My fellow american's today is the day, the day we praise the red, white and blue and hold up the gold strap with one hand on our hearts and yell "WE THE PEOPLE!" because we are champions and as champions we get to admire and look at the champions of the past and hope the future will be forever GOLDEN!
This list will feature people who held the title in it's other forms also.
10) Harley Race
Now he was a wrestler and wrestling before my time, before i knew of wrestling BUT he was the very first champion of this title and he held it for 183 days with only one reign of the title and with me having not much exposure to Harley if it was not for him this title would have went to obscurity and decommissioned long ago and so i thank Harley and place him here at number 10.
9) MVP
Montel Vontavious Porter was a champion the likes of which WWE simply did not promote when he won the U.S. title in 2007. At that time, titles changed hands every so many months in an attempt to keep things interesting. WWE Creative used the titles to spark interest in rivalries and introduce new characters so when Porter, or MVP for short, worked his way through the ranks and ultimately defeated Chris Benoit to capture his first U.S. title, it was a refreshing twist. Even better was the fact that he would hold the title for nearly a year, clocking in at 343 days. Some will apply an asterisk to the reign, thanks to a heart condition that kept MVP out of the ring for a few weeks in the fall of 2007. That would be incredibly insulting to one of the greatest runs with the title of all-time. Sure, he was kept out of the ring but his feud with Matt Hardy over the championship ranked as one of the best on the SmackDown brand. And when it was finally time for him to drop the title to Hardy at Backlash 2008, the crowd was anxious to see it. He would regain the title a year later but that reign failed to live up to his extraordinary first run with the gold.
8) Chris Benoit
Yes he is here on my list, i'm not afraid or ashamed to feature him, yes his actions in his final days on Earth are despicable but he was still a talented wrestler in the ring. Chris Benoit is one of the rare occasions in which his reigns as United States champion in WWE far exceeded the quality of his two previous runs with the title in WCW. In Ted Turner's company, especially in the late 1990s, titles were as if they were props to be traded among wrestlers, not the coveted prize it should be. When the title was revived in WWE in 2003, Benoit was among the top contenders, losing out on the right to be the first Superstar to hold it in two years when he was defeated by Eddie Guerrero at that year's Vengeance pay-per-view. But Benoit made up for it two years later, defeating Orlando Jordan in record time at the 2005 SummerSlam event. He would win it a second time, from longtime rival Booker T, but it was his third reign that definitively earned him a spot on this list. For 222 days, Benoit carried the title as the workhorse of SmackDown, establishing it as the wrestler's title. Whether he was defending against Chavo Guerrero or MVP, Benoit proved to the entire industry why he was widely regarded as one of the great ring generals of his era.
7) Ricky Steamboat
One of the most decorated competitors to ever lace a pair of boots, Ricky Steamboat is one of the 10 greatest United States champions ever, thanks in large part to the competition he faced during his three reigns with the gold. His first reign as champion came when he defeated career-long rival Ric Flair on October 21, 1977. It would hardly be the only run he would have with the title. Over the course of the next 17 years, he would win the championship three more times, defeating skilled workers the likes of Dick Slater and a young Steve Austin. Not a competitor with the longest reigns as champion, he did more for it by bringing name recognition and the consistent in-ring excellence that would become a staple of the title over the decades.
6) Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose is the longest reigning champion under the WWE banner, with a record of 351 days. Dean Ambrose became the 77th competitor to hold the prestigious title after defeating Kofi Kingston at Extreme Rules on May 19, 2013. The Shield’s ”Lunatic Fringe” answered nearly every challenge to his championship, whether by hook or by crook, for 351 days until he was defeated by Sheamus in a Battle Royal for the title on Raw.
5) Kevin Owens
The most recent entry on this list but not only do i love KO but his reigns holding any championship has been very entertaining and provided us with great matches too! 3 reigns and for a combined total of 98 days. I hope he can hold it again and for longer.
4) Rick Rude
There may never be a professional wrestler whose time in World Championship Wrestling was more underrated than Rick Rude. From day one, Rude was perceived to be a main event star. Thus, during his time as U.S. champion, the title was elevated just by being in his possession. That he worked the likes of Ricky Steamboat, Sting and even heavyweight champion Ron Simmons only added value to the title. For well over a year, Rude defended against all-comers, oftentimes snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. He even withstood the challenge of the monstrous Nikita Koloff. Unfortunately, it was injury that would bring an end to Rude's reign as champion, putting a halt to all of the momentum he had built for himself and threatening to destroy the prestige his reign had brought to the title. Still, some two decades after his run with the gold, Rude is highly regarded as one of the finest competitors to ever wear the strap, thanks to the quality of competition he defended against, not to mention his undeniable star power.
3) John Cena
Yes the Cenation is here on the list! John Cena's victory over the Big Show at WrestleMania XX not only netted him his first United States Championship, it also began his meteoric rise up the ranks in WWE. It was the moment that announced to fans that management saw him as the man to lead the company into the next decade. More importantly, it was the defining moment of his young career. He won the title later in his career also back in 2015 and many seen this as a way for Cena to bury the up and comers but Cena won retaining the title against the like of many of these new stars and he did not bury them but he helped put them over and put on some damn fine competition with them all.
2) Ric Flair
WOO! Flair is a 6 time US Champ which is the most reigns anyone who has ever held this title has had. Flair was as good for the U.S. title as it was for him. Clearly a competitor unlike any around him, Flair brought eyes to the title and lent it some of the same credibility that he would share with every title he touched throughout his long and illustrious career. He treated every championship with the respect and honour it deserved and as a result, it was seen by fans as the glorious achievement it was.
1) Lex Luger
The longest reigning U.S. Champion deserves this spot, with 950 combined days as champ in total. Today, Lex Luger is one of the most polarising competitors to ever step foot inside a squared circle. Some remember him fondly as one of the faces of the National Wrestling Alliance during its heyday while others hate him for his perceived arrogance and the fact that he got his spot in the industry because of his looks and physique. For 523 days, Luger reigned as champion. Never before, or since, has a single competitor held the title for as long as the Total Package did from May 1989 until October 1990. During that time, he experienced the most sustained push of his career, defeating the likes of Brian Pillman and Ricky Steamboat. By working those men, he not only gained credibility as a champion but, more importantly, as a worker. Some of his best performances occurred during his run as the U.S. titleholder, thus making it a landmark time in career. In total, Luger held the title five times, for a grand total of 1155 days. The idea that someone could hold the title that many times, for that length of time, is unfathomable by today's standards. He had the trust of the promoters, delivered the quality of performance necessary to be granted such lengthy reigns with the strap and was reliable. He was the standard bearer for that title and should be celebrated as the wrestler more associated with the United States Championship.
For now my fellow american's this is all i have for you today so go out and have a great day and remember to bookmark and pop back weekly for more new lists. STAY SHINY!
