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Who had the single greatest run as champion

5K views 50 replies 36 participants last post by  amhlilhaus 
#1 ·
In your opinion who had the greatest run as a world champion. Things to consider are days held, match quality, interesting feuds, and drawing power.

For me its Ric Flair from 1983-1990. He carried the title for seven years only dropping it occasionally and then quickly regaining it. In that time period of sevens years he was not champion unofficially for around 300 days and officially for around 230 days.

The fact that flair kept the NWA viable competition during the 80s vs the emerging wwf/hulkamania juggernaut I think speaks for its self in terms of flairs popularity.

Flair was a talented in ring worker and regularly put on instant classics with several different names. The number of great feuds he had will probably never be duplicated. Dusty, magnum, von Erich, steamboat, and sting just to name a few.

People may have different opinions but every program flair was involved in during the 80's was gold and is memorable to this day. And maybe that's the true measure of greatness, being timeless.
 
#4 · (Edited)


this guy make john cena look like zack ryder
 
#11 ·
Sammartino's first run as WWWF champ lasted approximately 2,800 days. If you add his second run then you would get about 4,000 days total for the two runs.

Be that as it may, I believe the question was, "Who had the single greatest run as champion?", not "Who had the longest run as champion?"

While Sammartino did defend the title against some worthy opponents, virtually every one of those matches was in Madison Square Garden. "Kayfabe wise" and "real life wise" this is not the mark of a World Champion, but a regional champion who can draw in only one venue.

- Mike
 
#7 ·
Love to say Bret Harts 92-96 WWF run but draw-wise Rock & Austin, besides present-day Cena, surpassed Bret there though imo Brets intense feuds with HBK/Austin among others makes him a worthy mention.
 
#12 · (Edited)
In my opinion, the greatest single run as champion was the reign of Lou Thesz as the second NWA World Heavyweight Champion from November 27, 1949 to March 15, 1956.

The crowning of Thesz as champion after the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Orville Brown, was unable to wrestle him due to a car accident was a major turning point in the history of pro-wrestling. With Thesz’s organization (i.e., Tom Packs' old promotion) now part of the nascent NWA the only major holdout in North America was California and its World Champion – Baron Michelle Leone.

On May 21, 1952 at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium Lou Thesz defeated Baron Leone to create a unified world wrestling championship for the first time since Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt wrestled in 1908 and 1911.

He lost the title briefly (for about seven months) to Whipper Watson in 1956, but after regaining it in 1957 toured overseas and defended the NWA title for the first time in Japan against Rikidozan.

Not only did Thesz bring about the first undisputed wrestling championship since Gotch/Hackenschmidt, he was the first to defend the title outside of North America and bring Japan into the sphere of the NWA.

- Mike
 
#15 ·
In my opinion, the greatest single run as champion was the reign of Lou Thesz as the second NWA World Heavyweight Champion from November 27, 1949 to March 15, 1956.

The crowning of Thesz as champion after the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Orville Brown, was unable to wrestle him due to a car accident was a major turning point in the history of pro-wrestling. With Thesz’s organization (i.e., Tom Packs' old promotion) now part of the nascent NWA the only major holdout in North America was California and its World Champion – Baron Michelle Leone.

On May 21, 1952 at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium Lou Thesz defeated Baron Leone to create a unified world wrestling championship for the first time since Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt wrestled in 1908 and 1911.

During his this reign
Did Thesz and Orville Brown actually wrestle each other before the formal NWA Title match that was cancelled due to the tragic accident? Also, do you think Orville Brown was as good as Thesz wrestling wise?
 
#21 ·
I agree with Batko, obviously we are all a little bit jaded by the era's we grew up in but taking all things into account...exposure, competition, etc...

1. Lou Thesz NWA Champ 49-56
2. Hulk Hogan WWF Champ 84-88
3. Ric Flair NWA Champ 84-86
4. Nick Bockwinkel AWA Champ 75-80
5. Verne Gagne AWA Champ 68-75
6. Harley Race NWA Champ 77-79
7. Gene Kiniski NWA Champ 66-69
8. Bruno Sammartino WWWF Champ 63-71
 
#23 · (Edited)
While I like your list overall, I question how you could exclude Nature Boy Buddy Rogers' NWA World Championship run from 1961 to 1963.

Rogers was the FIRST heel World Champion and according to the "Buddy Rogers Record Book" by Haruo Yamaguchi he defended his title in venues across the United States and Canada against the best of the best on numerous occasions. Those included title defenses against:

Crusher Lisowski, Antonino Rocca, Red Bastien, Sweet Daddy Siki, Johnny Valentine, Billy Darnell, Art Sailor Thomas, Dick Steinborn, Ronnie Etchison, Cowboy Bob Ellis, Lou Bastien, Vittorio Apollo, Bruno Sammartino (around 20 times), Haystacks Calhoun, The Sheik (Farhat), Dory Dixon, Pepper Gomez, Bearcat Wright, Bulldog Brower, Moose Cholak, Larry Chene, Shohei Baba, Miguel Perez, Mark Lewin, John Paul Henning, Edouard Carpentier, Bobo Brazil, Pampero Firpo, Killer Kowalski, Billy Watson, Doug Gilbert etc., etc., ad infinitum.

He defended his title against the above stars in venues in cities including:

New York City, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, Memphis, Bridgeport, Cincinatti, Milwaukee, Atlantic City, Washington DC, Toronto, Montreal, Columbus, Providence, Raleigh, Charlotte, Seattle, Portland, Tampa, Sonoma (CA), etc., etc., ad infinitum.

Nature Boy Buddy Rogers defended his NWA World Heavyweight Championship approximately 265 times from June 30, 1961 when he defeated Pat O'Connor until February 7, 1963 when he got the screwjob in Toronto from Muchnick and was ordered to lose a one fall match to Thesz or forfeit his $25,000 deposit on the title belt.

I may have missed a match or two - it got tedious counting each match from the BR Record Book. But, 265 matches in 19 months as NWA champ is a hell of alot of matches! If you count the tag team matches that Rogers participated in you have over 300 matches in that time period.

- Mike

P.S. Please adjust your list accordingly! :smile2:
 
#22 ·
I guess it depends on whether you prefer the roving territorial champ or the bigger mass market champ.

I just don't think anyone can really touch the big business effects Hogan's first run, as much as I found the guy boring and hackneyed. He put butts in seats like no other.
 
#24 · (Edited)
If you take a look at what it means to be a Champion, lots of names should come up. Hogan's first reign is tremendous, yes, and it should be consider as one of the best ever.

But, in terms of making the Championship mean something, I think Bruno Sammartino should get the ultimate nod because it is a feat that will never ever be duplicated.

Honorable mentions to Hogan and Flair in their respective eras, as well as nods to Samoa Joe and Bryan Danielson for their Ring of Honor runs as World Champions, making being a World Champion mean something in an era that forgot about the drawing power of its Championships.

And it is going to be interesting to see, down the road, how Brock Lesnar's run as WWE World Heavyweight Champion holds up in terms of greatness, yes, he only wrestled for a total of 61 minutes and some odd seconds but, let's be honest, he's probably the first guy in the last ten years to make the Championship mean something, on par with his own character being great.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I knew this was coming ;)

My logic was simple, while there is a perception that since the WWE is the king of the mountain, it's stands to reason that there longest reigning champion would be considered to have the most significant reign. I get that.
It also can be said that being the champ in the Northeast, in the cash cow of promotions makes you more important. I get that too, even if IMO that logic is somewhat flawed.

The reason I would not consider Bruno's run as more significant than others is simply that his reign as champ was not truly a world title reign, a point of contention to be sure. But the WWWF was truly a territory and not a national promotion. The NWA and AWA champs defended their titles across the nation on regular schedules in the various territories. The WWWF did not have a nation-wide fingerprint, and Bruno was viewed as just another regional champ by all but fans in the northeast. Bruno's run was great but had a lot to do with the way the WWWF booked as well.

That's my logic.
 
#27 · (Edited)
I can't say greatest of all time, but I'll go with greatest of the 2000's decade(2000-2009), due to the fact that the Babyface Chase is better than the Babyface Reign,

I'll go with Kurt Angle's WWF Championship run from October 22, 2000-February 25, 2001.

The chase that The Rock gave him was incredible. he beat everyone in the WWF, not cleanly but did so nonetheless,

Won the title at No Mercy 2000 because The Rock's cousin Rikishi inadvertently hits The Rock, giving Kurt the win.

The next night he has that memorial title celebration, paparazzi waiting for him as his limo drove up, confetti, and etc, "I became the first Euro-Continental Champion, D'Lo Brown doesn't count!"

Survivor Series 2000, Kurt Angle uses his brother Eric Angle to beat The Undertaker.

Armageddon 2000, Kurt Angle is lucky, when Austin stunners Rock and gives Angle the win.

In December of 2000 Kurt Angle brings most of his family for a Angle family Christmas with Stephanie Mcmahon, Edge and Christian(funny segment, http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5elmd_raw-christmas-12-25-2000_sport )

January 8, 2001 Angle beats Austin by DQ thanks to Triple H

Royal Rumble 2001, Angle beats Triple H thanks to Austin.

By the time February 2001 came around Kurt Angle thought he was on top of the world, he was the man on top who did not deserve to be on top, as the Rock said, "your days of being happy, are coming to and end", "the countdown is on, tick tock, tick tock"

As Tazz said at No Way Out 2001, we'd finally find out who's the best, "Best in the world!"

And at No Way Out 2001 The Rock finally overcame Kurt Angle for the WWF championship, in one of the most memorial wins of all time, Kurt Angle really sold his lengthy title reign and put over how much it meant to him by crying.

Very memoriable run, memoriable promos, loved when he was the WWF champion, Edge & Christian were also Tag Team champions at times, loved his blue jumpsuit, loved to boo him.



 
#30 ·
Lou Thesz is the answer as per me:)

Dara Singh also had great championship reigns(IIRC). He also defeated Lou Thesz for the NWA heavyweight championship.
 
#36 ·
I guess it's the indy guy in me, but for fitting the most awesome into the shortest period of time, probably Punk's original summer of.....Punk..... in 2005 with ROH. So many great promos and memorable moments, but it would never make it on an all-time list.

Bryan Danielson's reign from September 2005-December 2006 is qualitatively my favorite reign of all-time. The amount of incredible matches he had, the balancing act of being SO talented, and clearly the face of the company and yet still getting people to boo him was always impressive to me.

I also loved Nigel McGuinness' reign from 07-09. The match quality, while maybe lower than Danielson's on a consistency level, had higher peaks, and he also always seemed to have multiple feuds going on at once that worked really well. And his transition from face winning the title to heel because of his injuries was fucking brilliant. That match against (who else?) Danielson at the 6 Year Anniversary Show was some of the best storytelling ROH has ever done.

I don't know, while not in the #1 promotions, they were having epic World Title reigns in an era that didn't really value that anymore, and it was appreciated.
 
#37 ·
Honestly being fair and reading the thread I will have to say Thesz since he is the whole foundation of this it seems. He HAD to have a great run that laid the foundations for what we have today.

From what I have seen since watching it is pretty easily Hulk Hogan. Some in the Attitude Era use the excuse that the babyface chase is more entertaining than the babyface reign, but I think Hogan is the cause of that.

Hulk Hogan was so successful that anyone coming after him will seem like a Hogan clone running roughshod. It is the reason why guys like Warrior and Luger and Diesel failed so miserably trying to be the heir apparent.

Austin couldn't even pull off Hogan's run and neither could The Rock. It doesn't matter if times changed or not, but the truth is Hogan already set the limits for that kind of reign. Cena kind of got away with it in 2006-7 because it wasn't seen in years and he STILL got heat for it.

I see the pluses and minuses being brought up about Bruno. With Hogan running with the belt the whole game changed where by 1990 Hogan and the WWF no doubt were ahead of the NWA domestically and worldwide. That was off the back of Hogan. The WWF even admitted during the Attitude Era things were more on Hogan's back than that AE time period because there were trading of titles with Rock and Austin.
 
#42 ·
I think from a mainstream culture and sports entertainment and celebrity aspect it would have to be Hulk Hogan 100 percent. I think it is going to take a Herculean effort for anyone to have a sports entertainment type run that Hogan had. I agree that even Austin or the Rock could not duplicate or pull off Hogan's run. To me Hogan is the Michael Jordan of sports entertainment. To top what Jordan did is going to take almost impossible odds. I sort of see guys like Austin and the Rock as Lebron James in that although they were/are GOAT type discussion they just are not on a Hogan/MJ type level.

Now with that stated I should clarify that my post is referencing sports entertainment and not traditional wrestling where Batko and Greenlawler have already given great lists of greatest runs as champion.
 
#44 ·
Since a lot of ground has been covered already incl. the one I considered the greatest run of Lou Thesz, I will move out of NA and take us to Japan.

1992-1993 Keiji Mutoh (IWGP Title)

We got the (in)famous Muta Scale during this reign and he also held NWA world title along with his IWGP title and got into matches with likes of Riki Chosu, Hirosh Hase, Chono, Barry Windham, Hogan, Sting, Great Kabuki before finally dropping it to Hashimoto giving a wide variety of matches and competitors.
 
#46 ·
If we take into account longevity wise, match quality wise, the importance of taking the promotion to another whole level with that reign and the elevation of the title itself I have to go with Bryan Danielson's ROH World Title reign, it was just the best thing ever, he actually was the best in the world at that moment.

That's the only thing I can add since I have not watched anything before 1989.
 
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