10 Best WWE Title Runs Ever

8. Bret Hart - March 20, 1994 To November 23, 1994

Cm Punk Survivor Series 2012
WWE.com

Capturing the title at WrestleMania X at the expense of Yokozuna was a major achievement; Hart's cult popularity fended off the threat of Lex Luger so comprehensively that Vince McMahon was left with little choice: the Hitman was the The Man.

A f*ck finish could not obscure the f*cking brilliance of his King Of The Ring '94 defence opposite Diesel. Hart's brilliant defence against the 1-2-3 Kid on a July episode of RAW reached new heights of athleticism and layered storytelling; this was a new mode of WWE Title match in its shifting character alignments and high spot-driven storytelling. Earning the WWF's second-only Wrestling Observer star rating as a result of an inventive Steel Cage bout opposite brother Owen at SummerSlam '94, this symbolised Hart's contribution to the Federation: operating within a small space without the benefit of blood, Hart found new ways to extract drama from a limiting context.

An underrated international draw, Bret did not grow a waning domestic fanbase - but he did so much to retain a core audience of diehards as a result of his superb technical output.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!