Who Is the Ultimate Men's WWE Champion of All Time?

A plethora of Superstars have been crowned a world champion in WWE, dating back to Buddy Rogers on April 11, 1963.

Some titleholders went on to enjoy legendary runs, while others floundered and become just names on a list.

As Champions Week continues here at Bleacher Report, there may be no bigger question to ask than "Who is the ultimate WWE champion?" While the focus is on the men's division, the ultimate women's champion is debated as well. 

Let's try to determine which Superstar stands atop the mountain, checks all the boxes and can be viewed as the definitive WWE titleholder of all time. 

As this is a subjective study, it's important to lay out the means by which I've gone about my assessment so that it isn't an arbitrary list of my personal favorites, which would play out much differently.

The first step was to eliminate everyone who hasn't won one of the three primary world titles recognized by WWE's Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion structure.

That means the only names on this have won either the proper WWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship or the Universal Championship.

This excludes the ECW World Championship, WCW Championship, Intercontinental Championship and anything else, as none of them have been the official top belt at any point in the company's history.

Quality takes precedence over quantity. However, the number of times someone has been champion does factor in, as well as the longevity of their reigns.

If someone had one year-long run, it's likely better than five reigns that equal just a few months, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.

Each wrestler's popularity as champion, their impact on the business and pop culture while on top, their quality of matches and anything memorable about their reigns all have more value than if they were great beyond when they were holding the titles.

The ultimate champion should represent every aspect of what WWE is looking for in a champion: intensity, credibility, power, marketability and so on. It's not about who was the best in-ring worker or who had the best mic skills.

If you can think of a Superstar as being synonymous with the world title, its prestige and the responsibility of being the top champion in the company, that is the goal, rather than who had the best overall career from start to finish.

To many fans, the go-to answer for the best champion of all time is Ric Flair.

The Nature Boy is a 16-time world champion and responsible for inspiring untold amounts of performers over the decades. However, he is not the ultimate WWE champion of all time.

This may seem like blasphemy at first, but it's for a good reason: His legacy revolves more around his time in NWA and WCW than his two WWE runs.

The 1992 Royal Rumble was epic when he first won the title, but he was overshadowed by Hulk Hogan's feud with Sid Justice then and at WrestleMania VIII when he lost it to Randy Savage.

Flair's second reign was even shorter, dropping it after 41 days to Bret Hart.

The legend of The Nature Boy is about his whole career rather than his time as WWE's top champion, which is something that has to be remembered with many other names on this list.

Just because someone was a fantastic performer for years doesn't mean they were an amazing WWE champion, nor do title reigns from other companies count for our purposes.

Unfortunately, not everyone has even had an average title reign. Some Superstars had completely inconsequential times as champion and are near the foot of our list.

For instance, Antonio Inoki and Ted DiBiase aren't even truly recognized as WWE champions. They did win the titles, as did Owen Hart and several others, but the history books treat them as unofficial reigns.

Andre the Giant is still an official champion, but his reign lasted less than a day before he was stripped of the title for selling it to The Million Dollar Man. He and Finn Balor, who vacated the Universal Championship the next night after suffering an injury while winning the title, don't have any accolades to judge them on.

There are also Superstars who simply didn't have memorable reigns.

Jack Swagger's World Heavyweight Championship run was forgettable, and The Great Khali's two-month run was nondescript.

No one brings up Ivan Koloff as a talking point for this discussion. It's doubtful anyone can name a single match Stan Stasiak had as champion other than winning and losing the title.

While everyone has their place in history, this is about being the ultimate champion.

By definition, most world champions in WWE history fall within the average range; they've not had a historic run as titleholder but they aren't something to scoff at, either.

Yokozuna had two titles to his name. The first was lost within minutes while the second was a win over Hulk Hogan that carried him from King of the Ring in June 1993 until WrestleMania X the following year. That was a solid run that had its moments, but it was still ultimately transitional.

Big Show has been a go-to option here and there with none of his reigns standing out. The Miz had a decent time as champion, as did Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Diesel and more. For the most part, if someone isn't specified, they fall within this range.

This is also where Drew McIntyre falls with his current reign. It's only a few months old and he's done a fine job, but there's no telling what the final product will be until we can view it in hindsight. This could just be the start of something amazing or he could have already peaked.

Above the average but not quite hovering around the top-five mark are a handful of Superstars worth mentioning in more detail.

The Rock is one of the biggest stars to have existed in WWE. If this were a list of the most impactful talents in general, he'd be up toward the top, but his time as champion was shared with several others who took some of that impact away from him.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage is a classic Superstar who is underrated on many lists. Here, though, while his Mega Powers storyline was wonderful, he was still second fiddle to Hogan and that hurts his legacy.

Daniel Bryan was the ultimate underdog who had one of WWE's best moments at WrestleMania 30, only to fall victim to injury shortly after, which ruined his momentum.

Edge and Randy Orton are among the highest number of world title reigns, which is important to acknowledge. They've had fantastic reigns as well as short ones, though, and have never ascended to the rank of being "the guy" at any point.

Kofi Kingston's single historic title reign is worth far more than Alberto Del Rio's four.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield, CM Punk and AJ Styles had some of the longest tenures as champion, which can't go unacknowledged.

Bob Backlund is no stranger to that, having held the title a whopping 2,138 days (as recognized by WWE) over just two reigns. That is the third-highest amount anyone has ever amassed.

Last but not least, it would be remiss not to mention Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. However, The Heartbreak Kid had only one true full reign as champion in 1996 that is eclipsed by others on this list, while The Phenom was always more of a non-title attraction than someone the company built around as champion.

It's painful not to put Bret Hart in the top five. He was a fixture of my childhood and my third-favorite wrestler of all time, with so many championship moments to look back on fondly.

Hart has the eighth-longest cumulative time as champion at 654 days. At the time of his reign, this was the fifth-best record, behind only Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Bob Backlund and Pedro Morales.

This was spread out over five runs, which had put him at a level where his only equal was Hogan for number of wins. That was hugely impressive and the imagery of Hart holding up his hand to indicate it was his fifth reign is iconic.

In many ways, The Hitman was Hogan's successor, although 1993 was a hiccup year when WWE developed cold feet and reverted back to The Hulkster for a few months.

Hart's loss to Yokozuna and his redemption at WrestleMania X, which led to an amazing feud with his brother, Owen, is an underrated time in wrestling as it happened in a bad 12 months for the business.

Hart also gave us the epic Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII when Shawn Michaels' boyhood dream came true after going into overtime with a draw for a world title.

If this were a decision based purely on in-ring talent, The Excellence of Execution would be at or near the top of the list. He was a phenomenal performer who is arguably still underrated.

Hart may never have achieved the same status as Hogan, but he anchored The New Generation Era and allowed a transition from the old guard to younger talent better than anyone else could have.

While Vince McMahon does have a world title to his name, it pales in comparison to his son-in-law's career as champion.

Triple H is a nine-time WWE champion and five-time world heavyweight champion with a combined 1,227 days as the official in-ring figurehead of the company.

Some of those reigns were quick, such as playing hot potato trading the belt with Randy Orton at No Mercy 2007, while others were substantial.

From 1999 through 2005, he was unquestionably one of the two top dogs and WWE's go-to option to hold the title whenever it wasn't on Steve Austin or The Rock.

His legacy is built largely on this period, as it really established him as an overlord of the division. His status as The King of Kings was never as prominent as when he was holding the gold and commanding authority and power.

However, what keeps him off the top five is the same problem with Hart and Hogan: There's always someone you can think of who stood above him in some fashion while he was there.

In his case, it was both Austin and The Rock, but it takes two of the greatest of all time to leave Triple H in third place in that era for our list.

It's painful to admit Brock Lesnar deserves a spot in the top five. However, even for someone like myself, who has been vehemently against the way WWE has booked him over the past decade, it's hard to deny his achievements.

The Beast Incarnate is one of the most astounding champions to exist in WWE. He remains the youngest WWE champion ever, as well as the Superstar who rose to that level fastest after his debut. He has eight WWE and universal title reigns to his name that span 1,447 days.

At any point, he can win the title and hold it for a year or so, as he's proved. There isn't a single person who is safe from losing their belt to him.

The Beast has been arguably the most well-protected Superstar in WWE history, toppling giants with ease and retaining his title in less than a few minutes, which includes time to taunt his helpless opponents.

Points are deducted for how few appearances he tends to make as champion, but can you blame him? Somehow, he maintains the clout to be able to do that and still be viewed as WWE's conqueror while only working a few times per year.

In a different era, the champion wasn't on every show and Lesnar hearkens back to that. He is viewed as legitimate attraction and a special treat, which gives the title a prestige it doesn't have with anyone else.

Also, when talking about an ultimate champion, how can you not acknowledge someone who is as physically huge as The Beast? He has the look of what WWE wants in its champions.

Lesnar also brings mainstream popularity and media coverage, which has afforded him so many opportunities to be WWE's be-all, end-all Superstar of the past eight years.

For many fans, Bruno Sammartino should be the No. 1 here. There's certainly an argument to be made, as he holds the record for the most days as WWE champion by a long shot. At 4,040 days, his count is just shy of double his closest competitor.

He only held the title twice, but it's better to be the most popular attraction at the top of the business for nearly eight years, then another three, than to hold it a dozen times and not equal more than a few months.

Considering how many titans haven't come close to those numbers, it's clear Sammartino's record will stand the test of time.

When looking at his career through a modern lens, it's hard not to judge some things negatively, though.

He did not have the same technical skills as wrestlers decades beyond his 1960s-70s tenure. That wasn't the style when he was on top.

Fans of 2020 wrestling would find his matches extremely boring and lower his value in comparison to someone like AJ Styles or Daniel Bryan.

When trying to grade on a sliding scale, Sammartino's contributions to WWE were astronomical. But would the same have happened if you could pluck him out of the '60s and insert him into today's timeline?

Would he have become champion at all, let alone been able to put up with the weekly shows, media appearances and the other responsibilities and pressures he didn't have then? Could he have moved the needle with so many other alternatives to watch during a ratings slump?

We'll never know the answer to those questions, but he had the popularity to keep the business alive with a longevity no one will be able to replicate.

There would be no WWE today if it weren't for Sammartino.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is one of the few names put into a category of their own when speaking about Superstars who were definitively "the guy" at one point in time.

It just so happens he was the top of the food chain during arguably WWE's zenith, which boosts his stock as the ultimate WWE champion.

Austin's initial crowning as champion was one of the instrumental factors in developing The Attitude Era, which many fans consider to be the best product WWE has put out.

Across the board, WWE's ratings were at its highest when The Texas Rattlesnake was its main Superstar, and he sold a ridiculous amount of merchandise. Even his "Austin 3:16" shirts had nothing to do with wrestling.

While he did share the spotlight with some of the best of all time, there was never a time it wasn't clear Austin was the head honcho and WWE's biggest priority, as evidenced by his six title reigns.

Granted, a case could be made that he was always better when he was chasing a title rather than holding it, but he still held it for 529 days, putting him in the top 10 combined days range for that title.

The only reason his run was cut short was due to injuries. Had he not been forced to hang up his boots, he could have had another decade on top, for all we know.

Austin's feud with Vince McMahon is among the best ever, and there are too many iconic moments during his tenure to list here.

The only Superstar who managed to reach the heights of Steve Austin in the past 20 years has been John Cena. It could also be debated he even surpassed The Rattlesnake.

While it may leave a bitter taste for some to say it, Cena is arguably more popular in the grand scheme of things than Austin. He attained a level of celebrity status within professional wrestling that transcends the business and bleeds into mainstream pop culture.

Cena checks every box:

• Mic skills
• Athleticism 
• Clean-cut company image
• Marketability 
• Mainstream media appeal 
• Constant promotion for WWE

That isn't even mentioning how he has tied Ric Flair for 16 world titles, which is the WWE record. Plus, his time with those belts has amounted to 1,389 days, the fourth most in history.

He ended JBL's SmackDown reign, stayed champion or close to the title for almost 12 years and thoroughly earned the moniker of The Champ.

"The next Hulk Hogan" is what John Cena, Steve Austin, Roman Reigns and others have been called because he is the summit everyone is trying to reach.

Bruno Sammartino provided the foundation for the World Wide Wrestling Federation to become WWF. The keys were handed over to Hogan, and he took the company to levels that turned it into the behemoth it is today.

Hogan is WWE, whether he's tarnished that legacy over the years outside the business or not.

It doesn't matter if his best matches are nowhere near as athletic compared to your average 205 Live bout. In 1987, 93,000 fans packed the Pontiac Silverdome to see him defend the WWF Championship against Andre the Giant at WrestleMania 3 in arguably the most iconic segment of all time.

WrestleMania itself was built on his shoulders. Hogan as champion is woven into the fabric of The Show of Shows over its first 10 years, as he was either always holding, winning or overshadowing the title.

In terms of numbers, Hogan has the second-highest combined day total at 2,185. His first reign was over four years long and he lost it to Andre the Giant, for goodness' sake.

Hogan was the first-ever three-, four- and five-time champion. His popularity exploded to never-before-seen heights, which always helped WWE's status by proxy.

The Hulkster was tall and muscular—someone who stood out in a crowd and looked like an action figure brought to life. He was magnetic, oozed charisma and was able to rile up a crowd.

While modern fans know a champion of eras beyond Hogan's has to be better in the ring, that's the only element he doesn't match up to with today's best. He outshines them in every other way, and WWE is constantly looking for those wrestlers like The Immortal One.

Hogan is the absolute. There's no argument he's the best in-ring worker, because he isn't, and he doesn't have a squeaky-clean personal life. But he's the one who set the template for what a WWE champion is, and it's unlikely anyone will take that away from him.

While this list has focused on the men's world titles, it's also important to acknowledge the women's division.

Over the years, the WWE Women's Championship in its various incarnations has received a considerable upgrade in credibility and is finally starting to be valued just as much as the men's titles.

Debating who the ultimate women's champion of all time is could be saved for another day, but it would be hard to argue against Charlotte Flair taking the top spot.

She has had more reigns than anyone else, was one of the most instrumental Superstars who broke barriers for the Women's Evolution movement and has maintained her status as WWE's primary focal point even when Becky Lynch began to overshadow her.

The Queen has exhibited the athleticism, look, poise and enthusiasm WWE looks for in its champions.

Before her were giants of the industry such as Trish Stratus, Mickie James and Lita, who helped build much of the foundation Flair and her contemporaries have built on.

The Fabulous Moolah has the longest combined days as women's champion in an era, but that should come with an asterisk as the title had little relevance for most of that time.

However, the women's division is now thriving, and we'll continue to see Flair and many others flourish and elevate the championship in the future.

Click here to read about the best women's championship runs in WWE history.

For the sake of removing my own personal bias, I reached out to the rest of the B/R WWE staff with a poll so they could list their picks.

Participating on the poll, along with myself, were:

• Graham "GSM" Matthews (@WrestleRant)
• Erik Beaston (@ErikBeaston)
• Kevin Berge (@KevinBerge)
• Chris Mueller (@BR_Doctor)
• Donald Wood (@Donald_Wood)
• Eric Ball (@EBall_BR)

Who are your top five picks?

• Steve Austin (6 votes)
• Brock Lesnar (5 votes)
• Hulk Hogan, John Cena (4 votes)
• Bret Hart, Triple H (3 votes)
• Bruno Sammartino (2 votes)
• Bob Backlund, Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Eddie Guerrero, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, The Rock, Shawn Michaels (1 vote)

Who is your No. 3 pick?

• Steve Austin (3 votes)
• John Cena (2 votes)
• Daniel Bryan, Hulk Hogan (1 vote)

Who is your No. 2 pick?

• John Cena (2 votes)
• Brock Lesnar, Bruno Sammartino, Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin (1 vote)

Who is your No. 1 pick?

• Hulk Hogan (2 votes)
• Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino, Ric Flair, Steve Austin, Triple H (1 vote)

Who are your top 3 picks for the ultimate women's champion?

• Charlotte Flair (7 votes - 5 at No. 1, 2 at No. 3)
• Trish Stratus (7 votes - 2 at No. 1, 4 at No. 2 and 1 at No. 3)
• Becky Lynch (3 votes at No. 2)
• Mickie James (2 votes at No. 3)
• AJ Lee (2 votes at No. 3)

Now it's your turn to tell us who you think is the ultimate WWE champion of all time. Keep the discussion going in the comments section.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.