Champions that struck the MOST gold. Not to conform to cliches, but Number 6 may actually shock you.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Okay, I know you're already in the comments going crazy Simon how dare you say these things, but here's the deal
00:05Here is the criteria. We are using Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter
00:10Recently sat down with a bunch of WWE champions and he worked out how successful they've been been a record-setting
00:16Numbers and buy rates and pay-per-views and actually broke it down to say hi
00:21These guys are some of the best. So yes. Hello. My name is Simon. What culture please do subscribe and here's the 10 most successful
00:28In terms of statistics WWE champions in history
00:37Number 10 Randy Orton when you go and look at Randy Orton's complete WWE title reigns
00:41it is crazy because his first one happened in 2007 and goes all the way to
00:482020 and this really sums up Orton's career because for the past 20 years
00:52He has basically been on top and they says always go. Yeah, but he never really changed the business
00:57He didn't blow it up, but who cares not everybody can be a super-duper game-changing star
01:03But he has been consistent and when it comes to wrestling he is so damn good
01:08I'm gonna say it underrated and of course we did struggle a little bit when we turned in babyface after his first world heavyweight
01:14Title reign but still he has so many bangers in the history books. So I say well done to mr
01:21Randy number nine Bob Backlund Bob Backlund may have only had to WWF championship reigns
01:26But as you're about to learn he was kind of a big deal, especially because of his second one
01:31He only held it for three days
01:32and of course that last one came when WWF was doing a little bit of a transitional championship change because Bret Hart dropped to the
01:38Bob who subsequently went and dropped into diesel less than a week later, but we ain't talking about that
01:43We going way back in time when Backlund was the man way back in 1978
01:48He beat superstar Billy Graham for the WWF title and if you can believe it
01:53He held on to it for over five years kind of ironically
01:57He then lost it to the Iron Sheik who would eventually lose it to Hulk Hogan to start a new wave in World Wrestling Federation
02:03But yeah, when you hold on to something for that amount of time
02:07You're gonna have a successful run number eight the rock the rock first won the WWF title back in
02:131998 and his last one was in
02:152013 which is terrifying because that was almost ten years ago
02:19The thing is though given that he was a champion during the attitude era
02:22Of course his metrics are sky-high whether you look at merchandise
02:26whether you look at attendance whether you look at TV ratings or pay-per-view buys if
02:30Dwayne the rock Johnson was heading up a show people just took money and they threw it at him
02:35This is even more impressive because of course he entered wrestling was gone before you could say hey, wait a minute
02:40Why is he a movie star now?
02:41And honestly, we can probably move forward 50 years and the rock is still gonna be in list like this number seven
02:48Triple H and kind of for the same reasons too, especially because he had crazy longevity
02:53Triple H gets into this list
02:55I mean while some people like to get on his case now in the year 2000 when the World Wrestling Federation was crazy profitable
03:01Hunter Hearst Helmsley was one of the best they had if you want to tell me that during this 12-month period
03:07He was untouchable as a heel
03:09Well, I'm gonna agree with you and sure as the years went by and Triple H was still around the numbers started to go down
03:14But this wasn't his fault it was just during like 1998 to 2001
03:19We got to such a crazy level that eventually we were gonna have to head the other way
03:24but if you do go and watch the King of Kings from basically
03:271999 until he does suffer his injury in
03:292001 he is worth every penny number six on dreaded giant
03:33I know what you're saying Simon the eighth wonder of the world didn't even really ever hold the
03:38WWF title because of course it was all that shenanigans with Ted DiBiase the million-dollar man
03:43Before the whole thing got canceled the thing is he still was champion kind of a kind of not but when you get into the
03:49Statistics and how much of a star he was around the world
03:52Well, there's a reason today. We still talk about Andre
03:55I don't forget he absolutely smashed it for most of his career as a good guy
03:58But his biggest most highest point is when he became a bad guy and fought Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 3
04:04I mean their rematch which aired on NBC was the most watched wrestling match in United States history
04:10Of course Hulk Hogan was a massive reason for that but to be a great baby face you need the best heel
04:16That's where the giant came into it. Number five Roman Reigns
04:19I mean Roman these days is more associated with the Universal Championship, but he still has been the WWE champion
04:25And every time he has held it he's done pretty damn well
04:28Oh, this comes down to the fact that as I say these words as of right now
04:32WWE is more profitable than ever which means they're making a bunch of cash and who is most definitely their top star
04:38It's the head of the table. It's the tribal chief and those two things just go together
04:42And of course you can start questioning it, but that's not the point here
04:45Roman Reigns is the chosen one when you get into all the metrics
04:48WWE is swimming through Scrooge McDuck's cash
04:51So if you do want to write a list like this
04:52You've got to put Roman right up there and also I don't care what anybody else says
04:57I think the man is smashing it. Number four John Cena
05:00I mean I was gonna stand here right now and go through every single one of John Cena's WWE title reigns
05:05I would probably be dead before we got to the end of it
05:08There's good grief that man was on top forever because do not forget not only was he a consistent main event player
05:15But he was also the last guy to grow even bigger than WWE and go out into the mainstream world
05:21And yes become an absolute success
05:23So really he has set the bar too high like even when he came back last year
05:27People flocked to house shows to see him because you look at John Cena's name
05:31Hey, honey, should we go to the wrestling show and you go?
05:34Yes, and really he may be the last of a dying breed because as we know
05:38WWE wants those three initials to be the biggest star
05:41So even if somebody does come along and knock on the door Vince the man probably goes no you got a fade out
05:46So never underestimate or undervalue the importance of John Cena. I mean imagine that 20-year period without him
05:52I mean some things would have been better
05:54But overall it would have been a bit of a struggle number three Buddy Rogers
05:58Nobody Rogers wasn't able to work too long for the WWWF back in
06:021963 he was their champion when Vince McMahon senior decided I don't want to work with anybody else anymore
06:09And I'm gonna go out on my own. So if you want to say without mr. Rogers
06:12We never get the success that
06:14WWE would go on to get you certainly have a point even though buddy was put in there so he could eventually lose this
06:20championship to Bruno Sammartino
06:22Everything starts with him so he is the catalyst and come on now
06:26It basically means he helped change the world number two Hulk Hogan
06:30I mean do we really need to get into this no matter what your thoughts are on the Hulkster these days and trust me I
06:35Totally get it. I am with you back in the 80s and the early 90s
06:39No one was bigger than him and he took the World Wrestling Federation on his back and he took it into pastas
06:46I mean, he basically changed the face of North American wrestling and even my nan bless her soul
06:51Knew who Hulk Hogan was I didn't really understand what she did
06:55But if you talked about professional wrestling, she went all that there WWF stuff with that there
06:59Oh, I mean even in
07:022022 people on the outskirts still use Hulk's name when they want to talk about sports entertainment
07:09So, of course when you get into the back end to look at the numbers, well, frankly
07:13It is absolutely ridiculous number one Bruno Sammartino
07:16But it is not as nuts as Bruno Sammartino who's basically got the WWF title and decided you know what?
07:23I never want to lose it and you cannot fathom how popular he was until you do sit down and
07:29Read as much as you possibly can because in the 60s and 70s
07:33People were so into Bruno that even the thought of him losing would get an audience to riot
07:38I mean he had two title reigns
07:40But they lasted for ages were much like a Hulk Hogan or a Buddy Rogers
07:42We do not get the WWE today. None of it without Bruno Sammartino
07:47The guy is a hero and the guy is a legend. Thankfully in the mid 2010s as well
07:51Triple H was able to mend their relationship
07:53So we saw a little bit of Bruno back in a new version of world wrestling entertainment
07:57But if you have nothing else to do today, just type in his name even go to his Wikipedia entry
08:03You'll be looking around going
08:05How did he do so much and of course before we do in this video?
08:08Don't forget. I'm sure you have your own vision of what a successful WWE champion is and that's great
08:14But when it comes to those digits, these are the ten guys
08:18But if you do want to pay anybody else in the comments
08:20Make sure you do and like the video share the video and subscribe
08:22head over to WhatCulture.com where you can read articles like this
08:25Make sure you come follow us on social media and we have a ton of videos. Just watch half of one
08:30That's right point five. My name is Simon for WhatCulture. Thank you for joining me as always. See you soon