10 Epic WWE Championship Reigns That Aren't As Long As You Think

Bob Backlund’s defeat of Superstar Billy Graham was the only time the WWWF Heavyweight Championship changed hands on television, moving in controversial fashion on WWWF on MSG Network. Graham’s foot was on the ropes, but that wasn’t the most surprising part of Backlund’s reign as the face that runs the place.

Backlund took the strap on February 20, 1978 and defended it against legends including Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel and Don Muraco. As his reign reached 648 days, Backlund defended his newly renamed WWF Championship against Antonio Inoki at NJPW Toukon Series 1979, where he lost to the hometown hero.

Inoki’s reign started on November 30, 1979 and he defended the belt in a rematch a week later, which was declared a no contest after interference from Tiger Jeet Singh. Inoki handed the title back to WWF President Hisashi Shinma that night and it was made vacant, with Backlund facing Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death Match on December 12 with the belt around his waist like nothing had happened. With Japan’s most famous wrestler’s reign removed from the record, WWE considers Backlund’s reign unbroken until he was defeated by the Iron Sheik on December 26, 1983 in Madison Square Garden.

But there’s more! The championship was vacated again in 1981, this time by the New York State Athletic Commission, when a dazed referee handed it to Greg “The Hammer” Valentine by mistake after a losing effort. Victory in a steel cage a month later ensured the belt went back to Backlund again.

WWE recognises Backlund’s full reign as being 2,135 days long, despite audiences in Tokushima and New York seeing Backlund lose its most precious prize in 1979 and 1981.