WWE's roster is stacked with Triple H at the helm and there is a plethora of former World Champions scattered across Raw and SmackDown. Some of these former World Champions have wrestled in other wrestling promotions, but their maiden World Championship runs have all come in WWE. Winning a World Championship is a special achievement, and winning it for the first time can be a relief as there is no longer a monkey on their back to becoming a World Champion.
A lot of knowledgeable wrestling fans will be able to reel off a whole host of former WWE Champions on WWE's roster, and some will remember who they beat to become World Champions for the first time. Some of these first-time World Championship wins were more memorable than others.
10 Roman Reigns: Defeated Dean Ambrose
After Seth Rollins sustained an injury that forced him to relinquish the WWE Championship, it was fitting that Rollins' former Shield stablemates Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose slugged it out in the tournament final at Survivor Series 2015 to become his successor as WWE Champion. There was guaranteed to be a first-time WWE Champion.
Reigns and Ambrose had an average match, but Reigns got the better of Ambrose to become WWE Champion. The confetti fell but Reigns' joy was short-lived as Sheamus successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase with Reigns failing to leave the event with the WWE Championship.
9 Braun Strowman: Defeated Goldberg
The COVID-19 pandemic struck, and Roman Reigns was scheduled to face Goldberg for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36, but he opted not to compete for a few months since he had recovered from Leukemia a year prior. Enter, Braun Strowman who replaced Reigns at the final hour to collide with Goldberg.
As expected, Strowman executed some power moves on Goldberg, and Goldberg had some offense of his own. However, the Monster Among Men had chased the Universal Championship for some time, and he finally got his hands on the title by overcoming Goldberg in an underwhelming title bout.
8 Rey Mysterio: Defeated Kurt Angle & Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, but his road to competing for the World Heavyweight Championship was bumpy. Nonetheless, Kurt Angle defended the Big Gold Belt against Mysterio and former champion Randy Orton in a fast-paced triple threat match at WrestleMania 22.
Their match lasted under 10 minutes but it was an outstanding wrestling match. Orton connected with the RKO on Angle, but Angle kicked out to ensure that Mysterio's dreams remained intact. With Angle out of the picture, Mysterio connected with a 619 and a hurricanrana which was enough to see off Orton and he became World Champion in emotional scenes.
7 Bayley: Defeated Charlotte Flair
Bayley had been a former NXT Women's Champion in her own right but that's not classed as a World Championship. In early 2017, Bayley feuded with Charlotte Flair, and she came up short in their bout at the Royal Rumble but she had another shot at the Raw Women's Championship on the February 13, 2017 edition of Raw.
They hit a home run in a brilliant Raw Women's Championship match. The atmosphere was electric, and Bayley finished off Charlotte with Bayley-to-Belly and she captured the Raw Women's Championship for the first time.
6 Bray Wyatt: Defeated John Cena, AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, The Miz, And Baron Corbin
John Cena defended the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match against Bray Wyatt, AJ Styles, The Miz, Baron Corbin, and the Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose. This was a fantastic Elimination Chamber match, and the Eater of Worlds had a standout performance.
Wyatt ended Cena's 16th World Championship reign as he eliminated him with Sister Abigail. It was whittled down between Wyatt and Styles, and Wyatt got the better of Styles to finally become WWE Champion.
5 Alexa Bliss: Defeated Becky Lynch
Alexa Bliss failed to win a championship in NXT, but she joined SmackDown in the draft in the summer of 2016. The Goddess challenged Becky Lynch for the SmackDown Women's Championship in a tables match at TLC 2016.
Bliss and Lynch had good chemistry together, and this is an underrated tables match. Lynch was the favorite, but Bliss brought the curtain down on Lynch's SmackDown Women's Championship reign with a powerbomb off the apron onto the outside to hold silverware for the first time in her WWE career.
4 Kofi Kingston: Defeated Daniel Bryan
Kofi Kingston had done everything there was to achieve in WWE, but a World Championship was missing from his resume. At WrestleMania 35, Kingston challenged the "New" Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship. They stole the show in unquestionably the best match of the night.
This was one of the best matches in Kingston's WWE career, and the fans were heavily behind him. Bryan didn't make life easy for him, but Kingston captured the WWE Championship with Trouble in Paradise.
3 Brock Lesnar: Defeated The Rock
In the main event of SummerSlam 2002, Brock Lesnar was bidding to become the youngest WWE Champion at the age of 25 when he challenged The Rock for the gold. Rock was on his way out of WWE to kickstart his successful acting career in Hollywood, and he received a chorus of boos.
Lesnar was outstanding from start to finish. He decimated the Great One with ease and he was largely untroubled. The Next Big Thing had arrived with Lesnar putting Rock out of his misery with an F5 to kickstart his maiden run as WWE Champion.
2 Charlotte Flair: Defeated Becky Lynch And Sasha Banks
Charlotte Flair has a knack for making history and WWE Hall of Famer Lita unveiled the brand new WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania 32. The Queen was the reigning Divas Champion but that title was no more. Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks engaged in a triple threat match with the winner becoming the inaugural WWE Women's Champion.
This was the best match of the night, and they could have closed out the show. All three women did an exceptional job in their in-ring WrestleMania debuts. Ultimately, Charlotte captured the WWE Women's Championship with Figure Eight on Lynch, and her dad Ric Flair prevented Sasha from breaking up the fall.
1 Edge: Defeated John Cena
Edge won the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21, and it remained to be seen when he would cash in his briefcase. The Rated-R Superstar took advantage of a wounded John Cena, who was battered and bloodied after retaining the WWE Championship in a grueling Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution 2006.
A couple of Spears was enough for Edge to achieve his childhood goal of becoming WWE Champion for the first time. The tears flowed, and Edge's maiden WWE Championship reign only lasted three weeks, but it was a historic moment with Edge becoming the first man to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase to successfully clinch a World Championship.