Creme de la Creme? 4 multi-time WWE world champions who never won a mid-card championship
The path to the top of WWE can be long and winding. Most superstars work their way to world championship glory by winning mid-card titles. A well-executed Intercontinental or United States Championship run is often a sign of readiness to become world champion.
On rare occasions, this trend has been bucked by exceptional performers who went straight to the top. These stars won world titles without first holding midcard gold and never looked back, almost exclusively staying in the world title picture. It's quite an uncommon occurrence, one which is usually reserved for the most dominant performers.
Let's explore four multi-time world champions who did not win (or have not won) mid-card championships in WWE.
Honorable mention: Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch
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The WWE women's division does not have mid-card titles. However, Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch's unique resumes deserve mention on this list.
Despite competing in NXT for years, The EST and The Man did not win championships on the former black-and-gold brand. Upon transitioning to the main roster, they quickly rose to the top of the division, where they have stayed for their respective tenures.
It will be interesting to see whether Belair and Lynch eventually pursue tag team gold. It would definitely be a dream team-up if they did it together.
# 4: 3-time WWE world champion Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt's WWE career followed an unusual path, to say the least. Debuting with The Nexus as Husky Harris, he had a forgettable run before being repackaged and sent back to developmental. He then re-debuted with The Eater of Worlds gimmick as the leader of The Wyatt Family, lasting six years before transforming into The Fiend.
Throughout all this metamorphosis, Wyatt won three world championships and two tag team titles. However, he never got his hands on the Intercontinental and United States Championships. Wyatt is unlikely to be in the midcard should he ever return to the company, so he may be a fixture on this list for the rest of his career.
#3: WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan was the face of WWE for a decade, helping usher in the 1980s wrestling boom with his extremely popular babyface persona. The Immortal One was the first superstar to win consecutive Royal Rumbles and main evented eight of the first nine WrestleManias. In the process, he became a five-time world champion, his first reign being the second-longest in history.
Upon his return to the company, after WCW folded, he won his sixth and final world title. He also won his solitary tag team championship alongside Edge but never won the Intercontinental or United States Championships. Hogan was an era-defining superstar, so it's a shame he did not lend his star power to these mid-card titles during his run.
#2: WWE Hall Of Famer Goldberg
Who was @Goldberg before he was a 4x World Champion and a WWE Hall of Famer?
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Let's begin this entry with a caveat. Goldberg is a one-time WCW United States Heavyweight champion. In fact, he is a WCW Triple Crown Champion and thus a WWE Triple Crown winner by virtue of the latter company buying out the former.
However, strictly taking into account his time in the Stamford-based company from 2003 to date, his resume is more limited. The Icon is a one-time World Heavyweight and two-time Universal Champion, having never held any mid-card or tag team gold. With his alleged two-match per-year contract, it is unlikely he will ever lend his name to those divisions.
Can you imagine how big a Gunther vs. Goldberg Intercontinental Championship match would be?
#1: Ten-time world champion Brock Lesnar has never won a mid-card or tag-team championship
Brock Lesnar has been described as the alpha male of our species, the ultimate prize fighter, and a one-percenter among one-percenters. He is prominently featured every time he appears on WWE programming because he is a top draw.
Since the beginning of his career, Lesnar has received a strong push, becoming the youngest WWE and one of the longest-reigning Universal Champion at different points in his career.
The Beast is currently scheduled to challenge Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a Last-Man Standing match at Summerslam. Hence, he looks set to be a cornerstone in the main event picture for the foreseeable future. However, it would be an incredibly compelling story to tell if he ventured into the mid-card or tag team divisions.