10 Incredible Wrestling Title Wins (…That Led To RUBBISH Reigns)

3. Ron Simmons: WCW World Heavyweight Championship

Kofi Kingston title win
WWE.com

Ron Simmons won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on an unadorned Main Event broadcast and lost it on an untelevised live event. The makings were never there for a legendary run, nor did WCW ever attempt to market it as such.

A lack of persuasive feuds and matches did little for him; <10-minute defences vs. Tracy Smothers, Beautiful Bobby, and Paul Orndorff on WCW's C-programming dominated Simmons' title run. His last televised defence, against Steve Williams, was a shambolic wreckage that started with an injured Rick Rude being replaced by 'Dr Death' and concluded in a dubious double count out-turned-disqualification finish.

It never once screamed history-making, despite being precisely that. Ron Simmons' win made him the first African-American holder of the World Heavyweight Championship and he was subsequently referred to as pro wrestling's first black World Champion - but what did WCW care?

More attention was focused on the secondary WCW World Television Championship. Steve Austin's first stint with the title, for instance, lasted a remarkable 329 days, more than twice the length of Ron Simmons' solitary stint with the World Heavyweight belt.

Simmons' reign was so shunned that its most incomprehensible aspect constantly goes overlooked - he won the right to challenge Vader by winning a raffle!

BritWres could never.

Contributor
Contributor

Can be found raving about the latest IMPACT Wrestling signing, the Saints Row franchise, and King Shark in The Suicide Squad.