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15 Greatest World Heavyweight Champs: Photos- }4 [' S2 V& Q8 M/ \
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Triple H became the first to hoist the World Heavyweight Title in WWE, on Sept. 2, 2002.
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5 b7 E% H% K+ `$ L6 U& H$ ZGoldberg managed to stave off constant interference from Evolution to win his only World Heavyweight Championship in WWE.( ?: v% y- B( p) N
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, Q5 g; _; J0 ~; C, s( }Randy Orton’s first reign, in 2004, came with jealousy from Triple H, but established The Legend Killer as a future player in WWE.
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! B1 @& ?5 [* }8 h% HHe would not hold the title again until 2011, when he won it from Christian twice.
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* D" T9 X7 \& S9 h' V6 l; a4 r9 ZMany of Triple H’s successful title defenses came with some help from Evolution’s enforcer, Batista, who won the title from The Game at WrestleMania 21.8 B; D' Q2 G# {% n& F' {
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The Animal held the title for a record 282 days after taking it from The Game at WrestleMania 21.$ M0 E' M5 f2 r7 w
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The night prior to Rey Mysterio’s WrestleMania 22 victory, his late friend Eddie Guerrero entered the WWE Hall of Fame, making it an even more emotional night.- x0 ?# U& `) O& I* [( ?
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7 O/ n" B+ ?4 ~) V1 CIn 2006, Booker T — as King Booker — won his only World Title in WWE, starting a reign of terror.2 I5 }; a6 N/ t- ^% c+ ~4 s
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) d, t( L }6 p5 s9 D& M& ]The Undertaker twice won the title at WrestleMania and invited all challengers to his “yard” during his three total reigns.
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) Y0 Z& R) s7 u6 EEdge hoisted the title a record seven times, including a defeat of a weakened Undertaker in Pittsburgh.
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CM Punk used the Money in the Bank contract to propel him to the World Heavyweight Title and the main event scene.: Z' G6 A9 G: q" a; R
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Punk is a three-time World Heavyweight and two-time WWE Champion.
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Chris Jericho, the last WCW Champion, won WWE’s incarnation for the first of three times when he took then-reigning champion CM Punk’s spot in a Championship Scramble.
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( V3 @9 E N1 Y- J5 H& k0 PThough commonly tied to the WWE Championship, John Cena won the World Heavyweight Championship on two occasions.9 I4 B& X' \% g3 R% b0 Z
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' w9 q$ `& A ?: N V. e) gHe defeated Edge and Big Show at WrestleMania 25 to win his second World Heavyweight Title.
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9 g6 E# y/ J% H3 Q% p& j4 ~+ ~Kane’s only reign is best noted for his sheer dominance against his half-brother, The Undertaker.
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B1 i \# o7 |% @5 XDespite only holding the WWE Championship for one day, Kane carried the World Heavyweight for an impressive 154 days.
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Fifteen years of toiling and hard work resulted in a World Title reign for Mark Henry in 2011 and sparked the “Hall of Pain.”
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5 `, B( }- c7 rDespite a serious size disadvantage, Daniel Bryan managed to defeat Big Show and Mark Henry while World Heavyweight Champ.
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Sheamus, current titleholder, welcomes all challengers at all hours, arguably making him the gutsiest champion in WWE history, fella.
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