10 Best WWE Championship Reigns Under 100 Days
5. The Iron Sheik, 1983 (28 days)
In December 1983, The Iron Sheik shockingly defeated Bob Backlund for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. As Sheiky Baby locked Backlund into his patented Camel Clutch, Backlund's manager, Arnold Skaaland, threw in the towel to stop Sheik from breaking Bob's back and making him humble. His victory ended a near-six-year-long reign for Backlund (well, technically only four years long, but Antonio Inoki's six-day reign in-between is not recognized by WWE) and left Madison Square Garden in a state of stunned silence.
That was, until a blonde, beefed-up, red-and-yellow warrior came to fell the foreign heel.
Fresh up-and-comer Hulk Hogan defeated Sheik for the belt a mere 28 days after he'd won it, and he'd go on to hold the belt for over four years. While this may seem entirely unfair, Sheik's story was not uncommon, as '80s heels were essentially not allowed to have long runs with the gold. Nevertheless, Sheik makes it here not only for his victory over Backlund, but for helping to spearhead the Hulkamania movement.