10 Wrestlers Who Became WWE Champion In The Shortest Time

The road to becoming WWE Champion is not as rigorous as it was many years ago. In previous eras, you had to have a combination of skills, charisma and looks in order to even be considered for a title run. On the other hand, all of these aspects were rendered insignificant if you weren’t already with the company for a certain amount of time.

It doesn’t take years of hard work to become the WWE Champ like the days of old, and many performers have acquired the belt in surprisingly swift fashion. Here is a look at the 10 wrestlers who became WWE Champion in the shortest time.

10 Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio enjoyed one of the fastest pushes in company history after debuting on an August 2010 episode of Smackdown. His arrogant aristocrat character earned the boos and jeers of the crowd as he defeated Rey Mysterio in his first bout on the program. Months later at the Royal Rumble, he would enter at #38 and win the opportunity to face Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 27.

Despite the Mania loss, Del Rio would bounce back by securing the Money in the Bank briefcase and cashing in on CM Punk the following month to win the WWE Championship. 359 days after his debut, ADR would establish himself as a pristine talent, becoming a world champion twice in the span of three months.

9 Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle is well known for being the most decorated amateur wrestler in professional wrestling history. Debuting at Survivor Series 1999 with a victory over Shawn Stasiak, Angle established himself as one of the greatest villains in WWE history.

Throughout the following year, Angle would achieve a multitude of feats. He became only the third "Eurocontinental Champion" in the company's history, holding both the European and Intercontinental titles simultaneously. At No Mercy, he defeated The Rock to become the first man to hold both an Olympic gold medal and the WWE Championship.

8 Big Show

The World's Largest Athlete started his professional career with rival company WCW for four years. He would later make his debut on WWE programming in February 1999, attacking Stone Cold and joining forces with Vince McMahon as a member of the Corporation.

Following his defection from the McMahon stable, Big Show continued to pursue his championship goals. Replacing an injured Stone Cold at Survivor Series, he defeated Triple H and The Rock to win the WWE Championship 273 days after his monstrous arrival. Despite only holding the title for 50 days the first time around, Show would enjoy another three world title runs in later years.

7 Kane

Kane's campaign of carnage began in October 1997 at Badd Blood: In Your House. He would cost Undertaker his match against Shawn Michaels by tearing the door off the Hell in a Cell structure and giving him a Tombstone.

The Big Red Monster became WWE Champion at King of the Ring 1998 by beating Steve Austin in a First Blood match. He would drop it back to Austin the very next night, resulting in one of the shortest world title reigns in the company's history. Kane's rise to stardom lasted a mere 266 days. Despite his exceptional character work over the years, he has consistently suffered from unmemorable world title runs.

6 AJ Styles

AJ Styles turned the wrestling world on its head when he made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble. His initial work with the company in 2002 involved two dark matches before he would reject a developmental deal. By the time AJ finally signed with the company, he was universally regarded as one of the world's greatest professional wrestlers.

Following a major Summerslam victory against John Cena, Styles was selected as the next challenger for the WWE Championship. Several weeks later at Backlash, he defeated Dean Ambrose to capture the title in just 231 days.

5 Goldberg

Goldberg made his WWE debut on the Raw after WrestleMania 19, attacking the Rock and putting every roster member on notice. Unfortunately, this run would turn out to be less than spectacular. His year-long tenure wrapped up with a match against Brock Lesnar that was panned by fans. After the victory, he would be on the receiving end of a stunner at the hands of special guest referee Steve Austin.

His massive star power allowed for a meteoric rise to the top, becoming World Heavyweight Champion in just 174 days at Unforgiven 2003. The reign would be short-lived, as Triple H regained the title three months later at Armageddon.

4 Yokozuna

Yokozuna is often remembered for his immense size and strength in addition to steamrolling competitors. Surprisingly, he was also extremely light on his feet. These combined traits allowed for him to utilize several variations of superkicks and suplexes, enhancing his intimidating presence.

After 173 days, Yokozuna finally captured the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania IX by defeating Bret Hart. In an infamous turn of events, Hulk Hogan stormed the ring and challenged the new champion for his title. At the time, Yokozuna possessed the second shortest time to win the title after his debut, only after Ric Flair.

3 Sheamus

Sheamus was still finding his bearings when he debuted in a June 2009 episode of ECW, far from the dominant and fearless brawler he grew to become. He would later find himself in a feud against Goldust that was embraced by fans and critics alike. Not too long after, he would be promoted to the Raw brand.

Winning a battle royal centered around those who never won a world championship, Sheamus came out victorious against WWE Champion John Cena. In the process, he would become the first Irish-born world champ in the company's history and the third-fastest to win at 166 days.

2 Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar debuted in March 2002 by attacking Al Snow, Maven, and Spike Dudley. When the brand extension was introduced, Raw became his territory and he embarked on a brief feud against the Hardy Boyz. In the summer months, Lesnar became King of the Ring and the Undisputed Champion.

His victory against The Rock made him the second-fastest wrestler to become world champion since debuting at 126 days. He also broke Rock's record for the youngest WWE Champion in history by winning the title at 25 years old.

1 Ric Flair

Ric Flair's reputation was already well-established by the time he arrived to WWE in 1991. After departing WCW and being "stripped" of the WCW Heavyweight Championship, he would bring the physical title to his new establishment and start picking fights with the likes of Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper.

In a unique turn, the winner of 1992's Royal Rumble would also gain the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Flair put on a show for the ages, entering at #3 and lasting over 60 minutes to become the World Champion. Ric's rise to the top took only 113 days.

NEXT: Predicting the Next 10 WWE Champions (& When They'll Win It)