Summary

• The number of Black WWE Champions throughout history is small, but it has grown significantly in recent years, and the list is expected to continue growing.
• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson became WWE's first-ever Black world champion, and he remains a prominent part of the company.
• Several other Black wrestlers, such as Booker T, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, Bobby Lashley, Big E, Jacqueline, Jazz, Alicia Fox, Naomi, Sasha Banks, and Bianca Belair, have also held world singles championships in WWE.

Wrestling fans have had a lot of discourse over the years when it comes to Black WWE Champions. That's because the number throughout history is quite small, despite the company being around for decades. To date, only six Black men and six Black women have held world singles championships in WWE. Plenty of others have held tag team and midcard titles, which makes the lack of World Champions even more shocking. It's a controversial topic for many longtime fans.

WWE wasn't even the first company to have a Black World Champion as their old rival WCW did it first when Ron Simmons captured the top prize in 1992. Thankfully, there were eventually several Black WWE Champions and the number has grown significantly in recent years. Some of their top stars today, like WWE 2K24 cover girl Bianca Belair, are Black. That should mean the list of Black WWE Champions will only grow in the coming years.

The Rock

10-Time WWE World Champion

It makes sense that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson became WWE's first-ever Black world champion, as his father Rocky Johnson was one-half of WWE's first Black tag team champions in the 1980s. The Rock has held 10 world championships during his WWE career, two of them being WCW World Title reigns when WWE briefly recognized that belt after buying the company.

Most recently, The Rock beat CM Punk for his 10th WWE world title in 2013, which he then lost to fellow wrestler turned actor John Cena at WrestleMania 29. The Rock remains a prominent part of WWE, even recently joining the company as a member of the board of directors and planning a return to the ring.

Booker T

2-Time WWE World Champion

One of the most decorated Black wrestlers ever, Booker T is a two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee, going in on his own and as part of the Harlem Heat tag team alongside brother. Before joining WWE, Booker T was already wildly successful, winning the WCW Championship four times. He added a fifth and final WCW Title reign under the WWE banner in 2001.

The most successful WWE wrestler to come over in 2001 after WCW closed, Booker rebounded well from a rough start. In 2003, he lost a World Title match to Triple H in controversial fashion as HHH had spent weeks saying "people like Booker" couldn't be a top champion. He eventually won the World Heavyweight Title in 2006 while wrestling as his King Booker persona.

Mark Henry

1-Time WWE World Champion

Another WWE Hall of Famer, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry was an Olympic weightlifter before joining WWE in 1996. Henry struggled to find his footing in WWE for a long time, but in 2011 he won the World Heavyweight Championship as part of his legendary "Hall of Pain" heel run. Before that, Henry had won WWE's version of the ECW championship, but WWE didn't recognize it as a world title. Henry has since become one of several WWE greats to jump ship to AEW.

Kofi Kingston

1-Time WWE World Champion

Kofi Kingston's story is one of perseverance. After debuting in early 2008, Kingston was pegged as a man with loads of talent and a bright future but his run to the top in late 2009 was thwarted by backstage politics. Kingston spent the next few years as a midcarder though many believed his opportunity to be a top guy had passed by him. That all changed when KofiMania became a thing in 2019.

He replaced an injured superstar in the Elimination Chamber and came so close to winning the big one that fans began pushing hard for him to finally have his moment. He rode that wave of momentum into WrestleMania where he dethroned Daniel Bryan for the WWE Title in one of the company's most emotional moments. Kingston reigned as champion for just under five months until he controversially lost to Brock Lesnar in a mere nine seconds.

Bobby Lashley

2-Time WWE World Champion

During Bobby Lashley's initial WWE run in the mid-2000s, he never really hit the heights most predicted, only managing two reigns with the ECW Championship, which again, wasn't considered a World Title. However, Lashley returned to the company in 2018 and has fulfilled his potential. His crowning moment saw him defeat The Miz in March 2021 for his first WWE Title reign. He ultimately lost the title to another Black star before winning a second against Brock Lesnar with help from Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble 2022.

Big E

1-Time WWE World Champion

Big E became the second member of the New Day trio - who starred in WWE's interactive movie Escape the Undertaker - to win WWE's top prize in September 2021, taking the WWE Title from Bobby Lashley on Raw. It was another crowning moment for a deserving and popular Black wrestler. Unfortunately, like his partner Kingston, Big E saw his reign toppled by Brock Lesnar at WWE's Day 1 pay-per-view that kicked off 2022. It remains to be seen if or when Xavier Woods will join his New Day brothers as a world champion.

Jacqueline

2-Time WWE World Champion

A fixture during WWE's raunchy Attitude Era, Jacqueline won WWE's Women's Champion twice. The first was a rather historic win as not only did it make her the company's first Black Women's Champion but she was also the first champion since the title was brought back after being defunct for several years. Jacqueline also won the belt in 2000 when she beat a man who held it (during a dark time for the division). Notably, she also won the Cruiserweight Championship, a title usually held by male wrestlers.

Jazz

2-Time WWE World Champion

Jazz entered WWE after a well-received tenure in the original ECW, and her WWE run saw two women's championship reigns. Jazz won the title from Trish Stratus in 2002, who she then dropped back to her a few months later. She again won the title from Stratus in 2003, and the matches between the two generally drew positive notices. Jazz's second reign was ended by Gail Kim.

Like Jacqueline though, Jazz's time as a champion came when the women's division wasn't a featured part of the company. WWE often treated these matches, even when they were good, as filler and it made it difficult to fully consider it a world title at the time. Still, Jazz was ahead of her time with her skillset and would likely fit in any era of women's wrestling.

Alicia Fox

1-Time WWE World Champion

One of WWE's longest-continuously tenured female performers, Alicia Fox spent so much of her career doing comedic storylines that many forget she's a former champion. Fox won WWE's Divas Champion in 2010, reigning for almost two months before losing to Melina at SummerSlam. Fox is also one of several women to hold WWE's 24/7 Championship. Again, this wasn't the best time for women's wrestling in the company.

Naomi

2-Time WWE World Champion

One of WWE's most athletic and popular female performers in recent memory, Naomi became WWE's third SmackDown Women's Champion by defeating Alexa Bliss in 2017. Like many other Black wrestlers, Naomi had to overcome some early struggles as she was relegated to being a backup dancer for Brodus Clay for years before getting her chance at actually competing consistently.

Naomi's first reign only lasted a few days before injury cut it short but she returned soon after and recaptured the title at WrestleMania 33. After a few more years with the company, Naomi departed WWE and had a strong run with Impact Wrestler. However, she made her official comeback with an impressive showing in the 2024 women's Royal Rumble match.

Sasha Banks

6-Time WWE World Champion

One of WWE's most celebrated female competitors ever, The Mandalorian actor Sasha Banks has been at the forefront of WWE's women's evolution period. "The Boss" held the Raw Women's Championship five times, and the SmackDown Women's Championship once. That's not to mention her reigns with the NXT Women's Title and multiple stints at Women's Tag Team Champion.

Evidenced by her role in The Mandalorian, Banks, who now goes by Mercedes Moné, is a huge star who goes beyond the wrestling ring. She is no longer with WWE but continues to make waves everywhere she goes, including becoming the second IWGP Women's Champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling. The former Sasha Banks also made history by headlining WrestleMania 37 alongside another Black woman.

Bianca Belair3-Time WWE World Champion

A standout in NXT before graduating to WWE's main roster, the incredibly athletic Bianca Belair made history along with Sasha Banks, as the two battled for the SmackDown Women's Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 37. Belair emerged victorious in a moment that was not only huge for her but for Black women in WWE history and those who want to have a future with the company.

Bianca Belair lost the title in under a minute to Becky Lynch at SummerSlam but rallied to earn another shot where she then defeated Lynch at WrestleMania 38. She reigned for more than a year and then won a third title before 2023 concluded. Entering 2024, Belair remains a top star with WWE as she is one of the cover athletes for their latest video game and is the star of a new reality show.