It’s often forgotten how WWE did not just spring out of whole cloth. Initially, Vince McMahon Sr. had the Northeast territory of the NWA but decided to break off in 1963 to create what was then called the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Buddy Rogers had been NWA champion but broke off to be the first WWWF champion with the company dropping the extra “W” in the late 1970s.
What is notable is that only ten men held the world title for the first 25 years of its existence. That includes the three longest-ever reigns in company history. While most of the men who held the belt are familiar, a few were clear placeholders for the title. Yet they all etched themselves into immortality by making WWE what it is today. Here is how the ten first (official) WWE World champions rank to prove who’s the best of the early titleholders.
10 Andre The Giant
Just coming in under the wire, it’s the shortest reign in WWE title history but still counts. In a prime-time NBC special, Andre the Giant shockingly ended Hulk Hogan’s four-year reign. However, to call it dubious is an understatement.
An evil twin brother referee made a fast count while Hogan’s shoulder was up. Then, after just 50 seconds, Andre handed the belt over to Ted DiBiase. This led to the title held up for Randy Savage to win in a tournament. So while he technically was finally World champion, it was hardly a shining moment for the Giant.
9 Stan Stasiak
WWE was in a tough place in 1973. They wanted Pedro Morales to lose the belt and Bruno Sammartino back as a champion. But having one popular wrestler beat another wasn’t done. Instead, Stan Stasiak defeated Morales and, nine days later, dropped the belt to Bruno.
So, it’s easy to slam Stasiak as the most blatant “placeholder” champion ever. Still, Stasiak was a good worker and believable beating Pedro to keep the title going strong.
8 Ivan Koloff
Ivan Koloff’s place in WWE history is unique. One of the best “Russian Heels” of all time, the Russian Bear was the one who ended Bruno Sammartino’s epic seven-year WWE title reign. According to Sammartino, it’s the closest a sold-out Madison Square Garden has ever come to dead silence.
WWE was so fearful of backlash that Koloff only held the title for a few weeks before losing it to Pedro Morales. Still, as a top heel who got this historic victory, Koloff needs to be placed among the top early champs.
7 The Iron Sheik
It can be forgotten that the Iron Sheik was a skillful wrestler as he was a former Olympic champion. His strength was impressive, and he was a genius using the “evil Iranian” heel gimmick to its peak. His place in WWE history is crucial as he ended Bob Backlund’s six-year reign when Backlund’s manager threw in the towel for him.
A month later, Sheik dropped the belt to Hulk Hogan to kick off a new era. For that place in WWE lore alone, the Sheik deserves to be remembered.
6 Buddy Rogers
Every single heel after him has emulated Buddy Rogers in some way. He was fantastic with his arrogant strut, cheating to win, and one of the first genius promo guys. The original “Nature Boy” was the very first WWWF champion when the company was formed under complicated circumstances.
His reign wasn’t long before he lost the belt to Bruno Sammartino in just 48 seconds. But as one of the icons of wrestling and the inaugural champion, Rogers still has to rank high just for importance.
5 Pedro Morales
The first WWE “Triple Crown Winner”, Pedro Morales may be forgotten by fans today. But in his prime, he was a fantastic star selling out Madison Square Garden regularly. He could go from a technical masterpiece to a wild brawl with ease and had a gift for firing up crowds with his manner.
Also good on the mic, Morales held the belt for nearly three years and a great bridge for WWE into the 1970s. Morales deserves to be better remembered as one of the best stars of his era.
4 Superstar Billy Graham
Superstar Billy Graham changed the game for pro wrestling. Amid bland and interchangeable workers, Graham was a revelation with a muscular physique and flashy tights. He also stood out for his fantastic mic work, his promos were the best around.
Graham backed it up in the ring as a stellar star who surprisingly won clean much of the time despite his cheating. It can be argued he deserved a longer run with the title, but for being a groundbreaker for others (such as Hulk Hogan), Graham has to rank among WWE’s best early champs.
3 Bob Backlund
While he may be bland by today’s standards, Bob Backlund’s longevity as WWE champion must be respected. He held the belt for six years and faced a lot of comers. A talented college athlete, Backlund was very popular in his prime and the perfect babyface champion for business.
Sure, he was held back by rough mic skills but could get surprisingly tough in bloody brawls too. If nothing else, the length of his reign alone has to rank Backlund among the tops in WWE’s best-ever titleholders.
2 Hulk Hogan
Love him or hate him, there can be no denying the influence Hulk Hogan has had on WWE and pro wrestling itself. His victory in 1984 sparked a new fire in WWE, embracing “sports entertainment” but still fantastic. Hogan had charisma like few others, a true superhero to get fans going and make WWE a considerable force in wrestling.
His first four-year reign oversaw WrestleMania and dominance, and later ones just enhanced the phenomenon. Hogan remains the go-to answer for the biggest WWE star to prove his power as champion.
1 Bruno Sammartino
The brutal truth is that there likely wouldn’t be a WWE today without Bruno Sammartino. The original “Living Legend” held the title for over seven years, still its longest reign. A second reign lasted another three years, so all told, Bruno held the title for over a decade.
During that time, he sold out Madison Square Garden more times than anyone could count and helped put WWE on the map. His legacy is magnificent as Bruno built WWE into a powerhouse and is still regarded as one of the best to hold its title.