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WCW U.S. Heavyweight Title History
| Champion | Won From | Date | City/Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lex Luger | – | 1/1/1991 | –[1] |
| Sting | Steve Austin | 8/25/1991 | Atlanta, GA[2] |
| Rick Rude | Sting | 11/19/1991 | Clash 17[3] |
| Dustin Rhodes | Ricky Steamboat | 1/16/1993 | Saturday Night[4] |
| Dustin Rhodes (2) | Rick Rude | 8/30/1993 | Atlanta, GA[5] |
| Steve Austin | Dustin Rhodes | 12/27/1993 | Starrcade |
| Ricky Steamboat | Steve Austin | 8/24/1994 | Clash 28 |
| Steve Austin (2) | Ricky Steamboat | 9/18/1994 | Fall Brawl[6] |
| Jim Duggan | Steve Austin | 9/18/1994 | Fall Brawl |
| Vader | Jim Duggan | 12/27/1994 | Starrcade |
| Sting (2) | Meng | 6/18/1995 | Great American Bash[7] |
| Kensuke Sasaki | Sting | 11/13/1995 | Japan |
| One Man Gang | Kensuke Sasaki | 12/27/1995 | Starrcade |
| Konnan | One Man Gang | 1/29/1996 | Monday Nitro |
| Ric Flair | Konnan | 7/7/1996 | Bash at the Beach[8] |
| Eddie Guerrero | Diamond Dallas Page | 12/29/1996 | Starrcade[9] |
| Dean Malenko | Eddie Guerrero | 3/16/1997 | UnCeNSoReD |
| Jeff Jarrett | Dean Malenko | 6/9/1997 | Monday Nitro |
| Steve McMichael | Jeff Jarrett | 8/21/1997 | Clash 35 |
| Curt Hennig | Steve McMichael | 9/15/1997 | Monday Nitro |
| Diamond Dallas Page | Curt Hennig | 12/28/1997 | Starrcade |
| Raven | Diamond Dallas Page | 4/19/1998 | Spring Stampede |
| Bill Goldberg | Raven | 4/20/1998 | Monday Nitro |
| Bret Hart | Diamond Dallas Page | 7/20/1998 | Monday Nitro[10] |
| Lex Luger (2) | Bret Hart | 8/10/1998 | Monday Nitro |
| Bret Hart (2) | Lex Luger | 8/13/1998 | Thunder |
| Diamond Dallas Page (2) | Bret Hart | 10/26/1998 | Monday Nitro |
| Bret Hart (3) | Diamond Dallas Page | 11/30/1998 | Monday Nitro |
| Roddy Piper | Bret Hart | 2/8/1999 | Monday Nitro |
| Scott Hall | Roddy Piper | 2/21/1999 | Superbrawl IX[11] |
| Scott Steiner | Booker T | 4/11/1999 | Spring Stampede[12] |
| David Flair | – | 7/5/1999 | Monday Nitro[13] |
| Chris Benoit | David Flair | 8/9/1999 | Monday Nitro |
| Sid Vicious | Chris Benoit | 9/12/1999 | Fall Brawl |
| Bill Goldberg (2) | Sid Vicious | 10/24/1999 | Halloween Havoc |
| Bret Hart (4) | Bill Goldberg | 10/25/1999 | Monday Nitro |
| Scott Hall (2) | Bret Hart | 11/8/1999 | Monday Nitro[14] |
| Chris Benoit (2) | Jeff Jarrett | 12/19/1999 | Starrcade |
| Jeff Jarrett (2) | Chris Benoit | 12/20/1999 | Monday Nitro[15] |
| Scott Steiner (2) | Sting | 4/16/2000 | Spring Stampede[16] |
| Lance Storm | Mike Awesome | 7/18/2000 | Monday Nitro[17] |
| Terry Funk | Lance Storm | 9/22/2000 | Amarillo, TX |
| Lance Storm (2) | Terry Funk | 9/23/2000 | Lubbock, TX |
| General Rection | Lance Storm | 10/29/2000 | Halloween Havoc[18] |
| Lance Storm (3) | General Rection | 11/13/2000 | Monday Nitro |
| General Rection (2) | Lance Storm | 11/26/2000 | Mayhem |
| Shane Douglas | General Rection | 1/14/2001 | Sin |
| Rick Steiner | Shane Douglas | 2/5/2001 | Monday Nitro |
| Booker T | Rick Steiner | 3/18/2001 | Greed |
| WWE buys out WCW and the title becomes defended on WWE programming. | |||
| Kanyon | – | 7/26/2001 | Smackdown![19] |
| Tajiri | Kanyon | 9/10/2001 | Raw is War |
| Rhyno | Tajiri | 9/23/2001 | Unforgiven |
| Kurt Angle | Rhyno | 10/22/2001 | Raw |
| Edge | Kurt Angle | 11/12/2001 | Raw[20] |
Footnotes:
[1]: When WCW withdrew from the NWA in January 1991, Lex Luger’s NWA U.S. title reign carried over to become the first ever WCW U.S. title reign. After winning the WCW world title, Lex Luger had to vacate the U.S. title.
[2]: This was a tournament final.
[3]: In December 1992, Rude had to vacate the title due to injury.
[4]: This was a tournament final. During a controversial finish in May 1993, the U.S. title became vacant.
[5]: Rhodes regained the U.S. title in a rematch on 8/30/1993.
[6]: Austin was awarded the title after Steamboat was forced to vacate the title due to injury.
[7]: Vader was stripped of the title by WCW Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel in April 1995. This was a tournament final.
[8]: Ric Flair had to vacate the title due to a shoulder injury in November 1996.
[9]: This was a tournament final.
[10]: Goldberg vacated the U.S. title once he won the WCW world title on 7/5/1998. Bret Hart and DDP were considered as the top two contendors to the U.S. title.
[11]: Scott Hall vacated the U.S. title after suffering an injury.
[12]: This was a tournament final.
[13]: WCW President Ric Flair stripped Scott Steiner of the title when he failed to defend it and awarded it to his son David.
[14]: This was a four-way ladder match which also included Sid Vicious and Goldberg. He would be stripped of the title due to an injury at Starrcade, setting up a ladder match between Benoit and Jarrett for the vacant title.
[15]: Once the Russo/Bischoff era started on 4/10/2000, all the titles were made vacant as they reset the company.
[16]: This was a tournament final. Steiner would be stripped of the title when he used the Steiner Recliner on Mike Awesome at Bash at the Beach which was a submission hold that had been banned from WCW.
[17]: This was a tournament final. During the Lance Storm title reigns, the U.S. title becomes unofficially known as the WCW Canadian Heavyweight title.
[18]: General Rection won the title in a handicap match by defeating both Lance Storm and Jim Duggan.
[19]: As the WCW world champion, Booker T awards the secondary WCW U.S. title to Kanyon.
[20]: At the Survivor Series PPV the following weekend, Edge defeated WWE Intercontinental champion Test to win the title and as the WCW U.S. champion, the WCW and WWE titles become unified for the first time ever.
Credit goes to: PWI Almanac, wrestling-titles.com, and ProWrestlingHistory.com
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