WCW Or WWE: Where Did They First Wear The Belt?
- by Lucas Wesley
- – on
- in Sports
In the modern age, World Wrestling Entertainment is the unquestionable number one sports entertainment company in the world. While the popularity of WWE varies from country to country, more people worldwide are aware of Vince McMahon and his empire than any other wrestling enterprise, and quite honestly, it’s not even close. That said, it wasn’t too long ago that a billionaire competitor decided to throw his hat in the ring and tried to match McMahon’s fame with World Championship Wrestling. Ted Turner may not have had McMahon’s wrestling knowledge, but he certainly had the ambition, at times making WCW an even bigger and more successful company than WWE.
Ultimately, WCW was driven out of business in part by WWE and in part due to the company’s own corporate incompetence. Before that could happen, though, the brand attracted literally hundreds of great wrestlers from around the world, many of whom would later become WWE superstars or Hall of Famers. In the other direction, some WWE stars of the time decided WCW was the superior company and jumped ship, most likely regretting that choice in due time.
Either way, what this means is that plenty of WWE superstars won their fair share of WCW championships, and vice versa. Only a fan of both companies can tell you what came first though, so if you think that describes you, take our quiz and answer the question: did these wrestlers win their first championship in WWE or WCW?
(Note: for the purposes of this quiz, we are considering the fact WCW championships did not technically exist until 1991, and thus the earlier NWA versions of said titles do not count.)
Steve Austin
Call him the Texas Rattlesnake, the Bionic Redneck, or simply “Stone Cold,” the biggest superstar in WWE history was also a stunning superstar in WCW. Arguably the biggest star of the Attitude Era, Austin won six WWE Championships at his peak, though there were dozens of other accomplishments before that. Austin also had runs with the WWE Intercontinental and Tag Team titles, plus the United States, Television, and Tag Team Championships in WCW. Clearly, Austin’s career was plated with gold from start to finish, but where did he earn his first taste of glory?
Hulk Hogan
Both the WWE and WCW rosters have been posed with that time honored question all wrestlers at one point must face: whatcha gonna do, brother, when Hulkamania runs wild on you? Typically, the answer was they couldn’t do a whole lot, because the driving force of Hulk Hogan was amongst the most unstoppable phenomena sports entertainment has ever seen. Hulkamania allowed Hogan six runs with both the WWE and WCW World Championships, not to mention a quick run as WWE Tag Team Champion with Edge as his partner. Now, our question for you is, where did it all begin?
Ric Flair
WOOOO! Referring to himself as the greatest wrestler of all time with good reason, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair has rode his limousines to both WWE and WCW arenas after flying his Learjet’s into town, and you best believe he wheeled, dealt, and stole plenty of kisses when he got there. Most impressively, Flair is known as one of the most awarded wrestlers in history, having won eight WCW World Championships and two WWE Championships, plus a few United States and International belts in WCW, and the Intercontinental and Tag Team gold working for McMahon.
Triple H
With the amount of success Triple H has achieved in WWE in both a corporate and kayfabe standpoint, many fans forget he actually spent a few months in WCW, as well. Granted, it would have been somewhat easy to miss him, as he went by several questionable monikers while competing there, such as Terra Ryzin and Jean-Paul Levesque. Using these monikers, Triple H even competed for a couple championships, and so the question becomes whether or not he won any of them before reinventing himself in WWE.
Booker T
Anything but a sucka, Booker T rose all the way to the top of both WWE and WCW more than once, and that was in addition to forming one of the best tag teams of the decade. In fact, one might say Booker’s legacy is ultimately greater in the tag division than as a solo act, at least insofar as gold is concerned—he won 13 Tag Team Championships throughout his career, ten in WCW and three in WWE. However, Booker himself is probably prouder of the 12 solo titles he won in WCW, or maybe the seven earned in WWE.
Bret Hart
No man can start calling himself the best there is, best there was, or best there ever will be without a few pieces of gold in his collection, and Bret “The Hitman” Hart definitely earned his share of titles before making the claim. The sharpest shots in Hart’s collection are certainly his five WWE and two WCW World Championships, though he was definitely proud of everything earned along the way, as well. That includes two Intercontinental and four United States Championships, plus a little tag gold in both companies, as well.
The Big Show
Larger than any other athlete in WCW or WWE, it was easy for The Big Show to dominate both companies on his brute strength alone. The only difference in his destructive streaks were the name used, as back in WCW, Show erred to brevity and simply called himself The Giant. As such, he won two WCW World Championships and a handful of Tag Team titles, which look good on the mantle next to four World Championships in WWE, plus his Intercontinental, United States, Hardcore, and many Tag Team belts won working for the McMahon’s.
Goldberg
Having achieved the most impressive winning streak of the Attitude Era, its possible the most accurate title Goldberg ever achieved was simply when Bobby Heenan started calling him “Da Man.” Not content with mere platitudes, Goldberg used his brute strength to win both the WWE and WCW World Heavyweight Championships, plus the US and Tag Team belts while working for Ted Turner. Goldberg’s recent incredible comeback added the Universal Championship to that already impressive roster, but more important than which title came last, what was first?
Eddie Guerrero
Viva laza raza, holmes! Lying, cheating, and stealing isn’t supposed to get a person all that far in life, yet it was these very concepts that made Eddie Guerrero a superstar in both WWE and WCW. While there was only one World Championship in his career, smaller belts were a constant in Guerrero’s life, and he managed to become massively popular regardless of where on the card he was booked. In WCW, this meant a run as United States Champion then two turns with the Cruiserweight gold. For WWE, it was the Intercontinental, United States, European, and Tag Team titles.
Scott Steiner
This one goes out to the freaks who love the peaks. Big Poppa Pump has been the “hook up” in WCW and WWE, both with and without his brother Rick Steiner joining him to form one of the most destructive tag teams of the 90s. Together, the Steiner Brothers won both the WCW and WWE Tag Team Championships on more than one occasion. On his own, Scotty earned a WCW World Championship plus two runs each with the US and TV belts. Once again, the question remains in which company did Steiner’s rise to the top begin?
Mick Foley
Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy didn’t stay on top of the wrestling world for long, although that should have been expected with the method he used to get there. Whether they called him Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love, or his real name Mick Foley, the Hardcore Icon achieved his fame by doing things no sane man would do and smiling his way through it. This reckless endangerment made Foley a three time WWE Champion, plus a Tag Team Champion in both WCW and the company that later placed him in the Hall of Fame.
Chris Jericho
Breaking down the walls of the conspirators keeping him down wherever he goes, Chris Jericho has managed to become a star wherever he works on his charisma alone. That he has incredible skills inside the wrestling ring is just a bonus, and one that has made his career plated with gold he may not even be finished winning. Technically, Jericho reaching a height greater than Undisputed Champion is unlikely, though any of his many other WCW and WWE accomplishments could be matched or made greater with a few more turns as champion.
Randy Savage
Seething with Macho Madness in a manner that mad him wildly popular and madly unpredictable, Randy Savage was a force of nature in both WCW and WWE. With a constantly crazed look in his eyes, Savage won the World Championship in both companies, twice in WWE and four times in WCW. In an odd coincidence, he would only ever lose these belts to legends of equal caliber in Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. The one title he didn’t lose to either of those men was the WWE Intercontinental Championship, which went to Ricky Steamboat. But in what order did it all go down?
Kevin Nash
Given his size matched a truck and he held power comparable to an engine, it made sense for Kevin Nash to use the name Diesel for a good portion of his career. Strangely, however, the majority of Nash’s success has come when he had a partner, at least so far as gold was concerned. Nash won the WCW Tag Team Championship nine times, plus two of the same in WWE. Sure, he also held both promotion’s World Championships, yet the numbers don’t lie.
The Undertaker
Having long served as the Phenom of World Wrestling Entertainment, The Undertaker’s past as a small time worker in WCW is almost entirely forgotten. Of course, that isn’t to say he was entirely without success, as the plain fact is nothing “Mean” Mark Callous could ever do compared with the destructive of the Dead Man. Callous certainly gave it his best effort, though, teaming with an equally gigantic monster in Dan Spivey, competing in the tag division as the Skyscrapers. Did the ever win any gold, or did Taker need to wait until Vince McMahon saw his potential?
Rey Mysterio, Jr.
An oft repeated maxim in all pro sports is that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog, and no one pro wrestler has proved this maxim true quite like Rey Mysterio, Jr. At once called the “Giant Killer,” Mysterio’s greatest achievement in this regard is that he’s a twice over WWE World Champion, though there was a great amount of success prior to that paving his way to greatness. Naturally, this included a whole lot of gold in both WCW and WWE.
The Road Warriors
What a rush it must have been for the Road Warriors to become perhaps the first duo to truly dominate the entire wrestling world. From the mid ‘80s all the way to the late ‘90s, Hawk and Animal won the Tag Team Championships of virtually every promotion they worked for, which included several overseas enterprises in addition to the top American companies this list is about. The Road Warriors never stopped aiming for the top, either, having wrestled their last WWE Tag Team Championship bout together only a few months prior to Hawk’s untimely death.
Sid Vicious
“Master and Ruler of the World” is not an easy title to come from, although when a person looks like Sid Vicious and acts like a downright “Psycho,” chances are they can get away with it. That’s exactly what Sid did in both WWE and WCW, becoming a two time World Heavyweight Championship in both organization. Vicious also earned one run with the United States title in WCW, willing to forego the top prize for a moment if it meant more gold was in his path.
Lex Luger
An American hero to some and a consummate choker to others, Lex Luger’s legacy in wrestling is somewhat dubious to modern fans. Despite achieving great success in both WWE and WCW, competing in main event Pay-Per-View matches for the World Championship wherever he went, Luger never spent that much time actually holding the gold. Worse, his interview style was a little awkward and disjointed, making some question how he earned the fame to begin with. What company is responsible for first putting Luger on top?
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper
Just when you think you have all the answers, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper comes along and changes the questions. Actually, in this case, the question still remains the same, though as a bona fide legend in both WCW and WWE, it might be harder than most to know the answer with the Hot Rod. Despite the fact Piper somehow never won a World Championship, he competed for them wherever he went, and along the way earned one rune each with the WCW United States and WWE Intercontinental Championships, plus countless territorial titles from the NWA days.
Mr. Perfect
Only a handful of performers could get away with calling themselves “Mr. Perfect,” and as fate would have it, one of them happened to be Curt Hennig. Relatively famous upon his arrival due to the success of his father Larry “The Axe” Hennig, Perfect nonetheless proved himself time and again in both WWE and WCW, earning an impressive amount of gold wherever he went. Never shy to brag about this perfection, Hennig’s WCW United States and WWE Intercontinental Championships were always proudly on display, yet in what order did he show them off?
Sean Waltman
In certain respects, it could be said Sean Waltman was the first American wrestler to popularize the idea of cruiserweights in the modern era. Of course, this has more to do with his tenure as The 1-2-3 Kid than the fact he would later unify the WWE and WCW Cruiserweight Championships, both titles he won more than once throughout his career. Outside of the lightweight division, he also managed to win multiple European and Tag Team Championships, all under a variety of names, most notably Syxx and X-Pac.
Ricky Steamboat
Such a consummate good guy no historian can seem to remember him ever playing a heel, Ricky Steamboat was able to earn the love and adoration of fans in any promotion that would hire him. While his time in the ring was largely confined to the territorial era, a talent like Steamboat doesn’t quit until he has to, and the success train kept rolling into the early ‘90s. In addition to countless NWA accolades, Steamboat would win the WWE Intercontinental and WCW United States Championships, plus many smaller achievements, as well.
Goldust
Born to a father who’s name no wrestling fan could ever forget, Dustin Rhodes realized he had to etch his own path. Granted, most people who go on such a journey don’t wind up quite as bizarre as Goldust, yet the creativity and artistry he brings to the role justifies his strange choices. Whether competing as Goldust or with his father’s name, Rhodes has found great success in both WWE and WCW, winning the company’s respective Intercontinental and United States Championships several times each, not to mention both Tag Team titles on top of that.
Jeff Jarrett
Nowadays, Jeff Jarrett is primarily associated with only one promotion. Well, unless you take into account the fact he keeps changing the company’s name, but digressing to the point, Jarrett’s greatest successes have been found in companies he or his father own. Obviously, the Jarretts didn’t own WWE or WCW, yet they did find a certain amount of power in both. For Jeff, this meant reigns as Intercontinental, European, and Tag Team Champion in WWE, and US and World title reigns in WCW. It’s not the same as owning TNA/GFW/etc., but it was a start.
Ron Simmons
Given the impact of his achievement, it’s fair to assume Ron Simmons will go down in history as the first African American to win a World Championship in a major North American promotion. This accomplishment occurred in WCW when he defeated Big Van Vader, though it was hardly where Simmons’s success would begin or end. Either using his real name or the WWE moniker Faarooq, he also found a sizable amount of gold in both WWE and WCW’s tag team divisions, as a member of the Acolytes and Doom, respectively. Which came first?
Razor Ramon
No one treated getting called The Bad Guy with the same cool as Razor Ramon, yet he’s also just about the only man in WWE history to have oozed machismo, whatever that means. Using his own name, Razor also took over WCW as a member of the New World Order, and no matter what they called him, he earned plenty of gold while impressing the fans. Ramon challenged for both the WWE and WCW World Championships without winning, having to settle for the WWE Intercontinental and WCW United States titles instead.
Chris Benoit
Given how his life came to an end, it’s extremely difficult for wrestling fans of any kind to discuss Chris Benoit in this day and age. Putting aside his horrific demise, what everyone previously said about Benoit was that he may have been the most talented wrestler to compete in both WCW and WWE. As is often the case, Benoit used that talent to win a great number of titles, including the World Heavyweight Championship of both promotions. There’s no doubt he could have won a whole lot more, but his success obviously ended along with his life.
Rick Rude
Simply ravishing no matter where he was working at the time, Rick Rude wowed female fans of both WCW and WWE unlike any other superstar. All Rude had to do was ask the unwashed sweat hogs in the audience was a little peace and quiet while he removed his robe, and half the crowd would love him or hate him based primarily on their gender. More than a slab of meat, Rude also had significant chops in the ring, earning him a WWE Intercontinental Champion reign plus stints with the WCW International and United States belts down south.
Raven
While this quiz primarily relates to WCW and WWE, a good portion of the wrestlers we’ve asked about also worked for the hardcore independent promotion that nearly went national, ECW. Of all performers to share that brotherhood in common, Raven is probably best known for his time in the ultraviolent Philadelphia company, where he was a multiple time World and Tag Team Champion. Raven is also arguably the most noteworthy talent to invent his persona in ECW, using it to later find gold in both WWE and WCW, albeit not to the same level of success.
Davey Boy Smith
With so much bark to his bite he usurped the British Bulldogs tag team name and took it as his own, Davey Boy Smith greatly overshadowed his partner The Dynamite Kid as a solo performer, at least in America. This may not have been entirely fair, as Dynamite was a fantastic athlete inside the ring, yet he never reached the same heights as his cousin. It would have been hard for him to do so considering Davey challenged for both the WWE and WCW World Championships, and won smaller pieces of gold in at least one of them.
William Regal
Well before Darren Matthews was bestowed upon his more popular wrestling name, he exuded a royal confidence from the moment he stepped in the ring. Though only WCW called him his Lordship, Regal achieved great fame in WWE as well, where they switched his name from Steven to William. No matter what they called him, Regal would earn a lot of prestige throughout his career, including four WCW TV Championships plus the European, Intercontinental, Hardcore, and Tag Team belts in WWE. He also often gravitated towards the top of both companies, almost becoming so much more.
Rick Martel
Known for his “Model” abilities inside the ring, Rick Martel arguably achieved his greatest heights in not WCW nor WWE, but the AWA, where he reigned as World Champion for over a full year. Of course, this sort of success rarely comes alone, and Martel’s career would continue to bring him plenty of gold as it went on. This includes the Tag Team Championships in WWE and the TV title in WCW, which again don’t compare to the top prize in the AWA, but aren’t a bad way to fade out a career, either.
Chris Candido
Ultimately and unfortunately, Chris Candido will probably go down in history as the guy who dated WWE Hall of Famer Sunny during the Attitude Era (unless she was bored and wanted to hang out with a different guy for a while). This is a true shame, as Candido’s skills in the ring were second-to-none, though he was never fully allowed to capitalize on them. If nothing else, Candido at least won the WWE Tag Team and WCW Cruiserweight Championships, although emblematic of his career, the success didn’t last long.
The Nasty Boys
As nasty as they come, Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags more than live up to their names as some of the vilest and least couth superstars ever to enter the world of sports entertainment. Despite being punks who probably didn’t bathe and used it to their disgusting advantage, the Nasty Boys somehow became wildly popular in both WWE and WCW, at least when they weren’t amongst the most hated bullies in the promotion. This notoriety earned them the Tag Team Championships in both companies, but one last time, the question is which one came first?