Best WWE New Generation Era Champions
The New Generation Era was a transitional period in WWE with the likes of Hulk Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage heading to greener pastures in WCW. It allowed WWE to create new stars, but there were still some goofy gimmicks that wrestling fans were tired of. The Monday Night War was in full swing with WWE and WCW going head-to-head for supremacy.
10 Worst WWE Gimmicks Of The New Generation Era, Ranked
Vince McMahon came up with some lame gimmicks during WWE's New Generation era.Some titleholders had long championship reigns in the New Generation Era and stamped down their authority to make the championship meaningful. The New Generation Era is often seen from June 1993 until December 1997 and the cream rose to the top with some exceptional title runs.
11 The Quebecers Were An Underrated Tag Team In The New Generation Era
The Quebecers Won 3 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Tag Team Championship | 3 Times | 216 Days |
The Quebecers were one of the best Tag Team Champions in the New Generation Era. Pierre and Jacques were solid in-ring performers and they worked very well as Tag Team Champions.
They captured the WWE Tag Team Championship three times and they collectively held the titles for 216 days. One of the highlights of their WWE Tag Team Championship reign was defeating Bret Hart and his younger brother Owen at the 1994 Royal Rumble.
10 Billy Gunn Went From One Successful Tag Team Partner To Another
Billy Gunn Won 4 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Tag Team Championship | 4 Times | 456 Days |
The tag team division in the New Generation Era had its ups and downs, but Billy Gunn was a stalwart in the tag team division. Billy and his partner Bart won the WWE Tag Team Championship three times. The Smoking Gunns were average in the ring, but they were a popular duo.
6 Best Tag Team Partners Of Billy Gunn's Career (& 6 Worst)
Billy Gunn is a multi-time tag team champion alongside a few different partners, with some standing out more than others.After Billy and Bart went their separate ways, Billy moved on to bigger and better things. He began his legendary tag team with Road Dogg, and on the November 24, 1997 edition of Raw, they dethroned two-time WWE Tag Team Champions the Road Warriors for their first of six WWE Tag Team Championship reigns.
9 The British Bulldog Failed To Get His Hands On The WWE Championship
The British Bulldog Won 2 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE European Championship | 1 Time | 205 Days |
WWE Tag Team Championship | 1 Time | 246 Days |
The British Bulldog is one of the greatest wrestlers in WWE history to never get his hands on the WWE Championship. The British Bulldog mixed it up with the big boys in the New Generation Era but he couldn't dethrone Diesel or his brother-in-law Bret Hart for the WWE Championship.
Bulldog won the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside his brother-in-law Owen Hart and they held the titles for a remarkable 246 days. Bulldog's thirst for gold didn't end there as he defeated Owen to be crowned as the inaugural WWE European Champion. Bulldog's run as European Champion lasted for six months dropping the title in front of his hometown fans in Birmingham, England to Shawn Michaels.
8 Alundra Blayze Dominated The Women's Division
Alundra Blayze Won 3 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Women's Championship | 3 Times | 543 Days |
Women's wrestling wasn't the strongest in the New Generation Era but Alundra Blayze was at the top of the women's division with little competition. She won the WWE Women's Championship three times and she was the first woman to hold the title when it was reactivated in December 1993.
Blayze's first Women's Championship reign lasted 11 months and she retained the title at WrestleMania 10, and she beat Bull Nakano at SummerSlam 1994 to retain the title in a competitive match. Blayze and Nakano's feud was brilliant, but Blayze's third Women's Championship reign ended controversially as she moved to WCW and dumped the title in the trashcan which retired the title once more for three years.
7 Yokozuna Was A Monster Heel
Yokozuna Won 3 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Championship | 1 Time | 280 Days |
WWE Tag Team Championship | 2 Times | 175 Days |
Yokozuna put the humiliation of dropping the WWE Championship to Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 9 behind him by regaining the WWE Title from the Hulkster at King of the Ring 1993. Yokozuna had a strong 280-day reign as WWE Champion in the New Generation Era.
10 Most Unlikable WWE Wrestlers From The New Generation Era, Ranked
While some WWE wrestlers from the New Generation Era were good at being an annoying heel, others were just bland and did not have a good gimmick.He feuded with Lex Luger and managed to retain the title against the Total Package albeit not cleanly. Yokozuna retained the WWE Championship against The Undertaker in a casket match at the 1994 Royal Rumble, but his reign was ended by Bret Hart at WrestleMania 10. Yokozuna returned to WWE at WrestleMania 11 considerably larger and he won the WWE Tag Team Championship with Owen Hart. They were a solid tag team but the King of Harts carried the team by doing most of the wrestling.
6 Owen Hart Had A Knack For Championship Gold
Owen Hart Won 5 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Intercontinental Championship | 2 Times | 130 Days |
WWE Tag Team Championship | 3 Times | 421 Days |
Just like his brother-in-law The British Bulldog, Owen Hart was unable to win the WWE Championship. However, that didn't stop the King of Harts from being one of the most successful wrestlers in the New Generation Era.
Hart won the 1994 King of the Ring tournament and he won three WWE Tag Team Championships, once with Bulldog and twice with Yokozuna. Hart finally got his hands on some singles silverware as he beat Rocky Maivia for the Intercontinental Championship to go alongside his Tag Team Championship. Hart was one of the top heels in the New Generation Era and he was one of the greatest technical wrestlers in WWE history.
5 Diesel Became A Triple Crown Champion In 1994
Diesel Won 4 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Championship | 1 Time | 368 Days |
WWE Intercontinental Championship | 1 Time | 137 Days |
WWE Tag Team Championship | 2 Times | 88 Days |
"Big Daddy Cool" Diesel transitioned from being Shawn Michaels' bodyguard to becoming an in-ring competitor. Diesel had one of the best calendar years in WWE history in 1994 as he defeated Razor Ramon to kickstart his Intercontinental Championship reign in April 1994 which lasted four months.
Diesel became a double champion as he won the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Shawn Michaels from the Headshrinkers. However, Diesel went on to have a 358-day WWE Championship reign which was average considering he feuded with the likes of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Sycho Sid, King Mabel, and The British Bulldog. All four of Diesel's championship reigns were in the New Generation Era, and he completed the Triple Crown in record-breaking time.
4 The Undertaker Had To Be Patient For His Second WWE Championship Reign
The Undertaker Won 1 Championship In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Championship | 1 Time | 133 Days |
The Undertaker's first WWE Championship reign lasted just six days, but the Deadman had to wait five-and-a-half years to become a two-time WWE Champion. Undertaker dethroned Sycho Sid in a No Disqualification match at WrestleMania 13 for the WWE Championship.
13 WWE Wrestlers With The Most WWE Championship Reigns, Ranked By Total Number Of Days
A handful of wrestlers have managed to get their hands on the WWE Championship multiple times and have lengthy reigns with the gold.Undertaker's title reign was superb as he saw off the likes of Mankind, Steve Austin, Faarooq, and Vader during his second stint as WWE Champion. The Deadman was popular in the New Generation Era, but his 133-day run as WWE Champion was curtailed by Bret Hart.
3 Razor Ramon Was The Perfect Intercontinental Champion
The Bad Guy Won 4 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Championship | 4 Times | 434 Days |
Razor Ramon molded the Intercontinental Championship into his own in the New Generation Era. The Bad Guy became the first man to win the Intercontinental Championship four times which was a fantastic achievement.
Ramon elevated the title alongside Shawn Michaels, and they had legendary ladder matches over the Intercontinental Championship with Ramon getting the better of HBK at WrestleMania 10. Unfortunately, the Bad Guy was unable to go to the next step and win a World Championship in WWE, but his efforts as Intercontinental Champion cannot be overlooked.
2 Bret Hart Had A Sour Ending To His WWE Career
Bret Hart Won 5 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Championship | 4 Times | 480 Days |
Bret "The Hitman" Hart was unquestionably one of the major stars in the New Generation Era. Hart thrived as a singles competitor and his resume spoke for itself. He won the 1993 King of the Ring tournament, co-winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble match, and most importantly he won the WWE Championship four times in this era.
The Excellence of Execution was involved in some brilliant championship matches with the likes of Owen Hart, Diesel, The British Bulldog, and Shawn Michaels. Hart reunited the Hart Foundation alongside his family members and Hart turned heel before his fifth and final WWE Championship reign was ended by his bitter rival Shawn Michaels in the Montreal Screwjob.
1 Shawn Michaels' Boyhood Dream Came True
Shawn Michaels Won 9 Championships In The New Generation Era
Championships Won | Times Won It | Combined Length |
|---|---|---|
WWE Championship | 3 Times | 396 Days |
WWE Intercontinental Championship | 2 Times | 201 Days |
WWE European Championship | 1 Time | 92 Days |
WWE Tag Team Championship | 3 Times | 137 Days |
Shawn Michaels was on the rise in the Golden Era, and he continued his success in the New Generation Era. The Heartbreak Kid did an exceptional job as a babyface and a heel. Michaels became a Grand Slam Champion as he defeated The British Bulldog for the WWE European Championship to complete the set.
Michaels won the WWE Championship three times with a couple of his victories coming at Bret Hart's expense. Michaels and Diesel were WWE Tag Team Champions twice, and Michaels was a double champion a couple of times in the New Generation Era. HBK had a reputation in the '90s for being hard to work with, but Michaels did a phenomenal job to elevate championships in the '90s.
