The dream of every wrestler entering WWE is to become a champion. Multiple reasons exist for wrestlers wanting to win the gold titles. Some people believe the championships are overrated due to the company deciding who wins it in a world of fiction. However, the goal of becoming a champion is very important for one’s career. Each win shows that WWE believes in a performer enough to hold a title. The company clearly wants credible performers to hold the gold and it shows confidence in the person winning one. It also is the accomplishment of a dream. Most wrestlers watched WWE growing up and wanted to be the ones winning these prestigious titles.

Unfortunately, most wrestlers don’t get to have such a win in their career. There are so many belts that most major wrestlers hold a title at some point. It was more difficult to win a title in WWE during the '70s and '80s when the reigns would last a very long time in between title changes. Timing is also important as certain titles would become more open at different points. Even today, some wrestlers are having a long struggle to get to the position of being a champion on the WWE main roster. We will look at some of the past and present names that surprisingly never did it. These are twenty wrestlers that have never won a WWE title.

20 Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn's NXT career made fans assume he would evolve into a main event player for WWE. Zayn truly connected with the NXT fan base as the underdog that everyone wanted to see overcome the odds. Aside from a compelling first main roster feud with Kevin Owens, Zayn never found his footing on Raw or SmackDown.

WWE turned Sami heel after years of face work due to not knowing what to do with him. Zayn found his way in a secondary as the glorified sidekick of Owens before going down with an injury. The trajectory of success for Zayn following NXT did not work out as he’s yet to win any WWE title. Sami hopes to correct this when he returns from injury in 2019.

19 Brian Pillman

Brian Pillman is remembered fondly today for his work in WWE, WCW, and ECW throughout the '90s. The transition from the NFL to professional wrestling worked out perfectly for Pillman. He started having stellar matches right away in WCW and even won the Cruiserweight Championship in the early '90s.

Pillman made a move to WWE during the Attitude Era with the intent of using his unhinged gimmick to get to the next level. The Loose Cannon's body was breaking down due to injuries, but he still found success as part of the Hart Foundation. Pillman passed away in heartbreaking fashion during his WWE run when he was in contention for an eventual Intercontinental Championship reign.

18 Jerry Lawler

Most wrestling fans would be absolutely stunned to realize Jerry Lawler never won a single title during his WWE career. It feels like Lawler has spent his entire career in WWE to younger fans today, but his best work came long before he joined the company as a broadcaster in the '90s.

Lawler won titles in countless promotions during the territory days and was an icon in the Memphis wrestling scene. Vince McMahon hired him for his wrestling skills but felt the commentary role was his strong suit. Lawler found success as a color commentator and part-time wrestler, but he never won a title during his in-ring work for WWE.

17 Dusty Rhodes

The legendary Dusty Rhodes had a short run in WWE in the 1980s. Vince McMahon signed Rhodes following success in NWA and other promotions that were essentially the competition. There’s a theory that McMahon specifically signed Dusty with the intent of humiliating him. Rhodes' comedic gimmick and polka dot attire hindered his chance of moving into the world title picture.

Dusty's inherent charisma still got him over with the fans. However, he did not win a WWE title at any point throughout his career. Most view his overall WWE run as a disappointment due to the poor booking. His sons Goldust and Cody Rhodes, however, won the Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships to bring the WWE gold to the family.

16 Samoa Joe

One of the most respected wrestlers currently on the WWE roster without a main roster title win is Samoa Joe. His incredible work in Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling made him a huge star without the WWE machine behind him. Joe was popular enough for WWE to allow him to keep his name entering the company through their NXT developmental promotion.

Joe did win the NXT World Championship and served as the face of the brand. However, he has yet to win a title on Raw or SmackDown. A few WWE Championship title shots against AJ Styles ended in losing fashion. There’s a great chance Joe will win WWE gold of some sort before his career ends.

15 Lex Luger

It is a huge surprise to most that Lex Luger never managed to win a title during his early to mid-'90s run in WWE. Luger joined the company with huge plans for a top spot. Vince McMahon viewed him as the replacement for Hulk Hogan and tried to build him to become the WWE Champion.

WWE’s biggest story in 1993-1994 featured Luger attempting to dethrone Yokozuna as the face of the company. Luger just didn’t connect with the fans as expected and the plans all ended. Bret Hart received the title win over Luger, and Lex never got to win any WWE title before jumping ship back to WCW.

14 Sting

The legendary Sting is one of the all-time great wrestlers to never hold a WWE Championship. This one is more of Sting’s fault than anyone in WWE. Sting had multiple chances to join WWE following the end of WCW, but he never trusted them to book him as a major star.

Following a long run in TNA, Sting finally decided to give WWE a try in 2014. A huge match with Triple H at WrestleMania 31 proved that Sting was a WWE draw, but it was too late for a full-time run. Sting had one more match in a WWE Championship bout falling short to Seth Rollins. An injury led to him officially retiring from wrestling.

13 Bam Bam Bigelow

Bam Bam Bigelow was a big man ahead of his time in professional wrestling. The size of Bigelow made him come off like a larger than life monster wrestler. However, his agility and ability to move around the ring with grace made him unlike most of his peers.

Bret Hart has stated that Bam Bam was one of the best wrestlers he ever worked with as the two had awesome matches. WWE even trusted Bigelow enough to have him face NFL star Lawrence Taylor in the main event of WrestleMania 11. Poor timing, unfortunately, meant we never saw Bam Bam win the WWE Championship or Intercontinental Championship. He would have had a better chance if working for WWE in the Attitude Era.

12 Asuka

A recent instance of a credible and talented superstar failing to win gold is Asuka. The NXT run featured Asuka winning the NXT Championship and dominating the roster with an undefeated streak. It seemed more than likely Asuka would win a WWE title on the main roster relatively quickly given her success and popularity.

Asuka won the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match but fell just short losing her title shot and undefeated streak to Charlotte Flair. WWE booked her in two more title shots against Carmella and she lost both to hurt her momentum. Asuka has fallen quite a bit in the pecking order due to never winning one of the WWE Women’s Championships.

11 Savio Vega

The mid-card run of Savio Vega in the mid-'90s featured him getting a lot of relevant feuds in a short time. Vega was the first major program for Steve Austin in WWE that helped him get respect from Vince McMahon. The Puerto Rican's ring work ensured a capable match with anyone else with decent talent.

Vega was a fan favorite that helped fill the gap in the middle of the card at a time when WWE lacked roster depth. It is a bit surprising Savio never received an Intercontinental or European Championship run. The international star never held gold in WWE during his time there.

10 Luna Vachon

Luna Vachon is one of the most underrated female WWE stars of all time. The mid-'90s featured very few women having full-time roster spots and getting stories of any kind. Vachon was among the few to work with the likes of Alundra Blayze, Sable and a few others in noteworthy storylines.

WWE trusted Luna enough to play a capable heel that gave the face enough sympathy to get more popularity. Despite being used consistently throughout the '90s, Vachon never held the Women’s Championship and moved to WCW when the company started hiring more ladies to work with. There is some hope the late Luna will be honored with a Hall of Fame induction in the future.

9 Jimmy Snuka

Many WWE stars of the '90s were inspired to become wrestlers because of Jimmy Snuka. Both Mick Foley and Jeff Hardy have claimed the vision for some of their dangerous spots came from watching in awe when Snuka did a splash off the top of a cage in Madison Square Garden for WWE.

Superfly always had a relevant role in WWE often working with top talent. Fans still remember the incredible moment of Roddy Piper hitting him with a coconut during an episode of Piper’s Pit. Snuka surely had a Hall of Fame career, but he just never had a title reign as WWE had longer reigns during this time. The timing never worked out for Superfly.

8 Gangrel

The Attitude Era featured most wrestlers on the roster winning titles at some point. WWE changed their approach and started having titles change hands more frequently. New belts like the European Championship and Hardcore Championship gave even the most mediocre wrestlers a chance to hold titles.

Gangrel was one of the few mid-carders of the time to never win gold. The pairing with Edge and Christian in The Brood led to the other winning just about every title in their careers. Gangrel was more of a manager for the team and never won a mid-card title during his singles run.

7 Vader

The late Vader is one legendary wrestler that is rumored to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at some point over the next few years. An internationally successful career featured Vader winning major titles in WCW and New Japan proving he could get over in different countries.

WWE hired Vader in the mid-'90s with the hope of potentially becoming a world champion. Vader even main-evented SummerSlam 1996 against Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship. Vince McMahon reportedly just never believed in Vader’s work ethic and he never won a title during his time there. Vader contended for almost every title in the company but failed to win one.

6 Torrie Wilson

Torrie Wilson was never the greatest in-ring performer, but WWE rarely cared about that for the women’s division during her time there. The popularity of Wilson made her among the most popular female stars to ever work for the company.

WWE made Torrie the face of the SmackDown women’s division following the first bland split. Unfortunately for Wilson, the Women’s Championship was only on Raw. Torrie often had matches against the likes of Dawn Marie, Nidia and others without any title in play. If there was a women’s title on SmackDown during her era, Torrie likely would have held the title for a long time.

5 Jake Roberts

The most successful wrestler to never win a single title during his WWE career may be Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Fans remember his moments as much as any other star of the 80s. Roberts is mentioned with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and a few others as WWE’s best performers of the era.

WWE never felt it was his time to reach the top of the mountain as the WWE Champion. Roberts was also too big for the Intercontinental Championship at times due to the title often serving as a stepping stone for newer talents. Countless wrestlers of the current generation were inspired by his work and his legacy lives on. Roberts may not have won a WWE title, but his spot in the Hall of Fame is well-deserved.

4 Junkyard Dog

Junkyard Dog was one of the first wrestlers of color to find success on a national level. A great run in the NWA Mid-South led to Vince McMahon hiring Junkyard Dog to join WWE in the '80s. He spent about four years in the promotion and did get over with the WWE fan base.

However, the career of Junkyard Dog never reached the point where he was selected to become WWE Champion or Intercontinental Champion. McMahon did appreciate the work of Junkyard Dog for the company and inducted him into the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2004 to honor his contributions.

3 Sabu

ECW icon Sabu finally joined WWE in 2006 when the plans for an ECW brand came to fruition. Fellow extreme wrestlers like Rob Van Dam and the Dudley Boyz became massive success stories for WWE, and many pundits expected Sabu to follow suit.

WWE did give Sabu a relevant push when joining the company. Sabu had major PPV matches against the likes of John Cena, Rey Mysterio, and Big Show. The closest he came to a title win was falling short in an ECW Championship match. Sabu never won a title and ended up getting released when the ECW revival started to fail.

2 Harley Race

Harley Race's wrestling career deserves a place in the discussion when looking at any top ten list of all-time wrestlers. Race won titles in many territories with success in promotions like the NWA, Stampede Wrestling, AWA, and many others.

WWE signed Race for a run in the '80s and he found success. Moments like becoming the King of the Ring, winning Slammy Awards and having a spot in the Hall of Fame proved he has a legacy in WWE. Unfortunately, he never held a title during his run there. Race could have been a great WWE Championship contender during his prime, but the timing never worked out.

1 Jim Duggan

One of the biggest surprises on the list of big names to never win a title in WWE is “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. The case of Duggan is unique compared to the others on the list. Most fans remember Hacksaw for his success in WWE despite the fact that he won titles in WCW, Mid-South, and other promotions.

Duggan does have the honor of being the first man to ever win a Royal Rumble match for WWE. The company did use him in fun programs and he was a pivotal part of the roster. WWE even brought Duggan back in the late 2000s for one final run as a locker room leader. It just never worked out Hacksaw to win a title in WWE.