27 days
36 Bret Hart1st reign Defeated Chris Benoit in a tournament final for the vacant title. ↳ Hart vacated the title over the controversial end of his Starrcade match with Goldberg. Nov 21, 1999WCW Mayhem 1999Toronto, Ontario, Canada 29 days
35 Sting6th reign ↳ Sting was stripped after an unsanctioned loss to Goldberg and an attack on the referee at Halloween Havoc. Sep 12, 1999WCW Fall Brawl 1999Winston-Salem, NC 43 days
34 Hulk Hogan2nd reign Jul 12, 1999WCW NitroJacksonville, FL 62 days
33 Randy Savage4th reign Jul 11, 1999WCW Bash at the Beach 1999Ft. Lauderdale, FL 1 days
32 Kevin Nash2nd reign May 9, 1999WCW Slamboree 1999St. Louis, MO 63 days
31 Diamond Dallas Page2nd reign Apr 26, 1999WCW NitroFargo, ND 13 days
30 Sting5th reign Apr 26, 1999WCW NitroFargo, ND <1 day
29 Diamond Dallas Page1st reign Apr 11, 1999WCW Spring Stampede 1999Tacoma, WA 15 days
28 Ric Flair6th reign Mar 14, 1999WCW Uncensored 1999Louisville, KY 28 days
27 Hollywood Hogan4th reign The Fingerpoke of Doom: Nash lay down for Hogan, reuniting the nWo. Jan 4, 1999WCW NitroAtlanta, GA 69 days
26 Kevin Nash1st reign Dec 27, 1998WCW Starrcade 1998Washington, D.C. 8 days
25 Goldberg Jul 6, 1998WCW NitroAtlanta, GA 174 days
24 Hollywood Hogan3rd reign Apr 20, 1998WCW NitroColorado Springs, CO 77 days
23 Randy Savage3rd reign Apr 19, 1998WCW Spring Stampede 1998Denver, CO 1 days
22 Sting4th reign Defeated Hollywood Hogan in a rematch for the vacant title. Feb 22, 1998WCW SuperBrawl VIIISan Francisco, CA 56 days
21 Sting3rd reign ↳ Sting was stripped of the title over the controversial finishes at Starrcade and the rematch. Dec 28, 1997WCW Starrcade 1997Washington, D.C. 11 days
20 Hollywood Hogan2nd reign Aug 9, 1997WCW Road Wild 1997Sturgis, SD 141 days
19 Lex Luger2nd reign Aug 4, 1997WCW NitroAuburn Hills, MI 5 days
18 Hollywood Hogan1st reign Often announced as the nWo/WCW World Heavyweight Championship during this reign. Aug 10, 1996WCW Hog Wild 1996Sturgis, SD 359 days
17 The Giant2nd reign Apr 29, 1996WCW NitroAlbany, GA 103 days
16 Ric Flair5th reign Feb 11, 1996WCW SuperBrawl VISt. Petersburg, FL 78 days
15 Randy Savage2nd reign Jan 22, 1996WCW NitroLas Vegas, NV 20 days
14 Ric Flair4th reign Dec 27, 1995WCW Starrcade 1995Nashville, TN 26 days
13 Randy Savage1st reign Won the first-ever World War 3 battle royal for the vacant title. Nov 26, 1995WCW World War 3 1995Norfolk, VA 31 days
12 The Giant1st reign ↳ The Giant was stripped of the title over the controversial finish of the Halloween Havoc match. Oct 29, 1995WCW Halloween Havoc 1995Detroit, MI 8 days
11 Hulk Hogan1st reign Jul 17, 1994WCW Bash at the Beach 1994Orlando, FL 469 days
10 Ric Flair3rd reign Defeated Steamboat in a rematch for the vacant title; in June 1994 Flair unified the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship into this title, the Big Gold Belt again representing the World Championship. Apr 21, 1994 87 days
9 Ric Flair2nd reign ↳ A title match between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat ended in a double pin, vacating the title. Dec 27, 1993WCW Starrcade 1993Charlotte, NC 111 days
8 Vader3rd reign WCW conclusively withdrew from the NWA on September 1, 1993 during this reign. Mar 17, 1993House showDublin, Ireland 285 days
7 Sting2nd reign Mar 11, 1993House showLondon, England 6 days
6 Vader2nd reign Dec 30, 1992House showBaltimore, MD 71 days
5 Ron Simmons Won a raffle to replace the injured Sting as number one contender, then defeated Vader to become the first Black World Heavyweight Champion. Aug 16, 1992WCW Main EventBaltimore, MD 136 days
4 Vader1st reign Jul 12, 1992WCW Great American Bash 1992Albany, GA 35 days
3 Sting1st reign Feb 29, 1992WCW SuperBrawl IIMilwaukee, WI 134 days
2 Lex Luger1st reign Defeated Barry Windham in a steel cage match for the vacant title. Jul 14, 1991WCW Great American Bash 1991Baltimore, MD 230 days
1 Ric Flair1st reign Defeated Sting for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship; WCW began recognizing Flair as its first WCW World Champion, using the Big Gold Belt. ↳ Flair left for the WWF and was stripped of the title. Jan 11, 1991House showEast Rutherford, NJ 171 days

The top prize of World Championship Wrestling, spun off from the NWA World Heavyweight Championship when Ric Flair was recognized as the first WCW World Champion in January 1991. Across the Monday Night War it passed through Hulk Hogan, Sting, Vader, Goldberg, the nWo and beyond. Ric Flair's eight reigns are the record; Hulk Hogan's 1994–95 reign of 469 days is the longest. The WCW International World Heavyweight Championship was unified into it in 1994.

WCW World Heavyweight Championship — FAQ

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship is no longer active. Unified into the WWE Championship on December 9, 2001 following WCW's purchase by the WWF; the final champion was Chris Jericho, who became the first Undisputed WWF Champion. The final champion was Chris Jericho.

Ric Flair was the inaugural WCW World Heavyweight Championship, winning it on Jan 11, 1991 at House show.

Ric Flair has the most reigns with 8.

Hulk Hogan's reign beginning Jul 17, 1994 is the longest at 469 days.

There have been 63 reigns across 23 different champions since the title was established.

← All current champions  ·  Where do these champions rank all-time? — The GOAT Index