Triple Crown (professional wrestling)
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- This article deals with the achievement as understood in professional wrestling in the United States. For the Japanese championship, which is counted as a single title, see AJPW Triple Crown Championship. For the horse racing term, see Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. For other uses of Triple Crown, see Triple Crown.
In professional wrestling, a Triple Crown Champion is a term describing a wrestler who has won the three most prestigious belts of their promotion - typically a heavyweight belt, a tag team belt, and a second-tier belt. A "multiple triple crown" distinction also exists, with having won the three constituent titles at least a specified number of times.
WWF/E Triple Crown
In World Wrestling Entertainment, the term Triple Crown Champion has traditionally been used to describe a wrestler who has won the WWF/E Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the Tag Team Championship. For a span of nearly 18 years, from 1979 up through 1997, these were the three championships of the WWF, and a wrestler who had won all three championships (not necessarily concurrently) was considered a "triple crown champion." [1]
In 1997, a fourth title, the European Championship was introduced. The European Championship, a singles title beneath the world and intercontinental titles, did not count for the purposes of designating triple crown champions, although a wrestler who had won all three primary titles and the European Championship would be recognized as a Grand Slam Champion.
Following the brand extension in 2002, the World Heavyweight Championship and the WWE Tag Team Championship are alternate titles that can compose part of the Triple Crown.
Official List of WWE Triple Crown Champions
The following is a list of WWE Triple Crown Champions, in the most general form. Only the WWE-era World Heavyweight Championship reigns are considered as part of the WWE Triple Crown. Only the date in which the wrestler's first title was won is indicated. Dates in bold indicate the title that was used to complete the Triple Crown. Championships in italics indicate that they are alternate titles, not part of the original definition. Dates in italics indicate that the wrestler has won the title, but does not contribute to their Triple Crown, because they had already won a title at that level. Names in bold are also Grand Slam Champions.
- --won Triple Crown under the original definition
- --won Triple Crown with an alternate title
- White indicates Triple Crown was won before brand extension
- --Won title as a member of the RAW brand.
- --Won title as a member of the SmackDown! brand.
- --Won title as a member of the ECW brand.
Notes
- Even though Edge won the World Heavyweight Championship on SmackDown!, he was a member of the RAW brand when cashing in his Money In The Bank opportunity against then champion, The Undertaker. Upon winning the World Heavyweight Championship, he became a member of the SmackDown! brand in similar fashion to Kurt Angle's World Title win on SmackDown! in January 2006.
Unofficial Champions
 | This article possibly contains original research. |
The following is a list of wrestlers who would be Triple Crown Champions upon confirmation of the United States championship status:
| Name | World Championship | Tag Team Championship | Second-Tier Championship | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WWE Championship |
World Tag Team Championship |
WWE Tag Team Championship |
United States Championship |
Intercontinental Championship | |
| The Big Show | November 14, 1999 | August 22, 1999 (with The Undertaker) |
October 19, 2003 | ||
| John Bradshaw Layfield | June 27, 2004 | May 25, 1999 (with Faarooq) |
April 2, 2006 | ||
| John Cena | April 3, 2005 | January 29, 2007 (with Shawn Michaels) |
March 14, 2004 | ||
Potential Champions
As of June 24, 2007, the following active (or semi-active) wrestlers are potential Triple Crown Champions:
Wrestlers currently working for or making appearances in WWE:
- Shelton Benjamin, Val Venis, Jeff Hardy, Roddy Piper, Johnny Nitro and William Regal all need a WWE or World reign.
- The Undertaker, Batista, Mick Foley, and Rey Mysterio all need an Intercontinental title reign.
TNA Triple Crown
In Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), the TNA Triple Crown was an accolade bestowed upon those who win (not necessarily concurrently) all three championships regularly contested in TNA between 2002 and 2007 - the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the TNA X Division Championship and (one-half of) the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
In May 2007, TNA lost the rights to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Tag Team Championship and introduced the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and the TNA World Tag Team Championship. It has not been specified if these new titles, along with the TNA X Division Championship, are part of the existing Triple Crown accolade or part of a new Triple Crown accolade.
List of TNA Triple Crown winners
As of June 2007, there has been only one TNA Triple Crown winner, A.J. Styles. In TNA, it is possible to be a multi-time Triple Crown Champion, as evidenced by commentators Mike Tenay and Don West referring to Styles as a 2-time, then a 3-time Triple Crown Champion. Styles is a 3-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 6-time TNA X Division Champion and 4-time NWA World Tag Team Champion, making him a three-time Triple Crown winner. He completed his first Triple Crown in June 11, 2003 upon winning his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship. [2] [3] [4]
| Name | TNA World Heavyweight Championship | TNA World Tag Team Championship | TNA X Division Championship |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Styles | June 11, 2003 | July 3, 2002 (with Jerry Lynn) | June 19, 2002 |
| A.J. Styles | April 21, 2004 | February 4, 2004 (with Abyss) | October 23, 2002 |
| A.J. Styles | May 15, 2005 | June 18, 2006 (with Christopher Daniels) | June 9, 2004 |
Potential champions
Before May 2007, The following TNA-contracted wrestlers required one more title in order to be awarded a Triple Crown (it should be noted that this list excludes NWA World Heavyweight Champions who held a pre-1975 version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship).
- Christopher Daniels, Senshi, and Jerry Lynn each need an TNA World Heavyweight Championship reign.
- Abyss needs a TNA X Division Championship reign.
Notes
- ^ "Pedro Morales". World Wrestling Entertainment.
Pedro Morales [defeated] Ivan Koloff for the [WWF] Championship...Morales would also go on to become the first Triple Crown winner [upon winning] the Intercontinental Championship and World Tag Team Championship.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Finch, B. (December 9, 2006). "Understanding "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles". Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
A.J. Styles is a TNA Triple Crown champion. He has held the NWA World Title three times, the X-Division Title an incredible six times and is a four-time NWA World Tag-Team Champion
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Cygy, M. (June 15, 2006). "Official Results From Thursday's "iMPACT!" On SpikeTV". Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
AJ will also be a 3-time Triple Crown Winner in TNA
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Banks, B. (March 30, 2007). "Ask TNAwrestling.com: New Titles, Great Muta, DVDs & More". Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
Who do you think will be the 2nd man to win the TNA Triple Crown?...Obviously, AJ Styles was the first to accomplish the feat, capturing the X, Tag Team and World Titles...
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