As we saw this past Monday Night on RAW, Jeff Hardy defeated Jinder Mahal to become the new United States Champion. This put him in rare company as he is now one of only 12 superstars to be recognized as a Grand Slam Champion. From the official website, to be a Grand Slam Champion RIGHT NOW, you need to have held one of the WWE or Universal Championship (World Heavyweight Championship does not count), both the Intercontinental and United States Championship and any variation of the RAW/WWE or SD Tag Team Championships.) I understand that folks like Shawn Michaels and Triple H were Grand-Slammers under the old format, but this article will be for the new, current format.
The criteria changed over the years, but it seems pretty set as to what it is now. I think, for some bizarre reason, WWE continues to leave out a couple of people because of certain discrepancies. There are currently 12 Grand Slam Champions under WWE’s format, but I believe two others should be acknowledged and I’ll display them to you here. So again, the superstars I have on this list will have won the WWE/Universal Championship, United States AND Intercontinental Championship, and any form of the tag team titles under WWE.
14. JBL
The first superstar that WWE for some reason never recognizes as a Grand Slam Champion is JBL. He’s not officially recognized, but I’m going to give him the nod because I don’t believe in the little discrepancy over the tag belts. I think under the current format, you’d have to be a tag champion after the first brand split in 2002. He was tag team champions with Farroq as members of the APA back in 1999 when the beat Kane and X-Pac. I don’t believe WWE counts the WWF Tag Titles as part of the lineage of the RAW/SD Tag titles, but again, I’m not going to leave him off because of that. He won the WWE Championship in 2004 at the Great American Bash against Eddie Guererro in a bloody matchup. Then, he would win the United States Championship from Chris Benoit at WrestleMania 22. Finally, he won the Intercontinental Championship in 2009 from CM Punk to complete the Grand Slam.
JBL’s world title reign from 2004-2005 has been maligned as one of the worst in WWE, despite being one of the longest in Smackdown history. Many critiqued his slow, methodical style and how unoriginal his finishes were. Come to think of it, with the amount of interference in his matches, he shares a lot with Jinder Mahal there. That said, JBL is definitely a Hall of Famer when it’s said and done, and he continues to contribute to WWE today on commentary (though it does get cringe-worthy at times).
13. Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose, surprisingly, was the first member of The Shield to achieve the Grand Slam achievement. He started his journey by winning the United States Championship as a member of The Shield, and he’d go on to have the longest reign of a single run holding the US Title. He then continued to meander in the mid-card, winning the Intercontinental Championship from Kevin Owens, though he would later have bigger plans as he got retribution from Seth Rollins and won the WWE Championship from Seth Rollins the same night he won his first MITB ladder match. Ironically, he would achieve the Grand Slam by winning the tag titles with Seth Rollins at Summerslam the next year. Dean probably has the least star power in The Shield, but for all of his faults, he has certainly accomplished just as much as his Shield brethren. I wonder what program he will work when he returns from injury.
12. Jeff Hardy
Yes, yes, I know. Jeff was considered a Grand Slam Champion before he won the US Championship because he won basically every title there was to win, which included the European and Light Heavyweight Championship. However, that was under the old format. Under the new format, the US Championship was required, and he achieved that this past Monday on RAW. Now, he’s the only person to have won pretty much every major men’s title at least once if you don’t count the Universal Championship. It was always clear that in the Hardy Boyz, Jeff was the star, and even at the age of 40, Hardy is still continuing to dazzle crowds with his unique brand of wrestling and nearly killing himself.
We all know he got the tag titles with Matt Hardy, but the reign he had with Matt in 2007 and in 2017 would be the ones that qualify under the new format.He won the Intercontinental Championship 4 times, the first of which came in an upset against Triple H in 2001. He won the WWE Championship against Edge and Triple H in 2008 in a triple threat match at Armageddon, and as we all saw, he got the US Championship this past Monday, completing one of the most successful individual careers in WWE history, and that doesn’t even include his titles in TNA and ROH. Even despite his poor decision making outside of the ring, he’s still managed to attain incredible success.
11. The Big Show
The Big Show is here mainly because he has longevity on his side, but regardless, WWE’s biggest athlete has achieved huge success. He won his first WWE Championship over Triple H in an emotional moment in lieu of the death of his father. He had been tag team champions with The Undertaker in the past, but what counts under the new format would be his unified tag title reign with Chris Jericho in 2009. He won the United States Championship from Eddie Guererro at No Mercy in 2003, and he got his “WrestleMania Moment” by completing the Grand Slam at WrestleMania 28, winning the Intercontinental Championship off of Cody Rhodes. In addition, The Big Show is the only superstar to have won the WWE, World, ECW and WCW World Championships.
Big Show recently signed an extension with WWE and has no plans on retiring soon, and it goes without saying The Big Show has been a pioneer for future big men in WWE today.
10. Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins will no doubt be higher on this list by the time his career is over, because he’s an incredible performer, and he’s had a bit of a rebirth in 2018. He started by winning the tag titles with Roman Reigns as members of The Shield back at Extreme Rules in 2013, in addition to holding the tag belts with Dean Ambrose and Jason Jordan. He won the WWE World Championship in one of the craziest WrestleMania endings ever by cashing in Money In The Bank, and beating Roman and Brock Lesnar in a triple threat match to win the WWE Championship. He won the United States Title from John Cena basically as a prop at Summerslam in 2015. In doing so, he became the first superstar to hold the WWE and United States Championship simultaneously. The only thing that he needed was the Intercontinental Championship, and he got that at WrestleMania 34 by defeating The Miz and Finn Balor in a Triple Threat match. Rollins is also the first NXT Champion ever and has a MITB victory to boot. Seth is one of the most talented ring performers WWE has, and as he continues to pile on the accolades, he’ll make his way up this list with little difficulty.
9. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is the new golden boy for WWE, at least that’s what we are supposed to believe. While Roman’s Grand Slam was really just a way of saying that he did it, I could honestly say that I didn’t envision him getting what was needed as I believed he would just stay in the main event scene all his career. Just like Seth, he won the tag titles with Seth Rollins at Extreme Rules in 2013. He would then win the 1st of his 3 WWE Championship reigns at Survivor Series in 2015, before Sheamus abruptly rained (pun partially intended) on his parade by cashing in on him moments later. He then took the US Championship off of Rusev at Clash of Champions in 2016, and he finally got the Grand Slam the following year as he defeated The Miz to become the new Intercontinental Championship. Both of his mid card title reigns were meaningless because he only held it as a means of carrying a title around and nothing more.
In addition to his 2015 Royal Rumble victory, Roman has main evented every WrestleMania since 2015 with no end in sight and can add to his title collection if he can finally slay The Beast and win the Universal Championship next Friday. Roman no doubt is destined for great things so long as Vince calls the shots, but considering he was once just the powerhouse of The Shield with two moves, it’s amazing to see how far he’s come.
8. The Miz
The Miz went from having to change his clothes in the locker room to become one of the most successful and reliable superstars WWE has ever employed. In his journey to becoming a grand slam champion, he first had his impressive tag team title run with John Morrison in 2007. He then won his first United States Championship from Kofi Kingston on RAW in 2009. In the highlight of his career, he won his only WWE Championship by cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase on a vulnerable Randy Orton. He’d go on to main event WrestleMania 27 and defeat John Cena in the main event all by himself of course. What he lacked was the Intercontinental Championship, and he would win the first of 8 of them on the 1000th episode of RAW by defeating Christian. The Miz has the 2nd most Intercontinental Title reigns in WWE history, trailing another superstar on this list and is a few weeks away from having the most combined days as Intercontinental Champion in WWE history.
The Miz has been used in a myriad of ways and has succeeded at every level after being exiled in the locker room. Perhaps his greatest achievement beyond winning the WWE Championship is making the Intercontinental Championship mean something important, by carrying it with pride. He continues to reinvent himself and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for him going forward.
7. Randy Orton
Okay, I’ll be honest. I’m a bit of an Orton mark, so maybe he’s a bit higher than what many of you would like, and I can see why Orton is quickly being recognized as one of the most overrated superstars in the history of the industry because of his mundane style and his lack of vintage performances at the highest stage. That said, Randy Orton was somebody that was built for this business, and he did have the luxury of learning under Triple H and Ric Flair when he was still basically a kid and learning the ropes. He’s developed nicely, and if you ask me when he’s motivated and wants to put on a good performance, he’s a top 5 worker in the industry, and that’s not an exaggeration. He knows what to do, he just chooses not to.
First, he won the Intercontinental Championship from Rob Van Dam while he was still in Evolution at Armageddon in 2003. Next, he was basically handed the WWE Championship at No Mercy in 2007 when John Cena after he tore his pectoral muscle. He then won the Smackdown tag team championship with The Wyatt Family at TLC in 2016 under the Freebird rule. Finally, he won the United States Championship from Bobby Roode at Fastlane this year to complete the Grand Slam. Of course, only his WWE and maybe Intercontinental Title reigns are anything worth remembering, and while Orton will probably be remembered as one of the greatest to ever to do it, with one of the most exciting finishers ever, he’s been doing his legacy no favors with his performance, in general, the past couple of years. Here’s to hoping he rediscovers that spark.
6. Daniel Bryan
We all surely thought that we would never see Daniel Bryan in a WWE ring again, but before we received the miraculous news that he was cleared to return to in-ring competition, he was able to achieve the Grand Slam accolade. He started out in his first year in WWE, by defeating The Miz (please bring back that rivalry) at Night of Champions in 2010 to win the United States Championship. At Night of Champions two years later, he would win the WWE Tag Team Championship with Kane. Then, he’d go on to win the WWE Championship at Summerslam in 2013 in an incredible match against John Cena, and he’d complete it all when he would win the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match at WrestleMania 31.
Daniel Bryan is unquestionably one of the most exciting superstars to ever step foot in the squared circle, and the way he’s able to capture a crowd through a simple catchphrase remains one of wrestling’s greatest feats. Now that he’s on Smackdown working with the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, The Miz and Samoa Joe, the possibilities continue to be endless. He’s living proof that if you fight for your dreams, they will fight for you.
5. Eddie Guererro
Eddie Guererro is a lot like Daniel Bryan in most ways, and that’s what made his untimely demise so heartbreaking. If you were alive to watch Eddie Guererro behind your television screen in his prime, you’d know that Eddie was one of the most well-rounded superstars that WWE has ever employed. He can electrify in the ring, he can entertain on the microphone and he entertained in ways that others simply couldn’t. Eddie Guererro won his Intercontinental Championship by accidentally pinning Chyna in a triple threat match with Kurt Angle in 2000. Next, he’d win the tag team titles with his nephew, Chavo, in a triple threat tag team match at Survivor Series 2002 against Edge/Mysterio and Angle/Benoit.
The United States Championship was re-introduced in 2003, and in the finals of the tournament held on Smackdown, Eddie defeated Chris Benoit at Vengeance to claim the vacant title. However, as we all know, the highlight of his career was winning the WWE Championship at No Way Out in 2004 over Brock Lesnar in one of the greatest underdog moments in WWE history. Eddie Guererro’s legacy on WWE is infallible, and after his tragic passing in 2005, he was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He remains impactful in the lives of many current wrestlers today, most notably, Sasha Banks.
4. Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle’s WWE career is defined by his Olympic background and his intensity in the ring. What made Kurt Angle such an incredible performer at his peak was his legitimacy. He was also a heel that didn’t need to cheat in order to make the likes of The Rock, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels tap out. He was just that damn good and there were only a select few (Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit come to mind) that were able to keep up with his pace in the ring. Angle’s grand slam journey started in 2000, one of the greatest individual campaigns for any superstar in WWE history, especially in his first full year. First, Kurt Angle won the Intercontinental Championship from Chris Jericho at No Way Out as he entered WrestleMania 16 holding both the Intercontinental and European Championships at the same time (only Jeff Jarrett and D-Lo Brown have done that). Later that year in the Fall, at No Mercy, he defeated The Rock to win his first WWE Championship thanks to Rikishi. He also enjoyed brief tag team championship runs with the likes of The Rock and Chris Benoit. Kurt is also the quickest to get to the Grand Slam.
The United States Championship is tricky, but for some reason, WWE counts the United States Championship from WCW in its brief stint during the Invasion angle of 2001. Kurt Angle won it from Rhyno on RAW in 2001. In addition to all of that, Kurt has also won the World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW Championship, making him one of four superstars in WWE history to have won the WWE, World and WCW Championships (The Big Show, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho). Kurt was then immortalized into the WWE Hall of Fame, headlining last year’s class. Now that he is RAW GM and still competing (though in tag matches apparently), Kurt Angle is on the tail end of a legendary individual career.
3. Edge
Edge is actually my favorite superstar in WWE history, so if he’s a bit higher up on this list than where you’d have him, I’m sorry personal bias. Edge has the most combined title reigns of any WWE superstar with 31 (though Raven technically has 32 due to 27 runs with the Hardcore Championship). Edge began by revolutionizing the ladder match and TLC with the Dudley Boyz and the Hardy Boyz in the Attitude Era, winning the tag titles with Christian on multiple occasions. Edge technically won his 1st Intercontinental Championship at a house show in 1999 against Jeff Jarrett, but his first televised IC Title win was against Lance Storm at Summerslam in 2001. Edge’s US Title win comes under the same boat as Kurt Angle’s US Title win, as he won the WCW United States Championship for six days before unifying it with the Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series in 2001. The crowning moment for the Rated R Superstar came when he cashed in Money In The Bank in 2006 on John Cena at New Year’s Revolution, winning his first WWE Championship, thereby setting the standard for MITB cash-ins to this date.
Edge is the only superstar next to Sheamus to win MITB, King of the Ring and a Royal Rumble. He has the most combined World Tag Title reigns at 12. He also has the most combined World Heavyweight Title reigns at 7. His career was cut short due to severe issues with his neck that can paralyze him if something were to go wrong. He was rightfully inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012. He wasn’t the best in-ring performer, certainly not on this list, but his versatility and ability to succeed at every level, from the tag team division to main eventing WrestleMania against the Undertaker belies his incredible career.
2. Bret Hart
Hart is the other superstar besides that JBL that WWE consistently doesn’t mention as a Grand Slam Champion. Bret Hart’s career is defined by execution and impeccable wrestling. One of the stalwarts that spearheaded the new generation for WWE in the 90s, Bret Hart is often forgotten when mentioning the all-time greats in WWE. Hell, if it wasn’t for him and his feud with Stone Cold, we may not know who Stone Cold is today. Bret Hart began his journey in the late 80s as he won the Tag Titles with Jim Neidhart in 1987 as members of the Hart Foundation, one of the greatest wrestling factions created. Next, he won the Intercontinental Championship from Mr. Perfect at Summerslam in 1991 in one of my favorite underrated matches ever. Bret Hart then won the WWE Championship from Ric Flair at a house show match in 1992.
Finally, Bret Hart won the United States Championship when he was semi-retired in 2010 on his farewell tour against The Miz on RAW just for the sake of getting the Grand Slam. He vacated it the following week, but since he did win it, it does count, which makes him a Grand Slam Champion in my book. Bret Hart helped set a standard for in ring performances, but I think there’s just one more person that I couldn’t help but give the nod too.
1. Chris Jericho
How about the Canadians, eh? Chris Jericho is just someone that made being a WWE superstar look easy. There aren’t many who can say that he has the success that he has. He is one of only 6 superstars on this list that was a Grand Slam Champion under both formats. He also joins Jeff Hardy as the only two superstars to win EVERY title eligible under both formats if you don’t count the Universal Championship. Chris Jericho began his own grand slam journey by winning the 1st of his record 9 Intercontinental Championships from Chyna at Armageddon 1999. He then joined up with fellow Canadian, Chris Benoit, to win the WWE Tag Titles from Triple H and Stone Cold in one of the greatest RAW matches ever. His first WWE Championship came later that year when he would win the Undisputed Title by defeating The Rock and Stone Cold on the same night at Vengeance 2001 in which will still be his defining moment. From that moment on, he only required the US Championship to be considered a Grand Slam Champion, and that feat wouldn’t be accomplished until 16 years later when Jericho pinned Roman Reigns in a handicap match to win the title.
Chris Jericho’s career is defined by him constantly reinventing himself and his character, and as we have seen throughout his career, he has taken on numerous forms and numerous characters but has achieved great success in all of them. Jericho is no doubt a Hall of Famer, and whenever he decides to periodically drop it once again, I’m sure he’ll do something else different that will make us fall in love with him all over again.
What did you think of the list? Agree? Disagree? Let me know. Until next time.
