What are the longest WWE title reigns in history?
WWE title reigns are the measuring stick of success for the company. Winning and holding on to a championship makes you a star, no matter how you acquire it. Doing so etches your name into the history books, which is the ultimate reward for someone in the industry.
Over the years, we have seen countless WWE Title reigns. Many of them have been memorable for multiple reasons. When it comes to talking about all-timers, we usually end up shedding light on the longest ones simply because of how dominantly the champion is booked.
If you want to know which superstars have had the longest runs with WWE championships, read on to find out.
Hulk Hogan stands on the bottom step of the podium with his first world championship reign. This was the one that unleashed the Hulkamania era, beginning a new dawn when he defeated The Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden in 1984. The Hulkster would embark on a 1,474-day reign as champion before dropping the belt to Andre The Giant.
Bob Backlund takes second place on this list with a 2,135-day reign as WWWF/WWF Champion. He held on to the title for many years after winning it from 'Superstar' Billy Graham, even during the time the WWWF rebranded itself as the WWF. He ended up losing the title to The Iron Sheik in December 1983.
The gold medal goes to one of the greatest superstars of all time, Bruno Sammartino. He is often credited as the man who truly legitimized WWE's World Championship, holding on to it for a staggering 2,803 days from the day he toppled Buddy Rogers in 1963. The fact that no one will come close to beating his record in the near future makes this the most historic title reign the industry has ever seen.
Roman Reigns' record-breaking WWE Title reign
We mentioned earlier that Bruno Sammartino's WWE Title reign is virtually unmatchable. In the modern era, such lengthy championship runs are unheard of, but Roman Reigns is trying to buck that trend.
Reigns won the Universal Championship at Payback on August 30, 2020. He has remained champion since that day, boasting a phenomenal reign that has lasted over 880 days. In doing so, he has broken several records as well.
Indeed, the Tribal Chief is the longest-reigning Universal Champion of all time, the longest-reigning world champion since 1988, and the sixth-longest reigning champion in the promotion's history. No one is going to bet against him from holding on to his titles for a while.