10 Wrestlers Who Became WWE Champion The Quickest
4. Yokozuna (173 Days)
Most fans remember Yokozuna for his immense size, pitch perfect sumo gimmick, and all-round domination of the competition, but he was surprisingly light on his feet for a 500lb mammoth. Yokozuna was supremely powerful, but his unlikely light-footedness meant he was able to pull-off a wide variety of suplexes and superkicks, which only enhanced his menace in the ring.
Yoko hit WWE like a freight train. He debuted in October 1992 and immediately ran through the competition. Destroying opponents like Virgil on a weekly basis, Mr. Fuji’s most famous client entered the 1993 Royal Rumble, and was billed as an early favourite. The odds proved justified, and after eliminating the great Randy Savage, Yokozuna was heading for WrestleMania.
What happened at WrestleMania IX lives on in WWE infamy. Yokozuna received his title opportunity against Bret Hart, and though Hart looked to have the match won with a Sharpshooter, Fuji threw salt in The Hitman’s eyes to aid Yoko’s eventual victory. The big man was WWE Champion after just 173 days, but it wasn’t to last.
Hulk Hogan, in one of the more deplorable acts of his career, hit the ring and immediately forced a title challenge. Yokozuna lost the WWE Championship just minutes after winning it, though he’d eventually defeat Hulk to regain the strap.