10 Exceptional Fan-Designed Custom Wrestling Championships
From the mind of fans to the champ's waist: Featuring Randy Orton, Rhea Ripley, and more...
The history of combat athletes being awarded for their success with championship belts, dates back to 1810, when King George III bestowed a belt on Tom Cribb after he beat Tom Molineaux in a bare-knuckle boxing contest.
The first World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, George Hackenschmidt, was crowned almost a century later in 1905 when he defeated Tom Jenkins in New York, New York. Hackenschmidt was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.
Since this time, Championship belts have become an iconic symbol in the world of professional wrestling. From their humble beginnings to their lavish heights, they are objects of desire and awe, with replica championships being some of wrestling’s most popular and collectable merchandise.
Custom belts, adapted to their holder, are some of the most coveted.
In recent years, WWE has “streamlined”, or reused, championship designs. The Raw and SmackDown men’s and women’s straps are near identical in overall design (the women’s version being smaller), as are the plates used for both brand’s tag team straps. Fan’s desire for variety can be seen in the success of WWE’s commemorative belts. But perhaps the most innovative designs come from the mind of fans…