Although the WWE Championship is the top prize of the biggest American wrestling promotion, the WWE is an international power with widespread love and appeal around the world. With this reach, it has meant that a wide array of individuals from different parts of the planet have become WWE Champion.
There have been several foreign WWE Champions over the years, though some have been far more successful than others when it comes to their title reign. At times however, great foreign wrestlers have had underwhelming reigns, with there being a huge mixture in quality.
Note: Despite being born in Spain, Kane is considered an American, and Chris Jericho is considered as an American-Canadian due to him being born in the States, so neither will be included here.
13 Andre The Giant
Andre The Giant is one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time, with the French icon being the most notable big man in history. However, when it came to the WWE Championship, he didn’t have much luck.
With just a singular reign that lasted a matter of minutes, Andre gave up the title to Ted DiBiase. Andre deserved far better than just this reign, as it unfortunately makes him one of the worst champions in the belt’s history.
12 Stan Stasiak
Unfortunately for Stan Stasiak, his time as WWE Champion is among the shortest reigns in the title’s history. Born in Canada, Stasiak became the fourth non-American WWE Champion in a row, which was quite surprising, given that Buddy Rogers was the only homegrown titleholder to that point.
Stasiak acted as a transitional champion between Pedro Morales and Bruno Sammartino, holding the title for just 9 days.
11 Ivan Koloff
Many fans may think that Ivan Koloff came from Europe, given his nickname of the “Russian Bear”, and whilst this was all just a gimmick, he did still come from overseas, being born in Canada.
Koloff has the reputation of being the first ever transitional WWE Champion, after he sensationally dethroned Bruno Sammartino in one of the most shocking results in wrestling history. However, his reign lasted only 21-days, though he managed to defend the title quite a lot in that time.
10 Jinder Mahal
Although Mahal’s character has been focused on his Indian heritage, he is actually a Canadian. The only reason Mahal ranks over some other former champions is due to the length of his reign, and his best efforts on the microphone.
However, Mahal holds the reputation of being one of the worst champions of all time due to his previous status as a jobber before winning the title, in addition to several poor matches and feuds against the likes of Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura.
9 Alberto Del Rio
Whilst Alberto Del Rio has two separate reigns as WWE Champion, neither of his runs with the belt were memorable in the slightest, with the spotlight being elsewhere anytime he was on top.
Despite WWE’s best efforts at making him a top Mexican star, Del Rio just never clicked with the fans. His in-ring work was very solid, having some strong matches against John Cena and CM Punk, but in terms of being a great champion, Del Rio was far from it.
8 Iron Sheik
Although the foreign heel gimmick is incredibly outdated in modern day wrestling, The Iron Sheik used this gimmick as someone born in Iran to become one of the best heels of the 1980s, acting as the perfect foe to the “Real American” hero, Hulk Hogan.
Sheik wouldn’t hold the WWE Championship for too long though, with just a one-month reign holding the title.
7 Sheamus
Sheamus is the first and only Irish-born WWE Champion, and he represented his home nation in a great way during his three reigns holding the company’s top prize.
In just his rookie year in WWE, Sheamus shockingly won the WWE Championship from John Cena, which is up there with the biggest upsets of all time. Whilst his reigns weren’t overly long, he consistently performed well in his role as a top heel.
6 Kofi Kingston
WWE’s first African-born Champion had a wonderful journey to winning the belt. The Ghanaian won the title in an incredible WrestleMania match and proceeded to hold it for several months.
With how poorly his reign ended, this run as champion has become quite underrated, as it featured several strong matches against the likes of Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and Daniel Bryan.
5 Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre is one of the most pivotal WWE Champions all time, as he helped to carry the company through the pandemic between 2020 and 2021, and his reign will likely be looked back on far more fondly in the years to come.
McIntyre proved to be one hell of a role model and hero during this time, and his reign as WWE Champion (on two occasions) featured many strong matches and moments, even with zero fans in attendance. The Scottish-born superstar’s story from being fired to becoming champion is a brilliant tale, making his title reign mean so much more.
4 Pedro Morales
Morales had the distinction of being the man chosen to fill the shoes of Bruno Sammartino following his seven-year title reign, and whilst he didn’t quite reach that level, the Puerto Rican did a damn good job.
For over 1000 days, Morales held the WWE Championship, with him becoming a huge fan favorite, and doing his best to live up to insane expectations, with him being the new hero.
3 Edge
Throughout the late 2000s, Canadian-born Edge became the number one heel in WWE, helping to carry the company throughout the transition into the PG Era, with him reigning as WWE Champion on several occasions.
Edge was a brilliant heel champion, having great feuds against the likes of John Cena and Jeff Hardy over the WWE Championship. He is a defining name of that era, and whilst he may be more synonymous with the World Heavyweight Championship, he was a memorable WWE Champion too.
2 Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a true Canadian hero, with this love carrying through to a worldwide audience who consider him to be among the greatest in-ring talents of all time. Hart is a five-time WWE Champion, and he helped carry the company through the 1990s, especially when Hulk Hogan was absent.
Hart has had countless classic matches when it comes to the WWE Championship, battling the likes of Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, and Owen Hart in all-time clinics.
1 Bruno Sammartino
Born in Italy, Sammartino quickly became a huge wrestling hero in America, and he was the second ever WWE Champion, defeating Buddy Rogers. This reign stunningly lasted for over seven years, as he became a living legend.
Sammartino would have a second reign, lasting four years. He was a catalyst for the WWE becoming a sensation, and he is still perhaps the biggest draw of all time, holding the belt for a collective eleven years, which is something that will never be done again.