Every wrestler’s ultimate goal is to be trusted to serve as a world champion. While countless men and women have achieved that dream throughout the history of professional wrestling, only a select few have been trusted with the position on multiple occasions.
At WrestleMania 41, John Cena set a new record for the number of world championships recognized by WWE, wrestling’s biggest promotion. Cena defeated Cody Rhodes at the event to win his 17th world title, breaking a long-standing tie with Ric Flair.
Let’s look at the ten men who have held the most world championships in wrestling history, as recognized by WWE.
Most recognized title reigns all time
| Wrestler | Number of reigns |
|---|---|
| John Cena | 17 |
| Ric Flair | 16 |
| Triple H | 14 |
| Randy Orton | 14 |
| Hulk Hogan | 12 |
| Edge | 11 |
| Brock Lesnar | 10 |
| The Rock | 10 |
| Sting | 10 |
| Verne Gagne | 10 |
Sting could technically be considered a 14-time champion, but WWE does not recognize his four reigns as TNA world champion. Similarly, Flair technically holds more than 16 world titles, but several are not recognized for a variety of reasons.
Reigns on the women’s side can be equally complicated, with NXT title reigns no longer recognized by WWE as world championship reigns, leaving Charlotte Flair a few steps behind her father at this point. In addition, WWE does not recognize Mickie James’ six TNA knockouts championship reigns.
Let’s take a look at the top five women with the most championship reigns, as recognized by WWE.
| Wrestler | Number of reigns |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Flair | 14 |
| Becky Lynch | 8 |
| Sasha Banks | 7 |
| Trish Stratus | 7 |
| Mickie James | 6 |