The WWE Championship officially turns 60 years old this week. The title’s origins trace back to 1963 when the World Wide Wrestling Federation pulled its affiliation from the National Wrestling Alliance and chose to not recognize Buddy Rogers losing the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to Lous Thesz in January of that year. Rogers was crowned the first WWWF World Heavyweight Champion, and while Vince McMahon Sr. would advertise him as the company’s world champion the day after his match with Thesz, WWE doesn’t officially recognize the title reign starting until April 25, 1963.ย
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WWE announced on Sunday that it will celebrate the title’s six decades of history this week on social media with WWE Championship Week. This began with WWE’s YouTube Channel counting down the 30 greatest WWE Championship wins of all time.
“This week marks the 60-year anniversary of sports entertainment’s most prestigious title, the WWE Championship,” WWE’s announcement read. “Now in the possession of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, the WWE Title was first won by ‘Nature Boy’ Buddy Rogers on April 25, 1963. In the decades following Rogers’ seminal feat, as WWE grew from a regional operation to the global phenomenon that it is today, the WWE Championship remained a constant. It has stood alone as the ultimate prize to all Superstars, a coveted distinction reserved for only the best of the best, with luminaries such as John Cena, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Bruno Sammartino counted among its titleholders.
“In recognition of the title’s 60-year milestone, today WWE is kicking off WWE Championship Week, a weeklong celebration on social media,” it continued. “Stay tuned to WWE’s social channels all week long to relive or discover for the first time the epic clashes, unforgettable moments and larger-than-life champions that have made the WWE Title an enduring force for more than half a century. From special editions of WWE Top 10 and WWE Playlist, to original video features and never-before-seen photos, WWE Championship Week is not to be missed!”
Rogers’ only title reign would end mere weeks later when he dropped the championship to Bruno Sammartino. “The Living Legend” still dominates the title’s record books with its longest reign (2,803 days) and most cumulative days with the title at 4,040. John Cena holds the record for most reigns with the title at 13 across 1,254 cumulative days.
