10 Best WWE Championship Reigns Of The 2000s
The most prestigious wrestling championship in the world had a great time in the noughties.
During the 2000s, WWE brought in the WCW Championship, got rid of it after a couple of months, and then kind of brought it back a year later as the World Heavyweight Championship.
Whilst the Big Gold Belt threatened to become the new top title in the company - especially when Triple H had it on Raw during the "Reign of Terror" - ultimately, it couldn't unseat the existing holder of that particular honour. By the end of the 00s, just as it had been at the start, the WWE Championship, synonymous with John Cena, ruled the roost.
As the company evolved dramatically over the course of the decade, so did the people that held it - but who had the best run with the shiniest of wrestling toys? This list won't just be focusing on the matches and moments during the reign, but also the way in which the title was won and lost, as well as number of days held, pay-per-view title defences, and the like.
Whether it was WWF, Undisputed, or even spinner, this championship always meant pure wrestling excellence, no matter what it was called.
10. Edge (July-September 2006)
Edge's first ever WWE Championship reign began with him cashing in Money in the Bank on John Cena at New Year's Revolution 2006. Sadly, because this was still the Super Cena era, Big Match John won the belt back just three weeks later.
The Rated-R Superstar would have to wait until July to get another taste of the gold, which came when he won a triple threat match on Raw also featuring Rob Van Dam and, you guessed it, Cena.
At Vengeance, Edge defeated Van Dam to retain the title, before entering into a series of matches with the man from Massachussets. Edge defeated Cena in the main event of SummerSlam, before the two clashed again in an epic TLC match at Unforgiven, which finally saw Mr. Goody Two-Sneakers reclaim the prize.
This second run at the top might have only lasted 76 days, but Edge crammed a lot into that time and proved that he belonged in the main event picture. You could argue that every subsequent Edge title win can be traced back to this reign, and considering how many of them he's had over the years, that's mightily impressive.