WWE Superstars Who Held a Championship for the Shortest Time

Professional wrestling is full of twists and unexpected moments. Among these are title reigns that ended before fans could even process the win. Some WWE Superstars have held championships for only minutes or even seconds, turning what should have been the greatest night of their careers into an unfortunate statistic. Whether through dramatic Money in the Bank cash-ins or controversial match restarts, these fleeting reigns are part of WWE history and continue to fuel debates among fans.

These moments serve as reminders that, in WWE, anything can happen — and sometimes that means a championship victory doesn’t last long. This breaks down some of the shortest title reigns ever recorded in WWE, showcasing Superstars who, for better or worse, couldn’t hold on to their prize for long. Here are four unforgettable instances where glory was taken away almost as quickly as it was achieved.

1. André the Giant — WWF Championship (Held for Less Than 2 Minutes)

André the Giant is one of the most legendary figures in WWE history, but his WWF Championship reign holds a peculiar record: one of the shortest of all time. On February 5, 1988, during The Main Event, André defeated Hulk Hogan in a controversial match. With the help of Ted DiBiase and referee Earl Hebner’s “evil twin,” André pinned Hogan despite Hogan’s shoulder clearly being up.

What followed is history. Immediately after his victory, André handed over the WWF Championship to Ted DiBiase, which was an unprecedented move. However, WWE President Jack Tunney declared that a championship could not simply be given away. As a result, the title was vacated, and André’s reign was officially recorded as lasting just over 1 minute.

This chaotic series of events led to the WWF Championship Tournament at WrestleMania IV. André’s extremely short reign, while controversial, is still a key part of WWE lore and a testament to how unpredictable title changes can be.

2. Yokozuna — WWF Championship (Held for Less Than 5 Minutes)

Yokozuna, one of WWE’s most dominant figures in the early 1990s, saw his second title reign last mere minutes. After defeating Bret Hart in the main event of WrestleMania IX on April 4, 1993, Yokozuna became WWF Champion for the first time. But as he was celebrating his hard-fought win, Hulk Hogan came down to the ring.

In a stunning twist, Yokozuna’s manager Mr. Fuji issued an impromptu challenge to Hogan, which was quickly accepted. The bell rang, and in a matter of moments, Hogan took advantage of Fuji’s failed interference attempt, landed his trademark leg drop, and pinned Yokozuna to become champion.

Yokozuna’s official reign is listed as lasting approximately 2 minutes and 6 seconds, making it one of the shortest in company history. Although Yokozuna would later regain the title, this loss remains one of the fastest and most memorable changes in WWE’s top championship lineage.

3. Seth Rollins — Universal Championship (Held for Less Than 3 Minutes)

Seth Rollins is widely regarded as one of WWE’s greatest modern-era Superstars, but even he couldn’t escape the fate of a brief title reign. At Money in the Bank 2016, Rollins made a stunning return from injury and defeated Roman Reigns to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. For a few minutes, Rollins was on top of the world, regaining a championship that had been taken from him due to injury months prior.

However, as Rollins was still catching his breath, Dean Ambrose’s music hit, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Ambrose, who had won the Money in the Bank contract earlier that night, came out and cashed in immediately. After attacking Rollins with the briefcase and hitting Dirty Deeds, Ambrose pinned Rollins to become the new champion.

Rollins’ reign is officially recorded as lasting about 2 minutes and 4 seconds, one of the shortest for a top title. This moment also made all three former Shield members (Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose) hold the same title in a single night — a historic and dramatic storyline.

4. Bayley — SmackDown Women’s Championship (Held for About 1 Minute)

Bayley made history with one of WWE’s fastest women’s title reigns. On October 11, 2019, during Friday Night SmackDown, Bayley faced Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Flair had recently won the title, but Bayley, fresh off her heel turn and with a new, edgier persona, managed to defeat her rival and capture the championship.

However, what makes Bayley’s moment notable isn’t this win — it’s what happened months earlier. On May 19, 2019, at Money in the Bank, Bayley won the Money in the Bank ladder match and successfully cashed in the contract later that night. Charlotte Flair had just beaten Becky Lynch and was celebrating when Bayley’s music hit.

Bayley capitalized on a weakened Charlotte, hit her with a top-rope elbow, and pinned her to win the SmackDown Women’s title. However, technically, Charlotte’s reign had only begun minutes before when she defeated Lynch — and Bayley ended it in roughly one minute.

This sequence made Bayley one of the fastest female Superstars to capture a title following a cash-in and contributed to her transformation into a major player in WWE’s women’s division.

Honorable Mentions: Other Superstars with Fleeting Reigns

Several other WWE Superstars have held titles for only a short time, and while they didn’t make this primary list, they are worth mentioning:

• Daniel Bryan (World Heavyweight Championship, 2013): Lost to Sheamus in 18 seconds at WrestleMania 28 after receiving a Brogue Kick following a good-luck kiss from AJ Lee.
• Charlotte Flair (Divas Championship, 2016): Although mostly known for longer reigns, her Divas title reign was cut short in a triple-threat match, showing even top stars aren’t immune to quick losses.
• Kane (WWF Championship, 1998): Defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at King of the Ring in a First Blood match, but *lost the title back to Austin the very next night on Raw, ending his reign in just 1 day — still longer than the minute-long reigns but historically brief.

Why Short Title Reigns Still Matter in WWE

Although these reigns were brief, they played important roles in WWE storytelling. A quick title loss can build a Superstar’s redemption arc, set up intense rivalries, or create memorable moments that keep fans talking. Moments like Ambrose cashing in on Rollins or Hogan surprising Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX are etched into WWE history because they were unexpected and full of drama.

Short reigns also prove that WWE’s championships are always in play — and that no champion is ever truly safe. These moments create excitement, give opportunities for other Superstars to rise, and often leave lasting impressions on fans around the world.

From legends like André the Giant to modern icons like Seth Rollins, these Superstars’ brief time as champion serves as a reminder that in WWE, history can be made in minutes — or even seconds.