Winning a championship in WWE is the highest accolade a Superstar can achieve. It represents excellence, that the titleholder is the best amongst their entire division. A championship reign immortalizes a wrestler and becomes their legacy.
Yet not every championship belt from WWE's history encompassed the prestige and honor it should have. Some were hard to take seriously due to their wacky design or lack of credible titleholders. Here are five of WWE's most prestigious championships and five that became a prop.
10 Most: NXT Women's Championship
The NXT Women's Championship was arguably the most prestigious title available to the women's division until Lita debuted the WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania 32. The tournament for the inaugural champion saw Paige crowned after a match with Emma that elevated women's wrestling in WWE thereafter.
The moment warranted an appearance from Triple H, who made his way to the ring to congratulate the Anti-Diva in an emotional display of support. The title has since been held by stand-out athletes such as Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Asuka, who held the belt for a record 510 days.
9 Least: Divas Championship
It was hard to take the Divas Championship seriously given its ludicrous design. The sparkly pink butterfly did little except exemplify how WWE portrayed the division at the time, a stark contrast to the Women's Championship which it replaced fully in 2010.
Although the butterfly belt has been held by credible wrestlers such as Paige, AJ Lee, and Natalya, the lack of time Divas Championship matches were afforded hurt its image. It was also passed around frequently with little storyline surrounding it, making many reigns with the belt forgettable.
8 Most: WWE Championship
Currently held by Kofi Kingston, the WWE Championship is one of two world titles available to the men's locker room. It has the edge over the Universal Championship purely due to its extensive history, as opposed to the red belt's early inception in 2016.
It is the original world championship belt, initially introduced in 1963 as the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. It has had some iconic and outrageous designs over the years, as well as passing through the hands of big wrestling names such as Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, and CM Punk.
7 Least: WWE Tag Team Championships
This belt makes the list purely due to its design. Dubbed 'the penny belt' by fans, the former WWE Tag Team Championship belts were gaudy and did little to represent the plethora of prestigious wrestling duos to hold it throughout WWE's history.
The Usos are one of the most credible champions to hold the belts and have continued their success by winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championships three times. The Raw and SmackDown straps have a similar design, though with an updated look fit for champions.
6 Most: World Heavyweight Championship
Represented by the historic 'Big Gold Belt,' the World Heavyweight Championship has a legacy of over a hundred years with a heritage tracing back to the original World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. With an impressive origin story, it has also been held by stellar Superstars.
It was the second world title in WWE alongside the WWE Championship and alternated between the Raw and SmackDown brands. It was retired in 2013 when it was unified with WWE's other top title.
5 Least: Cruiserweight Championship
It is hard to take the Cruiserweight Championship as seriously as it should be given the lack of time and attention awarded to the competitors on 205 Live. Although it was fought for in an inaugural tournament that exemplified superb high-flying wrestling maneuvres, it soon fell into irrelevance after it became clear WWE didn't know what to do with their cruiserweight division.
Initially held by TJ Perkins in 2016, the title is now held by Drew Gulak, who captured the title on the Stomping Grounds 2019 pre-show.
4 Most: Raw Women's Championship
The Raw Women's Championship carries the short but impactful history of the WWE Women's Championship, which was debuted on the WrestleMania 32 pre-show by Lita. It was a pivotal moment for women's wrestling and WWE. The Hall of Famer informed delighted fans that the Divas Championship would be tired and with it the Divas moniker.
The belt has since been held by huge names such as Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair. It was defended in the main event of WrestleMania 35 in a match that made history.
3 Least: Internet Championship
As there has only ever been one Internet Championship holder in WWE history, it is not difficult to forget the belt ever existed. Although it originally debuted as a prop for Zack Ryder's YouTube channel, it has been legally defended during numerous house shows.
WWE officially proclaimed Ryder as Internet Championship in 2012 after Long Island Iced-Z won the United States Championship. The title was dropped soon after and never mentioned again, though it appears on past WW2K games as legitimate titles that can be defended.
2 Most: WWF World Championship
This is arguably the most iconic design for WWE's top world title belt. Dubbed the 'Big Eagle Belt,' it represented the Attitude Era throughout 1998-2002 and was held by icons such as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
It a beloved belt that reminds fans of an entertaining and exciting - if controversial - time in wrestling that was pivotal in paving the way for the future. It was merged with the former WCW Championship belt to form the Undisputed Championship that was given to the current champion Triple H in 2002.
1 Least: 24/7 Championship
The antics of the 24/7 Championship are entertaining and it has provided multiple opportunities for guest appearances from former Superstars as well as current underutilized talent. It has passed through the hands of many WWE personalities during its short time, having debuted on an episode of Raw in May 2019 by Mick Foley, who announced it would be fought over with similar rules to the WWE Hardcore Championship.
It has been made most prominent by R-Truth, who has made his skits with the green belt entertaining. Still, it is hard to view the belt with a level of respectful prestige due to its position on the lower mid-card.