7 Fastest Downfalls From WWE Champions

3. Jack Swagger (2011)

Jack Swagger Jim Ross
WWE.com

Jack Swagger won the old World Heavyweight Title by cashing in his MITB briefcase on 30 March 2010 (the title win over Chris Jericho aired on the 2 April SmackDown). 82 days later, he lost the belt to Rey Mysterio in a Fatal-4-Way and was promptly booted from the elite pack after failing to regain the title at Money In The Bank.

Worse, this: 397 days after winning the World Title, Swagger was being smacked around by an announcer as he and Michael Cole faced Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler in a 'Country Whipping Match' at Extreme Rules 2011. To put that into perspective, AJ Styles' most recent WWE Title reign was 371 days.

In approx the same time frame, Jack went from World Champ to being whipped "like a government mule" by good ol' JR. How's that for a push?

Before the Extreme Rules absurdity, Swagger had acted as Cole's personal trainer and played second fiddle to him at WrestleMania XXVII. So, the man WWE made World Champ shortly after 'Mania XXVI didn't even have a match on the following year's card.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.