10 Most Successful Champions In WWE History

4. John Cena

John Cena
WWE

WWE Championship Reign(s): April 3, 2005 - January 8, 2006, January 29, 2006 - June 11, 2006, September 17, 2006 - October 2, 2007, September 13, 2009 - October 4, 2009, October 25, 2009 - December 13, 2009, February 21, 2010 - February 21, 2010, March 28, 2010 - June 20, 2010, May 1, 2011 - July 17, 2011, July 25, 2011 - August 14, 2011, September 18, 2011 - October 2, 2011, April 7, 2013 - August 18, 2013, June 29, 2014 - August 17, 2014, January 29, 2017 - February 12, 2017

That terrifying wall of title reigns tells its own story - John Cena wasn't just consistently the man for longer than anybody else in WWE's modern history, but he was also the last guy (as of writing at least) to be a bigger star than the company's brand itself.

In reality, he set the bar too high. That he shifted all those tickets, shows and shirts while still grinding his way through every long trip or public appearance ultimately created a new standard of topliner that no normal human could ever be expected to follow.

Roman Reigns is doing his best (and, as a face, absorbed the hate the role brings with it), but he's got the better part of a decade to go before he touches 'The Champ's eye-watering longevity.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett