Greatest Champions In Pro Wrestling History

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we name the greatest champions in pro wrestling history.

Who is the greatest Intercontinental Champion?

Anthony Mahalis: The greatest Intercontinental Champion is Y2J. The Honky Tonk Man can pound sand.

Evan Cross: Gotta be the Honky Tonk Man, even though he doesn’t tip. But Miz is hot on his heels.

John Corrigan: “Macho Man” Randy Savage set the standard of the Intercontinental Championship being a springboard into the main event scene. Plus, he and Ricky Steamboat had the greatest IC Title match ever.

David Gibb: Mr. Perfect. Curt Hennig was in a league of his own as a worker in early ’90s WWF, and he saved the Intercontinental Title when it could’ve died after WrestleMania VI.

Who are the greatest Tag Team Champions in pro wrestling history?

Mahalis: I was going to go with Edge and Christian as the greatest tag champs, but I have to go with The New Day. They don’t have the number of title reigns that E&C, the Dudleys or the Hardys have, but they consistently put on great matches, are consistently entertaining and have a 483-day title reign that is nothing to sneeze at. Clap for your longest reigning tag champs and feeeeel the powaaaaaa.

Cross: The Road Warriors were huge draws and had a big impact on lots of later teams.

Corrigan: Don’t sleep on the Usos. They’ve carried the WWE Tag Team division for the past decade, earning five titles along the way and delivering classic bouts with everyone from The New Day to Harper and Rowan.

Gibb: There have been dozens of incredible tag teams over the years, but if we’re talking about who was the best at being the champions, I’d have to go with Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. Their devotion to tailoring each title defense to tell the best possible story with a variety of challengers makes them the best Tag Team Champions ever.

Who is the greatest U.S. Champion?

Mahalis: The U.S. Title doesn’t stand out like any of the other titles. I have to give this to John Cena. He has five reigns and his U.S. Open Challenge gave the title some new significance.

Cross: Lex Luger by a hair over Ric Flair, only because Flair went on to surpass his legacy as U.S. Champion and Luger never quite did.

Corrigan: He didn’t have it very long, and I didn’t even live through his reign, but I always picture Tully Blanchard with the U.S. Title.

Gibb: He’s not in the WWE United States Championship lineage, but The Sheik is the first name that comes to my mind when people say “U.S. Champion.” His Big Time Wrestling version of the title was involved in as many big main events as any belt in the 1970s.

Who is the greatest Women’s Champion?

Mahalis: Trish Stratus. Plain and simple. Charlotte and Alexa Bliss could be nipping at her heels soon enough.

Cross: I think in five years the answer to this will be one of the women currently on the WWE roster. But until then, it’s Trish Stratus for inspiring all of them.

Corrigan: If Madusa was given more time, she would go down as the greatest. Instead, she’ll be remembered as the pioneer for the current women. Trish Stratus takes the cake as of now.

Gibb: Charlotte. In spite of a lot of noise and misdirection, she’s been the steady leader of the revolution since she arrived in the WWE, and every match she’s a part of is better than every match she’s not in. We’re currently seeing the greatest female professional wrestler of all time in her prime.

Who is the greatest World Heavyweight Champion?

Mahalis: I’m going to with Stone Cold here. He was only a six-time champion, but I believe he is the biggest superstar that WWE has ever seen. He was also champion a lot during WWE’s greatest era, so I think it stands to reason that he is the greatest of the bunch.

Cross: Ric Flair. He’s set just about every record for world championships and wrestling awards possible.

Corrigan: C’mon now, there’s no other answer. Wooooo!

Gibb: Ric Flair. Nobody can be a championship wrestler anymore without in some way doing Ric Flair. Other guys may have drawn a few more beans or whatever, but nobody combined everything it takes to be a great World Heavyweight Champion like Ric Flair.