10 Incredible Wrestling Stats You Won't Believe
2. Bill Goldberg Has The Longest Gap Between WWE World Title Reigns
Like many sports, most participants in the wrestling business have a limited shelf life; very few men have been able to battle through advancing age and deteriorating ability.
While there have been some exceptions, the physicality involved in the wrestling business allows most in-ring tenures to have an average 20 to 30 year limit at most. Nevertheless, a number have been able to return to the top of the sport and even become WWE Champion, long after their prime has ended.
Bob Backlund held the record for longest gap between WWE Championship reigns ever with 3985 days. Having lost the WWF Championship to The Iron Shiek in December 1983, he eventually regained it from Bret Hart almost 11 years later in November 1994.
However, if we were to include the other versions of the World Heavyweight Championship, Bill Goldberg's Universal Title victory in February 2017 blew that record away, having last held a World Title over 14 years earlier in December 2003 (4831 days).
Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar is next in line with 3836 days between World Title reigns, while The Rock also has a lengthy gap of 3808 days.