World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002–2013)
- This article is about the championship that is currently defended on the SmackDown! brand of WWE. For RAW's top championship, see WWE Championship. For the other versions of the "Big Gold Belt" design, see Big Gold Belt.
| File:World Title.jpg The World Heavyweight Championship belt (2003 - present) | |
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The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in World Wrestling Entertainment. It was originally the highest ranked title on the RAW brand. Currently, it is the highest ranked championship on the SmackDown! brand.
History
In August 2002, after Brock Lesnar won the WWE Undisputed Championship, he signed an exclusive contract to appear and defend the Undisputed Championship on the SmackDown! brand only, thus leaving the RAW brand without a top championship. Following Lesnar's actions, RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff introduced the World Heavyweight Championship and commissioned it to be the main title for the RAW brand. This new championship was represented by the Big Gold Belt, an iconic championship belt that previously represented the NWA Championship and later the WCW Championship. Bischoff awarded the title to Triple H citing the fact that he was "the last man to wear the belt," in reference to Triple H being the last person to physically hold the Big Gold Belt during his reign as Undisputed Champion. In March 2003, the Big Gold Belt was replaced with a new similar belt that features the WWE logo at the top of the center plate.
The World Heavyweight Championship remained exclusive to the RAW brand until June 6 2005 as a result of the 2005 WWE Draft Lottery. The WWE Champion, John Cena, was drafted to the RAW brand which left the RAW brand with the two top titles. This prompted SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long to attempt to introduce a third top title called the "SmackDown! Championship". However this was deemed unnecessary when the World Heavyweight Champion, Batista, was drafted to the SmackDown! brand on June 30 2005.
Lineage and terminology
Officially, WWE's position regarding the history of the World Heavyweight Championship is that it is not the same title as the WCW Championship or NWA Championship before it, but rather a new title that does not inherit the championship history of the previous two titles.[1] The World Heavyweight Championship is the successor to both titles and traces its lineage from them just as the WCW Championship succeeded the NWA Championship and traced its lineage from it as well.[2]
WWE uses the terms "world championship" or "world heavyweight championship" in general for all acknowledged world titles rather than this World Heavyweight Championship in particular. As a result, the World Heavyweight Championship's name can occasionally cause some confusion and create an allusion to previous titles even though it is made clear that Triple H is the first holder of this World Heavyweight Championship.[3] For example, in January 2006, Batista was forced to drop the World Heavyweight Championship due to a legitimate injury. In a speech, he noted Ric Flair as being a previous world heavyweight champion. However, while Ric Flair is a 16-time world heavyweight champion, this was in reference to him previously winning the NWA, WCW, and WWE Championships a combined total of sixteen times as Ric Flair hasn't held this World Heavyweight Championship at all.
Current champion
The current champion is Batista, who is in his third reign. He defeated champion The Great Khali and Rey Mysterio in a Triple Threat match at Unforgiven on September 16 2007 in Memphis, Tennessee.