Triple Crown Champion


 * ''This article deals with the achievement as understood in professional wrestling in the United States. For the Japanese championship, which is counted as a single title, see AJPW Triple Crown Championship.

In professional wrestling, a Triple Crown Champion is a term describing a wrestler who has won the three most prestigious belts of their promotion - typically a heavyweight belt, a tag team belt, and a second-tier belt. It is considered a great accomplishment to have won a triple crown. A "multiple triple crown" distinction also exists, with having won the three constituent titles at least a specified number of times.

WWE Triple Crown
In World Wrestling Entertainment, the term Triple Crown Champion has traditionally been used to describe a wrestler who has won the WWE Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the Tag Team Championship. For a span of nearly 18 years, from 1979 up through 1997, these were the three championships of the WWF, and a wrestler who had won all three championships (not necessarily concurrently) was considered a "triple crown champion."

In 1997, a fourth title, the European Championship was introduced. The European Championship, a singles title beneath the world and intercontinental titles, did not count for the purposes of designating triple crown champions, although a wrestler who had won all three primary titles and the European Championship would be recognized as a Grand Slam Champion.

Following the brand extension in 2002, the World Heavyweight Championship and the WWE Tag Team Championship are alternate titles that can compose part of the Triple Crown.

Official List of WWE Triple Crown Champions
The following is a list of WWE Triple Crown Champions, in the most general form. Only the WWE-era World Heavyweight Championship reigns are considered as part of the WWE Triple Crown. Only the date in which the wrestler's first title was won is indicated. Dates in bold indicate the title that was used to complete the Triple Crown. Championships in italics indicate that they are alternate titles, not part of the original definition. Dates in italics indicate that the wrestler has won the title, but does not contribute to their Triple Crown, because they had already won a title at that level. Names in bold are also Grand Slam Champions.

United States Championship
After the brand extension, the Intercontinental Championship was re-introduced on RAW as the second tier championship exclusive to that brand, while the United States Championship was introduced on SmackDown as the second tier championship belonging to that brand. Despite the fact that it is a second tier championship, its status as a substitute in the Triple Crown Championship is unconfirmed due to the fact that neither the WWE nor PWI have ever explicitly stated that it is equal to the Intercontinental Championship.

Unofficial Champions
The following is a list of wrestlers who would be Triple Crown Champions upon confirmation of the U.S. Title's status:

Potential Champions
As of February 12, 2007, the following active (or semi-active) wrestlers are potential Triple Crown Champions. Those who would be considered potential Triple Crown Champions if the United States Championship is considered an equivalent to the Intercontinental Championship are not included in this list:

Wrestlers currently working for or making appearances in WWE:
 * Shelton Benjamin, Johnny Nitro, Val Venis, Jeff Hardy, Roddy Piper, and William Regal all need a world title reign.
 * The Undertaker, Batista, Mick Foley, and Rey Mysterio all need an Intercontinental title reign.

ECW Triple Crown
The Extreme Championship Wrestling version of the Triple Crown consists of the ECW World Championship, ECW Tag Team Championship, and the ECW World Television Championship.

List of ECW Triple Crown Champions
The following is a list of ECW Triple Crown Champions. Only the date in which the wrestler's first title was won is indicated. Dates in bold indicate the title that was used to complete the Triple Crown. Note:Rob Van Dam's eligibility as a ECW Triple Crown Champion is debated because he won the ECW World Championship under the WWE brand and not the original promotion.

TNA Triple Crown
In Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), the TNA Triple Crown is an accolade bestowed upon those who win (not necessarily concurrently) all three championships regularly contested in TNA - the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the TNA X Division Championship and (one-half of) the NWA World Tag Team Championship.

List of TNA Triple Crown winners
As of December 2006, there has been only one Triple Crown winner, A.J. Styles. In TNA Wrestling, it is possible to be a multi-time Triple Crown Champion, as noted by Mike Tenay and Don West alluding to Styles as a 2-Time, then a 3-time Triple Crown Champion. Styles is a 3-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 6-time TNA X Division Champion and 4-time NWA World Tag Team Champion, making him a three-time Triple Crown winner. He completed his first Triple Crown in June 11, 2003 by winning his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship. To become a four-time TNA Triple Crown Champion, A.J. Styles needs to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship again.

Potential Champions
The following wrestlers require one more title in order to be awarded a Triple Crown. It should be noted that this list excludes NWA World Heavyweight Champions who held a pre-1975 version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship.

The following wrestlers are potential Triple Crown Champions:


 * Christopher Daniels, Senshi, and Jerry Lynn each need an NWA World Heavyweight Title reign.
 * Ron Killings, Abyss, and Shane Douglas need an X Division Title reign.

Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling has a hierarchy similar to WWE, with a Heavyweight, Television, and Tag Team titles. This is a less notable triple crown, because it is technically on the independent circuit, but is possible to make an impressive resume for a wrestler.

List of OVW Triple Crown Champions
The following is a list of individuals who have won the OVW Heavyweight, Television, and Tag Team titles.

Reference
WWE's Championship Chart.