Unlike the WWE World Championship title belt, the WWE Championship has had its share of evolutions over the years. From the classic style that mirrored what Boxing still uses today, to the Attitude Era styles, to the current rendition, which is one half of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (World title being the other).
Since the 1980's there have been roughly seven or so different WWE Championship belts, where the World title has basically stayed the same with the exception of the n.W.o. days, where the groups initials were spray painted on the plate (simple, yet awesome if I might add). If they decide to keep the titles unified as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, curious to see if they keep one of the titles as is, likely the WWE Championship as it is only a year old.
From gold plates, to diamonds, to even snakeskin straps, here are previous versions of the richest prize in Sports Entertainment, here are the WWE Championship belts...
Remember when Hulk Hogan rolled up The Iron Sheik for the win and the WWE Championship? Okay, well you at least remember watching it in highlights over the years, or on youtube. This is the belt that was on the line. Always reminds me of something similar to the old school, traditional boxing belts. This is almost what the current title would look like today if it hadn't evolved over the years.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Bob Backlund, Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan.
Pro-wrestling is now redubbed Sports Entertainment and this is the style basically still used today. Very reminiscent of the World title via WCW and later WWE. When I was younger, wasn't aware that they had name plates of the titles back then. Mind you like this title, there was only one name used really back then.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Hulk Hogan (only)
Similar to the previous rendition, this title belt was only ever held by one person. Adding color would become the standard for years to come, especially the globe in the middle. It looks similar to the WWE tag titles at one point, and possibly an early ECW title belt.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Hulk Hogan (only).
Not sure if it was Hogan's idea, or if it was Vince's, but all I can think of is that it was just another way of keeping things "fresh". Why else would you change the look of the title belt so many times in such a short period, that consisted of zero title changes? Two eagles on this one, a sign of things to come, but looks like an extra fancy Intercontinental Championship belt. Didn't last long like the others though.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Hulk Hogan (only).
The eagle has landed, and we can finally add more names to the list of holders. When it was around someones waste or displayed like it is in the picture the belt looks very appealing. However, when being moved or held in the air, it almost seems to fall apart, looking as though the plates are barely hanging onto the strap. Which was one of the reasons it was changed, but this was the first belt to get a "run" and was held by nothing but the WWF/WWE's best.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Macho Man Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Sgt. Slaughter, Yokozuna, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, etc.
The Attitude Era marked a new way of doing things, and with that came one of the more popular of the WWE Championship belts. Apparently, after getting cut by the eagles wings on the previous belt, Stone Cold asked for a change. It would later be unified with the other top prize of the Monday Night Wars in the World Championship belt, to become the Unified Championship. But, this was a symbol of the Era that topped them all.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Mick Foley, Undertaker, Vince McMahon (yes), and Chris Jericho (while unifying it with World title).
Spin! Spin! Bling! Bling! After how stylish the United States Championship belt looked after John Cena made it into a Spinner belt, I was looking forward to what he would unveil after winning the WWE Championship. Like many fans, I was turned off a bit with it being a bit over the top with the ammount of "bling" and when the WWE logo always hung upside down (which only ever "worked" for Miz's character). It made the Million Dollar Championship belt look simple.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: John Cena, Edge, Randy Orton , Batista, RVD, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Sheamus, The Miz, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio (kind of), Alberto Del Rio, The Rock.
When The Rock came back, even in a part time manner, most of us were pumped. Unlike the current Batista situation, it was set-up in a manner where most of us wanted to see The Rock win the strap and defend it at Wrestlemania when he faced John Cena again. They were able to help soften the blow of CM Punk being the one who had to drop the title to set everything up, by giving us a new WWE Championship strap. Almost looks like a throwback title to the one that started this "look" of using the black leather backing, and also showing how to apply diamonds, etc in a non-over the top manner. Currently part of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship with the WWE World title, and will likely "live on" if and when they split the titles up again. Then again looking at the era in which it resembles (80's), it may not last. And the belt was known as the "WWF Heavyweight Championship" back then. Hmmmm.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: The Rock, John Cena, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan.
There were more than I had originally remembered, but they all registered when forced to take a closer look back. And there were of course different colored straps for some peoples titles runs (Warrior, etc), and if the rumor I had read was true (the Million Dollar belt was created because Vince couldn't get Honky Tonk Man to drop the IC strap to Macho Man who would've dropped the WWE Championship to DiBiase) then we can technically include the WWE Million Dollar Championship belt to the list. It does look a lot nicer now then it did as a kid. Perhaps that is because I don't "hate" the Million Dollar Man anymore.
Will be interesting to see if there will be a new one soon, or how many more will there be in our lifetime (us 70's and 80's kids mainly). Feel free to comment below on your favorite WWE Championship strap, or in the Facebook posting in which you read this. Until then...
Stay Nerdy!
Since the 1980's there have been roughly seven or so different WWE Championship belts, where the World title has basically stayed the same with the exception of the n.W.o. days, where the groups initials were spray painted on the plate (simple, yet awesome if I might add). If they decide to keep the titles unified as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, curious to see if they keep one of the titles as is, likely the WWE Championship as it is only a year old.
From gold plates, to diamonds, to even snakeskin straps, here are previous versions of the richest prize in Sports Entertainment, here are the WWE Championship belts...
Remember when Hulk Hogan rolled up The Iron Sheik for the win and the WWE Championship? Okay, well you at least remember watching it in highlights over the years, or on youtube. This is the belt that was on the line. Always reminds me of something similar to the old school, traditional boxing belts. This is almost what the current title would look like today if it hadn't evolved over the years.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Bob Backlund, Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Hulk Hogan (only)
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Hulk Hogan (only).
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Hulk Hogan (only).
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Macho Man Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Sgt. Slaughter, Yokozuna, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, etc.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Mick Foley, Undertaker, Vince McMahon (yes), and Chris Jericho (while unifying it with World title).
For many, self includes, a favorite. It was the first time we has really seen a customized belt, and it was very well done and not cheesy like Jeff Hardy's TNA title belt. Even the strap was made from snake skin, keeping with the character of Stone Cold Steve Austin. Of course the Texas Rattlesnake wasn't the only holder of this belt, but the matches between the two for it were epic.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock.
The Monday Night Wars had ended, and were given something that would never have occured if they hadn't of ended, and if WWE hadn't of won (WCW would've likely done something to the belt instead of what WWE did). It was almost fitting that it was Chris Jericho who at that time symbolized both sides of the war, although Y2J never held this strap, as they finally went the "one belt" route after he dropped them at Wrestlemania X-8 to Triple H. It was only known as the WWE Unified Championship briefly, as Brock Lesner would make it "the" title of Smackdown! after they split the brands.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, The Rock, Brock Lesner, Big Show, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, JBL, John Cena.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: John Cena, Edge, Randy Orton , Batista, RVD, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Sheamus, The Miz, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio (kind of), Alberto Del Rio, The Rock.
NOTABLE HOLDERS: The Rock, John Cena, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan.
There were more than I had originally remembered, but they all registered when forced to take a closer look back. And there were of course different colored straps for some peoples titles runs (Warrior, etc), and if the rumor I had read was true (the Million Dollar belt was created because Vince couldn't get Honky Tonk Man to drop the IC strap to Macho Man who would've dropped the WWE Championship to DiBiase) then we can technically include the WWE Million Dollar Championship belt to the list. It does look a lot nicer now then it did as a kid. Perhaps that is because I don't "hate" the Million Dollar Man anymore.
Will be interesting to see if there will be a new one soon, or how many more will there be in our lifetime (us 70's and 80's kids mainly). Feel free to comment below on your favorite WWE Championship strap, or in the Facebook posting in which you read this. Until then...
Stay Nerdy!
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