7 Wrestlers Who Were The First To Win Equal Championships
Who was the first man to win the Intercontinental and United States title?
Alexa Bliss etched her name into the history books this past Sunday. By defeating Bayley to become the RAW Women's Champion, Little Miss Bliss became the first women to win both the RAW and SmackDown Live Women's Championships. Sure, the titles have only existed for only nine months, but an achievement is an achievement is an achievement.
Bliss isn't the only current champion to win equal titles on today's roster however. Brock Lesnar was the first man to win both the WWE and Universal Championships. Heath Slater was the first to win the SmackDown Live Tag Team Championship and the RAW equivalent, although he achieved the latter long before the brand split returned.
There can only ever be one individual who can call themselves 'the first'. These men and women all managed to do the double before anyone else in their division or level - ad their place in history is assured.
7. The Hurricane - WWE & WCW Hardcore
The WCW Hardcore Championship is one of the few titles that is even less credible than its WWE counterpart. The belt was introduced in July 1999 and somehow survived all the way until January 2001, and only 16 men were lucky enough to hold the championship. Norman Smiley holds the record for most days as champion with a whopping 93.
52 men held the WWE Hardcore Championship, but only two men can look themselves in the mirror and claim that they held both hardcore titles. Even the most obsessed of Attitude Era fans will struggle to name the two men to do so.
Johnny Stamboli was the second man to achieve this, winning the WWE Hardcore Championship on RAW in July 2002 by defeating Bradshaw, although the future JBL was back in possession of the belt before the night was over. In WCW Stamboli was known as Johnny the Bull, and The Bull held the WCW Hardcore Championship for 13 days in June 2000.
The first man to win both championships was none other than The Hurricane, or Sugar Shane Helms as he was known to WCW fans. Helms won the WCW title with his 3 Count compadres by defeating Brian Knobs on Nitro, although Knobs won the title back less than a month later.
The Hurricane had even less success as WWE Hardcore Champion. The WWE's resident superhero won the championship at WrestleMania X8 by pinning Spike Dudley in the backstage area, but he was soon betrayed by a title-hungry Mighty Molly. The lightning reign mattered little - his place in history is assured.