Welcome. Today, I bring you an extensive list of all WWE Grand Slam & Triple Crown Champions in history. But before we look, allow me to explain what is needed to claim these illustrious feats.
Triple Crown
The Triple Crown achievement was originally given to any wrestler who claimed all three of the WWF’s championships. This included the WWF Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and World Tag Team Championship. In later years, this was extended to allow the World Heavyweight Championship (Big Gold Belt) to act as an equal to the WWE title.
The WWE/Raw Tag Team Championship also serves as an equal to the original (now deactivated) World Tag Team title. It hasn’t stopped there though, as WWE extended (because of NXT) this achievement to the tag team division, women’s division, and the NXT brand. I shall explain these versions later.
So which titles are exempt from the Triple Crown? It might surprise you to know that WWE does not include the United States Championship, despite serving as an equal secondary achievement similar to the Intercontinental title. There’s also no room for the Hardcore, European or 24/7 Championships, as they are considered tertiary and not important enough to be on the same level as the Intercontinental title. Because of this, many big names never earned the Triple Crown or Grand Slam (there is a list at the bottom).
You should also know that the Universal & SmackDown Tag Team title do not count, but the Raw tag title does because it was originally the WWE Tag Team Championship. Therefore, it is possible (but has yet to happen) for a superstar to become a Grand Slam Champion and illogically bypass the Triple Crown stage because WWE has yet to revise its definition to include the Universal and SmackDown Tag Team titles.
Grand Slam
The Grand Slam is a little more complicated to explain. The important thing to note is that unlike the Triple Crown, a superstar requires four different types of championships. WWE recently revised the definition of the Grand Slam, so I will do my best to explain the difference.
- [Original] — Established in 1997, the original Grand Slam comprised a World Championship, Tag Team Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and either the European or Hardcore Championship. Understandably, this version of the Grand Slam died out when the European & Hardcore titles were deactivated.
- [Revised] — Established in 2015, WWE began officially recognizing Triple Crown winners with a United States title reign as having completed the Grand Slam. To confirm, a superstar requires a World title equivalent (Universal Championship counts), either the Raw or SmackDown Tag Team titles, and “both” IC & US titles.
- [Women’s] — It is now possible for female superstars to earn their own version of the Grand Slam. This includes the Raw, SmackDown, Tag Team & NXT Women’s Championships.
Because there have been two versions of the Grand Slam for the men, it means that five WWE superstars have technically achieved it twice. Two superstars completed their Grand Slams in different fashions, so they may appear chronologically earlier than their images suggest.
Don’t worry if this sounds confusing, I’ll make it clear as we go along. Out of all the men’s singles championships in the original and revised formats, no superstar has won every eligible title. However, one superstar would achieve this if they were to get a hold of the Universal title. Can you guess who it is?
Important Note: You may notice the way some superstars Grand Slams are numbered differs to the way WWE and Wikipedia’s suggest. This is because I believe there is an issue wherein the Grand Slams are not considered chronologically across both formats. They remain numbered in the way they were originally handed out, but I won’t be doing it this way. Instead, they will be numbered based on when a superstar achieved their first Grand Slam, no matter which way they achieved it, in chronological order. Triple Crowns shall see no change.
Pedro Morales (1st Triple Crown)
The definition of the Triple Crown begins with seldom mentioned WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales. It didn’t come quickly though, as Morales became the WWWF Champion a year after debuting with the company in 1970. He left the promotion five years later, joining back up with the renamed WWF in 1980. Morales’ following achievements cemented his legacy as the most successful Puerto Rican in the company’s history, as he won the tag team championship with Bob Backlund, and the Intercontinental Championship by the end of the year.
To this day, he remains the longest reigning IC Champion in history. Becoming the first Triple Crown Champion can never be taken away from him. Morales is also the only wrestler to have earned this achievement with the original WWWF Heavyweight Championship. It took him ten years to start something which WWE superstars continue to seek forty years later. Pedro Morales is the founding father of the WWE Triple Crown.
Bret Hart (2nd Triple Crown)
Since 1984, Bret Hart spent much of his early years in the World Wrestling Federation in the tag team division as one-half of The Hart Foundation. Because of this, it took him a staggering seven years to claim his first singles title; the Intercontinental Championship in 1991.
His stock quickly rocketed in to the stratosphere, as he claimed the WWF Championship from Ric Flair on a house show a little over a year later. It took him eight years to claim the Triple Crown, which isn’t bad considering he spent much of it teaming with Jim Neidhart. In 1992, “The Hitman” became the first man to earn the Triple Crown after winning the World Championship. You could say he was the first to do it the “right way”, as it could be said that Pedro Morales earned his backwards.
Diesel (3rd Triple Crown)
After leaving WCW in 1993, Diesel (AKA Kevin Nash) debuted in June. By April ’94, he was winning the Intercontinental Championship. Then, he went on to claim tag team gold with Shawn Michaels in August, becoming a double champion for a short time. In November, he squashed Bob Backlund at a House Show to win the WWF Championship.
It took him only 17 months to claim the Triple Crown! Destroying Bret Hart’s record of eight years. There’s not many on this list who can say they achieved everything in such a short time frame. He was given everything to succeed as one of the company’s top stars for years to come, but we all know it didn’t turn out that way.
Shawn Michaels (1st Grand Slam, 4th Triple Crown)
Ironically, Shawn Michaels had a similar path to the Triple Crown as Bret Hart did. The only difference is he won the IC title first and the tag titles second (w/ Diesel). After eight years in the WWF, he finally earned the Triple Crown at WrestleMania XII in an Ironman match against Bret Hart. This makes him the first man to have achieved this feat at a WrestleMania.
Not only that, but he became the granddaddy of the Grand Slam. In Birmingham, England, Michaels defeated The British Bulldog for the European Championship, beginning the legacy of the Grand Slam Championship in 1997. Not only that, but he achieved two other eligible titles in the original Grand Slam format: the World Heavyweight Championship in 2002, and the WWE Tag Team title in 2009 with long-time friend Triple H.
Stone Cold Steve Austin (5th Triple Crown)
Much like Diesel, Stone Cold Steve Austin had a meteoric rise through the ranks. Upon debuting in early ’96, Austin spent the next two years working his way up as a heel and eventual anti-hero. Like Michaels before him, Austin won tag team gold with the previous Triple Crown winner. A few short months later, he was well on his way as the Intercontinental Champion.
The next WrestleMania rolled around, and not only had he defeated Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship with his hand raised by Mike Tyson, but he also claimed the Triple Crown. Austin did this in only 10 months, setting a new record for the time taken between a superstar winning their first and third titles. It’s safe to say there won’t be many other superstars doing that… oh Hell Yeah!
The Rock (6th Triple Crown)
Despite oozing charisma, The Rock was always a singles competitor. That was til Mankind came along, showing that he could have enough of a heart to get along with a tag team partner in the Rock N’ Sock Connection. And in this instance, The Rock made history. What was so special about his Triple Crown?
Well, unlike all the previously mentioned superstars, Rocky won the WWF & Intercontinental Championships before his tag team title. The Rock earned his Triple Crown by winning the tag titles last, marking the first time in history a superstar had done it in this fashion. He never needed a run in the tag team division, but the chemistry between him & Mick Foley was undeniable. We could say that the only reason he ever won the Triple Crown was because of their unique relationship.
Triple H (2nd Grand Slam, 7th Triple Crown)
At Backlash 2001, history was made once again. Not only did Triple H become the first superstar to reach the pinnacle post-Attitude Era, he was the third member of the Kliq to do so. And it doesn’t stop there, as Triple H became the first superstar in history to win the Triple Crown & Grand Slam at the exact same time. How? Because he’d already won the WWF, Intercontinental, and European Championships.
All he was missing was tag team gold, so when he & Steve Austin (AKA The Two-Man Power Trip) defeated the Brothers of Destruction at Backlash, he made history as the first superstar to win the Triple Crown & Grand Slam simultaneously, and even became a double champion in the process. It sure is a crowning achievement all rolled in to one, but most fans wouldn’t have picked up on it because they were still upset about Steve Austin turning heel and teaming up with his long-time rivals in Mr. McMahon & Triple H.
Kane (3rd Grand Slam, 8th Triple Crown)
Kane (3rd Grand Slam, 8th Triple Crown)Did you know that Kane achieved both, while his brother The Undertaker didn’t? Kane had a good year in 1998, picking up the WWF Championship for a day, and two short tag team reigns with Mankind. But it wasn’t til three years later that he reached the top of the mountain. In April he picked up the Hardcore title, and less than a month after Triple H earned his Triple Crown/Grand Slam, Kane did the exact same thing by beating Triple H for the Intercontinental Championship at Judgment Day.
History was made once more, as the Big Red Machine became the first superstar to claim the Grand Slam by winning the Hardcore title, instead of the European title. He was also the first to earn his Triple Crown/Grand Slam at the same time, by beating the previous superstar who did the same thing for a championship. A decade later, Kane went further by earning two other titles eligible for the original Grand Slam, including 1) the World Championship, and 2) the WWE Tag Team Championship with the Big Show.
Chris Jericho
(4th Grand Slam, 9th Triple Crown, 4th Double Grand Slam)
Y2J is the first of two superstars to achieve the Grand Slam on two separate occasions. Ok, let me try to explain. When Jericho made history by becoming the first Undisputed Champion in December 2001, he did what Kane & Triple also did by earning the Grand Slam & Triple Crown simultaneously.
Some facts that may get overlooked however, is that he became the first to win all the eligible titles for the Grand Slam; including both the European & Hardcore titles. He would later win the newly created eligible titles, including the World Championship in 2008, and the WWE Tag Team title (w/ Edge) in 2009. Only one other superstar has claimed all the titles in the original format, but Y2J got there first.
Moving on to the revised format, we see that Jericho had achieved the Triple Crown long ago in 2001. However, to earn the Grand Slam in the new way, he had to win the United States Championship. On an episode of Raw, fifteen years after winning the original Grand Slam, Chris Jericho pinned Roman Reigns in a handicap match (he teamed with Kevin Owens) to claim the US title and become a double grand slam. Because of the time difference, he was technically the 4th out of 5 men to earn the double. This would be his last achievement in WWE, before moving on to Japan and AEW.
Kurt Angle
(5th Grand Slam, 10th Triple Crown, 1st Double Grand Slam)
2000-2002 was an amazing couple of years for the Olympic Gold Medalist. Not only did he become a Eurocontinental Champion (EU+IC), he won the WWF and Hardcore Championships. A month after the Hardcore title, he picked up the United States Championship as well. Despite all these accomplishments, the one thing that eluded him on both formats of the Grand Slam & Triple Crown was a tag team title reign.
At No Mercy 2002, the pairing of Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit made history on the SmackDown brand, by becoming the first WWE Tag Team Champions (ironically known as the Raw Tag Team title). Technically, this made Angle the first man to earn the Double Grand Slam & Triple Crown. No one knew it at the time though, as the revised format didn’t become active for another thirteen years, but Angle made history as the first to get the Grand Slam no matter which way you go about it. He’s also the first to do it without the original World Tag Team Championship. You know it’s true. It’s damn true!
Eddie Guerrero
(6th Grand Slam, 11th Triple Crown, 2nd Double Grand Slam)
Viva La Raza! Prior to his memorable WWE Championship triumph over Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 2004, Latino Heat had already claimed the Intercontinental, United States, European, and WWE Tag Team Championships (w/ Chavo). Eddie had set himself up to become a Grand Slam (both formats) & Triple Crown, and all he was needed was the richest prize.
It is bittersweet though, that Eddie Guerrero achieved everything he had set out to do, and then passed away less than two years later. Sadly, he goes down in history as the first Grand Slam/Triple Crown winner to pass away. It’s not a record we wanted, but the main thing is we remember Eddie Guerrero for everything he did for us and the world of sports entertainment/professional wrestling. Latino Heat stole our hearts.
Chris Benoit (12th Triple Crown)
Prior to WrestleMania XX, Chris Benoit had already set himself up for the Triple Crown by winning both sets of tag team titles (w/ Chris Jericho & Kurt Angle), along with the Intercontinental Championship. It was befitting that he earned his Triple Crown by overcoming the first Grand Slam Champions in Triple H & Shawn Michaels in the main event of the 20th anniversary of WrestleMania.
However, this memory will always be tainted, and Chris Benoit may go down as the most controversial superstar in WWE history. There is no celebrating or glorifying of his accomplishments. We cannot erase history, which is the only reason he is included in this list.
Ric Flair (13th Triple Crown)
“The Nature Boy” Ric Flair is a special case. When he signed with the WWE after the demise of WCW, we were told he was a broken man. Triple H helped him with his confidence, and a rejuvenated Flair became a mainstay of the Evolution stable with his friend, Randy Orton & Batista. After the group disbanded, Flair entered in to a program with Carlito over the Intercontinental Championship. As a 56-year-old babyface, it was a little surreal seeing him going after a title, but the fans were up for it.
In the opening match of Unforgiven 2005, Ric Flair made history when he made Carlito tap out to the Figure Four Leg Lock. Not only did he become the oldest Intercontinental Champion of all time, but also the oldest to claim the Triple Crown. He set a new record for the allotted time between his first WWE title (the WWF Championship back in the ’92 Rumble) and his third; a staggering thirteen years and eight months. It is unlikely that anyone will ever do something similar again. WOOOOOOOO!
Edge (7th Grand Slam, 14th Triple Crown)
On January 8th, 2006, Edge became the first man to earn the Grand Slam in the revised format and NOT in the original. This made him the third to achieve the revised version, after Angle & Guerrero. Edge had already set himself up for it several years before, when he won the World Tag Team Championship (many times w/ Christian), the Intercontinental and WCW United States Championships. However, Edge also needed a WWE Tag Team title reign to earn the revised Grand Slam, which he got with Rey Mysterio in 2002.
Injuries haltered his progress towards the main event scene, so it wasn’t til 2006 did he finally achieve his dreams. At New Year’s Revolution, Edge made history by becoming the first man to cash in the newly created Money In The Bank contract on John Cena after retaining in an Elimination Chamber match. In doing so, he became the first superstar to claim the Triple Crown & Grand Slam by winning a title with Money In The Bank.
Rob Van Dam (8th Grand Slam, 15th Triple Crown)
RVD is a funny case, and not because he has the giggles. While his Intercontinental & Tag Team reigns (w/ Rey Mysterio for one & Kane the other) are legitimate, I’m not entirely sure about his European & Hardcore title reigns. The fact is, Rob Van Dam unified the EU & Hardcore titles in to his Intercontinental title (in one match against Jeff Hardy, and Tommy Dreamer the other), and they were abandoned immediately after. So we could say he earned these championships, but he never reigned with ’em as he never physically held either of them.
There’s also the fact that he could be called the 7th Grand Slam Champion. This was true in 2006 under the original format, but if we include both original and revised, he turns out to be the 8th behind Edge. With his win at ECW One Night Stand 2006 over John Cena, Rob Van Dam is the only ECW superstar to achieve it in this way. Also, we know that he became the only superstar to hold the WWE & ECW Championship simultaneously. This was his last big achievement with the company.
Booker T (9th Grand Slam, 16th Triple Crown)
Much like Rob Van Dam, Booker T is only a Grand Slam under the original format. This means he is considered the 8th winner, but I have him as 9th behind Edge & RVD. He is the only WCW talent who crossed over during the invasion angle, to claim the WWE Triple Crown & Grand Slam. Booker also won his championships in different years. 2001 saw him partner up with Test to claim the World Tag Team titles. At Insurrextion 2002, he won and lost the Hardcore title twice in the same night.
In 2003, Booker took the Intercontinental title from Christian on an episode of Raw. Over three years later, following a name change to King Booker (after winning King of the Ring), he finally reached the big time by usurping Rey Mysterio at The Great American Bash for the World Championship. In doing so, he became the first of only two men to earn the Triple Crown & Grand Slam without ever holding the WWE Championship. Also, he is the first and only African-American to achieve this.
Jeff Hardy
(10th Grand Slam, 18th Triple Crown, 5th Double Grand Slam)
I’m allowing Grand Slams to take precedence over Triple Crown’s, which is why the latter has gone out of order. Like Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy is different because he earned his Grand Slams at different points in time. His first came about when he won the WWE Championship at Armageddon 2008. It took a long time though, as he earned his secondary/tertiary titles between 1999-2002. And much like Jericho, he won all eligible titles in the original format by 2017 (his tag title reign with Matt Hardy finished it).
His second Grand Slam came about in 2018 when Jeff pinned Jinder Mahal on an episode of Raw for the United States Championship. This means there’s almost an entire decade between him originally winning the Grand Slam, and doing so in the revised way. Remember when I asked earlier, about which wrestler has won almost every single title? It’s Jeff. And if he were to win the Universal Championship, he would be the only superstar to have claimed all eligible titles in both the original and revised formats. Nobody else could achieve this exceptional accolade, and he’s currently on SmackDown… so it is a possibility.
CM Punk (19th Triple Crown)
Serving as an ECW superstar for two years, CM Punk finally got his big break in 2008 when he was drafted to the Raw brand in the summer. Only a week later, he became the World Heavyweight Champion by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Edge. A few months later, after being forced to relinquish the World title, he won the tag team championship with Kofi Kingston.
And again, a few months later he got the Intercontinental title from William Regal. This victory made him the 19th Triple Crown. Remember earlier, when I said Austin claimed the Triple Crown in 10 months? Well, CM Punk did it in six. Regardless of this achievement, he will be more remembered for his record setting 434 day WWE Championship reign from 2011 to 2013.
John Bradshaw Layfield (11th Grand Slam, 20th Triple Crown)
Like others, JBL claimed the Grand Slam under the original format, meaning that he was recognized as the 10th winner at the time. It took him ages though, almost ten years on from winning his first tag team title with partner Faarooq in 1999. After a storied career, he had one last run when he pinned CM Punk for the Intercontinental Championship.
He lost the title to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania XXV (2009) in 21 seconds, and told the audience “I Quit!” immediately after. And he wasn’t lying, as JBL announced his retirement from the ring the following day. He remains the only superstar to retire so soon after becoming a Grand Slam/Triple Crown champion. Clearly, there was nothing left for him to achieve.
Dolph Ziggler (22nd Triple Crown)
As a member of the Spirit Squad with the name Nicky, WWE recognizes him as a tag team champion under the freebird rule with four other guys. Two years after debuting as Dolph Ziggler, he finally got his break by winning the Intercontinental title in 2010. However, what came next is possibly one of the more controversial decisions. A little over a month after losing the IC title in early 2011, Ziggler was quickly thrust in to the main event scene with Vickie Guerrero serving as the General Manager. Because of a clear bias, she stated that Edge would lose his World title match if he used the Spear against Ziggler in their match.
After this happened, Vickie stripped Edge of the title. She controversially awarded the World Championship to Ziggler, despite never pinning Edge. This marks the only time in history that a superstar has claimed the Triple Crown after being awarded a title by an authority figure. Ziggler lost the title back to Edge on the same episode, but he would have earned the Triple Crown eventually anyway. He cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Alberto Del Rio in 2013.
Christian (12th Grand Slam, 23rd Triple Crown)
Christian had one of the longest waits between claiming his first championship in WWE, to earning the right to be called a Grand Slam & Triple Crown. Way back in the day, he & Edge won the tag team titles at WrestleMania 2000 in a triangle ladder match. The following year, he achieved some notable singles success as Intercontinental, European, and Hardcore champion. But from then on, it felt like Christian would never reach the top. There was a time from 2004-2005 where it looked like he might, but John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Triple H, JBL and others, saw to it that he wouldn’t.
After going to TNA for a few years, he returned in 2009 and became the ECW Champion. Carrying the ECW brand proved to management that he could hold a World Championship. So in 2011, a crazy eleven years since breaking through at WrestleMania 2000, Christian overcame Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match to claim the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. It was vindication, and a reward befitting of his dedication and hard work over so many years.
Big Show
(13th Grand Slam, 24th Triple Crown, 3rd Double Grand Slam)
Christian wasn’t the only superstar to take the longest time to earn his stripes. The World’s Largest Athlete is also WWE’s largest Grand Slam & Triple Crown. It’s hard to believe anyone bigger will come along. He won his first championships in 1999, the tag team title with The Undertaker, and the WWF title from Triple H at Survivor Series. He also won the Hardcore title in 2001, setting himself up to earn the original Grand Slam. With a WWE Tag Team title reign with Chris Jericho, this also put him in the frame to get the Grand Slam in the revised format.
The only way it could happen though, is if he got a hold of the elusive Intercontinental Championship. His run at WrestleMania had been abysmal, so going in to WrestleMania XXVIII, his storyline with Cody Rhodes focused on this terrible record. Big Show had never enjoyed a true WrestleMania moment, and by 2012 he was long overdue. So while it was fairly predictable, the victory over Cody validated his career. Big Show’s loyalty and hard work was rewarded with the ultimate achievement. From this point on, there will be no more “Double Grand Slam” winners listed. Big Show is the last superstar to achieve the original Grand Slam, and it is unlikely there will be anymore.
The Miz (14th Grand Slam, 25th Triple Crown)
The run that The Miz had between 2007-2012 was well… awesome. I ain’t going to lie, I was not a fan of his at all. In recent times, he has proven himself in many areas. After moving quickly up the totem pole, The Miz found himself in the main event of WrestleMania against John Cena. And although he enjoyed plenty of success, his run as WWE Champion was booked so weakly it didn’t do him any favors in the long haul. For the next two years, The Miz struggled to find his place.
Essentially, WWE had to hit the reset button with him. It all started when he turned up at Raw 1000 and won the Intercontinental Championship from a defending Christian. As we know, he claimed the same title seven more times, and only Pedro Morales has held it for longer. The Miz may have fallen drastically from the main event scene, but it set him on the path to becoming a Grand Slam & Triple Crown champion. The only thing left for him to do, is to one day win the WWE Championship again. Or go after the Universal title, his sole remaining achievement.
Daniel Bryan (15th Grand Slam, 26th Triple Crown)
Can I get a Yes! Yes! Yes?! Daniel Bryan’s rise to the top is well-documented, but did you know that his Intercontinental title reign meant more than it seemed? That’s because it was a consolation prize. With WWE knowing of his injuries, they couldn’t keep him at the top of the card because of the ongoing risk. Instead, they had him carry the IC title and were prepared to keep him active in the mid-card scene to help get other talents over. But it all came to a sudden halt, as WWE doctors refused to clear him.
Weeks after becoming a Grand Slam & Triple Crown Champion, WWE adamantly fought to keep Bryan away from the ring. This marks the first time in history that a superstar who recently earned the Grand Slam & Triple Crown was effectively forced to retire (albeit temporarily) against their will due to injuries. He had nothing left to prove, but Daniel Bryan fought with everything to get back to what he loves.
Dean Ambrose (16th Grand Slam, 27th Triple Crown)
Considering how many times they partnered up, it took a long time for Dean Ambrose to finally win tag team gold. For much of his first few years in WWE, he wrestled primarily for his own achievements; including the United States, Intercontinental, and WWE Championship. Over four years since winning the US title (he rarely defended), Ambrose teamed with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2017 against The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro).
The result was positive, as they put their differences aside to prove their undeniable chemistry, and earn Ambrose the title of Grand Slam & Triple Crown. And yes, he achieved this before Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins. WWE did what they could to keep him in the spotlight. Their (lack of) creativity led him down the road of frustration, and out of the company two short years later.
Roman Reigns (17th Grand Slam, 28th Triple Crown)
Roman Reigns had an almost opposite path to his Shield colleague Dean Ambrose. Rather than winning the tag titles last, he did it first with Seth Rollins in 2013. When The Shield broke up in 2014, WWE were quick to push Reigns as the next face of the company. Against much resistance, they had him go over Dean Ambrose in a tournament final to claim the vacant WWE Championship at Survivor Series 2015.
Reigns became a three-time WWE Champion in less than four months; but his career soon turned upside down. In mid-2016, he lost the title clean to Seth Rollins, marking the first time he had been pinned clean; the reason soon became clear. Two days later, WWE announced he violated the Wellness Policy and would be suspended for 30 days. Upon returning, WWE were reluctant to book him in the main event scene. It didn’t take long for Reigns to take the United States title from Rusev. He didn’t seem overly thrilled to be holding it, and WWE weren’t booking him to do much.
By January 2017, he lost the title to Chris Jericho in a handicap match. Aside from a win over The Undertaker (the next night he was booed hard for over ten minutes) and John Cena, he had a lackluster year. Reigns had to wait all the way to November for his next achievement, the Intercontinental Championship. Reigns joined the list of Grand Slam and Triple Crown winners, but it could have been a different story if he had not violated the Wellness Policy or secretly battling Leukemia. Or at least, it would have taken many more years.
Randy Orton (18th Grand Slam, 17th Triple Crown)
Orton is a unique case because some may not be aware that he holds a couple of records. Don’t hold me to this because I have not checked the others. I’m 95% sure he is the youngest Triple Crown Champion ever. After winning the IC at 23-years-old, he went to SummerSlam (2004) the following year and defeated Chris Benoit to become the youngest World Champion at only 24. Two years later, while teaming with Edge (Rated RKO), they won the tag titles and Orton earned the Triple Crown at 26-years-old. That is damn impressive.
In late 2016, after winning the SmackDown tag team titles with Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper, he made himself eligible to become a Grand Slam winner under the revised format. All he needed was the United States title, and he finally got his wish in 2018 against Bobby Roode at Fastlane. In total, it took over 11 years and four months between winning the tag titles with Rated RKO, to going all the way with the US title. It took ages to earn the Grand Slam though, as he won the IC title in 2003 and finished it fifteen years later! Better late than never?
Seth Rollins (19th Grand Slam, 29th Triple Crown)
Following in the footsteps of Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins completed The Shield trifecta at WrestleMania 34 in 2018. His story began at the same time as Reigns, when they won the tag team titles together. After turning on The Shield, he became the WWE Champion under the watchful eye of The Authority. While doing so, he picked up the United States title and ruled as a double champ for a while.
Long after losing the WWE & US titles and falling out with The Authority, a cruel twist of fate befell his tag team partner Jason Jordan; bringing an abrupt end to their championship reign. So to keep him relevant, WWE needed to move him on. And what better than to have him go over Finn Balor and the IC Champion, The Miz, at WrestleMania 34? It took him over five years, and a little longer than his former Shield brothers, but it still cemented his place in the annals of WWE history. Seth Rollins has since won every eligible title in the revised Grand Slam, except the SmackDown Tag Team title.
Kofi Kingston (20th Grand Slam, 30th Triple Crown)
Another superstar who took an incredibly long time to reach super stardom is the ever gracious Kofi Kingston. Almost 10 years and 10 months separate the moment when Kofi won his first Intercontinental title, and going over Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 in 2019. And much like Booker T before him, who was the first black wrestler to earn the original Grand Slam, Kofi became the first to do so in the revised.
He was also the first to do it with the WWE Championship, and doing so as an African. These achievements can never be taken away, and I am positive he will pave the way for future generations of African superstars. The only eligible title Kofi has yet to claim is the Universal Championship. We saw how much his win meant to so many people, with videos like the reaction of his family, along with the tearful moment with Shad Gaspard & MVP.
Johnny Gargano (1st NXT Triple Crown)
We could say he is technically the 31st superstar to earn a Triple Crown in WWE, but the required championships differ too much. Still, it’s an extraordinary achievement for Johnny Gargano to make history by becoming the first NXT Triple Crown. To do this, one must win the NXT Tag Team, North American and NXT Championships.
Johnny TakeOver managed this in a little over 2 1/2 years, and doing so in style by pinning Adam Cole at TakeOver: New York for the vacant NXT title during WrestleMania 35 weekend. It is safe to say there is nothing left for him to achieve in NXT. Perhaps he goes and does it all again as a heel?
Rey Mysterio (21st Grand Slam, 21st Triple Crown)
Much like Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio had to wait a long time between his Triple Crown and Grand Slam. Over a decade in fact. And he did it in the same way, by winning the United States Championship at Money in the Bank 2019. His first title came in 2002, the WWE Tag Team Championship with Edge.
Almost sixteen years to complete the Grand Slam (which I am sure is the record), speaks volumes of Mysterio’s longevity in the business. The fact he’s still picking up titles all these years later is exceptional. And as of this writing, he is the last male Grand Slam Champion in WWE. He also holds the record for being the smallest superstar to earn this incredible accolade.
Bayley (1st Women’s Grand Slam & Triple Crown)
There is no denying Bayley’s place in history. Before NXT came along, there was no chance of any female superstars earning this, no matter how many titles they won. Bayley came along at the right time, not just with NXT, but with the return of the Women’s Tag Team Championship. After winning the NXT, Raw, and Women’s Tag Team titles, Bayley won Money In The Bank 2019 by overcoming seven other superstars to get a hold of the briefcase.
On the same night, she made history by becoming the first to earn the women’s Grand Slam & Triple Crown, and doing so by cashing in Money in the Bank on Charlotte Flair. She beat so many others to the punch, while some may argue she wasn’t over enough at the time. Since then, she has come in to her own as a heel. Proving her worth by showing WWE didn’t do wrong by pushing her to the moon.
Adam Cole (2nd NXT Triple Crown)
Bay bay! As of August 2020, Adam Cole is the last Triple Crown in NXT, but we know how quickly this can change. The Undisputed Era should be proud of the fact that they not only assisted their leader Adam Cole to an amazing 396 day title reign, but also became the quickest Triple Crown winner in history. It is hard to imagine anyone getting close to his 420 day record.
NXT is all about earning your place, and we often see champions hold on to their titles for a while. Adam Cole went to TakeOver XXV and made history on the anniversary event by getting one over on the man who beat him to earn his Triple Crown, Johnny Gargano. It’s a little confusing to see them continue their work in NXT, but surely WWE has some plans in the pipeline. But isn’t the point of NXT to forge the next generation of superstar? Surely WWE can’t keep them there forever? Or is it all about going up against AEW Dynamite?
Alexa Bliss (2nd Women’s Triple Crown)
Alexa Bliss made history before Bayley, by becoming the first woman to claim the Raw & SmackDown Champions. But that wasn’t enough to earn a Triple Crown, as she also needed a tag title run. Enter her bestie Nikki Cross, who helped her across the line. Together they dethroned the seldom used IIconics in the summer of 2019.
Bliss is currently the only woman in WWE to hold the Triple Crown on its own. She would need to go back to NXT if she wanted to complete the Grand Slam. This seems unlikely, but we’ve seen it before with Charlotte Flair. It should also be known that Bliss is the youngest Triple Crown Champion, having claimed it at 27-years-old; literally four days before her 28th birthday. Was it an early present from WWE to her?
The Revival (1st & Only Tag Team Triple Crown)
The Revival (1st & Only Tag Team Triple Crown)WWE did what they could to push The Revival, to some extent. We all know it ended up being more about the creative, and no amount of belt carrying could persuade them to stay. I’m sure you guessed already, but to earn this special version of the Triple Crown, a team must win the Raw, SmackDown and NXT Tag Team Championships.
The Revival picked up their first title in NXT back in 2015, and they had to put in a ton of work to finally get their hands on the main roster equivalents. It took almost four years to pick up the Raw & SmackDown titles, and it still wasn’t enough to keep ’em around.
Although The Revival remain the only Triple Crown Champs, there’s a big chance of seeing more. The Street Profits, Viking Raiders, and the Authors of Pain only need the SmackDown titles to achieve it. And we know the Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) would stand a great chance… but they need to get called up first.
Drew McIntyre (31st Triple Crown)
Drew McIntyre continues the pattern of taking roughly a decade to go from mid-carder to Triple Crown or Grand Slam. Back in 2009, the “Chosen One” got his hands on the Intercontinental title. Less than a year later, he enjoyed a forgettable tag team title reign with Cody Rhodes. And then his career fell flat, and his struggles are well-documented. Leaving WWE to rebuild himself did wonders. McIntyre joined a shortlist of superstars to earn their Triple Crown at WrestleMania, by conquering “The Beast” Brock Lesnar.
As a Brit myself, it was a proud moment seeing McIntyre achieve this. He fully deserved it, no matter where he hails from, but he also became the first Scottish/British WWE Champion. And in doing so, he made history by becoming the first British Triple Crown Champion. Why did it take over forty years to happen though? Well, I guess it was only a matter of time. British Bulldog probably should have beat him to it. Now I’m sitting here, wondering if we’ll ever see an English WWE Champion and Triple Crown? Let’s hope it’s not another forty years. Great job Drew!
Asuka (2nd Women’s Grand Slam & 3rd Triple Crown)
Before I continue, let me say if you made it this far, I truly appreciate you for sticking it out. Let’s round this off with the latest superstar to reach the pinnacle of stardom. Asuka is another special case, setting several records in the process.
First, she still holds the record for a NXT Women’s title reign lasting 510 days; she was forced to vacate because of a collarbone injury. As we know, WWE claimed Asuka has the longest undefeated streak of all time, 914 days. This contradicts Andre The Giant’s supposed fifteen year streak, along with other male superstars who enjoyed similar streaks. So… let’s say she has the longest streak set by a female superstar? Still, Asuka needed to prove herself on the main roster after losing the streak at WrestleMania. She finally picked up the SmackDown title by going over Charlotte Flair and champion Becky Lynch at TLC 2018. The Kabuki Warriors sprang up in 2019, with her and Kairi Sane taking Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross down at Hell in a Cell for the tag titles.
The way she rounded out the Grand Slam & Triple Crown was unique though. Unbeknownst to her, the Money in the Bank match she won, was in fact for the Raw Women’s title. This was revealed on the following episode, when the champion Becky Lynch announced her pregnancy and Asuka having won the title. She became the first superstar to nullify a contract by unknowingly winning a title in a Money in the Bank match. And it gets better! As she became the first Japanese superstar, male or female, to become a WWE Triple Crown & Grand Slam Champion. Something she may not want to be known for, is the fact she’s the oldest winner at 38.
Superstars Who Missed Out
Here is a list of male WWE superstars who narrowly missed out (or can still do it) on a Grand Slam or Triple Crown. I’m only including former World Champions to limit this section.
Retired/Deceased
- The Undertaker has won everything there is to earn both, but is missing the Intercontinental Championship.
- Batista needed both the Intercontinental and United States title to earn the Grand Slam & Triple Crown.
- Mick Foley missed out on the Grand Slam & Triple Crown because he never won the IC title.
- Randy Savage was a WWF Champion & IC Champion, but never teamed with anyone long enough to win a tag team title for the Triple Crown.
- Ultimate Warrior is the same as Savage, a tag team reign would have been enough.
- Legends like Bob Backlund, The Iron Sheik, Andre The Giant & Yokozuna never won the IC Championship, which would have ensured them the Triple Crown.
Active/Semi-Retired
- John Cena is the same as The Undertaker. He’s not technically retired, so an IC title win isn’t impossible.
- Kevin Owens is not much of a team player. If he ever teamed with someone long enough to become a Raw tag team champion? That would complete both sets.
- Sheamus has done everything except win the Intercontinental title, which would cement his place as a Grand Slam & Triple Crown. The Universal title also eludes him, but wouldn’t count toward anything.
- Bray Wyatt has done well to win the WWE, Universal, Raw & SmackDown tag titles, but he’s missing the IC title for the Triple Crown. Getting both IC & US titles would earn him the Grand Slam.
- AJ Styles is phenomenal enough to set himself up for the Grand Slam & Triple Crown, he only needs a Raw tag team title reign.
- With the way it works, Braun Strowman would become a Triple Crown if he won the WWE Championship. However, if he were to win the US title, he would be a Grand Slam only; because the Universal title doesn’t count towards the Triple Crown. In order to get both, he would need to win the WWE and US titles.
- Despite being a Universal Champion and IC Champion, Finn Balor would need the WWE Championship & Raw Tag Team title for the Triple Crown; or any tag team + US title combo for the Grand Slam. If he wants both? He’d have to go for something like: WWE + US + Raw Tag Team
Conclusion
Forty years on from when Pedro Morales introduced the concept, we can say it has evolved and become worldwide. This has taken a lot of research and might not be entirely correct. So I would appreciate a respectful comment if anything is not as it should, and I will make the necessary corrections. Also, there is no plan to maintain the list. The point of this piece is to educate and show how the Triple Crown & Grand Slam systems work, and how much it means to the WWE superstars and their fans.
It has been interesting to note some records and learn a few things, and I think it compliments my previous list of double champions. If you have not already checked that out, I would recommend it at the link below. There’s nothing more I can say, other than to express my gratitude for taking time from your day to enjoy this extensive list of champions. Thank you! Stay safe and have a good day wherever you may be.
Also Read: List of All WWE Double Champions & Unification’s in History
