For every triumphant champion that has helped solidify the prestige of the WWE Championship, there has been an equally inadequate champion that has brought shame to the belt. For every Stone Cold Steve Austin, there has been a champion who has left fans scratching their heads, attempting to decipher WWE's logic behind entrusting such a noble reward upon such an unworthy candidate. While most men use their championship reigns to propel their superstardom to new, unprecedented heights, others were simply exposed as pretenders who journeyed too far into the deep end before accordingly settling back comfortably into the midcard scene. In this article, we will revisit and discuss the twelve worst champions in WWE/World Heavyweight Championship History.

Honorable Mentions

Sycho Sid: Sid Vicious, as he is also known, was one of the most intimidating superstars in the the storied history of professional wrestling. From his unwavering scowl to his chisled physique, Sid looked as though he could genuinely impose his will upon some of most dangerous men in the world. However, despite looking like a formidable threat, his actual performances were atrocious, hindered by a notable lack of in-ring skill as well as a complete absence of microphone composure. Sid's deficiencies directly contributed to some of the more lackluster feuds in WWE Championship history, including arguably two of the most notorious main event flops in the celebrated history of Wrestlemania, when he competed against the Undertaker at Wrestlemania XIII and Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania VIII (which wasn't contested for the title, but was a grudge feud stemming from Hogan being named the number one contender over Sid), both of which are largely forgettable contests.

Kane: A bit of trivia for the readers to ponder upon: Who ended Stone Cold Steve Austin's first WWF Championship reign? If Kane was the first name that came to mind, kudos to you, as you must know the history of the WWE like the back of your hand. At the time, Kane was a voiceless, faceless monster who relied heavily upon his mystique to remain over with the fans. However, placing an accolade on someone with such impassive characteristics seemed grossly out of place, a development which WWE management must have acknowledged as they almost immediately negated their decision by booking Stone Cold Steve Austin to regain the WWF Championship from Kane only one night after losing it at King of the Ring. Kane would also enjoy an additional World Heavyweight Championship run eight years later in 2010, holding the title for approximately five months before dropping it to Edge at the 2010 edition of TLC.

Vince McMahon: Let's be honest. Vince McMahon's title reign was simply a means to extend a captivating storyline while accumulating heat for potentially the top heel in WWE history. However, though he is officially recognized as a former WWE Champion, his reign included no title defenses, zero legitimacy, and provided no reason for us fans to recognize him as an actual champion, thus relegated (or perhaps promoting) his inclusion on this list to the Honorable Mention section. Six days after defeating Triple H for the WWE Championship -- with considerable assistance from both Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shane McMahon -- Vince McMahon voluntarily vacated the title, citing a conflict of interest clause in his contract.

Christian: Benefiting from the immediate nostalgia effect that followed Edge's heartbreaking, abrupt retirement, Christian essentially inherited the title which Edge was forced to vacate. After defeating Alberto Del Rio at Extreme Rules 2011, the man who was perceived as a permanent mid carder ascended the ladder to claim his spot as a top champion within the promotion, creating one of the more memorable feel good moments of 2011. However, though Christian is officially recognized as a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, both title reigns combined amount to a paltry thirty days, as he would almost immediately surrender his title to the more heralded Randy Orton. How did Christian regain the title from Orton? Thanks to a plain sight low blow during a match that stipulated that the title could change hand due to disqualification or count out. Nevertheless, it was fun to root for Christian during his brief stretch in the main event scene, as Christian is arguably one of the most underrated superstars of his generation. However, as evidenced by his encounters with Orton, Christian simply seemed a touch overmatched on the main-event platform, creating the everlasting notion that Christian may have been a little out of his league

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12) The Iron Sheik

How The Iron Sheik Became Champion: On December 26th, 1983, The Iron Sheik infamously ended Bob Backlund's 1,470 day title reign when he forcibly applied his Camel Clutch submission maneuever to an already weakened Backlund. With the intent of preventing further injury, Backlund's manager, Arnold Skaaland, threw a white towel into the ring on Backlund's behalf, indicating forfeiture despite his client never formerly submitted, subsequently granting the Iron Shiek his first and only World Championship.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: The Iron Sheik set the precedent for what we now define as a transitional champion, serving as the interim title holder between the 1,400+ day title reigns of Bob Backlund and Hulk Hogan, respectively. The era in which the Iron Sheik performed featured a complete monopolization at the top of the card, and as a result of an age where televised events were few and far between, allowed title reigns to consistently exceed 1,000 days without growing stale. The sole motive of utilizing a superstar like the Iron Sheik as champion was due to WWE's complete engulfment in the art of kayfabe, unwilling to put two babyfaces against one another in fear of dividing the crowd's allegiance in half. What makes Sheik's reign as champion even more flabbergasting was the fact that, as a middling heel, Sheik got the nod over much more established talent such as Don Muraco and Greg Valentine. Since his brief run as a headliner concluded, the Iron Sheik's run has become somewhat of a running joke, as Sheik continually portrays himself as one of the greatest champions of all time despite us fans acknowledging his account as falsehood.

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11) Mark Henry

How Mark Henry Became Champion: After earning the status of number one contender by defeating both Sheamus and Christian in a Triple Threat Match, Henry would go on to challenge World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton at the 2011 edition of Night of Champions. After targeting the already weakened right knee of Orton, Mark Henry would easily counter an RKO attempt before finishing the champion off with The World's Strongest Slam.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: There's viable reasoning to why it took Mark Henry ten years to obtain his brief main-event status within the WWE and fifteen years to receive his first and only run as World Heavyweight Champion: Henry's in-ring inadequacies have always been a blemish on his accomplished resume. That's also not to mention that, until recently, his promo skills were universally regarded as one of the most tedious within the industry. Though he was able to remain employed within the WWE due to his real-life status as the World's Strongest Man, his career had always been hampered by the minimal improvement he displayed during the first-third on his tenure in WWE. With such a painstakingly slow progression of in-ring prowess, he settled comfortably into the midcard, using his formidable stature to dominate middling opponents while posing a believable yet beatable threat to the top stars. However, Henry became a beneficiary of a brand split that left Creative scrambling for fresh main-event stars, leaving Henry in a favorable position to unexpectedly ascend up the card.

Once he reached the mountaintop, however, Henry found himself unable to put forth the types of efforts that fans have become acclimated to when investing in top championship feuds. Thankfully, his run did not last long, as only 91 days after obtaining the World Heavyweight Championship, he would drop it to the Big Show in the infamously terrible"Chairs Match" at the 2011 edition of TLC.

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10) Sgt. Slaughter

How Sgt. Slaughter Became Champion: Following outside interference from "The Macho Man" Randy Savage, Sgt. Slaughter dethroned then-champion the Ultimate Warrior at the 1991 Royal Rumble.

Why He Was A Terrible Champion: Coinciding with the United States of America's rapidly rising tension with the Middle East in 1991, Sgt. Slaughter's turncoat character was able to generate an inordinate amount of heat, which he used to promptly propel himself up the card. However, despite his brief status as champion, Slaughter was never viewed as a legitimate threat, transparently serving as nothing more than a transitional champion between two of the biggest stars of the era, the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. Additionally, at the time of his championship victory, Slaughter was noticeably past his prime, lumbering in the ring and relying heavily on his gimmick to keep himself relevant. Sgt. Slaughter epitomized the notion of a "flavor of the week" heel, unceremoniously departed the company merely a year and a half after main-eventing the "Greatest Spectacle of Them All", Wrestlemania.

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9) Rob Van Dam

How RVD Became Champion: At the 2006 edition of ECW One Night Stand, Rob Van Dam cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase, defeating defending WWE Champion John Cena in an engrossing affair that featured John Cena's rare portrayal of a heel. One day later, on the debut episode of the reinvented ECW, Van Dam was awarded the ECW championship by ECW founder and president Paul Heyman, which RVD decided to concurrently hold, yet separately defend.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: Make no mistake about it, Rob Van Dam is one of the most entertaining and talented performers to ever step inside a WWE sanctioned ring. The avenue taken for Rob Van Dam to achieve the WWE's top prize was enthralling, as we watched an ECW pillar ascend from dwelling in the upper midcard to conquering perhaps the most heralded name in WWE history in John Cena. However, Rob Van Dam's actual title reign left a lot to be desired, starting off with a flourish before magnificently crumbling before our eyes.

During his simultaneously reigns as WWE and ECW Champion, Van Dam recorded a humbling single successful title defense, defeating Edge at Vengeance 2006. Within the next month, however, Van Dam would proceed to lose both the WWE Championship -- which he lost to Edge in a triple threat match that also featured John Cena -- and his ECW Championship, which he dropped to Big Show one day later in his first and only ECW Championship defense. The decision to abruptly and shockingly strip Rob Van Dam of both championships directly influenced by his violation of WWE's wellness policy, which was breached when Van Dam and longtime counterpart Sabu were discovered by Ohio State Troopers to be in possession of approximately eighteen grams of marijuana, five Vicodin pills, eight servings of Testolactone, and a plethora of drug paraphernalia. RVD's championship run only featured one memorable moment, which happened to the be the moment he obtained the title. Outside of that instant, however, Van Dam's reign is a unfortunate combination of forgettable and disappointing, as we were never able to see him reach his full potential as the face of the WWE.

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8) Diesel

How Diesel Became Champion: Abruptly interjected into the Backlund-Hart feud of 1994 which saw Bob Backlund end Bret Hart's 248 day title reign, Diesel would face the WWF Championship from Backlund three days after the newly crowned champion commenced his reign. After executing a Jackknife Powerbomb, Diesel would pin Backlund a mere eight second after the opening bell, leaving the Madison Square Garden House Show crowd in a shocked frenzy.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: The first-third of Diesel's championship reign was serviceable, if unspectacular, seeing him compete in entertaining affairs against the likes of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels at the 1995 Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania XI, respectively. However, the final two-thirds of Diesel's championship run were a casualty of what is widely acknowledged as the worst calendar year in WWE history, hampered by uninspired booking, a gimmick flooded product, and a noticeable lack of worthy challengers. Diesel, who was not an in-ring technician by any stretch of the imagination, was given the impossible task of carrying the 487 pound Mabel to a respectable match in the main event of Summerslam 1995, a contest which is universally regarded as the worst main event in Summerslam history. A few months later, at In Your House: The Great White North, Diesel, the British Bulldog, and Bret Hart would find themselves booed out of the building after Hart's attack on the British Bulldog prematurely ended an entertaining championship contest, an occurrence that provoked a ringside berating from Vince McMahon.

The initial plan for Diesel's run was to provide additional stakes for the budding rivalry between he and former ally Shawn Michaels. However, once they rectified their issues, the man formerly known as Oz was left floundering in a main-event scene that was slightly above his head, expected to carry a burden that was simply too heavy for the first time champion to withstand.

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7) Rey Mysterio

How Rey Mysterio Became Champion: Rey Mysterio obtained his first World Championship (the word 'Heavyweight' being omitted from the title due to Mysterio's status as a Cruisterweight) after defeating both Kurt Angle and Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 22 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago. Four years later, he would capture his second and final World Championship (not including his one-hour reign as WWE Championship) after defeating defending champion Jack Swagger, CM Punk, and the Big Show at Fatal 4-way 2010.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: Rey Mysterio became the recipient of a substantial push which was directly influenced by the untimely death of WWE great, Eddie Guerrero. The absence of a main-event superstar of Mexican heritage within the WWE combined with the well documented friendship shared between Mysterio and Guerrero fused to create a magnificent opportunity for Mysterio amidst the mourning and sorrow.

During his time as World Champion, Rey Mysterio embodied the role of the valiant underdog, consistently going to battle opposite men who were both exponentially larger and stronger than he. However, the entire purpose of professional wrestling is to coerce us fans into suspending our disbelief, an ability that sometimes proves difficult even during the most even of contests. Mysterio's inclusion in the World Heavyweight Championship scene saw him standing opposite men who were both a foot to a foot-and-a-half taller, as well as more accomplished than he, simply introducing too much incredulity to the forefront of the mind of a fan (one of the most comical matchups in recent memory came at the 2010 Royal Rumble when Rey Mysterio went toe-to-toe with none other than the Undertaker, although Rey Mysterio did not enter nor leave with the championship belt on that occasion.) Creative recognized the conundrum it constructed for itself, as having the entire roster continuously lose to a 5'6 superstar would make the superstars of WWE look incredibly weak. Consequently, Rey Mysterio would repeatedly go on non-title losing streaks, including a 3-6 stretch between April 22nd, 2006 and June 7th, 2006 that saw him get pinned cleanly four times.

Though Rey Mysterio is a surefire WWE Hall of Famer, being one of the most gifted men to ever grace WWE television, his two reigns as World Heavyweight Champion greatly sedated our ability to adhere to the world or kayfabe, the sole characteristic that keeps WWE thriving as a weekly episodic program.

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6) Alberto Del Rio

How Alberto Del Rio Became Champion: Unbelievably, Alberto Del Rio has actually claimed ownership to a top prize within the WWE on four separate occasions. twice winning the WWE Championship and twice winning the World Heavyweight Championship. His first reign as WWE Champion commenced at the 2011 edition of Summerslam, when he took advantage of a battered CM Punk, who had just received a post-match dismantling at the hands of Kevin Nash. At the next two pay-per-views, Night of Champions and Hell in A Cell, respectively, Del Rio would go on to trade the WWE Championship with John Cena, regaining the title in a triple threat Hell in A Cell match opposite both Cena and Punk. After dropping the title to CM Punk at Survivor Series 2011, Del Rio would bow out of the championship picture before re-emerging in 2013, when he would defeat the Big Show in a Last Man Standing contest to obtain the World Heavyweight Championship, which he would exchange with Dolph Ziggler before eventually conceding his fourth reign to a returning John Cena at Hell In A Cell 2013.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: Shoehorning Del Rio into the main event scene had the underlying feel of a recurring attempt to fit circle into a square opening. Though Del Rio is an excellent in ring competitor, whenever he stood opposite of legends of the industry, such as Edge, Cena, or CM Punk, he simply seemed outclassed, as he struggled mightily to keep fans interested in his participation in high end feuds, relying heavily on a pretentious gimmick and obnoxious manager to generate a semblance of heat.

Additionally, hindsight reveals to us that Del Rio's first reign as champion was used to suffocate a situation WWE had yet to embrace: During the summer of 2011, CM Punk and John Cena were uniquely dividing live crowd support, though Punk was clearly painted as the heel of the feud, causing a fraught situation for WWE Creative. To re-establish the status quo of the face receiving cheers while the crowd showers the heel with boos, WWE elected to have Del Rio cash in his money in the bank championship on a hampered CM Punk, putting an unfortunate hold on the enthralling Punk/Cena feud, before having him separately feud with each competitor, respectively. Simply put, Del Rio was a glorified transitional champion during an age that doesn't tolerate such.

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5) John "Bradshaw" Layfield

How JBL Became Champion: John "Bradshaw" Layfield's lone title reign came at the expense of the late Eddie Guerrero, whom he defeated in a Texas Bullrope Match following a controversial finish at the 2004 edition of the Great American Bash.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: Granted, JBL was dedicated to the gimmick he was portraying: a brash, cocky businessman who truly believed his financial accomplishments made him superior to you. However, as an in-ring competitor, JBL never progressed past a lumbering, out of shape midcarder who's deficiencies were predominantly masked during his time in the tag team division. Prior to his ascension to the main-event echelon, Bradshaw had never even obtained a singles title outside of the ridiculous 24/7 Hardcore Championship era, which netted him a comical seventeen title "reigns." Nevertheless, thanks to a severe lack of established main-event talent during the middle of the decade, WWE implemented a panicked decision to rehash Bradshaw's previous cowboy-themed gimmick -- albeit with a number of noteworthy tweaks -- and place him in contention for the WWE Championship, consequently leading to him ending the title reign of the late, great Eddie Guerrero.

Unfortunately, as JBL's insufferable nine-month reign advanced, his character became increasingly stale, which directly correlated with his abominable in-ring contributions. During his time as champion, JBL sacrificed the prestige of WWE's most acclaimed prize while simultaneously failing to provide a single classic match as a headliner. However, if there is a single redeeming quality for JBL's run as champion, it is that, in it's conclusion, it helped put over John Cena as WWE Champion, who in turn helped spearhead a renaissance for a stagnating WWE product.

4) Brock Lesnar (2014)

How Brock Lesnar Became Champion: After dominating as a part-time superstar during the latter half of 2013 and the first half of 2014 -- picking up wins over future Hall of Famers CM Punk, The Big Show, and the Undertaker, who's Wrestlemania streak was ended in a dominating fashion -- Brock Lesnar set his sights on then-WWE champion John Cena. At the 2014 edition of Summerslam, Lesnar infamously displayed a clinic of German Suplexes, defeating Cena in what many believe to be the most lopsided championship match in WWE history.

Why He Is An Awful Champion: Brock Lesnar's current run as champion is the only isolated title run to warrant inclusion on this list, as during his run current WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar has essentially reduced the WWE Championship to nothing more than a glorified prop. Due to unwavering contractual stipulations, WWE has been forced to soldier on without its top accolade for three consecutive pay-per-views, providing fans with a surprisingly compelling Hell In A Cell pay-per-view before succumbing to a severe lack of card depth at the annual Survivor Series pay-per-view, which is still considered a "Big Four" event. However, the pay-per-view that suffered the most was TLC, as it became apparent that WWE was struggling to add plausible incentives to it's featured contests without the WWE Championship available at their disposal.

On a personal note, I'm a fan of Brock Lesnar, for his contributions immediately improve the WWE product, as evidenced by his captivating feud with John Cena this year. However, there is no justification in allowing a part-time superstar to disappear for months on end with the company's premium reward in hand while providing minimal mention of the title's status. Grudge matches can only take a promotion so far before becoming stale, leaving fans wondering what exactly the roster is jockeying for if not the company's most storied accolade. No one man should be perceived as more valuable than the WWE Championship, and with WWE management failing to acknowledge that, they have greatly devalued their own productions.

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3) Jack Swagger

How Jack Swagger Became Champion: Interjecting himself into the feud between WWE Hall of Famers Chris Jericho and Edge, Jack Swagger would cash in his Money In The Bank contract on the March 30th, 2010 edition of Smackdown, exploited a semi-conscious Chris Jericho. After executing a gut-wrench powerbomb on the incapacitated champion, Swagger was able to obtain a three-count, subsequently commencing his lone World Heavyweight Title Reign.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: Jack Swagger epitomizes the cautionary tale of pushing a superstar too fast, too soon. An accomplished All-American wrestler the University of Oklahoma, his run with the World Heavyweight Championship completely exposed his faults as a WWE superstar, including an incredibly apparent lack of charisma that left his feuds devoid of fan interest. WWE Creative deserves the lion's share of the blame for the abysmal decision of placing an acclaimed championship on such a green wrestler; prior to his shocking Money In The Bank victory at Wrestlemania XXVI, Swagger had been dwelling in midcard obscurity, particpating in underwhelming feuds against the likes of Santino Marella, Evan Bourne, and MVP. Had WWE taken it's time in establishing Swagger as a reputable contender, fans may not have responding with such incredulity once he dethroned Chris Jericho as World Heavyweight Champion. However, without any marquee victories prior to his Money In The Bank victory and no defining wins following his he World Heavyweight Championship victory -- Swagger would be decimated by Big Show at Over the Limit, getting himself disqualified in a last ditch effort to save his championship -- Swagger was made to look like a lame duck champion before dropping his title in a Fatal Four-Way match to Rey Mysterio.

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2) The Miz

How The Miz Became Champion: Red hot as a heel in the year 2010, The Miz capitalized on his ascendance up the card by cashing in his Money In The Bank contract on a vulnerable Randy Orton, who has just survived a championship battle with Wade Barrett. Near the four-minute mark of the impromptu match, the Miz would reverse an attempted RKO into a "Skull-Crushing Finale", allowing the Miz to obtain both the three-count as well as his first and only WWE Championship.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: Main-eventing Wrestlemania is the pinnacle of a superstar's career, as only 31 superstars have ever had the honor bestowed upon them. To put that statistic into further context, legends such as Ric Flair, CM Punk, Kane, and Eddie Guerrero never received the privilege of going on last at the "Granddaddy of Them All', despite their superior contributions to the promotion as well as their ability to put on all-time classic matches. However, to further emphasize just how extraordinarily the WWE rewarded the Miz, consider that not only did Miz enter the main event of Wrestlemania XXVII as the defending champion, he also won via pinfall against the face of both the Ruthless Aggression and Reality era, John Cena, albeit due to outside interference.

Despite his ability to garner positive heat at will, the Miz simply did not fit the criteria of a WWE Champion. The Miz's place amongst the WWE hierarchy never should have ascended past the midcard, as despite WWE's adamant attempts at establishing him as a legitimate threat, he never seemed to belong on such a spotlighted platform. Everything about the Miz, from his look, to the way he obtained the championship, to his weak in-ring moveset, portrayed a weak, vulnerable champion. Combining the aforementioned aspects of Miz's persona with his complete lack of drawing ability and it's absolutely mind-blowing that The Miz was able to achieve as much as he did as WWE Champion.

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1) The Great Khali

How The Great Khali Became Champion: After World Heavyweight Champion Edge was forced to vacate his title due to a legitimate pectoral injury, a 20-man battle royal was organized to determine a new champion. After outlasting 16 other competitors, fans were left to witness as the final four of Kane, Batista, Finlay, and the Great Khali competed for Smackdown's top prize. After dispatching of Finlay, Batista aimed to eliminate Kane before The Great Khali stealthily approached from behind, simultaneously eliminating both men to win his lone World Heavyweight Championship.

Why He Was An Awful Champion: Absent of any redeeming qualities whatsoever, the Great Khali easily tops this list as the Worst WHC/WWE Champion of all time. Solely contracted due to his unique combination of mammoth size and Indian ethnicity, The Great Khali was nearly incapable in every aspect of professional wrestling, proving unable to display any semblance of mobility, let alone execute a proper bump, due to irreversible stressors on his delicate knees. Even some of the greatest performers in WWE history were unable to coerce a decent match out of The Great Khali. WWE tried to counteract his complete lack of in-ring prowess with innovative stipulation matches, such as the Punjabi Prison Match, which expectedly crashed and burned. Fans would frequently flood arenas with chants of "You Can't Wrestle", nearly going into open rebellion over the notion of being forced to watch a lumbering giant continually mock pro wrestling. The Great Khali, without a shadow of a doubt, is the worst top champion in WWE history, if not the worst superstar, overall.

Which WWE/WHC do you believe was the worst in WWE history? Feel like I missed something? Feel free to voice your opinion in the comment section below -- healthy debate is always welcome! And if you enjoyed the discussion, please recommend and share this post! Follow me on twitter @Mattrago98.



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