WCW World Heavyweight Championship/Champion history

Title history
{| cellpadding=6 cellspacing=0 border=1 style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size:90%;" !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=16%|Wrestler: !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=0% |Reigns: !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=16%|Date: !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=16%|Location: !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=55%|Notes:
 * Ric Flair
 * 1
 * January 11, 1991
 * East Rutherford, NJ
 * Flair defeated Sting for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and was also recognized as the first WCW World Heavyweight Champion. The "Big Gold Belt" simultaneously represented both championships. WWE does not recognize this among Flair's 16 World Title runs.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |''The title was vacated on July 1, 1991 when Flair leaves for The World Wrestling Federation and was split from the NWA Title.
 * -style="background:"
 * Lex Luger
 * 1
 * July 14, 1991
 * Baltimore, MD
 * Defeated Barry Windham for the vacant title in a cage match at The Great American Bash.
 * Sting
 * 1
 * February 29, 1992
 * Milwaukee, MI
 * Won at SuperBrawl II.
 * Big Van Vader
 * 1
 * July 12, 1992
 * Albany, GA
 * Won at The Great American Bash.
 * Ron Simmons
 * 1
 * August 2, 1992
 * Baltimore, MD
 * N/A
 * Big Van Vader
 * 2
 * December 30, 1992
 * Baltimore, MD
 * N/A
 * Sting
 * 2
 * March 11, 1993
 * London, England
 * N/A
 * Ric Flair
 * 2
 * December 27, 1993
 * Charlotte, NC
 * Won at Starrcade.
 * Hulk Hogan
 * 1
 * July 17, 1994
 * Orlando, FL
 * Won at Bash at the Beach.
 * The Giant
 * 1
 * October 29, 1995
 * Detroit, MI
 * Won at Halloween Havoc by disqualification after Jimmy Hart interfered due to a stipulation in the match that the title can change by DQ.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |Vacated on November 6, 1995 due to the controversial finish of the Halloween Havoc match.
 * -style="background:"
 * Randy Savage
 * 1
 * November 26, 1995
 * Norfolk, VA
 * Won at World War 3 in a World War 3 battle royal.
 * Ric Flair
 * 3
 * December 27, 1995
 * Nashville, TN
 * Won at Starrcade.
 * Randy Savage
 * 2
 * January 22, 1996
 * Las Vegas, NV
 * Won on Monday Nitro.
 * Ric Flair
 * 4
 * February 11, 1996
 * St. Petersburg, FL
 * Won in a cage match at SuperBrawl VI.
 * The Giant
 * 2
 * April 22, 1996
 * Albany, GA
 * Won on Nitro.
 * Hulk Hogan
 * 2
 * August 10, 1996
 * Sturgis, SD
 * Won at Hog Wild.
 * Lex Luger
 * 2
 * August 4, 1997
 * Auburn Hills, MI
 * Won on Nitro.
 * Hulk Hogan
 * 3
 * August 9, 1997
 * Albany, GA
 * Won at Road Wild.
 * Sting
 * 3
 * December 28, 1997
 * Washington, D.C.
 * Won at Starrcade. Hogan had pinned Sting but Bret Hart declared the referee Nick Patrick had executed a fast count and restarted the match. Sting made Hogan tap to the Scorpion Death Lock and was declared the winner.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |Vacated on January 8, 1998 due to the controversy surrounding the end of the Starrcade match.
 * -style="background:"
 * Sting
 * 4
 * February 22, 1998
 * San Fransisco, CA
 * Defeated Hogan in a rematch at SuperBrawl VIII to win the vacant title.
 * Randy Savage
 * 3
 * April 19, 1998
 * Denver, CO
 * Won at Spring Stampede.
 * Hulk Hogan
 * 4
 * April 20, 1998
 * Colorado Springs, CO
 * Won in a no disqualification match on Nitro.
 * Goldberg
 * 1
 * July 6, 1998
 * Atlanta, GA
 * Won on Nitro.
 * Kevin Nash
 * 1
 * December 28, 1998
 * Washington, D.C.
 * Won at Starrcade 1998|Starrcade]].
 * Hulk Hogan
 * 5
 * January 4, 1999
 * Atlanta, GA
 * This was the so-called Fingerpoke of Doom on Nitro.
 * Ric Flair
 * 5
 * March 14, 1999
 * Loiusville, KY
 * Won in a first blood steel cage match at Uncensored.
 * Diamond Dallas Page
 * 1
 * April 11, 1999
 * Tacoma, WA
 * Won in a four-way match also involving Hulk Hogan and Sting atSpring Stampede.
 * Sting
 * 5
 * April 26, 1996
 * Fargo, ND
 * Won on Nitro.
 * Diamond Dallas Page
 * 2
 * April 26, 1996
 * Fargo, ND
 * Won in a no disqualification four-way match also involving Kevin Nash and Goldberg on Nitro.
 * Kevin Nash
 * 2
 * May 9, 1999
 * St. Louis, MO
 * Won at Slamboree.
 * Randy Savage
 * 4
 * July 11, 1999
 * Ft. Lauderdale, FL
 * Teamed with Sid Vicious and defeated Nash and Sting in a tag match with the stipulation that whoever makes the pinfall wins the title at Bash at the Beach.
 * Hulk Hogan
 * 6
 * July 12, 1999
 * Jacksonville, FL
 * Won on Nitro.
 * Sting
 * 6
 * September 12, 1999
 * Winston-Salem, NC
 * Won at Fall Brawl.
 * Lex Luger
 * 2
 * August 4, 1997
 * Auburn Hills, MI
 * Won on Nitro.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |Sting is stripped of the title on October 25, 1999 after attacking a referee.
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 * Bret Hart
 * 1
 * November 21, 1999
 * Toronto, Ontario
 * Defeated Chris Benoit in a tournament final at Mayhem to win the vacant title.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |The title is vacated on December 20 after the Starrcade main event between Hart and Goldberg ends with the referee stopping the match due to submission without Goldberg actually submitting.
 * -style="background:"
 * Bret Hart
 * 2
 * December 20, 1999
 * Baltimore, MD
 * Defeated Goldberg in a rematch on Nitro.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |Title vacated on January 16, 2000 due to injury.
 * -style="background:"
 * Chris Benoit
 * 1
 * January 16, 2000
 * Cincinnati, OH
 * Defeats Sid Vicious at Souled Out for the vacant title.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |Title vacated on January 17 when Benoit leaves for the World Wrestling Federation.
 * -style="background:"
 * Sid Vicious
 * 1
 * Las Vegas, NV
 * January 24, 2000
 * Defeated Kevin Nash for the vacant title on Nitro.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |Title stripped that night by Kevin Nash, who is WCW Commisioner.
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 * Kevin Nash
 * 3
 * January 25, 2000
 * Las Vegas, NV
 * Nash awards himself the title.
 * Sid Vicious
 * 2
 * January 25, 2000
 * Las Vegas, NV
 * Aired January 26 on Thunder.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |All WCW Championships are declared vacant on April 10, 2000 by Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo.
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 * Jeff Jarrett
 * 1
 * April 16, 2000
 * Chicago, IL
 * Defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a tournament final at Spring Stampede.
 * Diamond Dallas Page
 * 3
 * April 24, 2000
 * Rochester, NY
 * Won in a cage match on Nitro.
 * David Arquette
 * 1
 * April 25, 2000
 * Syracuse, NY
 * Teamed with Page and defeated Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff in a match where the first person to win gets the title. Aired April 26 on Thunder.
 * Jeff Jarrett
 * 2
 * May 7, 2000
 * Kansas City, MO
 * Won in a triple cage match at Slamboree that also involved Diamond Dallas Page.
 * Ric Flair
 * 6
 * May 15, 2000
 * Biloxi, MS
 * Won on Nitro.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |Flair is stripped of the title by Vince Russo on May 22.
 * -style="background:"
 * Jeff Jarrett
 * 3
 * May 22, 2000
 * Grand Rapids, MI
 * Awarded by Russo on Nitro.
 * Kevin Nash
 * 4
 * May 23, 2000
 * Saginaw, MI
 * Defeats Jarrett and Scott Steiner in a triple threat match. Aired May 24 on Thunder.
 * Ric Flair
 * 7
 * May 29, 2000
 * Salt Lake City, UT
 * Awarded by Nash on Nitro.
 * Jeff Jarrett
 * 4
 * May 29, 2000
 * Grand Rapids, MI
 * Won On Nitro.
 * Jeff Jarrett
 * 3
 * May 22, 2000
 * Grand Rapids, MI
 * Awarded by Russo on Nitro.
 * Booker T
 * 3
 * July 9, 2000
 * Daytona Beach, FL
 * Won at Bash at the Beach.
 * Kevin Nash
 * 5
 * August 28, 2000
 * Las Cruces, NM
 * Won on Nitro.
 * Booker T
 * 2
 * September 17, 2000
 * Buffalo, NY
 * Won in a Caged Heat match at Fall Brawl.
 * Vince Russo
 * 1
 * September 25, 2000
 * Uniondale, NY
 * Won in a cage match on Nitro.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |Russo vacates the title on October 2 claiming he is not a wrestler.
 * -style="background:"
 * Booker T
 * 3
 * October 2, 2000
 * San Francisco, CA
 * Defeats Jeff Jarrett in a San Fransisco 49er's match on Nitro.
 * Scott Steiner
 * 2
 * November 26, 2000
 * Milwaukee, WI
 * Won in a straight-jacket match Mayhem.
 * Booker T
 * 4
 * March 26, 2001
 * Panama City, FL
 * Won on the final edition of WCW Monday Nitro.
 * -style="background: #FEE5AC;"
 * colspan=5|World Championship Wrestling is bought out by the World Wrestling Federation on March 26, 2001. The WCW Championship is brought over to the WWF where it is still referred to as the WCW Championship and defended amongst both WCW and WWF wrestlers.
 * Kurt Angle
 * 1
 * July 24, 2001
 * Pittsburgh, PA
 * Won on the July 26 edition of WWF SmackDown!. Became the first person to win the WCW Championship on World Wrestling Federation programing.
 * Booker T
 * 5
 * July 30, 2001
 * Philadelphia, PA
 * Won on WWF Raw is War.
 * The Rock
 * 1
 * August 19, 2001
 * San Jose, CA
 * Won at SummerSlam.
 * Chris Jericho
 * 1
 * October 21, 2001
 * St. Louis, MO
 * Won at No Mercy.
 * The Rock
 * 2
 * November 5, 2001
 * Uniondale, NY
 * Won on Raw is War. Referred to as simply the "World Championship" on November 19 after the demise of The Alliance.
 * Chris Jericho
 * 2
 * December 9, 2001
 * San Diego, CA
 * Won at Vengeance. The title was then unified with the WWF Championship.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |The WWF and WCW Titles are unified with Jericho's WWF Championship victory over Stone Cold Steve Austin. (See WWE Undisputed Championship)
 * -style="background:"
 * Scott Steiner
 * 2
 * November 26, 2000
 * Milwaukee, WI
 * Won in a straight-jacket match Mayhem.
 * Booker T
 * 4
 * March 26, 2001
 * Panama City, FL
 * Won on the final edition of WCW Monday Nitro.
 * -style="background: #FEE5AC;"
 * colspan=5|World Championship Wrestling is bought out by the World Wrestling Federation on March 26, 2001. The WCW Championship is brought over to the WWF where it is still referred to as the WCW Championship and defended amongst both WCW and WWF wrestlers.
 * Kurt Angle
 * 1
 * July 24, 2001
 * Pittsburgh, PA
 * Won on the July 26 edition of WWF SmackDown!. Became the first person to win the WCW Championship on World Wrestling Federation programing.
 * Booker T
 * 5
 * July 30, 2001
 * Philadelphia, PA
 * Won on WWF Raw is War.
 * The Rock
 * 1
 * August 19, 2001
 * San Jose, CA
 * Won at SummerSlam.
 * Chris Jericho
 * 1
 * October 21, 2001
 * St. Louis, MO
 * Won at No Mercy.
 * The Rock
 * 2
 * November 5, 2001
 * Uniondale, NY
 * Won on Raw is War. Referred to as simply the "World Championship" on November 19 after the demise of The Alliance.
 * Chris Jericho
 * 2
 * December 9, 2001
 * San Diego, CA
 * Won at Vengeance. The title was then unified with the WWF Championship.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |The WWF and WCW Titles are unified with Jericho's WWF Championship victory over Stone Cold Steve Austin. (See WWE Undisputed Championship)
 * -style="background:"
 * 2
 * December 9, 2001
 * San Diego, CA
 * Won at Vengeance. The title was then unified with the WWF Championship.
 * -style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 * colspan="5" |The WWF and WCW Titles are unified with Jericho's WWF Championship victory over Stone Cold Steve Austin. (See WWE Undisputed Championship)
 * -style="background:"