Ranking EVERY WWE Champion From Worst To Best

3. Bruno Sammartino

WWE Champions Ranked
WWE.com/Pro Wrestling Illustrated

The WWE Championship being the recognised symbol of excellence within professional wrestling stems from the fact that, for the longest time, Bruno Sammartino was the man holding it. 

A dignified figure - too dignified for what pro wrestling ultimately became - his lengthy tenures with the title consistently secured sellouts at Madison Square Garden when Vince McMahon Sr had domain over most of the North East. The formula rarely needed to be tweaked when it came to Sammartino. Fans bought into and believed his struggle, could accept him losing by disqualification or count-out as long as he vanquished his foe in a fairer rematch or steel cage showdown.

He kept up his end of the deal and so too did the customers, with 2,803-day run being the longest in the belt's history as a result. A 1,237-day reign kicked off 10 years after the first one, highlighting his longevity and the relationship he'd forged with the fanbase through Vince McMahon Sr's careful protection of his value. A history-maker before such a thing carried any weight, Sammartino's time with the title did as much for Vince McMahon Jr as it did for his father - by the time the Chairman had seized power, he had at his disposal arguably the most prestigious prize at the top of his cards.

 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

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