Winning the WWE Championship is the greatest achievement that someone can accomplish in WWE. The title has been functioning since April 1963. A lot of wrestlers in their 20s and 30s are usually in their prime which has led to them winning the WWE Championship. However, some wrestlers don't reach their peak until the latter stages of their careers.

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There have been many examples of wrestlers who won World Championships in the later stages of their careers. The likes of Mark Henry and Big Show won World Championships in their WWE careers in their 40s. Nevertheless, some wrestlers excelled as WWE Champions in their 40s and others struggled.

18 Mr. McMahon

Vince McMahon WWE Champion

Mr. McMahon stunned his son-in-law Triple H to win the WWE Championship and he became the oldest WWE Champion at the age of 54. It was the first time that the WWE Championship had changed hands on an episode of SmackDown.

McMahon's WWE Championship reign was pointless. He vacated the WWE Championship on the following episode of Raw as he remembered the stipulation from Fully Loaded 1999 as he was not supposed to appear on WWE programming for the foreseeable future.

17 Andre The Giant

Andre The Giant WWF Champion Cropped

It's a shame that Andre the Giant's WWE Championship reign was atrocious. He ended Hulk Hogan's four-year WWE Championship run although Hogan's shoulders were clearly off the canvas.

Andre gifted the title to Ted DiBiase, and Andre has the unwanted record of being the shortest reigning WWE Champion in history. Andre should have had a meaningful WWE Title reign but it was not meant to be.

16 Bob Backlund

Bob Backlund Survivor Series 1994 Cropped

Bob Backlund was a former WWE Champion in his own right in the '70s and '80s, and he challenged Bret Hart for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 1994. Backlund was no longer at the peak of his powers, and the Hitman was at the top of his game.

Backlund shocked the world when he dethroned Hart for the WWE Championship. Nevertheless, Backlund's WWE Title reign was a transitional one as he dropped the gold three days later to Diesel.

15 The Miz

The Miz WWE Champ 2021 Cropped

It remained to be seen if The Miz was going to become a two-time WWE Champion, but those questions were answered at Elimination Chamber 2021. The Awesome One cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Drew McIntyre and he kickstarted his second WWE Championship run.

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Miz deserved it and it was his first WWE Championship run in a decade. However, Bobby Lashley gave Miz a helping hand in the first place, and Lashley brought the curtain down on Miz's WWE Championship run just eight days later on an episode of Raw.

14 Buddy Rogers

Buddy Rogers WWE Champion Cropped

"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers is the answer to many quiz questions as the first WWE Champion in history. Rogers' WWE Championship run wasn't long but his reign began in April 1963.

He held the WWE Championship for just 22 days and he dropped the title to Bruno Sammartino in 48 seconds. Rogers' WWE Title reign may not be memorable but his name is etched in the history books as the first WWE Champion.

13 The Iron Sheik

The Iron Sheik WWE Champion Cropped

The Iron Sheik defeated Bob Backlund for the WWE Championship on Boxing Day in 1983. He ended Backlund's six-year run with the WWE Title and he became the first Iranian to hold the WWE Championship.

Sheik defended the gold against the likes of Pat Patterson, Chief Jay Strongbow, and Hulk Hogan on house shows. However, the Hulkamania era began when Hogan dethroned and ended Sheik's 28-day WWE Championship reign in January 1984.

12 Sgt. Slaughter

Sgt Slaughter WWF Champion 1991 Cropped

Sgt. Slaughter returned to WWE and he turned heel as he became an Iraqi sympathizer. At the 1991 Royal Rumble, Slaughter collided with The Ultimate Warrior for the WWE Championship.

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It was the first time that the WWE Championship had been defended at the Rumble. Nonetheless, Slaughter upset Warrior all thanks to outside interference from Randy Savage. Ultimately, Slaughter was a transitional WWE Champion as Hulk Hogan beat him at WrestleMania 7.

11 Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan Undisputed WWF Champion 2002 Cropped

It was a fairytale WWE Championship run for Hulk Hogan when he overcame Triple H at Backlash 2002 to become a six-time WWE Champion. Hogan knocked it out of the park with The Rock at WrestleMania 18 which was the catalyst for him to hold the WWE Championship again.

Unfortunately, at the age of 48, Hogan was no longer functioning at the peak of his powers. He retained the WWE Title against Chris Jericho and Ric Flair but The Undertaker once again ended one of his WWE Championship runs.

10 Randy Orton

Randy Orton 14th World Title Reign Cropped

Randy Orton is one of the greatest WWE Champions of all time, and the Viper added a 10th WWE Championship to his collection when he overcame Drew McIntyre inside Hell in a Cell. Orton was 40, and he had to wait three years for his 14th WWE World Championship run.

The Viper's WWE Championship reign was poor for his standards. He only defended the title once and it was a rematch to McIntyre in an excellent main event on Raw. Orton's 22-day WWE Championship run was short-lived but it edges him closer to the elusive record 17 World Championship run.

9 Batista

Batista WWE Champion Elimination Chamber 2010 Cropped

Batista is synonymous with his time as a World Heavyweight Champion but he has won the WWE Championship twice. The Animal was 40 when he defeated Orton for his maiden WWE Championship at Extreme Rules 2009 in a steel cage.

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Batista's WWE Title run got off to the worst start possible as he had to vacate the title due to injury. Almost a year later, Batista was the WWE Champion once more when he beat John Cena in an impromptu match at Elimination Chamber 2010. The Animal was a heel during this WWE Championship reign but he dropped the title back to Cena at WrestleMania 26.

8 Triple H

Triple H Royal Rumble 2016 Cropped

Triple H was no longer a full-time competitor but he was involved in the 30-man Royal Rumble match for Roman Reigns' WWE Championship at the 2016 Royal Rumble. The Game entered at the luxurious number 30 position.

The Cerebral Assassin eliminated Reigns and Dean Ambrose en route to clinching his 14th WWE World Championship. It was Triple H's second Rumble triumph, and he successfully defended the gold against Ambrose at Roadblock before the Big Dog took home the gold at WrestleMania 32.

7 The Rock

The Rock WWE Champion Cropped

On the 1,000th episode of Raw, The Rock let his intentions clear that he'd challenge the reigning WWE Champion at the 2013 Royal Rumble. Fast forward six months later, and Rock squared off with Punk for the WWE Championship.

The People's Champion ended Punk's remarkable 434-day WWE Championship run to begin his eighth WWE Championship reign, a decade after his last. It wasn't a vintage Rock WWE Championship run but he was champion for 70 days until WrestleMania 29 when John Cena got his revenge in the main event of WrestleMania.

6 Ric Flair

Ric Flair WWF Champion Cropped

Ric Flair was a huge acquisition for WWE, and he was a big deal right away as he became the first man to win the WWE Championship in the 1992 Royal Rumble match. Naitch's infamous promo after he won the Rumble was iconic.

The Nature Boy is a two-time WWE Champion and he regained the title from Randy Savage in September 1992. Both of Flair's WWE Title reigns came in his early 40s, and Bret Hart dethroned him for the title the following month after his second WWE Title victory.

5 Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar WWE Champion Elimination Chamber 2022 Cropped

"The Beast Incarnate" Brock Lesnar is one of the biggest names in WWE history. Lesnar has won three of his seven WWE Championships in his 40s. In October 2019, Lesnar squashed Kofi Kingston and his title reign lasted until WrestleMania 36 when Drew McIntyre ended his run.

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Lesnar unexpectedly won a sixth WWE Championship at Day 1 but he dropped the title weeks later to Bobby Lashley at the 2022 Royal Rumble. However, Lesnar quickly regained the gold inside the Elimination Chamber but he lost the title to Roman Reigns in a title unification match at WrestleMania 38.

4 Bret Hart

Bret Hart WWF Champion 1997 Cropped

Bret Hart's WWE Championship victory over The Undertaker at SummerSlam 1997 was significant as he became the second man after Hulk Hogan to win the WWE Championship five times. The Hitman was a heel and the leader of the reformed Hart Foundation.

Surprisingly, Hart didn't defend the title once in a WWE pay-per-view main event until Survivor Series. That turned out to be Hitman's final match in a WWE ring for over 12 years as he was the victim of the Montreal Screwjob with Shawn Michaels recapturing the WWE Title.

3 Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley WWE Champion Royal Rumble 2022 Cropped

Bobby Lashley finally won the WWE Championship in March 2021 which he thoroughly deserved. The Almighty was a major threat in the WWE Title picture and he carried himself like a WWE Champion. With MVP by his side, Lashley and MVP were an excellent double act.

Lashley defended the title against the likes of Drew McIntyre, Kofi Kingston, and Goldberg during his WWE Title reign. Big E cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and he beat him for the gold. A few months later, Lashley became a two-time WWE Champion when he defeated Lesnar at the Rumble. Lashley's in his mid-40s and he's been on a tear the past couple of years.

2 AJ Styles

AJ Styles WWE Champion 2nd reign Cropped

AJ Styles was a mainstay for TNA for many years but when he jumped ship to WWE in 2016, Styles was treated like a main eventer. After having a four-month WWE Title run from late 2016 to early 2017, the Phenomenal One became a two-time WWE Champion at Jinder Mahal's expense in November 2017.

Styles' second WWE Championship reign lasted 371 days which is a fantastic achievement. His WWE Championship reign was the eighth longest in history. Nevertheless, Daniel Bryan was the man responsible for bringing the curtain down on his WWE Championship reign before Survivor Series 2018.

1 Bruno Sammartino

Bruno Sammartino WWF Champion Cropped

No man in WWE history has held the WWE Championship longer than Bruno Sammartino. Sammartino's second WWE Championship reign began in his late 30s but it continued into his early 40s.

Sammartino's maiden WWE Championship reign lasted almost eight years, and his second one was nearly four years long. Moreover, Sammartino made close to 200 title defenses during his second WWE Championship reign, and Superstar Billy Graham defeated him for the title in April 1977.