Suddenly itâs over, and in the center of the ring, one man is victorious. The referee raises his hand, and from somewhere (youâre not quite sure where because youâre still cheering), the shining symbol of this momentous win appears. With the crowd still roaring, the winner stands alone in the ring and raises the championship belt high over his head. The lights shine off the WWE Championship title belt, and in that instant, the winnerâs life will be changed forever.
For over half a century, Superstars have battled to win the WWE Championship. While the name may have changed, the prestige attached to the championship has exploded. That is due in no small part to the immortals of wrestling who have held this coveted titleâBruno Sammartino taking the title from the first holder, Buddy Rogers...the totally unexpected win of âSuperstarâ Billy Graham...Hulk Hoganâs win over the Iron Sheik, who had refused a payoff to injure Hogan...Andre the Giantâs surrender of the title to Ted DiBiase...the newcomer win of the Undertaker...the commanding wrestling abilities of Bret Hart...Shawn Michaelsâs win in Montreal...the stunning victories of Stone Cold Steve Austin...the triumph of the Peopleâs Champion, The Rock...Triple H playing the game...the never-surrender attitude of John Cena.
This is the chronicle of how the title that is now known as the WWE Championship became sports-entertainmentâs most coveted prize.