10 Awesome Wrestling Title Reigns That Went Long
1. Hulk Hogan - WWE World Title (1474 Days)
It's probably still not good to shine to positive a light on him again just yet, but what would a list like this be without Hulk Hogan?
And at least this bonkers old racist only threatened to run for President: he didn't actually do it.
Hogan's four-year stint with the title will never be repeated. The audience may not have that sort of patience any more, but more so than that, Vince McMahon just doesn't need a champion like he needed Hogan from 1984-1988.
The face of his aggressive national expansion, Hogan was Vince's handpicked superstar to help him take on (and take over) the wrestling world.
And as his empire grew, Hogan's insane popularity at the gates helped get many of his colleagues rich too.
Many have spoken of their runs on the 'Hogan shows' in the mid-80s, as their house show takings skyrocketed. Looking at the lights for Hulk himself would trouser you even more.
Of course, in every conceivable way, the industry is now different, and much of a titleholder's job has changed, but the brass tacks remain the same.
Hogan was the (red, white and) blue-print for what a WWE Champion had to be, and this epic first title run crafted the pro wrestling landscape that still exists today.