List of WCW World Heavyweight Champions

This is a chronological list of wrestlers that have been WCW World Heavyweight Champion by ring name. The WCW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship. Its lineage began when Ted Turner purchased Jim Crockett Promotions, which used the National Wrestling Alliance alliance name. Turner's organization was renamed World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and split from the NWA in 1991.^[1]

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship is the original World Championship of World Championship Wrestling. It was deactivated after WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) and the title was unified with the WWF Championship. There have been a total of 22 recognized champions who have had a combined 63 official reigns.

The championship has been known as:

• WCW World Heavyweight Championship (January 1, 1991 – March 26, 2001)^[2]
• WCW Championship (June 25, 2001 – November 18, 2001)^[2]
• World Championship (November 19, 2001 - December 9, 2001)^[3]

1 Title history 2 List of individual reigns 3 List of combined reigns 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Wrestler:	Times:	Date:	Location:	Notes:
Ric Flair	1	January 11, 1991	East Rutherford, NJ	Defeated Sting for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. WWE recognized it as an NWA reign extended to WCW, but it is not considered as one of Flair's 16 world titles, which are made of 2 WWE titles, 6 WCW titles and 8 NWA titles.[4]
Vacant		July 1, 1991		Flair left for the World Wrestling Federation and was stripped of the title.[5]
Lex Luger	1	July 14, 1991	Baltimore, MD	Defeated Barry Windham in a steel cage match for vacant title at The Great American Bash.[5]
Sting	1	February 29, 1992	Milwaukee, WI	Won at SuperBrawl II.[6][7]
Big Van Vader	1	July 12, 1992	Albany, GA	Won at The Great American Bash.[8][9]
Ron Simmons	1	August 2, 1992	Baltimore, MD	Became first African American World Heavyweight Champion.[10]
Big Van Vader	2	December 30, 1992	Baltimore, MD	[3][11]
Sting	2	March 11, 1993	London, England	[3][12]
Big Van Vader	3	March 17, 1993	Dublin, Ireland	[3][13]
Ric Flair	2	December 27, 1993	Charlotte, NC	Won at Starrcade.[14][15]
Vacant	#	April 17, 1994	Rosemont, IL	Title held up after Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat at Spring Stampede results in a double pin.[16] This occurrence is unrecognized by WWE, who considers Flair a six time WCW Champion, his first reign being an NWA reign extended to WCW.
Ric Flair	#	April 21, 1994	Atlanta, GA	Defeated Steamboat in a rematch at a WCW Saturday Night TV taping.[17]
Hulk Hogan	1	July 17, 1994	Orlando, FL	Won at Bash at the Beach; this was Hogan's first match in WCW[18][19]
The Giant	1	October 29, 1995	Detroit, MI	Won at Halloween Havoc in a match where the title could be changed by disqualification. The Giant defeated Hogan by disqualification when Jimmy Hart interfered.[20]
Vacant		November 6, 1995	Jacksonville, FL	Stripped on WCW Monday Nitro, due to controversial finish of October 29 match.[20]
Randy Savage	1	November 26, 1995	Norfolk, VA	Won at World War 3 in a three-ring, 60-man battle royal.[21][22]
Ric Flair	3	December 27, 1995	Nashville, TN	Won at Starrcade.[23][24]
Randy Savage	2	January 22, 1996	Las Vegas, NV	Won on Nitro.[25]
Ric Flair	4	February 11, 1996	St. Petersburg, FL	Won at SuperBrawl VI in a Steel cage match.[26][27]
The Giant	2	April 22, 1996	Albany, GA	[28]
Hulk Hogan	2	August 10, 1996	Sturgis, SD	Won at Hog Wild.[29][30]
Lex Luger	2	August 4, 1997	Auburn Hills, MI	Won on Monday Nitro.[31]
Hulk Hogan	3	August 9, 1997	Sturgis, SD	Won at Road Wild.[32][33]
Sting	3	December 28, 1997	Washington, D.C.	Won at Starrcade. Hogan first pinned Sting but guest referee Bret Hart accused the first referee of making a fast count and restarted the match. Sting won by submission.[34][35][36]
Vacant		January 8, 1998	Daytona Beach, FL	Held up due to controversy over finish of December 28 match.[37]
Sting	4	February 22, 1998	San Francisco, CA	Defeated Hulk Hogan in a rematch.[37]
Randy Savage	3	April 19, 1998	Denver, CO	Won at Spring Stampede.[38][39]
Hulk Hogan	4	April 20, 1998	Colorodo, Springs, CO	Won a no-disqualification match on Monday Nitro[40]
Goldberg	1	July 6, 1998	Atlanta, GA	Won on Monday Nitro.[41]
Kevin Nash	1	December 27, 1998	Washington, D.C.	Won at Starrcade.[42][43]
Hulk Hogan	5	January 4, 1999	Atlanta, GA	Nash laid down for Hogan.[44]
Ric Flair	5	March 14, 1999	Louisville, KY	Won a First Blood Steel Cage match at Uncensored.[45][46]
Diamond Dallas Page	1	April 11, 1999	Tacoma, WA	Defeated Flair, Sting, and Hollywood Hogan in a four-way match at Spring Stampede.[47][48]
Sting	5	April 26, 1999	Fargo, ND	Won on Monday Nitro.[49]
Diamond Dallas Page	2	April 26, 1999	Fargo, ND	Defeated Sting, Kevin Nash, and Goldberg in a No Disqualification Fatal Four-Way match on Monday Nitro.[50]
Kevin Nash	2	May 9, 1999	St. Louis, MO	Won at Slamboree.[51][52]
Randy Savage	4	July 11, 1999	Ft. Lauderdale, FL	Savage and Sid Vicious defeated Nash and Sting at Bash at the Beach in a tag team match where the one who scored the victory would be the champion.[53]
Hulk Hogan	6	July 12, 1999	Jacksonville, FL	Won on Monday Nitro.[54]
Sting	6	September 12, 1999	Winston-Salem, NC	Won at Fall Brawl.[55][56]
Vacant		October 25, 1999	Phoenix, AZ	Sting is stripped of the title after attacking WCW referee Charles Robinson at the Halloween Havoc pay-per-view, after having a non sanctioned match with Goldberg.[57]
Bret Hart	1	November 21, 1999	Toronto, Ontario	Defeated Chris Benoit in a tournament final at Mayhem.[58][59][60]
Vacant		December 20, 1999	Baltimore, MD	Hart vacates title because of controversial match with Bill Goldberg.[61]
Bret Hart	2	December 20, 1999	Baltimore, MD	Defeated Goldberg in a rematch on Monday Nitro.[61]
Vacant		January 16, 2000	Cincinnati, OH	Hart vacates the title due to injury.[62]
Chris Benoit	1	January 16, 2000	Cincinnati, OH	Defeated Sid Vicious at Souled Out.[63]
Vacant		January 17, 2000		Benoit forfeits the title and leaves for the WWF after dispute with management.[63][64]
Sid Vicious	1	January 24, 2000	Los Angeles, CA	Defeated Kevin Nash on Monday Nitro after defeating the Harris Brothers for the right to wrestle Nash for the belt.[65]
Vacant		January 25, 2000	Las Vegas, NV	Stripped by Commissioner Kevin Nash.[3]
Kevin Nash	3	January 25, 2000	Las Vegas, NV	Awards himself the title on Thunder.[3] Not listed by mistake in the title lineage at WWE.com.[66]
Sid Vicious	2	January 25, 2000	Las Vegas, NV	Aired January 26 on Thunder.[67]
Vacant		April 10, 2000	Denver, CO	All WCW titles were declared vacant by Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff after WCW was rebooted.[68]
Jeff Jarrett	1	April 16, 2000	Chicago, IL	Defeated Dallas Page in tournament final at Spring Stampede.[68]
Diamond Dallas Page	3	April 24, 2000	Rochester, NY	Won in a cage match on Monday Nitro.[69]
David Arquette	1	April 25, 2000	Syracuse, NY	In a tag team match where the first person to get the victory would be declared the champion, Arquette and Page defeated Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff when Arquette pinned Bischoff. Aired April 26 on Thunder.[70]
Jeff Jarrett	2	May 7, 2000	Kansas City, MO	Won at Slamboree in a Triple Cage match that also included Page.[71]
Ric Flair	6	May 15, 2000	Biloxi, MS	Won on Monday Nitro.[72]
Vacant		May 22, 2000	Grand Rapids, MI	Stripped by Vince Russo.[73]
Jeff Jarrett	3	May 22, 2000	Grand Rapids, MI	Awarded by Vince Russo on Monday Nitro.[73]
Kevin Nash	4	May 23, 2000	Saginaw, MI	Defeats Jarrett and Scott Steiner in a Triple Threat match on Thunder. Aired on May 24[74]
Ric Flair	7	May 29, 2000	Salt Lake City, UT	Awarded title by Kevin Nash on Monday Nitro.[74]
Jeff Jarrett	4	May 29, 2000	Salt Lake City, UT	Won on Monday Nitro.[75]
Booker T	1	July 9, 2000	Daytona Beach, FL	Won at Bash at the Beach. The match was originally billed as Jarrett vs. Hogan (which Hogan won after Jarrett intentionally laid down for Hogan),[76] but WCW head writer Vince Russo stripped Hogan of the title after cutting a shoot promo about getting frustrated with dealing with Hogan's backstage politics, and announced that Jarrett was still officially recognized as the champion (nullifying the result of the Hogan match) and would defend the title in an impromptu match against Booker T.[77]
Kevin Nash	5	August 28, 2000	Las Cruces, NM	Won on Monday Nitro.[66]
Booker T	2	September 17, 2000	Buffalo, NY	Won a Caged Heat match at Fall Brawl[78][79]
Vince Russo	1	September 25, 2000	Uniondale, NY	Won in a steel cage match on Monday Nitro.[80]
Vacant		October 2, 2000	San Francisco, CA	Russo decides he is not a wrestler and does not want the title.[80]
Booker T	3	October 2, 2000	San Francisco, CA	Defeated Jeff Jarrett in a "San Francisco 49ers match" on Monday Nitro.[81]
Scott Steiner	1	November 26, 2000	Milwaukee, WI	Won in a "Straight Jacket steel cage match" at Mayhem.[82][83]
Booker T	4	March 26, 2001	Panama City Beach, FL	Won on final edition of Monday Nitro. Last wrestler to hold the title under the WCW banner. WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation.[84]
Kurt Angle	1	July 24, 2001	Pittsburgh, PA	Won on the July 26 edition of SmackDown! Became the first person to win the WCW Championship on World Wrestling Federation programing.[85]
Booker T	5	July 30, 2001	Philadelphia, PA	Won on RAW is WAR.[86]
The Rock	1	August 19, 2001	San Jose, CA	Won at SummerSlam.[87][88]
Chris Jericho	1	October 21, 2001	St. Louis, MO	Won at No Mercy.[89][90]
The Rock	2	November 5, 2001	Uniondale, NY	Won on RAW is WAR.[91] Referred to as simply the "World Championship" on November 19 after the demise of The Alliance.
Chris Jericho	2	December 9, 2001	San Diego, CA	Won at Vengeance. The title was then unified with the WWF Championship.[92]

Wrestler	Days Held	Date Won	Date Lost
Hulk Hogan	469	July 17, 1994	October 29, 1995
Hollywood Hogan	359	August 10, 1996	August 4, 1997
Big Van Vader	285	March 17, 1993	December 27, 1993
Lex Luger	230	July 14, 1991	February 29, 1992
Ric Flair	202	December 27, 1993	July 17, 1994
Goldberg	174	July 6, 1998	December 27, 1998
Ric Flair	171	January 11, 1991	July 1, 1991
Ron Simmons	150	August 2, 1992	December 30, 1992
Hollywood Hogan	141	August 9, 1997	December 28, 1997
Sting	134	February 29, 1992	July 12, 1992
Scott Steiner	120	November 26, 2000	March 26, 2001
Booker T	120	March 26, 2001	July 24, 2001
The Giant	110	April 22, 1996	August 10, 1996
Hollywood Hogan	77	April 20, 1998	July 6, 1998
Sid Vicious	76	January 25, 2000	April 10, 2000
Big Van Vader	71	December 30, 1992	March 11, 1993
Ric Flair	71	February 11, 1996	April 22, 1996
Hollywood Hogan	69	January 4, 1999	March 14, 1999
Kevin Nash	63	May 9, 1999	July 11, 1999
The Rock	63	August 19, 2001	October 21, 2001
Hollywood Hogan	62	July 12, 1999	September 12, 1999
Sting	56	February 22, 1998	April 19, 1998
Booker T	55	October 2, 2000	November 26, 2000
Booker T	50	July 9, 2000	August 28, 2000
Sting	43	September 12, 1999	October 25, 1999
Jeff Jarrett	41	May 29, 2000	July 9, 2000
The Rock	34	November 5, 2001	December 9, 2001
"Macho Man" Randy Savage	31	November 26, 1995	December 27, 1995
Bret Hart	29	November 21, 1999	December 20, 1999
Ric Flair	28	March 14, 1999	April 11, 1999
Bret Hart	27	December 20, 1999	January 16, 2000
Ric Flair	26	December 27, 1995	January 22, 1996
Big Van Vader	21	July 12, 1992	August 2, 1992
Randy Savage	20	January 22, 1996	February 11, 1996
Kevin Nash	20	August 28, 2000	September 17, 2000
Booker T	20	July 30, 2001	August 19, 2001
Diamond Dallas Page	15	April 11, 1999	April 26, 1999
Chris Jericho	15	October 21, 2001	November 5, 2001
Diamond Dallas Page	13	April 26, 1999	May 9, 1999
David Arquette	12	April 25, 2000	May 7, 2000
Sting	11	December 28, 1997	January 8, 1998
The Giant	8	October 29, 1995	November 6, 1995
Kevin Nash	8	December 27, 1998	January 4, 1999
Jeff Jarrett	8	April 16, 2000	April 24, 2000
Jeff Jarrett	8	May 7, 2000	May 15, 2000
Booker T	8	September 17, 2000	September 25, 2000
Ric Flair	7	May 15, 2000	May 22, 2000
Vince Russo	7	September 25, 2000	October 2, 2000
Sting	6	March 11, 1993	March 17, 1993
Kevin Nash	6	May 23, 2000	May 29, 2000
Kurt Angle	6	July 24, 2001	July 30, 2001
Lex Luger	5	August 4, 1997	August 9, 1997
Randy Savage	1	April 19, 1998	April 20, 1998
Randy Savage	1	July 11, 1999	July 12, 1999
Chris Benoit	1	January 16, 2000	January 17, 2000
Sid Vicious	1	January 24, 2000	January 25, 2000
Diamond Dallas Page	1	April 24, 2000	April 25, 2000
Jeff Jarrett	1	May 22, 2000	May 23, 2000
Sting	<1	April 26, 1999
Kevin Nash	<1	January 25, 2000
Ric Flair	<1	May 29, 2000
Chris Jericho	<1	December 9, 2001 (unified with WWF Championship)

Rank	Wrestler	# Of Reigns	Combined Days
1.	Hollywood Hulk Hogan	6	1,177
2.	Ric Flair	7	505
3.	Big Van Vader	3	377
4.	Booker T	5	253
5.	Sting	6	250
6.	Lex Luger	2	235
7.	Bill Goldberg	1	174
8.	Ron Simmons	1	150
9.	Scott Steiner	1	120
10.	The Giant	2	118

• List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions
• List of WWE Champions
• List of World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)

• Official WCW World Heavyweight Championship History

v â€¢ d â€¢ e World Championship Wrestling championships World World Heavyweight (1991–2001) Â· International World Heavyweight (1993–1994) Secondary World Television (1991–2000) Â· United States (1991–2001) Tag Team World Tag Team (1991–2001) Â· World Six-Man Tag Team (1991) Â· United States Tag Team (1991–1992) Â· Cruiserweight Tag Team (2001) Divisional Cruiserweight (1996–2001) Â· Light Heavyweight (1991–1992) Â· Women's (1996–1997) Â· Women's Cruiserweight (1997) Other Hardcore (1999–2001) Championship lists World Heavyweight (reigns) â€¢ International World Heavyweight (reigns) â€¢ World Television â€¢ United States (reigns) â€¢ World Tag Team (reigns) â€¢ World Six-Man Tag Team â€¢ United States Tag Team â€¢ Cruiserweight Tag Team â€¢ Cruiserweight (reigns) â€¢ Women's â€¢ Women's Cruiserweight â€¢ Hardcore (reigns)