The WWE Championship is widely recognized as the most historic championship in WWE. Dating back to 1963, the WWE Championship was first awarded to Buddy Rogers after he defeated Antonino Rocca in the finals of a tournament in April. Since that time, the biggest names in the business have held the WWE Championship, including Bruno Sammartino, Andre the Giant, Bret Hart, The Rock, Stone Cold and many more. Champion Defeated Location Date Buddy Rogers Antonino Rocca Rio de Janeiro 04-29-63 Bruno Sammartino Buddy Rogers New York, NY 05-17-63 Ivan Koloff Bruno Sammartino New York, NY 01-18-71 Pedro Morales Ivan Koloff New York, NY 02-08-71 Stan Stasiak Pedro Morales Philadelphia, PA 12-01-73 Bruno Sammartino Stan Stasiak New York, NY 12-10-73 Superstar Billy Graham Bruno Sammartino Baltimore, MD 04-30-77 Bob Backlund Superstar Billy Graham New York, NY 02-20-78 The Iron Sheik Bob Backlund New York, NY 12-26-83 Hulk Hogan The Iron Sheik New York, NY 01-23-84 Andre the Giant Hulk Hogan Indianapolis, IN 02-05-88 Randy Savage Ted DiBiase Atlantic City, NJ 03-27-88 Hulk Hogan Randy Savage Atlantic City, NJ 04-02-89 Ultimate Warrior Hulk Hogan Toronto, Ontario 04-01-90 Sgt. Slaughter Ultimate Warrior Miami, FL 01-19-91 Watch Hulk Hogan Sgt. Slaughter Los Angeles, CA 03-24-91 Watch Undertaker Hulk Hogan Detroit, MI 11-27-91 Watch Hulk Hogan Undertaker San Antonio, TX 12-03-91 Watch Ric Flair n/a Albany, NY 01-19-92 Randy Savage Ric Flair Indianapolis, IN 04-05-92 Watch Ric Flair Randy Savage Hershey, PA 09-01-92 Bret Hart Ric Flair Saskatoon 10-12-92 Watch Yokozuna Bret Hart Las Vegas, NV 04-04-93 Watch Hulk Hogan Yokozuna Las Vegas, NV 04-04-93 Watch Yokozuna Hulk Hogan Dayton, OH 06-13-93 Watch Bret Hart Yokozuna New York, NY 03-20-94 Bob Backlund Bret Hart San Antonio, TX 11-23-94 Watch Diesel Bob Backlund New York, NY 11-26-94 Bret Hart Diesel Landover, MD 11-19-95 Shawn Michaels Bret Hart Anaheim, CA 03-31-96 Sid Shawn Michaels New York, NY 11-17-96 Shawn Michaels Sid San Antonio, TX 01-19-97 Watch Bret Hart Undertaker Chattanooga, TN 02-16-97 Sid Bret Hart Nashville, TN 02-17-97 Undertaker Sid Chicago 03-23-97 Watch Bret Hart Undertaker East Rutherford, N.J. 08-03-97 Watch Shawn Michaels Bret Hart Montreal 11-09-97 Watch Stone Cold Shawn Michaels Boston 03-29-98 Kane Stone Cold Pittsburgh 06-28-98 Stone Cold Kane Cleveland 06-29-98 The Rock Mankind St. Louis, Mo. 11-15-98 Mankind The Rock Worcester, Mass. 01-04-99 The Rock Mankind Anaheim, Calif. 01-24-99 Mankind The Rock Tucson, Ariz. 01-31-99 The Rock Mankind Birmingham, Ala. 02-15-99 Stone Cold The Rock Philadelphia 03-28-99 Undertaker Stone Cold Kansas City, Mo. 05-23-99 Stone Cold Undertaker Charlotte, N.C. 06-28-99 Mankind Stone Cold Minneapolis 08-22-99 Triple H Mankind Ames, Iowa 08-23-99 Mr. McMahon Triple H Las Vegas 09-16-99 Triple H n/a Charlotte, N.C. 09-26-99 Big Show Triple H Detroit 11-14-99 Triple H Big Show Miami 01-03-00 The Rock Triple H Washington, D.C. 04-30-00 Triple H The Rock Louisville, Ky. 05-21-00 The Rock Triple H Boston 06-25-00 Kurt Angle The Rock Albany, N.Y. 10-22-00 The Rock Kurt Angle Las Vegas 02-25-01 Stone Cold The Rock Houston 04-01-01 Kurt Angle Stone Cold Pittsburgh 09-23-01 Stone Cold Kurt Angle Indianapolis 10-08-01 Chris Jericho Stone Cold San Diego 12-09-01 Triple H Chris Jericho Toronto 03-17-02 Hulk Hogan Triple H Kansas City, Mo. 04-21-02 Undertaker Hulk Hogan Nashville, Tenn. 05-19-02 Watch The Rock Undertaker Detroit 07-21-02 Watch Brock Lesnar The Rock Uniondale, N.Y. 08-25-02 Big Show Brock Lesnar New York, N.Y. 11-17-02 Kurt Angle Big Show Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 12-15-02 Brock Lesnar Kurt Angle Seattle 03-30-03 Kurt Angle Brock Lesnar Denver 07-27-03 Brock Lesnar Kurt Angle Raleigh, N.C. 09-18-03 Watch Eddie Guerrero Brock Lesnar San Francisco 02-15-04 JBL Eddie Guerrero Norfolk, Va. 06-27-04 John Cena JBL Los Angeles 04-03-05 Edge John Cena Albany, N.Y. 01-08-06 John Cena Edge Miami 01-29-06 Rob Van Dam John Cena New York 06-11-06 Edge RVD & John Cena Philadelphia 07-03-06 John Cena Edge Toronto 09-17-06 Randy Orton n/a Chicago 10-07-07 Triple H Randy Orton Chicago 10-07-07 Randy Orton Triple H Chicago 10-07-07 Triple H Randy Orton Baltimore 04-27-08 Edge Triple H Boston 11-23-08 Jeff Hardy Edge Buffalo, N.Y. 12-14-08 Edge Jeff Hardy Detroit 01-25-09 Triple H n/a Seattle 02-15-09 Randy Orton Triple H Providence, R.I. 04-26-09 Batista Randy Orton New Orleans 06-07-09 Randy Orton n/a Charlotte, N.C. 06-15-09 John Cena Randy Orton Montreal 09-13-09 Randy Orton John Cena Newark, N.J. 10-04-09 John Cena Randy Orton Pittsburg, Pa. 10-25-09 Sheamus John Cena San Antonio 12-13-09 John Cena Sheamus St. Louis 02-21-10 Batista John Cena St. Louis 02-21-10 John Cena Batista Phoenix 03-28-10 Sheamus John Cena, Randy Orton & Edge Uniondale, N.Y. 06-20-10 Randy Orton Sheamus Chicago 09-19-10 The Miz Randy Orton Orlando 11-22-10 Watch John Cena The Miz Tampa 05-01-11 CM Punk John Cena Chicago 07-17-11 Rey Mysterio The Miz Hampton, Va. 07-25-11 Watch John Cena Rey Mysterio Hampton, Va. 07-25-11 Watch Alberto Del Rio CM Punk Los Angeles 08-14-11
