10 Wrestling Feuds Based On A Stolen Championship
Isabella Bartlett 
Winning a championship is considered the mark of a top wrestler in an organization because it signifies that they are the best in their division for a point in time. Holding on to a title is a great accomplishment and is the purpose for many wrestlers each day as they strive to achieve success. While not every wrestler is fortunate enough to become champion, those who do hold on to their titles with pride.
10 Most One-Sided World Title Matches In WWE History
WWE championships are usually contested in highly competitive matches between top stars. However, there have also been one-sided title matches.However, those who spend their careers vying for championships may take alternative routes to garner their titles. Regardless of which division it is, wrestlers have been known to steal championships to get ownership of them. While this does not result in a legitimate title reign, it is used as a bargaining chip to goad a wrestler into giving them a title shot.
10 The Rock Stole The Smoking Skull Belt
The Rock & "Stone Cold" Steve Austin - WWE
Number of WWE Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
The Rock | 8 | 378 |
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin | 6 | 529 |
There is no denying the impact that the feud between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock had on the professional wrestling industry. As two of the most recognizable wrestlers in the world, they helped set the wrestling world on fire in the nineties, and WWE would not have been the same without them.
At the peak of their feud over the WWE Championship, The Rock had stolen Austin's custom-made Smoking Skull Championship belt and proceeded to throw it and Austin off of a bridge during a 1999 episode of RAW. Following their WrestleMania 15 match which saw Austin victorious, this helped add heat to their already incredibly hot feud.
9 Jay White Wanted The Triple B Very Badly
Jay White & MJF - AEW
Number of AEW World Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
Jay White | 0 | 0 |
MJF | 1 | 372+ |
Despite being an incredibly decorated champion of New Japan Pro Wrestling, many American fans are unaware of just how special Jay White can be inside a wrestling ring. After officially signing with AEW in 2023, the world quickly took notice of what White can accomplish when given the opportunity.
10 Current AEW Wrestlers Who Will Be In WWE By 2025
Which AEW wrestler is likely to follow Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill to WWE before the year 2025?White's first big feud in AEW was against the reigning AEW World Champion, MJF and things started out in a big way. After berating MJF over his recent partnership with Adam Cole, White stole MJF's prized championship and held it hostage until he was given a championship opportunity. While things did not pan out for White, this feud did succeed in putting him on the radar for AEW fans.
8 Billy Graham Had Enough With Bob Backlund As Champion
"Superstar" Billy Graham & Bob Backlund - WWE
Number of WWE Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
"Superstar" Billy Graham | 1 | 296 |
Bob Backlund | 2 | 2,138 |
"Superstar" Billy Graham was arguably the first flamboyant champion in WWE's history, with his tye-dye aesthetic and muscled-up physique paving the way for future stars like Hulk Hogan. After ending Bruno Sammartino's second WWE Championship reign in 1977, Backlund held the title until a new, young baby face was ready to take over.
Graham lost the title to Bob Backlund in 1978, who would go on to hold the championship for over five years. However, Graham did come back to try and regain his title in 1983 and would go so far as to destroy Backlund's belt by pulling it apart with his bare hands.
7 Mr. Perfect Tries To End Hulkamania
Mr. Perfect & Hulk Hogan - WWE
Number of WWE Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig | 0 | 0 |
Hulk Hogan | 6 | 2,188 |
"Mr. Perfect" Curt Henning is often cited as the kind of wrestler who should have been provided more main event opportunities based on his skill level and abilities inside of the ring. Ultimately, Perfect's career is defined by being a strong upper-mid card talent, and not by his cups of coffee in the main event scene.
5 WWE Intercontinental Champions Who Should Have Been Main Eventers (& 5 Who Shouldn't Have)
While some WWE Intercontinental Champions deserved more main event time, others were better off staying in the midcard.However, Perfect was one of the few wrestlers who can claim to have one-uped Hulk Hogan during his historic run in the 1980s. To goad Hogan into a WWE Championship match, Hennig stole Hogan's title belt and destroyed it with a hammer during an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event.
6 Kevin Nash Wants The WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Kevin Nash & Jeff Jarrett - WCW
Number of WCW Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
Kevin Nash | 5 | 97 |
Jeff Jarrett | 4 | 59 |
Out of any world championship, few were handled worse than the WCW World Heavyweight Championship during its final years. At one point, it was considered to be one of the most prestigious championships in the wrestling industry, but it became a watered-down version of itself after being passed around too much.
After being vacated for the fourth time in five months, Jeff Jarrett was awarded the championship during a 2000 episode of Nitro. Instead, Kevin Nash literally stole the belt from him and was then forced to defend it in a No Holds Barred match that evening, in which Jarrett legitimately won the title.
5 Damien Looks After The Million Dollar Championship
Jake "The Snake" Roberts & "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase - WWE
Number of Million Dollar Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
Jake "The Snake" Roberts | 0 | 0 |
"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase | 2 | 979 |
Jake "The Snake" Roberts infamously did not hold any championship in WWE during his legendary run as one of the most popular wrestlers on the roster. However, his connection with fans ensured that he did not require a championship to be considered a superstar.
While he did challenge for championships over the years, he was never successful. Perhaps that is why he decided to take matters into his own hands in 1989 when he stole Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Championship and kept it in his snake's bag. With Damien looking after the title, he goaded DiBiase into a championship match to try and win his first title but was unsuccessful.
4 Stone Cold Throws The Rock's Title In The River
The Rock & "Stone Cold" Steve Austin - WWE
Number of WWE Intercontinental Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
The Rock | 2 | 337 |
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin | 2 | 93 |
While their feud over the WWE Championship years later would be what set the wrestling world on fire, The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin crossed paths earlier in their careers before reaching the main event level. While both were striving to become great Intercontinental champions, they would begin a running trope in their feud together.
10 Times Wrestlers Feuded Over A Stolen Item
There are a surprising number of wrestling feuds that have started with one wrestler stealing something important from someone else.While in his second reign as Intercontinental champion, Austin had his belt stolen by The Rock who was trying to prove he was better than Austin. Ultimately, Austin took his belt back but used his pickup truck during their match and was forced to forfeit the championship to The Rock as a result. Instead of handing things over quietly, Austin proceeded to throw the championship into the river.
3 Raven Attacked DDP on MTV
Raven & Diamond Dallas Page - WCW
Number of WCW United States Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
Raven | 2 | 147 |
Diamond Dallas Page | 2 | 93 |
Despite their creative issues as a company, there is no denying that WCW had an incredible roster full of talent. From top to bottom, the company was full of wrestlers trying to become the best, which included a sold mid-card division vying for the WCW United States Championship.
Leading into their 1998 Spring Stampede match, Raven attacked champion Diamond Dallas Page on an episode of MTV Live and proceeded to steal the belt before the match. With members of the Foo Fighters watching, the two brawled on the show with Raven achieving the psychological edge leading into his title shot.
2 Ric Flair Is The Real World's Champion
Ric Flair & WCW - WWE
Number of WWE Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
Ric Flair | 2 | 118 |
Ric Flair's numerous world championships over his long career have made him a bonafide legend in the wrestling business, and he is one of the few wrestlers to have been successful in both WWE and WCW. However, the controversy surrounding his first run in WWE remains one of the most interesting parts of his career.
Flair left WCW for WWE while he was the reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and due to a dispute over money, Flair took the title belt with him to WWE in 1991. Referring to himself as the "real world's champion", he even brought the big gold belt onto television with him, leading to lawsuits between the companies over the stolen championship belt.
1 Everyone Says They Are The Intercontinental Champion
WrestleMania 31 Ladder Match - WWE
Number of WWE Intercontinental Championships | Combined Days Held | |
|---|---|---|
Daniel Bryan | 1 | 43 |
Bad News Barrett | 5 | 391 |
Dean Ambrose | 3 | 244 |
Dolph Ziggler | 6 | 363 |
Luke Harper | 1 | 26 |
R-Truth | 0 | 0 |
Cody Rhodes | 2 | 254 |
In one of the most stacked ladder matches in WWE history, seven wrestlers vied for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31. With Bad News Barrett as the reigning champion, he faced four former Intercontinental champions and a slew of worthy contenders over his title.
Leading into the event, each contender claimed that they had ownership over the championship and took possession of the belt leading into the match. Ultimately, with the title held up above the ring, it was Daniel Bryan who came out victorious and was able to hang onto the title over the others.
