Lists

10 Most Underrated WWE Title Reigns

Show some respect!

Tomorrow (November 29) is the fifty-fifth birthday of WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Champion and one time head of the locker room welcoming committee, John Bradshaw Layfield. 

It still, some seventeen-and-a-half years later, seems incredible that JBL not only held the WWE Title, but held it for as long as he did.

It was a noteworthy reign for a talent who had struggled to break out of the midcard pack beforehand, his most famous role being as the beer-drinking, poker-playing enforcer in the APA. 

His lone WWE Title reign was not warmly received at the time and today doesn't really get the credit it truly deserves. 

JBL's WWE Title reign is not alone in that regard, as across WWE, World Heavyweight Title and other world title reigns, there have been several that don't get their due for one reason or another. 

Where does JBL's rank among them and why do some other runs from industry legends overlooked? 

10. Bret Hart (1997)

Bret hart wwe champion 1997

WWE.com

Bret Hart was a WWE Champion you could be proud of. 

He was credible, he always put in the effort and, nine times out of ten, he'd give you a great match. 

He won the title in 1992, '94 and '95, having three commendable runs. He won it again at In Your House: Final Four in '97, only to lose it the next day to Sycho Sid. 

He captured the strap again one final time later in the year, beating The Undertaker at SummerSlam and holding it until Survivor Series where, well, you know. 

This last reign only lasted 98 days and was thus The Hitman's second shortest reign (after his 24 hour one), but Bret was good value for it during that time. 

People tend to remember the sour note his reign ended on, but Hart packed a lot in to his three or so months on top. He got a really strong match out of the Patriot at In Your House: Ground Zero, had an unheralded classic with 'Taker at One Night Only and had a few decent scraps on Raw with the likes of Vader and Ken Shamrock. 

He also continued doing some of the best promo work of his career in the ongoing Canada versus USA rivalry. 

Share this post

Report: Johnny Gargano Signs One-Week Extension With WWE

AEW Announce Battle Of The Belts Special

Lewis Howse

Written by Lewis Howse

Features journalist for Cultaholic.com and script writer for the Cultaholic YouTube Channel.