WWE Universal Title History: Reigns To Balor Ranked

WWE has made a big change after WrestleMania 41. The WWE Universal Championship has now been officially retired. This means the title is no longer part of WWE’s active list of championships. As a result, Roman Reigns is named the final champion in the title’s history. Even though Cody Rhodes beat Roman, he’s not listed as a former Universal Champion. That’s because WWE has now made the Universal Title part of the past, just like it did with the NXT UK titles earlier.

With this chapter closed, let’s take a fresh look back at all the past Universal Champions ranked from worst to best based on how good their reigns were, how fans reacted, and how memorable their moments were.

WWE Universal Title History: Reigns To Balor Ranked

Finn Balor

Finn Balor was the first-ever Universal Champion. He won the title at SummerSlam 2016 after a great match with Seth Rollins. Sadly, he got injured during the match and had to give up the title just one day later.

It wasn’t his fault, but since his reign lasted only 24 hours and he didn’t even lose it in the ring, it’s considered the weakest title run. Still, fans remember him for making history by winning the title first.

Goldberg

Goldberg held the Universal Title twice, but both times were very short. He first beat Kevin Owens at Fastlane 2017, but lost it the next month to Brock Lesnar.

He won it again at Super ShowDown 2020 by beating “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt, but again dropped it at WrestleMania 36 to Braun Strowman. Both reigns felt more like short-term plans than real championship runs.

Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman won the title at WrestleMania 36, a time when WWE shows had no fans due to the pandemic. He beat Goldberg in a match that was taped before the event.

His reign ended a few months later at SummerSlam, when he lost to Bray Wyatt. While he did defend the title a few times, the quiet crowd-less era made it hard for fans to truly enjoy his time as champ.

Bray Wyatt (The Fiend)

Bray Wyatt’s “The Fiend” character was unique and popular. Many believed he would have a great title run. But bad booking hurt him.

He won the Universal Title at Crown Jewel 2019, but soon lost it to Goldberg. He won it again at SummerSlam 2020, only to drop it just a week later to Roman Reigns. Despite having the fan support and a cool persona, his title runs were too short and not used well.

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar held the Universal Title three times, the most of anyone. He won the title in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In total, he was champion for 686 days.

While he was a big star, fans were often upset because he didn’t appear every week. He was a part-time champion, and many felt the title needed someone who’d be there more often. Still, Brock had big matches and helped make the belt feel important.

Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens won the title after Finn Balor gave it up. He held it for 188 days, and during that time, he had one of the most entertaining title runs.

He teamed up with Chris Jericho, and the two gave fans the hilarious “Festival of Friendship” segment. His run ended quickly when Goldberg beat him in just seconds, but fans still remember his time as champ fondly.

Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins won the Universal Title twice in 2019. He first beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 35, then again at SummerSlam.

Both of his title runs were under 100 days, but he always delivered top matches. Rollins is known for his in-ring skill and energy, and his time as Universal Champion showed why fans and WWE trust him with big matches.

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns will go down as the greatest Universal Champion of all time. He held the title twice, with his second reign lasting nearly four years, from August 2020 to WrestleMania 40 in 2024.

He created a new level of dominance with his “Tribal Chief” character and became the face of WWE. Roman beat everyone put in front of him, including Brock Lesnar, Edge, Daniel Bryan, and John Cena. His long reign made the title feel special.

Even though Cody Rhodes beat him at WrestleMania 40, WWE still ended the Universal Title with Roman as the final name in its history.

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