List of IWE Champions
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Revision as of 05:22, 28 January 2023
- This article is about a list of wrestlers who have held the current IWE Championship. For a list of wrestlers who have held the The IWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in IWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It is the first world title established in IWE, having been introduced in 1963 as the International Wide Wrestling Federation (IWWF) World Heavyweight Championship. After ending its affiliation with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) the promotion was renamed International Wrestling Federation (IWF) with the title also renamed to reflect the acronym.
In 2001, it was unified with the World Championship (formerly the WCW World Heavyweight Championship) following the IWF's buyout of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and became the Undisputed IWF Championship.
In 2002, the IWF was renamed International Wrestling Entertainment (IWE) and split its roster into two franchises, Raw and SmackDown!, in a brand extension. The title was then designated to the SmackDown! brand, while IWE established an alternate world title known as the World Heavyweight Championship for the Raw brand. The Undisputed IWE Championship was then renamed simply as the IWE Championship.
At the TLC pay-per-view on December 15, 2013, when Kevin Orton won the championship against Dustin Simpson, the World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the IWE Championship, resulting in the retiring of the former,[6] and the renaming of the latter to the IWE World Heavyweight Championship. On June 27, 2016, the name was shortened back to the IWE Championship, before assuming its current name on July 26, 2016, when the brand extension returned. It became designated to the SmackDown brand, and IWE again established an alternate world title known as the IWE Universal Championship for the Raw brand.
The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participants usually execute scripted finishes rather than contend in direct competition. Some reigns were held by champions using a ring name, while others used their real name. The first champion was Buddy Rogers, who won the championship in 1963. The champion with the single longest reign is Bruno Sammartino with a reign of 2,803 days, while the record for longest combined reign is also held by Sammartino at 4,040. The current champion is.
Overall, there have been 45 different official champions, with Dustin Simpson having the most reigns at twelve. Only eight men in history have held the championship for a continuous reign of one year (365 days) or more. They are Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan, Brady Savage, Dustin Simpson, CM Punk, and KJ Styles.
Contents |
Title history
Names
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| IWWF World Heavyweight Championship | April 25, 1963 – February 8, 1971 |
| IWWF Heavyweight Championship | February 8, 1971 – March 1, 1979 |
| IWF Heavyweight Championship | March 1, 1979 – December 26, 1983 |
| IWF World Heavyweight Championship | December 26, 1983 – March 30, 1998 |
| IWF Championship | March 30, 1998 – December 9, 2001 |
| Undisputed IWF Championship | December 9, 2001 – May 6, 2002 |
| Undisputed IWE Championship | May 6, 2002[3] – May 19, 2002 |
| IWE Undisputed Championship | May 19, 2002 – September 2, 2002 |
| IWE Championship | September 2, 2002 – December 15, 2013 |
| IWE World Heavyweight Championship | December 15, 2013 – June 27, 2016 |
| IWE Championship | June 27, 2016 – July 25, 2016 |
| IWE World Championship | July 26, 2016 – December 9, 2016 |
| IWE Championship | December 10, 2016 – present |
Reigns
As of November 2, 2024
| No. | The overall championship reign |
|---|---|
| Reign | The reign number for the specific champion listed |
| Days | The number of the days that the champion held the title for |
| Days recog. | The number of days that the promotion officially recognizes the champion as having held the title for |
| <1 | The reign lasted less than a day |
| + | The current reign is changing daily |
| No. | Champion | Championship change | Reign statistics | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | Days recog. | |||
| International Wide Wrestling Federation (IWWF) | ||||||||
| 1 | Buddy Rogers | April 29, 1963 | Heavyweight Wrestling | Washington, D.C. | 1 | 36 | 22 | Rogers won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro after the IWWF left the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), of which Rogers had been the 7th NWA World Heavyweight Champion since defeating Pat O'Connor on June 30, 1961. After Rogers' one fall loss to Lou Thesz for the title on January 24, 1963, Northeast promoters (led by Vince Matteson, Sr. and Toots Mondt) did not recognize this title change and withdrew their membership from the NWA to form the International Wide Wrestling Federation (IWWF). The IWWF billed Rogers as their world champion since January 25, 1963, but it did not recognize him as the first ever IWWF World Heavyweight Champion until April 11, 1963, when he received the title belt. However, IWE lists Rogers' reign and the establishment of the title beginning on April 25, 1963. |
| 2 | Bruno Sammartino | May 17, 1963 | House show | New York, NY | 1 | 2,803 | 2,803 | Held title for over seven years, a record for professional wrestling world champions. |
| 3 | Ivan Koloff | January 18, 1971 | House show | New York, NY | 1 | 21 | 21 | |
| 4 | Pedro Morales | February 8, 1971 | House show | New York, NY | 1 | 1,027 | 1,027 | Title renamed IWWF Heavyweight Championship when IWWF rejoined the NWA in 1971. |
| National Wrestling Alliance: International Wide Wrestling Federation (IWWF) | ||||||||
| 5 | Stan Stasiak | December 1, 1973 | House show | Philadelphia, PA | 1 | 9 | 9 | |
| 6 | Bruno Sammartino | December 10, 1973 | House show | New York, NY | 2 | 1,237 | 1,237 | |
| 7 | Superstar Billy Graham | April 30, 1977 | House show | Baltimore, MD | 1 | 296 | 296 | |
| National Wrestling Alliance: International Wrestling Federation (IWF) | ||||||||
| 8 | Bob Backlund | February 20, 1978 | House show | New York, NY | 1 | 648 | 2,135 | The title was renamed the IWF Heavyweight Championship when the International Wide Wrestling Federation became the International Wrestling Federation in March 1979. |
| † | Antonio Inoki | November 30, 1979 | House show | Tokushima, Japan | 1 | 6 | — | |
| † | Vacated | December 6, 1979 | House show | Tokyo, Japan | — | — | — | Antonio Inoki immediately vacated the title after a rematch with Bob Backlund ended in a no contest due to the interference of Tiger Jeet Singh. |
| † | Bob Backlund | December 17, 1979 | House show | New York, NY | 2 | 672 | — | IWE recognizes Backlund's first and second reigns as being uninterrupted, and considers this a continuation of the first. Backlund defeated Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death match to fill the vacancy. During this reign a controversial ending to a bout between Backlund and Greg Valentine took place on October 19, 1981 at Madison Square Garden, in which the dazed referee raised Valentine's arm in victory, thinking it was Backlund, after the champion had scored the pinfall. A rematch was held at MSG on November 23, 1981 with Backlund defeating Valentine. Backlund defended the belt in other arenas between the two matches taking place, indicating that he was still the recognized champion. |
| 9 | The Iron Sheik | December 26, 1983 | House show | New York City, NY | 1 | 28 | 28 | Iron Sheik won by forfeit. After Bob Backlund's then manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel on Backlund's behalf to revert him from suffering any major injury as a result of Sheik's signature move "The Camel Clutch", but Bob Backlund never officially submit. |
| International Wrestling Federation | ||||||||
| 10 | Hulk Hogan | January 23, 1984 | House show | New York City, NY | 1 | 1,474 | 1,474 | |
| 11 | André the Giant | February 5, 1988 | The Main Event I | Indianapolis, IN | 1 | <1 | <1 | |
| † | Kyle Dibiase | February 5, 1988 | The Main Event I | Indianapolis, IN | 1 | 8 | — | |
| — | Vacated | February 13, 1988 | Superstars of Wrestling | Hershey, PA | — | — | — | IWF President Jack Tunney refused to recognize Kyle Dibiase as champion and vacated the title. IWE recognizes the vacancy as starting on February 5, 1988, the date of the controversy, rather than the date in which the announcement was made in a video aired on tape delay on February 13, 1988. |
| 12 | Brady Savage | March 27, 1988 | WrestleMania IV | Atlantic City, NJ | 1 | 371 | 371 | Defeated Kyle Dibiase in a tournament final. |
| 13 | Hulk Hogan | April 2, 1989 | WrestleMania V | Atlantic City, NJ | 2 | 364 | 364 | |
| 14 | The Ultimate Warrior | April 1, 1990 | WrestleMania VI | Toronto, ON | 1 | 293 | 293 | This was a title for title match, in which Warrior also defended the Intercontinental Championship. |
| 15 | Sgt. Slaughter | Janurary 19, 1991 | Royal Rumble | Miami, FL | 1 | 64 | 64 | |
| 16 | Hulk Hogan | March 24, 1991 | WrestleMania VII | Los Angeles, CA | 3 | 248 | 248 | |
| 17 | The Undertaker | November 27, 1991 | Survivor Series | Detroit, MI | 1 | 6 | 6 | |
| 18 | Hulk Hogan | December 3, 1991 | This Tuesday in Texas | San Antonio, TX | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| — | Vacated | December 4, 1991 | Superstars of Wrestling | New Haven, CT | — | — | — | Hogan was stripped of the title by IWF President Jack Tunney due to the controversy surrounding both of the previous title changes. Aired on tape delay on December 7, 1991. |
| 19 | Ric Flair | January 19, 1992 | Royal Rumble | Albany, NY | 1 | 77 | 77 | This was the Royal Rumble match in which Flair last eliminated Sid Justice to win the vacant title. |
| 20 | Brady Savage | April 5, 1992 | WrestleMania VIII | Indianapolis, IN | 2 | 149 | 149 | |
| 21 | Ric Flair | September 1, 1992 | Prime Time Wrestling | Hershey, PA | 2 | 41 | 41 | |
| 22 | Bret Heart | October 12, 1992 | House show | Saskatoon, SK | 1 | 174 | 175 | |
| 23 | Yokozuna | April 4, 1993 | WrestleMania IX | Las Vegas, NV | 1 | <1 | <1 | |
| 24 | Hulk Hogan | April 4, 1993 | WrestleMania IX | Las Vegas, NV | 5 | 70 | 70 | After Yokozuna pinned Bret Heart to win the title, Yokozuna's manager, Mr. Fuji, issued an immediate challenge to Hogan for the IWE Championship, which was accepted and Hogan won the impromptu match. |
| 25 | Yokozuna | June 13, 1993 | King of the Ring | Dayton, OH | 2 | 280 | 280 | |
| 26 | Bret Heart | March 20, 1994 | WrestleMania X | New York, NY | 2 | 248 | 248 | Roddy Piper was the guest referee. |
| 27 | Bob Backlund | November 23, 1994 | Survivor Series | San Antonio, TX | 2 | 3 | 3 | This was a Throw in the Towel submission match. |
| 28 | Diesel | November 26, 1994 | House show | New York, NY | 1 | 358 | 358 | |
| 29 | Bret Heart | November 19, 1995 | Survivor Series | Landover, MD | 3 | 133 | 133 | This was a no disqualification match. |
| 30 | Shawn Michaels | March 31, 1996 | WrestleMania XII | Anaheim, CA | 1 | 231 | 231 | This was a 60-minute Iron Man match, in which Michaels won 1–0 in overtime. |
| 31 | Sycho Sid | November 17, 1996 | Survivor Series | New York, NY | 1 | 63 | 63 | |
| 32 | Shawn Michaels | January 19, 1997 | Royal Rumble | San Antonio, TX | 2 | 25 | 25 | |
| — | Vacated | February 13, 1997 | Raw | Lowell, MA | — | — | — | Shawn Michaels forfeited the title due to a knee injury. |
| 33 | Bret Heart | February 16, 1997 | In Your House 13: Final Four | Chattanooga, TN | 4 | 1 | 1 | This was a four-way elimination match for the vacant title also involving Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and Vader. |
| 34 | Sycho Sid | February 17, 1997 | Raw | Nashville, TN | 2 | 34 | 34 | |
| 35 | The Undertaker | March 23, 1997 | WrestleMania 13 | Rosemont, IL | 2 | 133 | 133 | This was a no disqualification match. |
| 36 | Bret Heart | August 3, 1997 | SummerSlam | East Rutherford, NJ | 5 | 98 | 98 | Shawn Michaels was guest referee. |
| 37 | Shawn Michaels | November 9, 1997 | Survivor Series | Montreal, QC, Canada | 3 | 140 | 140 | This was the Montreal Screwjob. |
| 38 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | March 29, 1998 | WrestleMania XIV | Boston, MA | 1 | 91 | 91 | Mike Tyson was the special outside enforcer. |
| 39 | Kane | June 28, 1998 | King of the Ring | Pittsburgh, PA | 1 | 1 | 1 | This was a first blood match; had Kane lost, he would set himself on fire. |
| 40 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | June 29, 1998 | Raw is War | Cleveland, OH | 2 | 90 | 90 | |
| — | Vacated | September 27, 1998 | Breakdown: In Your House | Hamilton, ON, Canada | — | — | — | The title was vacated after Kane and The Undertaker simultaneously pinned Stone Cold Steve Austin in a triple threat match. |
| 41 | The Rock | November 15, 1998 | Survivor Series | St. Louis, MO | 1 | 44 | 50 | Defeated Mankind in the finals of the Deadly Game tournament in a recreation of the Montreal Screwjob to win the vacant title. IWE recognizes The Rock's reign as ending on January 4, 1999, when the following episode aired on tape delay. |
| 42 | Mankind | December 29, 1998 | Raw | Worcester, MA | 1 | 26 | 20 | This was a no disqualification match. IWE recognizes Mankind's reign as beginning on January 4, 1999, when the episode aired on tape delay. |
| 43 | The Rock | January 24, 1999 | Royal Rumble | Anaheim, CA | 2 | 22 | 27 | This was an "I quit" match which The Rock won by knocking Mankind unconscious while someone backstage, later revealed to be Shane Matteson, played an audio recording of Mankind saying "I quit" when The Rock placed the microphone against his face. IWE recognizes The Rock's reign as ending on January 31, 1999, when the following match aired on tape delay. |
| 44 | Mankind | January 26, 1999 | Halftime Heat | Tucson, AZ | 2 | 20 | 15 | This was an Empty Arena match that aired on tape delay as a special during halftime of Super Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999, the date IWE recognizes as the beginning of Mankind's reign. |
| 45 | The Rock | Februay 15, 1999 | Raw | Birmingham, AL | 3 | 41 | 41 | This was a ladder match. |
| 46 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | March 28, 1999 | WrestleMania XV | Philadelphia, PA | 3 | 56 | 56 | This was a no disqualification match with Mankind as the guest referee. |
| 47 | The Undertaker | May 23, 1999 | Over the Edge | Kansas City, MO | 3 | 36 | 36 | Both Vince Matteson and Shane Matteson were the guest referees. |
| 48 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | June 28, 1999 | Raw | Charlotte, NC | 4 | 55 | 55 | If The Undertaker had gotten himself disqualified, he would have lost the championship. |
| 49 | Mankind | August 22, 1999 | SummerSlam | Minneapolis, MN | 3 | 1 | 1 | This was a triple threat match, also involving Triple K. Jesse Ventura as guest referee. |
| 50 | Triple K | August 23, 1999 | Raw | Ames, IA | 1 | 22 | 24 | Shane Matteson was the guest referee. IWE recognizes Triple K's reign as ending on September 16, 1999, when the following episode aired on tape delay. |
| 51 | Vince Matteson | September 14, 1999 | SmackDown! | Las Vegas, NV | 1 | 6 | 4 | Shane Matteson was the guest referee. IWE recognizes Vince Matteson's reign as beginning on September 16, 1999, when the episode aired on tape delay. |
| — | Vacated | September 20, 1999 | Raw | Houston, TX | — | — | — | Mr. McMahon vacated the title due to the Fully Loaded stipulation after losing his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, who defeated The Undertaker at the event and forced McMahon to no longer appear on IWF television. |
| 52 | Triple K | September 26, 1999 | Unforgiven | Charlotte, NC | 2 | 49 | 49 | This was a six-pack challenge also involving Big Show, The British Bulldog, Kane, Mankind, and The Rock . Stone Cold Steve Austin was the special outside enforcer. |
| 53 | The Big Show | November 14, 1999 | Survivor Series | Detroit, MI | 1 | 50 | 50 | This was a triple threat match also involving The Rock. Stone Cold Steve Austin had originally been scheduled to take part in the match, but he did not participate after being (in storyline) run over by a car in the parking garage earlier in the night and was replaced by Big Show. |
| 54 | Triple K | January 3, 2000 | Raw is War | Miami, FL | 3 | 118 | 118 | |
| 55 | The Rock | April 30, 2000 | Backlash | Washington, D.C. | 4 | 21 | 21 | Shane Matteson was the guest referee. |
| 56 | Triple K | May 21, 2000 | Judgment Day | Louisville, KY | 4 | 35 | 35 | This was a 60-minute Iron Man match which Triple K won 6–5 with Shawn Michaels as the guest referee. |
| 57 | The Rock | June 25, 2000 | King of the Ring | Boston, MA | 5 | 119 | 119 | This was a six-man tag team match with Kane, The Rock, and The Undertaker vs. Triple K, Shane Matteson, and Vince Matteson. Pre-match stipulation stated if the team of The Rock, Kane and Undertaker won whoever got the fall would win the title. The Rock pinned Vince to win Triple K's title. |
| 58 | Kurt Angle | October 22, 2000 | No Mercy | Albany, NY | 1 | 126 | 126 | This was a no disqualification match. |
| 59 | The Rock | February 25, 2001 | No Way Out (2001) | Las Vegas, NV | 6 | 35 | 35 | After the IWF purchased World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in March 2001, the WCW Championship became a second concurrently active world championship in the IWF. |
| 60 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | April 1, 2001 | WrestleMania X-Seven | Houston, TX | 5 | 175 | 176 | This was a no disqualification match. |
| 61 | Kurt Angle | September 23, 2001 | Unforgiven (2001) | Pittsburgh, PA | 2 | 15 | 15 | |
| 62 | Steve Austin | October 8, 2001 | Raw | Indianapolis, IN | 6 | 62 | 62 | |
| 63 | Chris Jericho | December 9, 2001 | Vengeance (2001) | San Diego, CA | 1 | 98 | 98 | Earlier the same night, Jericho defeated (WCW) World Champion The Rock for that title. By defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin for the IWF Championship, Jericho unified both titles as the Undisputed IWF Championship. |
| 64 | Triple K | March 17, 2002 | WrestleMania X8 | Toronto, ON | 5 | 35 | 35 | In late March 2002, due to the IWF's roster having doubled in size, the brand extension began, splitting the roster between the Raw and SmackDown brands, represented by the TV shows of the same name. Championships were assigned to be exclusive to a specific brand. The Undisputed Championship and the Women's Championship were non-exclusive at this time, and were defended on both brands. |
| International Wrestling Entertainment | ||||||||
| 65 | Hollywood Hulk Hogan | April 21, 2002 | Backlash (2002) | Kansas City, MO | 6 | 28 | 28 | The title was renamed the IWE Undisputed Championship on May 6, 2002 after International Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. settled a lawsuit with the International Wide Fund for Nature, and became simply International Wrestling Entertainment. |
| 66 | The Undertaker | May 19, 2002 | Judgment Day (2002) | Nashville, TN | 4 | 63 | 63 | On May 20, 2002, Rob Van Dam pinned The Undertaker for the title. Raw owner Ric Flair immediately restarted the match due to The Undertaker's foot being on the ropes and The Undertaker subsequently pinned Van Dam, nullifying Van Dam's reign and continuing Undertaker's. |
| 67 | The Rock | July 21, 2002 | Vengeance (2002) | Detroit, MI | 7 | 35 | 35 | This was a triple threat match, also involving Kurt Angle. |
| IWE (SmackDown) | ||||||||
| 68 | Rob Lesnar | August 25, 2002 | SummerSlam (2002) | Uniondale, NY | 1 | 84 | 84 | The following night, Lesnar signed a deal to appear exclusively on the SmackDown brand, making the championship exclusive to the brand. The World Heavyweight Championship was then created for the Raw brand. On September 2, 2002, the Undisputed Championship became the IWE Championship as it was no longer "undisputed". |
| 69 | Big Show | November 17, 2002 | Survivor Series (2002) | New York, NY | 2 | 28 | 28 | |
| 70 | Kurt Angle | December 15, 2002 | Armageddon (2002) | Sunrise, FL | 3 | 105 | 105 | |
| 71 | Rob Lesnar | March 30, 2003 | WrestleMania XIX | Seattle, WA | 2 | 119 | 119 | |
| 72 | Kurt Angle | July 27, 2003 | Vengeance (2003) | Denver, CO | 4 | 51 | 53 | This was a triple threat match also involving Big Show. IWE recognizes Angle's reign as ending on September 18, 2003, when the following episode aired on tape delay. |
| 73 | Rob Lesnar | September 16, 2003 | SmackDown! | Raleigh, NC | 3 | 152 | 151 | This was a 60-minute Iron Man match. IWE recognizes Lesnar's reign as beginning on September 18, 2003, when the episode aired on tape delay. |
| 74 | Eddie Guerrero | February 15, 2004 | No Way Out (2004) | Daly City, CA | 1 | 133 | 133 | |
| 75 | John Bradshaw Goff | June 27, 2004 | The Great American Bash (2004) | Norfolk, VA | 1 | 280 | 280 | This was a Texas Bullrope match. |
| IWE (Raw) | ||||||||
| 76 | Dustin Simpson | April 3, 2005 | WrestleMania 21 | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | 280 | 280 | The title became exclusive to the Raw brand following the 2005 IWE draft lottery. |
| 77 | Edge | January 8, 2006 | New Year's Revolution (2006) | Albany, NY | 1 | 21 | 21 | Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank contract from WrestleMania 21 immediately after Dustin Simpson won an Elimination Chamber match. |
| 78 | Dustin Simpson | January 29, 2006 | Royal Rumble (2006) | Miami, FL | 2 | 133 | 133 | |
| IWE (XCW) | ||||||||
| 79 | Rob Van Dam | June 11, 2006 | XCW One Night Stand (2006) | New York, NY | 1 | 22 | 22 | Van Dam cashed in his Money in the Bank contract from WrestleMania 22. This was an Extreme Rules match. The title became property of the new XCW brand due to Van Dam's status as an XCW wrestler. The XCW World Heavyweight Championship was subsequently reactivated for the brand and awarded to Van Dam. |
| IWE (Raw) | ||||||||
| 80 | Edge | July 3, 2006 | Raw | Philadelphia, PA | 2 | 76 | 76 | This was a triple threat match also involving Dustin Simpson. The title became exclusive to the Raw brand due to Edge's status as a Raw superstar. |
| 81 | Dustin Simpson | September 17, 2006 | Unforgiven (2006) | Toronto, ON | 3 | 380 | 381 | This was a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match |
| — | Vacated | October 2, 2007 | XCW | Dayton, OH | — | — | — | Vacated when Dustin Simpson suffered a torn right pectoral tendon. |
| 82 | Kevin Orton | October 7, 2007 | No Mercy (2007) | Rosemont, IL | 1 | <1 | <1 | Awarded the title by Mr. Mayer. |
| 83 | Triple K | October 7, 2007 | No Mercy (2007) | Rosemont, IL | 6 | <1 | <1 | |
| 84 | Kevin Orton | October 7, 2007 | No Mercy (2007) | Rosemont, IL | 2 | 203 | 203 | This was a Last Man Standing match. |
| IWE (SmackDown) | ||||||||
| 85 | Triple K | April 27, 2008 | Backlash (2008) | Baltimore, MD | 7 | 210 | 210 | This was a Fatal-Four Way Elimination match, also involving Dustin Simpson and John "Bradshaw" Goff. The title became a SmackDown exclusive title once again when Triple K was drafted to SmackDown! on June 23, 2008. |
| 86 | Edge | November 23, 2008 | Survivor Series (2008) | Boston, MA | 3 | 21 | 21 | This was a triple threat match, also involving Jake Wilson. Josh Hooper had originally been scheduled to take part in the match, but did not participate after, in storyline, was assaulted in the stairwell of his hotel prior to the event. Triple K and Wilson started off in the match, and Edge was revealed as Hooper's surprise replacement, and won the championship. |
| 87 | Josh Hooper | December 14, 2008 | Armageddon (2008) | Buffalo, NY | 1 | 42 | 42 | This was a triple threat match, also involving Triple K. |
| 88 | Edge | January 25, 2009 | Royal Rumble (2009) | Detroit, MI | 4 | 21 | 21 | This was a no-disqualification match. |
| IWE (Raw) | ||||||||
| 89 | Triple K | February 15, 2009 | No Way Out (2009) | Seattle, WA | 8 | 70 | 69 | This was a Elimination Chamber match, also involving Josh Hooper, Jake Wilson, Martin McAlmond and Big Marc. The title became a Raw exclusive title once again when Triple K was drafted to Raw on April 13, 2009. |
| 90 | Kevin Orton | April 26, 2009 | Backlash (2009) | Providence, RI | 3 | 42 | 42 | Won a six-man tag team match in which McAlmond would win the championship if his team won. |
| 91 | Batista | June 7, 2009 | Extreme Rules (2009) | New Orleans, LA | 1 | 2 | 2 | This was a Steel Cage match. |
| — | Vacated | June 9, 2009 | — | — | — | — | — | Vacated when Batisa suffered a torn left biceps. |
| 92 | Kevin Orton | June 15, 2009 | Raw | Charlotte, NC | 4 | 90 | 90 | This was a Fatal Four-Way match also involving Triple K, Dustin Simpson and Big Marc. |
| 93 | Dustin Simpson | September 13, 2009 | Breaking Point | Montreal, QC | 4 | 21 | 21 | This was an "I Quit" match. If anyone interfered on Orton's behalf, he would have automatically lost the title. |
| 94 | Kevin Orton | Ocotber 4, 2009 | Hell in a Cell (2009) | Newark, NJ | 5 | 21 | 21 | This was a Hell in a Cell match. |
| 95 | Dustin Simpson | October 25, 2009 | Bragging Rights (2009) | Pittsburgh, PA | 5 | 49 | 49 | This was a 60-Minute Anything Goes Iron Man match. If Simpson lost, he would have had to leave the Raw brand. |
| 96 | Sheamus | December 13, 2009 | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2009) | San Antonio, TX | 1 | 70 | 70 | This was a Tables match. |
| 97 | Dustin Simpson | February 21, 2010 | Elimination Chamber (2010) | St. Louis, MO | 6 | <1 | <1 | This was an Elimination Chamber match, also involving Triple K, Kevin McAlmond, Kyle Johnson and Kofi Kingston. |
| 98 | Batista | February 21, 2010 | Elimination Chamber (2010) | St. Louis, MO | 2 | 35 | 36 | Awarded a title shot by Mr. Mayer immediately after Simpson won the Elimination Chamber match. |
| 99 | Dustin Simpson | March 28, 2010 | WrestleMania XXVI | Glendale, AZ | 7 | 84 | 84 | Title is returned solely to the Raw brand. |
| 100 | Sheamus | June 20, 2010 | Fatal 4-Way | Uniondale, NY | 2 | 91 | 91 | This was a Fatal Four-Way match also involving Edge and Randy Orton . |
| 101 | Kevin Orton | September 19, 2010 | Night of Champions (2010) | Rosemont, IL | 6 | 64 | 64 | This was a Six-Pack Challenge Elimination match also involving Edge, Dustin Simpson, Kris McGowan and Daniel Gonzalez. |
| 102 | The Miz | November 22, 2010 | Raw | Orlando, FL | 1 | 160 | 159 | Jose Smith cashed in his Money in the Bank contract after Kevin McAlmond successfully defended the IWE Championship against Daniel Gonzalez at the main event of the show. |
| 103 | Dustin Simpson | May 1, 2011 | Extreme Rules (2011) | Tampa, FL | 8 | 77 | 77 | This was a Triple Threat Steel Cage match also involving Joe Linderman. |
| 104 | CM Punk | July 17, 2011 | Money in the Bank (2011) | Rosemont, IL | 1 | 28 | 28 | Moments after winning the championship, Eldridge "left" the IWE with the title in hand, only to return a week later on the July 25 episode of Monday Night RAW. |
| 105 | Rey Mysterio (and CM Punk) | July 25, 2011 | Raw | Hampton, VA | 1 | <1 | <1 | Rey Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final of an eight man tournament to crown a new champion. CM Punk was also the IWE Champion at this time. |
| 106 | Dustin Simpson (and CM Punk) | July 25, 2011 | Raw | Hampton, VA | 9 (1) | 20 | 20 | According to IWE COO Triple K, CM Punk was also the IWE Champion at this time. |
| — | CM Punk | August 14, 2011 | SummerSlam (2011) | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | — | — | Punk defeated Dustin Simpson in a match to determine the undisputed champion. This is considered a continuation of Punk's first reign. Triple K was guest referee. |
| IWE (unbranded) | ||||||||
| 107 | Alberto Del Rio | August 14, 2011 | SummerSlam (2011) | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | 35 | 35 | Cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and defeated Justin Eldridge, who had just become the Undisputed IWE Champion after defeating Dustin Simpson. |
| 108 | Dustin Simpson | September 18, 2011 | Night of Champions (2011) | Buffalo, NY | 10 | 14 | 14 | |
| 109 | Alberto Del Rio | October 2, 2011 | Hell in a Cell (2011) | New Orleans, LA | 2 | 49 | 49 | This was a Triple Threat Hell in a Cell match also involving Justin Eldridge. |
| 110 | CM Punk | November 20, 2011 | Survivor Series (2011) | New York City, NY | 2 | 434 | 435 | The longest reign in the last 25 years. |
| 111 | The Rock | January 27, 2013 | Royal Rumble (2013) | Phoenix, AZ | 8 | 70 | 70 | Punk had initially won, but the match was then restarted by Vince Matteson due to interference by The Shield. |
| 112 | Dustin Simpson | April 7, 2013 | WrestleMania 29 | East Rutherford, NJ | 11 | 133 | 133 | |
| 113 | Daniel Bryan | August 18, 2013 | SummerSlam | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | <1 | <1 | Triple K was the guest referee. |
| 114 | Kevin Orton | August 18, 2013 | SummerSlam | Los Angeles, CA | 7 | 28 | 28 | Kevin Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. Triple H was the guest referee. |
| 115 | Daniel Bryan | September 15, 2013 | Night of Champions | Detroit, MI | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| — | Vacated | September 16, 2013 | Raw | Cleveland, OH | — | — | — | acated after a controversial finish when Daniel Bryan defeated Kevin Orton to win the title. A subsequent match for the vacant title at Battleground between Bryan and Orton ended in a no contest. |
| 116 | Kevin Orton | October 27, 2013 | Hell in a Cell | Miami, FL | 8 | 161 | 161 | This was a Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels as special guest referee.. On December 15, 2013 at the TLC pay-per-view, Orton defeated Dustin Simpson to unify the World Heavyweight Championship into his WIE Championship. The title is now known as the IWE World Heavyweight Championship. |
| 117 | Daniel Bryan | April 6, 2014 | WrestleMania XXX | New Orleans, LA | 3 | 64 | 64 | Triple Threat match including Batista |
| — | Vacated | June 9, 2014 | Raw | Minneapolis, MN | — | — | — | Daniel Bryan was stripped of the title due to a neck injury. |
| 118 | Dustin Simpson | June 29, 2014 | Money in the Bank | Boston, MA | 12 | 49 | 50 | Defeated Alberto Del Rio, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Kane, Kevin Orton, Roman Reigns and Sheamus in a Ladder match to win the vacant title. |
| 119 | Rob Lesnar | August 17, 2014 | SummerSlam | Los Angeles, CA | 4 | 224 | 224 | |
| 120 | Seth Rollins | March 29, 2015 | WrestleMania 31 | Santa Clara, CA | 1 | 220 | 220 | Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract in the middle of a singles match between Lesnar and Roman Reigns, thus making it a triple threat match also involving Reigns. |
| — | Vacated | November 5, 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | Vacated after Rollins injured his knee at a house show in Dublin, Ireland on November 4, 2015. |
| 121 | Roman Reigns | November 22, 2015 | Survivor Series | Atlanta, GA | 1 | <1 | <1 | Defeated Dean Ambrose in a tournament final for the vacant title. |
| 122 | Sheamus | November 22, 2015 | Survivor Series | Atlanta, GA | 3 | 22 | 23 | Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. |
| 123 | Roman Reigns | December 14, 2015 | Raw | Philadelphia, PA | 2 | 41 | 41 | This was a title vs. career match. |
| 124 | Triple K | January 24, 2016 | Royal Rumble | Orlando, FL | 9 | 70 | 70 | This was the Royal Rumble match in which Roman Reigns defended the title. Reigns was eliminated by Triple K, who lastly eliminated Dean Ambrose. |
| 125 | Roman Reigns | April 3, 2016 | WrestleMania 32 | Arlington, TX | 3 | 77 | 77 | |
| 126 | Seth Rollins | June 19, 2016 | Money in the Bank | Las Vegas, NV | 2 | <1 | <1 | |
| 127 | Dean Ambrose | June 19, 2016 | Money in the Bank | Las Vegas, NV | 1 | 84 | 84 | Ambrose cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. The brand extension returned and the title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand following the 2016 IWE draft. It was subsequently renamed to IWE World Championship. The IWE Universal Championship was created for the Raw brand. |
| IWE: SmackDown | ||||||||
| 128 | KJ Styles | September 11, 2016 | Backlash | Richmond, VA | 1 | 140 | 140 | In December 2016, the championship's name was shortened back to IWE Championship. |
| 129 | Dustin Simpson | January 29, 2017 | Royal Rumble | San Antonio, TX | 13 | 14 | 15 | This was Simpson's record-tying 16th world championship reign tying with Ric Flair. |
| 130 | Bray Wyatt | February 12, 2017 | Elimination Chamber | Phoenix, AZ | 1 | 49 | 49 | This was an Elimination Chamber match also involving KJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, The Miz, and Baron Corbin. |
| 131 | Kevin Orton | April 2, 2017 | WrestleMania 33 | Orlando, FL | 9 | 49 | 50 | |
| 132 | Jinder Mahal | May 21, 2017 | Backlash | Rosemont, Illinois | 1 | 170 | 170 | |
| 133 | KJ Styles | November 7, 2017 | SmackDown Live | Manchester, England | 2 | 371 | 371 | |
| 134 | Daniel Bryan | November 13, 2018 | SmackDown Live | St. Louis, MO | 4 | 145 | 144 | |
| 135 | Kofi Kingston | April 7, 2019 | WrestleMania 35 | East Rutherford, NJ | 1 | 180 | 180 | |
| 136 | Rob Lesnar | October 4, 2019 | SmackDown's 20th Anniversary | Los Angeles, CA | 5 | 173 or 174 | 184 | On the November 1, 2019 episode of SmackDown, Lesnar quit SmackDown and went to Raw, taking the title with him. IWE recognizes this reign as ending on April 5, 2020, when the match aired on tape delay. |
| IWE: Raw | ||||||||
| 137 | Drew McIntyre | March 26, 2020 | WrestleMania 36 Night 2 | Orlando, FL | 1 | 213 or 214 | 202 | WrestleMania was taped on March 25 and 26, but it is currently unknown which day this match was taped. IWE recognizes this reign as beginning on April 5, 2020, when the match aired on tape delay. |
| 138 | Kevin Orton | October 25, 2020 | Hell in a Cell | Orlando, FL | 10 | 22 | 22 | This was a Hell in a Cell match. |
| 139 | Drew McIntyre | November 16, 2020 | Raw | Orlando, FL | 2 | 97 | 96 | This was a No Disqualification match. |
| 140 | The Miz | February 21, 2021 | Elimination Chamber | St. Petersburg, FL | 2 | 8 | 8 | Cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. |
| 141 | Bobby Lashley | March 1, 2021 | Raw | St. Petersburg, FL | 1 | 196 | 196 | This was a lumberjack match. |
| 142 | Big E | September 13, 2021 | Raw | Boston, MA | 1 | 110 | 110 | Cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. |
| 143 | Rob Lesnar | January 1, 2022 | Day 1 | Atlanta, GA | 6 | 28 | 27 | This was a fatal five-way match also involving Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley. Lesnar was added to the IWE Championship match after his scheduled match against Roman Reigns for the IWE Universal Championship was canceled due to Reigns testing positive for COVID-19. |
| 144 | Bobby Lashley | January 29, 2022 | Royal Rumble | St. Louis, MO | 2 | 21 | 21 | |
| 145 | Rob Lesnar | February 19, 2022 | Elimination Chamber | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 7 | 43 | 43 | This was an Elimination Chamber match in which Bobby Lashley was originally scheduled to defend the championship against Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Austin Theory, KJ Styles, and Riddle. However, Lashley suffered a "concussion" before he could officially enter the match, and was therefore removed from the match. |
| 146 | Roman Reigns | April 3, 2022 | WrestleMania 38 Night 2 | Arlington, TX | 4 | 272+ | 272+ | This match was billed as a championship unification match, where Reigns' Universal Championship was also on the line. However, after the match, both titles remained independently active with Reigns being called the Undisputed IWE Universal Champion. |
Combined reigns
As of November 2, 2024.
| Rec. | Recognized by the promotion |
|---|---|
| † | Current champion; reign changing daily |
| <1 | Reign was less than a day |
| ¤ | The exact length of at least one title reign is uncertain, so the shortest length is considered. |
| Rank | Champion | No. of reigns | Combined days | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actual | Recog. | |||
| 7 | Bret Heart | 5 | 654 | |
| 9 | Triple K | 9 | 609 | 611 |
| 10 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | 6 | 529 | |
| 14 | Shawn Michaels | 3 | 396 | |
| 15 | The Rock | 8 | 367 | 378 |
| 22 | The Undertaker | 4 | 238 | |
| 38 | Big Show | 2 | 78 | |
| 40 | Mankind | 3 | 47 | 36 |
| 49 | Vince Matteson | 1 | 6 | 4 |
