Being trusted to serve as world champion is the goal of every wrestler to ever step in the ring. While countless men and women have managed to realize that dream throughout the history of professional wrestling, only a small handful have been trusted with that spot on several occasions.
At WrestleMania 41, John Cena set a new record for most world championships recognized by the WWE, the largest promotion in wrestling. Cena defeated Cody Rhodes at the event to claim his 17th world championship, breaking a longstanding tie with Ric Flair.
Most Recognized Title Reigns of All Time
| Wrestler | Number of Reigns |
|---|---|
| John Cena | 17 |
| Ric Flair | 16 |
| Triple H | 14 |
| Randy Orton | 14 |
| Hulk Hogan | 12 |
| Edge | 11 |
| Brock Lesnar | 10 |
| The Rock | 10 |
| Sting | 10 |
| Verne Gagne | 10 |
Sting could be considered a 14-time champion, but the WWE does not recognize his four stints as TNA world champion. Similarly, Flair has technically won more than 16 world titles, but several are not recognized for various reasons.
Reigns on the women’s side can get similarly complicated. NXT title reigns are not currently recognized by the WWE as world championship reigns, keeping Charlotte Flair a few steps below her father at this point in time. Mickie James’ six runs as TNA Knockouts champion are also not acknowledged by WWE.
Top Women with Most Championship Reigns
| Wrestler | Number of Reigns |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Flair | 14 |
| Becky Lynch | 8 |
| Sasha Banks | 7 |
| Trish Stratus | 7 |
| Mickie James | 6 |
Let’s take a look at the 10 men with the most world title reigns in wrestling history as recognized by WWE.
