Wrestling's Greatest World Heavyweight Champions

1. Lou Thesz

Actor | Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits

Lou Thesz is one of wrestling's living legends. Thesz started wrestling in the 1930s, and from the 1930s to the 1960s, he was one of the most dominant figures in the business. Thesz won his first World Heavyweight Title in the 1930s, and went on to become a 6-time World Heavyweight Champion, many ...

2. Verne Gagne

Producer | The Wrestler

An amateur and professional wrestling legend, Verne Gagne's career covers the entire period of wrestling from the "real" to "fake" to "entertainment" eras. Gagne won two NCAA wrestling championships while at the University of Minnesota, and was a member of the 1948 Olympic Wrestling team for the ...

3. Bruno Sammartino

Actor | WWE SmackDown

Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). There, he held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (WWWF Heavyweight Championship during his second reign) for more than 11 ...

4. Harley Race

Actor | WWWF Championship Wrestling

Harley Race is one of the foremost legends of professional wrestling. He is an 8-time NWA Heavyweight Champion and has held numerous other titles over his career that has spanned four decades.

Harley won his first NWA World Title in Kansas City in 1973 when he defeated Dory Funk Jr. Harley feels ...

5. Bob Backlund

Actor | WWWF Championship Wrestling

Robert Louis Backlund is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation from 1976 to 1984 and in the 1990s, where he held the WWWF Championship/WWF Championship on two occasions. His first...

6. Ric Flair

Actor | WWE Monday Night RAW

Richard Morgan Fliehr isn't what you'd expect from a professional wrestler. A medical student at Minnesota University (his father was a doctor, his mother an actress), Flair dropped out college to train for the mat wars under legendary former AWA World champ Verne Gagne. He made his professional ...

7. Nick Bockwinkel

Actor | Hawaii Five-O

The son of a professional wrestler (Warren Bockwinkel), it was only natural for Nick Bockwinkel to follow in his father's profession. Bockwinkel wrestled for several years in various regions, but gained his greatest fame in the now-defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). He and tag-team ...

8. Hulk Hogan

Actor | Suburban Commando

Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s.

Hogan began his professional wrestling career in ...

9. Steve Borden

Actor | Ready to Rumble

Born as Steve Borden, Sting has held the WCW World Title 10 times and multiple other titles. He has been the only wrestler to stay in WCW since the late 1980s and he had a reconstructive knee surgery in 1991. Steve was also the only wrestler from WCW who never worked for WWE until 2014 when he made...

10. Pedro Morales

Actor | WWF Superstars of Wrestling

Pedro Morales was born on October 22, 1942 in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. He was an actor, known for WWF Superstars (1986), Saturday Night's Main Event (1985) and WWF Prime Time Wrestling (1985). He was married to Karen Johnson. He died on February 11, 2019 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, USA.

11. Dory Funk Jr.

Actor | World Wide Wrestling

Semi-retired American professional wrestler and trainer who had great success all over the world. Prior to wrestling, he was one of the many future stars who played football for West Texas State University. He debuted in 1963 after training under his father Dory Funk Sr. and Lou Thesz. While ...

12. Billy Graham

Actor | WWWF Championship Wrestling

Eldridge Wayne Coleman better known by his ring name "Superstar" Billy Graham, is an American former professional wrestler. He gained recognition for his tenure as the WWWF Heavyweight Champion in 1977-1978. He is a three-time world champion in major professional wrestling promotions. As an ...

13. Randy Savage

Actor | Spider-Man

One of the most colorful wrestlers in and out of the ring, Randy "Macho Man" Savage became a larger-than-life pop icon along with other wrestling superstars, such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka (aka "Superfly Jimmy Snuka"), Jesse Ventura and Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock").

When ...

14. Terry Funk

Actor | Road House

Funk has strong wrestling bloodlines. His dad, Dory Funk Sr., was a well-known grappler from the 1940s to the 1970s, and his brother, Dory Funk Jr., wrestled from 1963 until the early 90s, and won the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) world heavyweight championship in 1969. Funk, himself, became ...

15. Jeff Jarrett

Actor | Spring Breakers

Jeff Jarrett was trained in the USWA which was run by his father. He wrestled for his father's promotion throughout the 80's before hitting the big time in the early 90's. Jarrett had his first major run in the WWF - winning the Intercontinental Title 6 times before joining WCW. His career sky ...

16. Buddy Rogers

Self | WWWF Championship Wrestling

Buddy Rogers was born on February 20, 1921 in Camden, New Jersey, USA. He died on June 22, 1992 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

17. Antonio Inoki

Director | NJPW New Summer Series

Japan's Antonio Inoki is a "living" legend in Asia. The greatest wrestler ever to step in the ring in Asia, he just may be the greatest wrestler of all times. One of the first great wrestlers to compete in "real" fights. Inoki has some of the most impressive fight stats in mat history. His ...

18. Jerry Lawler

Actor | Man on the Moon

Jerry Lawler was born on November 29, 1949 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Man on the Moon (1999), WWE Raw (1993) and WWE '13 (2012). He was previously married to Stacy Carter, Paula Jean Carruth and Martha Kay Williams.

19. Stan Hansen

Actor | No Holds Barred

Refused to drop the American Wrestling Association heavyweight title in 1984, even when told directly by AWA president Verne Gagne. Never officially dropped the title and was stripped of it for failure to defend it in thirty days. When the AWA asked him to return the belt since he wasn't champion ...

20. Kurt Angle

Actor | Warrior

Kurt Angle was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He won a Olympic Gold Medal in 1996 having notoriously won it with a broken neck. In 1998 he transitioned into professional wrestling where he sky rocked to success after joining the World Wrestling Federation. He later became the first ever ...

21. Richard Blood

Actor | WWWF Championship Wrestling

Retired American professional wrestler of Japanese descent as Ricky Steamboat. He trained under Verne Gagne, and first made his name in the old Mid-Atlantic territory in the Carolinas. He had many legendary matches and feuds with Ric Flair, culminating in their epic "Holy Trilogy" of matches at WCW...

22. Bret Hart

Actor | WWWF Championship Wrestling

Bret Hart is one of Canada's most successful wrestlers. He is also recognized as one of the worlds best wrestlers ever. Hart comes from the legendary Hart Family of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He owns a junior hockey team named after him and has his own column in the Calgary Sun. Bret has held the ...

23. Larry Pfohl

Actor | WCW Monday Nitro

Larry Pfohl was born on June 2, 1958 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for WCW Monday Nitro (1995), WCW Worldwide (1975) and Superboy (1988). He was previously married to Peggy Fulbright.

24. Jimmy Snuka

Actor | WWWF Championship Wrestling

Jimmy Snuka is a classic example of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (formerly known as World Wrestling Federation (WWF)) bad guy who became a baby-face (a good guy) without trying. Originally a "heel", he came into the WWE under the guidance of heel manager Capt. Lou Albano. After receiving...

25. Leon White

Actor | Fist of the North Star

Leon Allen White (May 14, 1955 - June 18, 2018), better known by his ring names Big Van Vader or simply Vader, was an American professional wrestler and professional football player. Throughout his career, he performed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the ...

26. Rick Martel

Actor | Pro Wrestling USA

Richard Vigneault is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, trainer, and television presenter, better known by his ring name, Rick Martel. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. Championships ...

27. Shane Douglas

Actor | WCW Monday Nitro

Troy Allan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as Dean Douglas, and Total Nonstop Action ...

28. Bill Goldberg

Actor | The Longest Yard

William Scott Goldberg , better commonly known as Goldberg, is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former American football player. He is best-known for his time in WCW and WWE.

Goldberg is one of the most popular figures of the late 1990s/early 2000s professional wrestling boom. He is ...

29. Curt Hennig

Actor | Ready to Rumble

Curt Hennig was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the son of one of wrestlings all time legends - Larry Hennig - Aka Larry The Ax Hennig. Curtbegan training to follow in his fathers footsteps when he was just 12 years old. Starting off in the AWA - Curt began his career as a tag team wrestler. He...

30. AJ Styles

Actor | WWE SmackDown

Allen Neal Jones best known by the ring name AJ Styles is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE. Long regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world, Styles has headlined numerous pay-per-view events internationally.

Styles debuted in 1998 and competed for various independent...

31. Booker Huffman

Actor | WCW Monday Nitro

Booker T. Huffman Jr. better known by his ring name Booker T, is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter and color commentator. He is signed to WWE, and is also the owner and founder of the independent promotion Reality of Wrestling (ROW) in Texas City, Texas. Booker has ...

32. Scott Steiner

Actor | WWE SmackDown

Scott Steiner has been a mainstay in professional wrestling for over 15 years. When he started out in the business, he was a singles wrestler, wrestling in some smaller federations before coming to the NWA (WCW) to team with his older brother, Rick. It was at this time that Steiner became world ...

33. Tatsumi Fujinami

Director | NJPW Adios Perro En Japon

Tatsumi Fujinami was born on December 28, 1953 in Oita, Japan. He is a director and actor, known for NJPW Adios Perro En Japon (2000), NJPW Summer Struggle (2000) and NJPW G1 Climax (2000).

34. Dan Severn

Actor | WWE Monday Night RAW

Dan "The Beast" Severn is a legend in amateur and professional wrestling and Martial Arts. Born in Coldwater, Michigan, on June 9, 1959, he excelled in wrestling in both high school and college. A winner of over 500 amateur victories and numerous titles, he was an alternate on the USA Olympic ...

35. Larry Whistler

Actor | Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies

Larry Whistler was born on December 5, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies (2014), WWF Championship Wrestling (1972) and WCW Worldwide (1975). He has been married to Kathleen Gagne since September 21, 1988. They have two children.

36. Ken Shamrock

Self | WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kick-boxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and other combat sports. A member of the UFC Hall of Fame, Shamrock is widely regarded as...

37. Barry Windham

Actor | The Wrestlers: Land of a Thousand Dances

Barry Clinton Windham is an American retired professional wrestler. The son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan, he is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

In NWA/WCW, he was a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a one-time...

38. Masahiro Chôno

Actor | WCW Monday Nitro

Masahiro Chôno was born on September 17, 1963 in Mitaka City, Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor, known for WCW Monday Nitro (1995), Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends - The Movie (2009) and Kantoku · Banzai! (2007). He has been married to Martina Carls since December 28, 1991. They have ...

39. Keiji Mutô

Actor | ROH: Final Battle 2003

Keiji Mutô was born on December 23, 1962 in Yamanashi, Japan. He is an actor and director, known for ROH: Final Battle 2003 (2003), WCW Thunder (1998) and All Japan Pro Wrestling 2002 Real World Tag League Gaora TV Special (2002).

40. Kerry Von Erich

Actor | Problem Child

Kerry Adkisson was born on February 3, 1960, to Jack and Doris Adkisson. Jack was a wrestler, so most of Jack's children followed in his footsteps (one child, Jack Adkisson, Jr., tragically died in 1959 from electrocution). Kerry was a standout discus thrower at University of Houston, and actually ...

41. Ron Simmons

Actor | WWF War Zone

Ronald Simmons is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/E) under both his real name ...

42. Scott Levy

Actor | WCW Monday Nitro

Few antagonists in the history of sports-entertainment have stirred as much controversy in the squared circle as the man from The Bowery called Raven. The grungy sociopath terrorized opponents and fans alike in major wrestling organizations including TNA, WWE, WCW, ROH and the original incarnation ...

43. Reginald Lisowski

Actor | The Wrestler

Reginald Lisowski was born on July 11, 1926 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for The Wrestler (1974), AWA All-Star Wrestling (1972) and SuperClash '85 (1985). He was married to Faye Lisowski. He died on October 22, 2005 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

44. Gene Kiniski

Actor | Terminal City Ricochet

Gene Kiniski was born on November 23, 1928 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was an actor, known for Terminal City Ricochet (1990), Double Happiness (1994) and Paradise Alley (1978). He died on April 14, 2010 in Blaine, Washington, USA.

45. Fritz Von Erich

Actor | World Class Championship Wrestling: Star Wars

Fritz Von Erich was born on August 16, 1929 in Jewett, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for World Class Championship Wrestling: Star Wars (1981), The Von Erichs: Front Row Ringside (1987) and AWA All-Star Wrestling (1972). He was married to Doris Adkisson. He died on September 10, 1997 in Lake ...

46. Maurice Vachon

Actor | AWA All-Star Wrestling

Maurice Vachon was born on September 14, 1929 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was an actor, known for AWA All-Star Wrestling (1972), WWF Championship Wrestling (1972) and WWF Prime Time Wrestling (1985). He was married to Kathy Joe. He died on November 21, 2013 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

47. Dick Afflis

Actor | The Escapist

Dick Afflis was born on June 27, 1929 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for The Escapist (1983), Wrestling at the Chase (1959) and SuperClash '85 (1985). He died on November 10, 1991 in Tampa, Florida, USA.

48. Dusty Rhodes

Actor | WWE Monday Night RAW

"The American Dream" has been one of the most popular and colorful professional wrestlers in history. Rhodes began wrestling in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler. He teamed early in his career with fellow Texan, the late Dick Murdoch, and, for more than 20 ...

49. Jumbo Tsuruta

Self | AWA All-Star Wrestling

50. Yokozuna

Actor | WWE Monday Night RAW

The man who would eventually become known as Yokozuna was born in San Francisco on October 22, 1966. He came from a wrestling family, as his uncles were Afa Anoai and Sika Anoai. He was trained by his uncles and Sam Fatu as a teenager and wrestled in Alabama and the USWA under the name Kokina Anoai...

51. Jim Hellwig

Actor | WrestleMania VI

Standing out than the rest, Ultimate Warrior became one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE (back then in the WWF). During his run from the 1980s-90s, Warrior became known for high high energy when running down to the ring with his music hits, shaking the ropes during his entrance, his ...

52. Terry Brunk

Actor | WCW Monday Nitro

Terry Michael Brunk is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Sabu. He is known for his trademark style of hardcore wrestling, which he pioneered in his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 2000. He is a three-time World Heavyweight Champion ...

53. Rob Van Dam

Actor | 3-Headed Shark Attack

He was trained by the Original Sheik, Ed Farhat, who was one of pro-wrestling's classic and greatest bad guys. Even though their styles are quite different (Sheik being a wild hardcore-style brawler, known for throwing fire, cutting his opponent's forehead's up with foreign objects like a pencil, ...

54. Joe Seanoa

Actor | ROH: Final Battle 2003

Nuufolau Joel Seanoa is an American professional wrestler and color commentator, better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he is the company's World Champion since December 30th, 2023. During his career, Joe has also worked for Total Nonstop Action ...

55. Jerry Lynn

Actor | WCW Monday Nitro

Jerry Lynn was born on June 12, 1963 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He is an actor, known for WCW Monday Nitro (1995), TNA iMPACT! Wrestling (2004) and ECW: Hardcore Revolution (2000). He has been married to Pam since January 3, 2004. They have two children.

56. Paul Wight

Actor | Jingle All the Way

Paul also played college basketball at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville from 1992 to 1993, and was a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Cougars basketball team. Paul is a member of the Xi Beta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Southern ...

57. Sid Eudy

Actor | WCW Monday Nitro

Sidney Raymond Eudy is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his various Sid gimmicks, each distinguished by the ring names Sid Justice, Sid Vicious, and Sycho Sid in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE). Between those ...

58. Shawn Michaels

Actor | WWE Monday Night RAW

Began his career in Texas. Trained by the legendary Jose Lothario, Shawn Michaels wrestled in Kansas, where he met fellow wrestler, Marty Jannetty. A year later, after sending tapes of his matches to the major wrestling companies at the time, he was contacted by the AWA, who proposed that he team ...

59. Jeff Hardy

Actor | WWE SmackDown

Jeffrey Nero Hardy is an American professional wrestler and musician. Born and raised in Cameron, North Carolina, Hardy started his career as a youth performing in the Trampoline Wrestling Federation, which he started alongside his brother Matt Hardy. Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest ...

60. Tommy Rich

Actor | World Wide Wrestling

Tommy Rich was born on July 26, 1956 in Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA. He is an actor, known for WCW Worldwide (1975), Pro Wrestling USA (1984) and ECW Born To Be Wired (1997). He was previously married to Terry.