Can You Remember These Former WWE World Champions?

Being a world champion in any given sport isn't exactly an easy thing to do, and even if the champion in question may not be the most popular individual in the world, that doesn't mean we shouldn't respect their accomplishments. When it comes to pro wrestling that's particularly true, as the majority of title winners, both young and old, always seem to receive pretty mixed receptions.

The nature of the business means that most things are pre-determined, but more often than not, you can't just be thrust to the top and expect to find success. That isn't how this game works anymore.

Anyway, onto the subject matter at hand: actually naming the guys and girls that have held world titles in WWE. It can often be difficult to differentiate between certain names and certain superstars, which is kind of what we're hoping for here.

We don't want this quiz to be a walk in the park for you guys, because we want to see you get challenged. Even the most committed of WWE fans will be forced to look twice at a few of these selections, which always makes for fun conversations and debate.

It's no secret that the company is in a bit of a precarious position right now, as the rise of All Elite Wrestling could put them under the most pressure they've felt since the Monday Night Wars with WCW. That may sound like a bit of an overstatement, but give it a year or two and we'll see where things are at.

Sources: WWE

Question 1

Who is this former WWE world champion?

When it comes to rising up through the indies, there are very few stars who have had as much of a meteoric success story than this man in recent years. He has been able to thrive off of his 'betrayal' act on more than one occasion, using it to springboard himself to the very top. He's certainly had a few down moments too as we've come to expect from WWE's top stars, but every single time he has dusted himself off and fired back twice as hard. He's a bit different, but we'd say that different is a good thing in the modern era of pro wrestling.

Question 2

Who is this former WWE world champion?

You just don't get better than The Heartbreak Kid in regards to in ring quality. He isn't thought of in the same regard as The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair or even John Cena in terms of star power, but amongst wrestling fans, he's an absolute god. His first run in WWE was good enough but then when he was able to come back from a seemingly career-ending injury, he confirmed himself to be a pretty immortal figure. He wound up returning last year after initially retiring back in 2010, but hopefully, fans will choose not to remember that fact.

Question 3

Who is this former WWE world champion?

Despite the fact that he's best known for being a mayor these days, it was his run as The Big Red Monster that really put this wrestler turned politician on the map. How he was able to make that transition successfully we'll never know, because he did some seriously crazy stuff throughout his time in WWE. But don't allow yourself to be fooled by the manner in which we're phrasing this: he deserved everything he got, and then some. He was a gentle giant and he was a superb performer, even if there are some folks out there who still don't want to give him any credit.

Question 4

Who is this former WWE world champion?

A mysterious man with a mysterious purpose - and yet despite not being in WWE for as long as some of the legends we've come to love, he's still an incredibly highly regarded performer. He hasn't always been given the 'right' kind of booking in the eyes of some fans, but that hasn't stopped him from reaching the very top of the company. He won the WWE Championship back in 2017 at Elimination Chamber, and despite only holding it for a month, it felt like he was in the position that he had always deserved to be in. Can he return to that point? We really hope so.

Question 5

Who is this former WWE world champion?

Viva La Raza. It's tough to talk about this absolute legend without referencing his early passing, because it left such a huge impact on the business and everyone in it. Still, even with that being the case, his actual run is worth talking about in its own right - because he was really, really good. Despite that it never felt as if he was destined to reach the top of the mountain, until in 2004 when he dethroned Brock Lesnar and won the WWE Championship in the process. It was the underdog story to end all underdog stories, and we loved it.

Question 6

Who is this former WWE world champion?

There's a reason why this guy is still so highly regarded in the business, even after all these years. He was a phenomenon unlike any other, to the point where people would go out of their way to pay to see him - because he was an absolute medical marvel. He shouldn't have been able to move let alone do some of the stuff he was capable of in the ring, but hey, that's one of the reasons why we love the guy. The legendary stories of his drinking and his actions in and outside of the ring only add to his greatness, too.

Question 7

Who is this former WWE world champion?

When it comes to the whole 'she's not like most girls' act, this woman stands tall above the rest as the ultimate definition of a unique superstar. In addition to tearing her way through the women's division, she was also an incredibly influential part of one of the most iconic factions in WWE history. She was also considered to be on the verge of challenging (and perhaps even winning) the WWE Championship at one stage, which would've been an absolutely huge moment in the history of professional wrestling. Even without that, though, she is one of the greatest of all time.

Question 8

Who is this former WWE world champion?

The most electrifying man in sports entertainment? You betcha. We're talking about someone who is quite simply one of the biggest stars on the planet today, and you won't find too many folks who would argue with that sentiment. His roots stem from professional wrestling which is how he was first able to make a name for himself, but beyond the squared circle, he has found even more success in Hollywood and beyond. We couldn't be happier to call him a part of the WWE family even though we're such a small part of it, because he is one of the top dogs - now and forever.

Question 9

Who is this former WWE world champion?

This man was once considered to be the best in the world, although you may best know him for his controversies as opposed to his success. He put together a fantastic run that saw him hold onto the WWE Championship for well over a year, he wrestled some of the best of the best, and he had a big blow-up with the company that led to his departure back in 2014. As you can probably imagine by that description it's been a really interesting journey for this fella, and he even wound up testing himself inside of the UFC's Octagon.

Question 10

Who is this former WWE world champion?

We don't think it's unfair to suggest that this gentleman was never pinpointed as someone that could win a world title in WWE - and yet, that's exactly what he did. In fact, he was the first ever Universal Champion after winning it at SummerSlam a few years ago (although he was only able to hold onto it for a day due to injury). You may know him best these days for his amusing anecdotes on social media, but hopefully, if he can start to rebuild some of his lost momentum, he'll be back in the title picture before we know it.

Question 11

Who is this former WWE world champion?

Heading into this year's WrestleMania, this girl was the hottest thing going both in and outside of the ring. She was able to rise up through the ranks in a manner that we hadn't seen in years, with some even comparing her to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Her story in WWE started long before that, though, as she first made a name for herself down in NXT before finally being called up to the main roster. She's as tough as they come and we probably wouldn't be all too surprised to see her venture into mixed martial arts when she's done, too.

Question 12

Who is this former WWE world champion?

He may be a little bit polarising and his best days are certainly behind him, but that didn't prevent this legend from going on one last memorable run back in 2016 and 2017. He wound up capturing the Universal Championship, winning the strap more than a decade after his glory days in WCW. He isn't the most technical star in the world, but to be honest, he doesn't really need to be. This man has his own unique style that has always seemed to work for him, and there's no reason to suggest that he can't be successful again when he returns in Saudi Arabia.

Question 13

Who is this former WWE world champion?

Utter perfection. I mean seriously, just look at this woman's portfolio of work and try telling me that you aren't impressed. She was never supposed to be one of the premier success stories coming out of the brand split, and yet, she took the ball and ran with it (and then some). She has constantly been improving in the ring as the years have gone on, her mic work is absolutely fantastic, and she's done 95% of her work as a heel - which is amusing, because in real life, she comes across as an absolute sweetheart. Fantastic performer? We think so.

Question 14

Who is this former WWE world champion?

We're going to go a little bit 'old school' with our next selection, but make no mistake about it, this man still deserves your respect. In addition to being a fantastic wrestler, he was also able to transition into a brand new gimmick in what everyone thought was the twilight of his time in WWE. There aren't many folks in the business who can reinvent themselves as well as he did, and better yet, he seemed to live the gimmick throughout. Even in the present day he's as wacky as he has always been, and we wouldn't want to have him any other way.

Question 15

Who is this former WWE world champion?

The GOAT? Perhaps. If you look at the record books regarding the WWE Championship, there's certainly an argument to be made that this man is one of the best to ever do it. He was constantly able to sell out Madison Square Garden, he had one of the longest world title runs in the history of the business, and he never really had to compromise on his morals in order to accomplish his goals. His long-awaited induction into the Hall of Fame a few years ago served as a fantastic and deserved appreciation of his many years of hard work.

Question 16

Who is this former WWE world champion?

From an early age it felt like this kid was going to be something special, but even with that being the case, very few could've expected things to have gone this well for him. After reigning supreme as the first ever NXT Champion he went on to join the main roster as part of the popular Shield faction. From there he transitioned into a really fun singles role as a heel, and despite a few injuries setting him back, he has finally been able to mature into the babyface Kingslayer that we all knew he could be all those years ago.

Question 17

Who is this former WWE world champion?

You can't talk about the most unpopular world champions in WWE history without talking about this guy, but in equal measure, you also can't talk about the most successful ones without bringing him up either. His tactics were pretty standard for a heel and he wasn't all that great in the ring, but it was his execution of the character that made things mesh together so well. When he transitioned over from being a tag team wrestler it just didn't seem like it was going to work at first, but eventually, he was able to mature into a really fun champion.

Question 18

Who is this former WWE world champion?

Despite his retirement back at WrestleMania 35, this man's legacy inside of the squared circle is going to continue to live on for decades upon decades to come. His first run with WWE is the one that is remembered the most fondly, and rightly so. He won multiple world titles, had some outstanding matches, and was engaged in feuds with some of the best of all time. He adapted to pro wrestling quicker than pretty much anyone else in recent history, and he did it all with the kind of integrity that we've all come to expect of him. There were bumps along the way, but that's to be expected.

Question 19

Who is this former WWE world champion?

This lovely lady is one of the best female wrestlers of all time, and we say that in a very general way. Inside of the ring she was able to improve on a week to week basis, until eventually, she was setting the bar for what was expected of high level female talent. She's even been able to have a few great matches with the superstars of this era, which really does make you wonder what kind of magic she would've been able to produce if she was still in her prime. Either way, you can't tell the story of women's wrestling without her.

Question 20

Who is this former WWE world champion?

They call him The Viper for a reason. In terms of natural talent there are few better than this man, but there are a lot of 'side notes' that need to come alongside him that you'll all likely be well aware of. Alas, that doesn't detract from his many outstanding accomplishments, as he has been a multi-time world champion across a sensational 17-year tenure on the main roster. Given his age, it still feels like he could have a few more years left in him as a full-time talent, too. Eventually, he'll probably start to move into a part-time schedule.

Question 21

Who is this former WWE world champion?

We're not sure whether or not there has ever been a more underappreciated multi-time world champion than this guy. If he had been booked correctly throughout the course of his tenure with WWE, we'd probably be talking about him as an all-time legend of the business. As it is, though, it just feels like he's someone who will be remembered as a great company man who could slot into just about any role that you put him into. His recent injuries have ensured that we probably won't see him on a full time schedule for much longer, and that's a real shame.

Question 22

Who is this former WWE world champion?

Wooo! The legacy of this absolute legend extends far beyond pro wrestling and into pop culture as a whole. He is one of the biggest stars and the biggest names in professional wrestling, and that's the bottom line (pun not intended). He was a notable name in WWE, WCW and even TNA, and despite some of his issues along the way, he's still highly regarded as an all-time great. The Nature Boy (who is a 16-time world champion by the way) will live on in the hearts and minds of fans across the globe then, now, and of course, forever.

Question 23

Who is this former WWE world champion?

As the rival of an aforementioned star on this list, this individual gave as good as she got throughout the course of her time as a wrestler. She did things a little bit differently to everyone else when she got inside that ring, and even that may be an understatement. She's perhaps best known for her time alongside The Hardy Boyz as their valet, but even when she wasn't in that role, she did pretty well for herself as a badass performer that didn't really play by the rules. It helped her out quite a bit, too, as she's now a WWE Hall of Famer.

Question 24

Who is this former WWE world champion?

If you've only recently started getting into wrestling, and women's wrestling in particular, we're not convinced that you're going to know all too much about this woman. If you do, then you'll be able to tell from the options available that we've included two of her wrestling names - but there's only one correct answer. That's because she was a star under different gimmicks in both WWE and WCW during the Monday Night Wars, which she actually played a pretty significant role in. We're looking for the name that made her famous in the WWE, because let's be honest, that's what we all remember, right? Right?

Question 25

Who is this former WWE world champion?

This man is one of the best high-flyers there ever was and we cannot fathom the idea of anyone saying anything different. The Charismatic Enigma went out there and put his body on the line for us for two decades, and somehow, he's still doing it to this day. His body certainly hasn't been able to hold up as it once did, but he's still the guy we all once knew and loved. There was a point where he was legitimately the biggest star in the company, and it's a shame that he couldn't take advantage of that when he was on top.

Question 26

Who is this former WWE world champion?

Being a 'crossover' star is a pretty unusual term, but by definition, it means that you've been able to conquer and succeed in two different 'worlds' if you will. This guy has been able to pull that off tremendously well, with his featured role in Guardians of the Galaxy taking him to that next level in Hollywood. Before all that noise, though, he was able to win multiple championships in WWE, which included having one of the most memorable rivalries of the modern era with his supposed mentor. He's an all time great and while he may be retired, we still love him.

Question 27

Who is this former WWE world champion?

From WCW to WWE to NJPW to AEW, this man just knows how to stay relevant and knows how to stay at the top of his game. By his age a lot of guys have usually decided to call it a day and retire, but he still seems to believe that he has what it takes to compete at a high level - and we happen to agree with him. His work with some of this era's biggest and best names is somewhat unrivalled, and despite the fact he's no longer working with WWE, we're excited to see where he goes next.

Question 28

Who is this former WWE world champion?

When you are put into a position where you aren't really ready to become a world champion, it's as if you are in a 'sink and swim' type of scenario. In the instance of this gentleman, it certainly feels like he wound up sinking, but along the way he really did give it his all and we admire him for that. He certainly improved as time went on but he was never supposed to get as high as he did in the company, and we think that even the man himself knows that. Still, at least he can say he was a world champ.

Question 29

Who is this former WWE world champion?

When you put together a streak like this guy did at WrestleMania, it kind of doesn't matter what else you do. Thankfully for this man he was able to remain pretty consistent even when he wasn't competing at Mania, and he just got better and better as the years went on. This past edition of the show of shows didn't feature The Deadman as we know and love him, which is the first time that's been the case in many, many years. Still, he's relevant enough to the point where people are talking about him, which is saying something after such a long stint.

Question 30

Who is this former WWE world champion?

If you're the son or daughter of a famous superstar in this business, the expectation is that you'll just end up living off of their success. However, when it comes to this fine woman, she has been able to build a legacy as a trailblazer for herself in her own right. Very few women can claim to have made the same kind of impact that she has in the last few years, and as we look ahead to the future, it isn't unreasonable to suggest that she could soon be the face of the entire company. Yup, she's that good.

Question 31

Who is this former WWE world champion?

She started off as an absolute machine in judo, she moved on to mixed martial arts where she found a lot of success, and, well,yeah, you can probably imagine how well things went once she walked through the doors of WWE. As time went on she did struggle at times with some of the finer details in what it takes to be a pro wrestling success story, but given that she was able to main event WrestleMania just one year after debuting, we'd say that things turned out pretty well. Will she reach the top of the mountain again? Probably.

Question 32

Who is this former WWE world champion?

A man who always deserved the opportunity to hold a world title but never got the chance - until one day, he did. This former tag wrestler put in the hard graft for years and years, until finally, he was able to hold the World Heavyweight Championship up high. His run with the belt was defined by a sensational feud alongside Randy Orton, and while none of his reigns lasted for a particularly long time, it doesn't really matter. All that the members of the WWE Universe tend to think about is just how amazing the feud with Randy actually was.

Question 33

Who is this former WWE world champion?

The common belief amongst fans is that this superstar doesn't really get everything she 'deserves'. Of course, the idea of what you deserve in this business is extremely subjective, so we can only go off of what we've seen from her throughout her time in WWE. It's true that this girl, in more ways than one, is one of the best there is. She has the look, she has the charisma, and she certainly has the in ring talent necessary to become the biggest female star this business has seen in a long time. Of course, she needs to get out of her own way first (if reports are to be believed).

Question 34

Who is this former WWE world champion?

Meet another 'pro wrestling to MMA' crossover story, and another one that was actually pretty successful. Ironically enough when it comes to his one and only major run with a world title in WWE, that part wasn't actually so successful. This guy is a really phenomenal natural athlete dating back to his days as an amateur wrestler, but he just wasn't viewed as a top guy at any point during his WWE spell. You could argue that them putting the belt on him is a pretty clear sign of admiration, but the way in which he was booked didn't really showcase that.

Question 35

Who is this former WWE world champion?

This man had one of the best debut years in WWE that we've seen in years, which culminated with a World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania. Although he didn't beat Edge in the match in question, he did earn the respect of many fans and pundits around the world. From that point . on he continued to climb the ladder, until eventually, he won the WWE Championship. He wasn't an overly successful champion, to be perfectly honest, but you can' argue the fact that he's been able to remain somewhat relevant over the years. P.S: Yes, we know he can be a bit of an idiot.

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