The ESSENTIALS: Great Champions Of North America

Welcome to this very special edition of the ESSENTIALS.  I am a huge believer in the theory that a pro wrestling promotion is only as good as it's champion.  In the long history of the business, there have been many, but only few who have truly defined what the word 'champion' really means.  In the WWE, they like to consider a great champion someone who drew a lot of money (such as Hogan, Austin, The Rock and Andre the Giant).  While that may be true, in my mind, a true champion is a person who defined a belt and dominated that belt's competition in their respective era. 

So how do I rank these great champions?  Heres the criteria:

• The person must have held the championship for more then a few months (which is uncommon nowadays) or have had a high amount of reigns. 
• The quality of the opponents the champion defended against.
• The quality of the matches.
• The ability to elevate other talent.
• The champion's reign's importance to the championship's history.

Now that we've covered all the bases, here is the list of the 15 greatest champion's of all time.




Number 15: Chris Jericho


Primary belt he's associated with: The Intercontinental Championship
Combined days as champion: 318
Number of reigns: 9 (record)
Longest reign: 2008 (111 days)
Shortest reign: 2003 (0 days)
Best reign: 2001 (72 days)
Best match of his 2001 reign:: Royal Rumble 2001: ladder match: Chris Jericho defeated Chris Benoit(c)
Match Rating: 4.75/5

Y2J holds the record (nine) for the most Intercontinental Championships won by a single superstar.  That feat alone deems him worthy of consideration.  He's had many memorable battles as the IC champ with the likes of Chris Benoit, Edge, Batista, Chyna (I know right), Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy and perhaps his greatest IC feud, Rey Mysterio.  He and Rey had a classic IC title feud that stole the show at three separate PPVs in 2009, but Jericho was only champion for one of those three.  It's his 2001 reign that was his best even though the reign itself did not last very long. Shelton Benjamin and Kofi Kingston know just how great of an IC champion Jericho was, with both men picking up key victories over Y2J on their way to the gold.  As a world champion he was also effective, but his name is still not primarily associated with either belt and none of his reigns were especially long.  For these two reasons, Chris Jericho has just missed out on the top ten.





Number 14: Taz



Primary belt he's associated with: The ECW Championship
Combined days as champion: 261
Number of reigns: 2
Longest reign: 1999-2000 (252 days)
Shortest reign: 2000 (9 days)
Best reign: 1999 (252 days)
Best match of his 1999-00 reign:: Living Dangerously 99': Taz(c) defeated Sabu in a title unification match.
Match Rating: 4/5

The human suplex machine tore through ECW and is the man most associated with the promotion's world title.  While Paul Heyman and crew may have produced bigger stars (RVD, Sandman, Sabu), no one man epitomized the 'I don't give a fuck' attitude of the company like Taz (he was after all, the 'fuck the world' champion).  He dominated the company and used his brutal Tazmission (still my favorite submission) to keep the gold around his waist for over a year.  The only reason Taz does not rank higher, is because the quality of competition he faced is not as high as the other champions on this list.  Still it's undeniable that night in and night out, Taz dominated, leaving all opponents who were lucky enough to walk out alive, knowing they only survived because he let them.





Number 13: Shawn Michaels


Primary belt he's associated with: The WWE Championship
Combined days as champion: 396
Number of reigns: 3
Longest reign: 1996-1997 (231 days)
Shortest reign: 1997 (25 days)
Best reign: 1996-97 (231 days)
Best match of his 1996-97 reign:: Wrestlemania XII: Ironman match: Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart(c)
Match Rating: 4.75/5

Shawn's legacy as the greatest performer of all time is set in stone, but he is not often given the credit he deserves as champion because of his lack of real drawing power (the company was in a great decline during his reign).  Still, his matches as champion are legendary.  During his 1996 reign he had several classic matches against Bret Hart, Diesel, The British Bulldog, Vader, Mankind (a near 5 star match and Mind Games 1996) and Goldust before finally dropping the title to Psycho Sid.  With one five star match and two near perfect matches, Shawn elevated the bar for awesome championship performances.  Even if the burden of carrying the company was too much for him, Shawn never took a second breath throughout the year 1996.  His days as Intercontinental Champion are nothing to frown upon either, as he delivered as many great performances (if not more) then he did as a world champion.





Number 12: Bob Backlund


Primary belt he's associated with: The WWE Championship
Combined days as champion: 2,127
Number of reigns: 2
Longest reign: 1979-1983 (1,435 days)
Shortest reign: 1978 (648 days)
Best reign: 1979-83 (1,435 days)
Best match of his 1979-83 reign:: The Omni: WWE Champion Bob Backlund faced NWA Champion Ric Flair to a draw
Match Rating: 4.5/5

Bob Backlund is the greatest WWE Champion of the pre-Hogan era.  His name is synonymous with the title and unlike Sammartino, who many consider to be the most dominant, Backlund delivered great in-ring performances.  His 6 year reign is probably the most amazing WWEBacklund's face should be the one you see when you get to the WWE title.





Number 11: Edge


Primary belts he's associated with: The WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Combined days as Champion: 409 days
Number of reigns: 7 (record)
Longest reign: 2007-2008 (105 days)
Shortest reign: 2008 (29 days)
Best reign: 2007-08 (105 days)
Best match of his 2007-08 reign:: Armageddon 2007: Edge defeated The Undertaker and Batista(c)
Match Rating: 4.75/5

Edge made his mark on every male championship the WWE has to offer, so you have to consider him amongst the great champions on that feat alone.  The Rated R Superstar still holds he record for the most championships won by an individual (31) and most of the titles were won in opportunistic fashion.  His sneaky and sly 'do anything to win' attitude, was never more evident then in his 2007-2008 feud with the Undertaker.  Aside from his unforgettable rivalry with the deadman, Edge has beaten Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Batista, John Cena, Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho, Kane, Rob Van Dam, Chris Benoit and The Big Show.  Even in retirement, Edge proved that he was a champion, defeating Alberto Del Rio at Wrestlemania XXVII, to retire with his 11th World Championship.  Not bad for the kid once voted 'most likely to become WWE champion' in high school.





Number 10: Rey Mysterio


Primary belt he's associated with: The Cruiserweight Championship
Combined days as champion: 483
Number of reigns: 8 (record)
Longest reign: 1999 (115 days)
Shortest reign: 1998 (9 days)
Best reign: 1996 (111 days)
Best match of his 1996 reign:: Hog Wild: Rey Mysterio defeated Ultimo Dragon in a dream match
Match Rating: 4/5

Rey's five-star match against Eddie Guerrero at Halloween Havoc 1997, is the greatest cruiserweight match of all time.  Still, that reign only ended up lasting 15 days.  Rey made a bigger impact with his first reign in 1996, he then went on to win a record 8 cruiserweight titles, further solidifying his status as the greatest high flyer to ever live.  Combine that with the fact that he consistently faced elite competition like Eddie and Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Psicosis, Juventud Geurerra, Super Calo, and Ultimo Dragon, is there really anything else that needs to be said?





Number 9: Trish Stratus


Primary belt she's associated with: The Women's Championship
Combined days as champion: 828
Number of reigns: 7 (record)
Longest reign: 2005-2006 (448 days)
Shortest reign: 2006 (1 day)
Best reign: 2005-06 (448 days)
Best match of her 2005-06 reign:: Wrestlemania XXII: Mickie James defeated Trish Stratus(c)
Match Rating: 4/5

While the Fabulous Moolah may have had the longest reign, there is no denying that Trish Stratus is the greatest female performer in the history of the sport. Take her impressive 448 day reign in from 2005-2006 (the third longest reign on this list) along with another lasting 176 days in 2004, and combine that with the fact that she's held the title more than any other competitor, and you've got to tip your hat to her.  Shit, pick any category and she's STILL the best.  You wanna talk competition? How's this list sound; Lita, Victoria, Jazz, Molly Holly, Melina, Mickie James, Jaqueline and Ivory.  And to top that all off, you've got to consider her 2006 matches with Mickie James(a win that made her career) at Wrestlemania 22 and her retirement match against Lita at Unforgiven, as possibly the best two women's matches in WWE history.





Number 8: John Bradshaw Layfield


Primary belt he's associated with: The WWE Championship
Combined days as champion: 280
Number of reigns: 1
Longest reign: 2004-2005 (280 days)
Shortest reign: 2004-05 (280 days)
Best reign: 2004-05 (280 days)
Best match of his 2004-05 reign:: Armageddon 2004: JBL(c) defeated Eddie Guerrero, Booker T and The Undertaker
Match Rating: 4/5

JBL was the champion no one wanted, and went on to become the champion no one could deny.  His 280 day reign at the top made him, in his own words "the greatest champion in Smackdown history".  After beating the legendary Eddie Guerrero for the title in two classic bouts, Layfield went on to feud with the Undertaker.  To this day, he remains one of the few men with multiple victories over the deadman.  He would also successfully defend his title against Booker T, Kurt Angle and The Big Show.  Despite all of these impressive accolades, his greatest contribution to the business came at Wrestlemania XXI.  After an amazing entrance, JBL clashed with the then white-hot John Cena and ushered in a new era.  It was in defeating JBL at two consecutive PPVs, that Cena earned his stripes as a Main Event commodity.  Every great babyface superstar, is only as good as their most hated enemy, and JBL was possibly, the most hated champion of all time.





Number 7: The Dudley Boyz


Primary belts they are associated with: Various Tag Team Championships
Combined days as WWE world tag champions: 281
Number of reigns: 8 WWE world tag titles (record) and 23 total (record)
Longest reign: 2003 (84 days)
Shortest reign: 2003 (1 day)
Best reign: 2001-2002 (50 days)
Best match of their reign:: Survivor Series 2001: Steel Cage match: WCW tag champs the Dudley Boyz defeated WWE tag champs the Hardy Boyz in a unification match
Match Rating: 4.5/5

In what is now known as the 'golden age' of tag teams in the WWE, the Dudley Boyz were one of the focal points.  While they were never the most dominant (Edge and Christian) or the most popular (the Hardy Boyz), the were quietly the most successful.  Their classic TLC matches with E & C and the Hardyz, are some of the greatest tag team matches of all time.  They have to be given strong consideration for the best ever, due to the fact that they are the only team to win every major tag team championship in pro wrestling history.  Combine that with their legendary wins over La Resistance, William Regal and Lance Storm, The Brothers of Destruction, RVD and Kane, Too Cool, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho, and Billy and Chuck, and you have the strongest tag team championship resume of all time.  The Dudleys may have always screamed 'GET THE TABLES', but championship glory was obviously what they were really after.






Number 6: John Cena


Primary belt he's associated with: The WWE Championship
Combined days as champion: 1,058
Number of reigns: 10 (record)
Longest reign: 2006 -2007 (380 days)
Shortest reign: 0 (2010)
Best reign: 2006-07 (380 days)
Best Match of his 2006-07 reign:: Wrestlemania XXIII: John Cena(c) defeated Shawn Michaels
Match Rating: 4.5/5

With his never say die attitude, John Cena is th most polarizing figure in the industry since Hulk Hogan.  Proof of his dominance is his record-setting 10 WWE championships.  Many of Cena's haters would NEVER admit it, but John Cena is one of the greatest champions of all time.  No other superstar epitomized the words "fighting champion" like John Cena.  His epic feud with Edge in 2006 is the stuff of legend, and also resulted in the best WWE title run of his career.  Though the Rated "R" Superstar was not the only legend to fall to the champ. Triple H, Batista, Shawn Michaels, JBL, Umaga, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, The Big Show, Kurt Angle, and many more have also suffered key losses to Cena.  All these accomplishments by the age of 34, it's safe to say Cena will be even higher on this list when it's all said and done.






Number 5: Kurt Angle


Primary belt he's associated with: The WWE Championship
Combined days as champion: 297
Number of reigns: 4
Longest reign: 2002-2003 (105 days)
Shortest reign: 2001 (15 days)
Best reign: 2002-03 (105 days)
Best match of his 2002-03 reign:: Royal Rumble 2003: Kurt Angle(c) defeated Chris Benoit
Match Rating: 5/5

Being that he's the only olympic gold medalist in WWE history, perhaps Kurt Angle redefined the meaning of the word 'champion'.  He made every match seem like an olympic contest with his out-of-this-world ability and the wrestling machine never seemed better then he was in 2002-03.  Kurt had a banner year as champion, culminating with his classic main event match with Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania XIX.  Even though he lost that match, Kurt gave a heroic performance and proceeded to have the feud of the year against Lesnar, all with a broken freakin' neck.  As a champion, Kurt's list of opponents is a who's who of WWE legends, The Rock, Steve Austin, Chris Benoit, The Undertaker, The Big Show, Hulk Hogan, Eddie Guerrero, JBL, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Triple H and Rob Van Dam.  Any wrestler would KILL for Kurt's list of accomplishments, and this along with his pedigree as a legitimate wrestling machine, brought instant prestige to ANY belt Kurt wore to the ring.







Number 4: Randy Savage


Primary belt he's associated with: The Intercontinental Championship
Combined days as champion: 414
Number of reigns: 1 (414 days)
Longest reign: 1986-1987 (414 days)
Shortest reign: 1986-87 (414 days)
Best reign: 1986-87 (414 days)
Best match of his 1986-87 reign:: Wrestlemania III: Randy Savage(c) was defeated by Ricky Steamboat
Match Raing: 5/5

Randy Savage is undeniably the greatest Intercontinental Champion to ever live.  For many years, the belt was highly regarded as 'the workhorse' title, and that was all due to Savage's brilliant performances as champion.  His remarkable reign culminated in what is a strong contender for the best match ever, at Wrestlemania III, where he was defeated by Ricky Steamboat.  Savage won his first and only IC title from Tito Santana, and set the bar high for championship performances of any kind.  It was also during Savage's reign that the IC title was looked at as being equally as important as the WWE championship.  You could give him the hardcore title and he would do the same thing.  Of every champion on this list, no one could elevate a belt like Savage, and that is why he is the fourth greatest champion of all time.







Number 3: Bret Hart


Primary belt he's associated with: The WWE Championship
Combined days as champion: 654
Number of reigns: 5
Longest reign: 1994 (248 days)
Shortest reign: 1997 (1 day)
Best reign: 1995-96 (133 days)
Best match of his 1995-96 reign:: Wrestlemania XII: Bret Hart(c) was defeated by Shawn Michaels in an Ironman match
Match Rating: 4.75/5

Bret Hart is for my money, the greatest WWE champion of all time.  Bret Hart gave the belt more prestige then ever by simply working harder then any of the champions before him.  A prime example of his ability as champion, was the way he would bring a 4-5 star match out of below average performers.  Bret had a near 5 star classic with Diesel for Christ's sake.  Not to mention his classics with Yokozuna, a then very limited Undertaker and Bam Bam Bigelow.  Still, Bret's greatest quality as champion, and the one that earns him the number three slot, is his unselfishness.  Bret Hart would put over the two men who would eclipse him in popularity, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels.  Whether or not he wanted to did not matter, Bret was the consummate professional and knew that his legacy was already undeniable.  Having said that, it's ironic that he was later unwilling to lose the belt to HBK in Montreal, in what would mark the beginning of the end for the Hitman.  If it were not for these events (and those that followed), he may very well have ended up being number one on this list.







Number 2: Triple H


Primary belt he's associated with: The WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Combined days as champion: 616
Number of reigns: 5
Longest reign: 2002-2003 (280 days)
Shortest reign: 2002 (76 days)
Best reign: 2002-03 (280 days)
Best match of his 2002-03 reign:: Badd Blood 2003: Triple H defeated Kevin Nash in a Hell in a Cell match
Match Rating: 4.5/5

The Cerebral Assassin is the most dominant champion of the new millennium, and also the most controversial.  Many believe that all of his accolades were accomplished through backstage politics. While there may be some truth to that statement, The Game still deserves to be listed amongst the greats. Haters and smart marks like to believe he doesn't like putting other talent over.  If you ask Batista, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Chris Benoit, I'm sure they will tell you otherwise.  All of these men can claim a Wrestlemania victory over the Game (two of them by submission).  Hell, ask Shelton Benjamin, who Triple H let gain three consecutive victories over him (in the beginning of Benjamin's solo career no less).  There has never been another wrestler who has made more high profile stars in such a short period of time.  Aside from elevating talent, the Game elevated the WHW title as well.  Being that he was the inaugural WWE World Heavyweight Champion, there was a lot of pressure to do so.  There is no other wrestler in WWE history who can hype a match like Triple H can, and he almost always delivers.  Hate him or love him, if you ask the men he's beaten in his various title defenses (The Undertaker, Kevin Nash, Randy Orton, John Cena, The Rock, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, The Big Show, Kane, Edge, Scott Steiner, Booker T and his idol, Ric Flair) there has never been a champion more dangerous then the King of Kings.





and who's the greatest of the great?






for all you dumb aliens out there I give you....










Number 1: Ric Flair


Primary belt he's associated with: The NWA-WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Combined days as champion: 3,101
Number of reigns: 10 NWA championships (record) and 16 total (record)
Longest reign: 1984-1986 (793days)
Shortest reign: 1984 (44 days)
Best reign: 1989-1990 (426 days)
Best match of his 1989-90 reign:: WrestleWar 89': Ric Flair defeated Ricky Steamboat
Match Rating: 5/5

Plain and simple, if you ask every other champion on this list who deserves to be number one, they will tell you the same answer, Ric Flair.  He invented the blueprint for the modern day champion.  And even though every champion after him tried to emulate the nature boy in some fashion, none of them could ever come close to his legacy.  His infamous tour of the territories in the 80s, is the most amazing feat ever performed by a professional wrestler.  Ric would travel from city to city, taking on every local promotion's top star and giving each one of them a 'match of the year' caliber performance (with most of them lasting nearly an hour).  Ric Flair the epitome of pro wrestling royalty, but was never afraid to lose.  He would give young upstarts the win of their lives, and still come out looking like a champ.  This was primarily due to the fact that Flair carried himself like a champion, talked like a champion, and performed better than anyone in his era.  Recently, I watched some old footage from WCW, in which Flair took a very young Eddie Guerrero on a 30 minute ride that would launch Eddie's career.  Rumor has it, this did not sit well with a lot of the established veterans backstage, but Flair did not care (he also elevated Ricky Steamboat and Sting's legendary careers), he could never be insecure, because he knew his role as a champion was to make everyone else look good so that there were always strong contenders for the title.  To sum it all up, Flair would arrive at your arena, give you the best match of your life, and somehow still have the energy to give your woman the best night of hers.  Leaving both of you thinking 'there goes Ric Flair, the sixty minute man' WHOOOO!


And there you have it marks, the greatest champions of all time!


Comment and let me know where you agree/disagree