4 times WWE stars won other promotion's championships
WWE is currently one of the biggest wrestling companies on the planet. While the sports entertainment juggernaut is now part of TKO under the Endeavor banner, it has existed in some form for over 70 years.
That said, there are other wrestling companies out there, and some have been quite large or even have built a cult following. In terms of modern-day promotions, All Elite Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, and STARDOM are some of the best-known.
World Wrestling Entertainment has historically been reluctant to partner with other companies. However, that has changed in recent years, as it partnered with many promotions, including TNA Wrestling, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and more.
Over the years, there have been some examples of stars working for the promotion, either going to other companies to win their titles or having done so on a World Wrestling Entertainment-sanctioned event. This article will look at four times the much larger promotion's talent won titles elsewhere.
Below are four times WWE stars have won other promotion's championships.
#4. Trick Williams captured the TNA World Championship
Trick Williams is one of WWE's most charismatic performers. Despite still being on NXT, he is also one of the most over stars. When the audience starts to chant "Whoop That Trick," everybody gets caught up in his infectious charisma.
TNA Wrestling is one of the longest-running major promotions in pro wrestling today. The company was formed in 2002, and despite numerous changes in staff, ownership, and even the promotion's name, it is still alive and thriving.
In recent years, WWE has started partnering with TNA Wrestling. Since then, many TNA stars have appeared on World Wrestling Entertainment shows and vice versa.
Last night at NXT Battleground, Joe Hendry defended his TNA World Championship against Trick Williams. While many did not expect to see another company's title change hands on WWE TV, in a shocking turn of events, Williams defeated Hendry. This was a huge surprise, and fans still can't believe it.
Williams became the first active WWE Superstar ever to win a TNA World Championship.
#3. Hank Walker and Tank Ledger won tag team gold outside of NXT
Hank Walker and Tank Ledger are a tag team on WWE NXT. Both men are products of the Performance Center, with Tank having been a NIL athlete. The duo won the NXT Tag Team Title at Stand & Deliver.
Reality of Wrestling is a Texas-based pro wrestling organization owned and operated by Hall of Famer Booker T. In addition to being an active company, ROW is also a school that teaches the next generation of stars.
On December 14, 2024, the ROW event titled SubZero saw Hank and Tank defeat Fly Def, which is a team made up of Warren J & Zack Zilla. While they lost the title months later in March, seeing an NXT team capture gold elsewhere was still significant.
#2. Omos captured a championship belt in Japan
Omos is one of WWE's most intimidating stars. Standing over seven feet tall and weighing in at over 400 pounds, the former RAW Tag Team Champion is a major threat to any and all potential foes.
Pro Wrestling NOAH is a long-tenured wrestling promotion based in Japan. The company was first formed 25 years ago in 2000. Nowadays, the company has a loose working relationship with World Wrestling Entertainment.
The Nigerian Giant made his NOAH debut on the January 1, 2025, show. In tag team action alongside Jack Morrison, Omos defeated Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura to win the GHC Tag Team Titles. He later vacated the belt and returned to the United States.
#1. Tazz once won the ECW Title and brought it to WWE television
Tazz is a former WWE Superstar who currently serves as a commentator in All Elite Wrestling. While he held gold briefly in World Wrestling Entertainment, his most notable run was in ECW, where he held the company's world title.
ECW was a wrestling promotion that died in 2001. Run by Todd Gordon and then Paul Heyman, Extreme Championship Wrestling was largely responsible for influencing the rise of hardcore wrestling and lucha libre in mainstream, national wrestling promotions.
On the April 13, 2000, edition of ECW on TNN, Tazz returned to Extreme Championship Wrestling and dethroned Mike Awesome of the ECW Championship. He only held it for two weeks before dropping the gold to Tommy Dreamer, but he notably wore the title on WWE programming.