On tonight’s episode of Raw, New Day will be going up against both Luke Gallows/Karl Anderson and Cesaro/Sheamus for the WWE Raw Tag Team titles. A win will give The New Day the all-time record for a single tag team reign in the WWE, surpassing Demolition’s 478 day record. Demolition’s run ended in 1989, when they lost their titles to the Brain Busters on Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Before superstars had to perform every Monday night and once a month on Pay Per Views, champions could avoid overexposure. While 478 days seems like an eternity in the modern wrestling era, it hardly scratches the surface of the longest title reigns in WWE history.
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Here are 5 WWE championship reigns that are likely never to be broken.
5. PEDRO MORALES – 1,027 days
Won title: February 8, 1971 – beat Ivan Koloff
Lost title: December 1, 1973 – beaten by Stan Stasiak
Not only one of the longest reigning World Champions, but Morales also held the Intercontinental Title more than any other competitor, with his 619 days in total surpassing Don Muraco (541), The Honky Tonk Man (454), and Tito Santana (443). Morales would become one of Bruno Sanmartino’s great friends and rivals during a blossoming time for the McMahon’s wrestling takeover. Oddly enough, the Puerto Rican legend didn’t even need a ridiculous travel agent gimmick to become one of the biggest draws of the 70s.
4. BRUNO SAMMARTINO – 1,237 days
Won title: December 10, 1973 – beat Stan Stasiak
Lost title: April 30, 1977 – beaten by “Superstar” Billy Graham
Sammartino was the real face that ran the place in the early days of the WWE(F). His 1,237 day run was his SECOND LONGEST!?!?! That’s right, his second best was still nearly two and a half times longer than The New Day’s current run. Sammartino’s most memorable achievement was wrestling Stan Hansen with a broken neck before the match was called off due to excessive blood loss. Even when Sanmartino lost the championship to Billy Graham in 1977, Graham had his feet on the ropes as the referee counted the pinfall.
3. HULK HOGAN – 1,474 days
Won title: January 23, 1984 – beat The Iron Sheik
Lost title: February 5, 1988 – beaten by Andre The Giant
Donald Trump may have recently given Linda McMahon all the credit for building the WWE into a global empire, but it was the Immortal Hulk Hogan that had kids begging their parents to open their wallets to the WWE in the 1980s. Hulk Hogan was a real life superhero. No matter how big the obstacle, fans could count on Hogan to kick out at two, hulk up, and hit the might leg drop. Andre The Giant would feature prominently during the Hulkster’s reign – Hogan stunned the world at WrestleMania III in 1987 by scoop-slamming the Frenchman and retaining his title but would lose the gold just over four years after winning it when he lost to Andre on an episode of The Main Event in a controversial evil-twin referee angle. In a time when crowds boo anyone they perceive as the chosen company man, it’s doubtful we’ll ever see another Hulk Hogan again.
2.BOB BACKLUND – 2,135 days
Won title: February 20, 1978 – beat “Superstar” Billy Graham
Lost title: December 26, 1983 – beaten by The Iron Sheik
So, that crazy old guy that randomly got placed as Darren Young’s manager (life coach) had a pretty lengthy run as the WWE’s number one guy. Although there is some controversy over the length of his reign. The Minnesotan actually lost his title to Antonio Inoki in Japan in November 1979 and although he won the rematch a week later the vast amount of outside interference saw that victory rendered void. WWE chose not to acknowledge Inoki’s reign. During his time with the title, Backlund battled Harley Race,R Flair, Sgt Slaughter and Nick Bockwinkel, before losing to The Iron Sheik when his manager, Arnold Skaaland, threw in his towel. Notice that none of these long reigning champions lost cleanly?
1. BRUNO SAMMARTINO – 2,803 days
Won title: May 17, 1963 – beat Buddy Rogers
Lost title: January 18, 1971 – beaten by Ivan Koloff
Here he is again. Sammartino won his first World Wide Wrestling Federation Title, as it was known back then, from inaugural champion Buddy Rogers at a house show in New York. The original Italian Stallion would pack Madison Square Garden as he battled the likes of Waldo von Erich, Johnny Valentine, Ernie ‘The Big Cat’ Ladd, Gorilla Monsoon and George ‘The Animal’ Steele and Killer Kowalski. For most kids in the 60s, Bruno Sanmartino was the only champion they ever knew. Bruno’s reign as champion would go on for a stunning seven years, eight months and one day – a record that I feel safe to say will never be broken.
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