10 Longest WWE Championship Reigns Ever
2. Bob Backlund (2118 Days)
Though disputed slightly due to a 1979 loss to Antonio Inoki that Inoki ultimately refused (and WWE ultimately elected not to acknowledge), Backlund's 1978-1983 run with the company's top title cemented him as the turn-of-the-decade solution to the problems caused by Bruno Sammartino's decaying frame.
More wholesome and technical than the ruggedly tough 'Living Legend', Backlund's sheer reliability as a performer mirrored his stance with the organisation when receipts came in - business was healthy (if occasionally less-than-spectacular) with Bob on top, and Vince McMahon Sr had no reason to mess with a formula that had served him so well for decades.
A folk hero in New York as most early WWWF/WWF Champions were, Backlund's reign had to end in order for Hulk Hogan's to begin. The image wasn't one that quite fit into McMahon's plans. The patriotism remained, but Hogan was in every sense a hyper-inflated version of the babyface that came before him.