World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)/Champion history

From Pro Wrestling

This is a chronological list of wrestlers that have been World Heavyweight Champion, sorted by ring name. The World Heavyweight Championship is a world championship in World Wrestling Entertainment. It was originally the highest ranked title on the Raw brand but was moved to SmackDown after the 2005 WWE Draft. On June 30, 2008 it was brought back to Raw when CM Punk defeated reigning champion and SmackDown! superstar Edge for the title after cashing in his Money in the Bank contract. There have been a total of 14 recognized champions who have had a combined 23 official reigns.

WWE officially states the World Heavyweight Championship is not the same title as the WCW Championship or NWA World Heavyweight Championship before it, but rather a new title that does not inherit their championship history. The World Heavyweight Championship is the successor to both titles, traced from them just as the WCW Championship was traced from and succeeded the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. For a list of wrestlers who have held those belts, see List of WCW World Heavyweight Champions and List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions respectively.

Champion history

Wrestlers:	Reigns:	Date:	Location:	Notes:
Triple H	1	September 2, 2002	Milwaukee, WI	Awarded title by Eric Bischoff on Raw. Defeated Kane on October 20, 2002 in Little Rock, Arkansas to unify the Intercontinental Championship into the World title.
Shawn Michaels	1	November 17, 2002	New York, NY	This was the first ever Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series, also involving Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Chris Jericho and Kane.
Triple H	2	December 15, 2002	Sunrise, FL	This was a Three Stages of Hell match at Armageddon, consisting of a Street Fight, Steel Cage match, and Ladder match; Triple H won the first and third falls.
Goldberg	1	September 21, 2003	Hershey, PA	Won the title at Unforgiven.
Triple H	3	December 14, 2003	Orlando, FL	This was a Triple Threat match at Armageddon, also involving Kane.
Chris Benoit	1	March 14, 2004	New York, NY	This was a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania XX, also involving Shawn Michaels.
Randy Orton	1	August 15, 2004	Toronto, ON	Won the title at SummerSlam.
Triple H	4	September 12, 2004	Portland, OR	Won the title at Unforgiven.
Vacated on Raw when a Triple Threat match between Triple H, Chris Benoit, and Edge the week prior in Baltimore, MD ended in a double victory as Edge pinned Benoit while Benoit simultaneously made him submit.
Triple H	5	January 9, 2005	San Juan, PR	This was an Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution, also involving Batista, Chris Jericho, Edge, Chris Benoit, and Randy Orton.
Batista	1	April 3. 2005	Los Angeles, CA	Won the title at WrestleMania 21. The title became a SmackDown! exclusive world title on June 28, 2005 after Batista was drafted from Raw.
Vacated due to triceps injury on the January 13 episode of SmackDown!.
Kurt Angle	1	January 10, 2006	Philadelphia, PA	Won a 20-man battle royal on the January 13 edition of SmackDown!.
Rey Mysterio	1	April 2, 2006	Chicago, IL	This was a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 22, also involving Randy Orton.
King Booker	1	July 23, 2006	Indianapolis, IN	Won the title at The Great American Bash.
Batista	2	November 26, 2006	Philadelphia, PA	Won the title at Survivor Series.
The Undertaker	1	April 1, 2007	Detroit, MI	Won the title at WrestleMania 23.
Edge	1	May 8, 2007	Pittsburgh, PA	Cashed in his "Money in the Bank" contract after The Undertaker and Batista fought to a draw in a steel cage match. (Aired on the May 11 SmackDown!.)
Edge vacated the title due to a pectoral injury. (Aired on the July 20 SmackDown!.)
The Great Khali	1	July 17, 2007	Laredo, TX	Won a 20-man battle royal on the July 20 edition of SmackDown!.
Batista	3	September 16, 2007	Memphis, TN	This was a Triple Threat match at Unforgiven, also involving Rey Mysterio.
Edge	2	December 16, 2007	Pittsburgh, PA	This was a Triple Threat match at Armageddon, also involving The Undertaker.
The Undertaker	2	March 30, 2008	Orlando, FL	Won the title at WrestleMania XXIV.
Vacated after general manager Vickie Guerrero stripped The Undertaker of the championship because she felt The Undertaker's new choke hold was too dangerous to the Smackdown! wrestlers. (Aired on the May 2 SmackDown!
Edge	3	June 1, 2008	San Diego, CA	Defeated The Undertaker at One Night Stand in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.
CM Punk	1	June 30, 2008	Oklahoma City, OK	Won the title on Raw after cashing in his Money in the Bank contract. As a result, the title became a Raw exclusive world title once again.
Chris Jericho	1	September 7, 2007	Cleveland, OH	Replaced Punk in a 20 minute championship scramble match that also featured Batista, Kane, Rey Mysterio, and John Bradshaw Layfield at Unforgiven. Punk had been attacked by Randy Orton earlier in the show and was taken out of the match.
Batista	4	October 26, 2008	Phoenix, AZ	Won at Cyber Sunday. Stone Cold Steve Austin was the special referee for this match.
Chris Jericho	2	November 3, 2008	Tampa, FL	Won in a Steel Cage match on Raw.
John Cena	1	November 23, 2008	Boston, MA	Won at Survivor Series.
Edge	4	February 15, 2009	Seattle, WA	Won in an Elimination Chamber Match also featuring John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Mike Knox, and Kane at No Way Out.
John Cena	2	April 5, 2009	Houston, TX	Won at WrestleMania XXV in a triple threat match also featuring Big Show.
Edge	5	April 26, 2009	Providence, RI	Won in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash.
Jeff Hardy	1	June 07, 2009	New Orleans, LA	Won in a Ladder match at Extreme Rules.
CM Punk	2	June 07, 2009	New Orleans, LA	Cashed in his Money in the Bank contract immediately after Hardy's win and won the title.
Jeff Hardy	2	July 26, 2009	Philadelphia, Pennysylvania	Won at Night of Champions after defeating CM Punk.
CM Punk	3	August 23, 2009	Los Angeles, CA	Won at Summerslam 2009 after defeating Jeff Hardy.
The Undertaker	3		October 4, 2009	Won at Hell in a Cell after defeating CM Punk.