AJ Styles Hits One-Year Mark As WWE Champion, Approaching 100 Title Defenses
AJ Styles has made history.
This week, AJ Styles hit the one-year mark as WWE Champion, since winning the title last year in Manchester from Jinder Mahal. Styles joins Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Pedro Morales, Bob Backlund, CM Punk, John Cena and Randy Savage as the only people to hold the championship for over a year. Brock Lesnar is the only person in WWE history to hold another world title for over a year (the WWE Universal Title).
Styles is in his seventh world title reign, after winning the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship three times, and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship twice during his time with TNA Wrestling. His two title reigns at WWE Champion has lasted significantly longer than his five in TNA combined.
The champion is also approaching another milestone, as he’s one short of 100 successful WWE Title defenses. Among other history making statistics, AJ Styles becomes the lightest person (at least according to billed weights) to reach the one year mark with the title.
As things stand, Styles officially has the ninth longest WWE Title reign of all time, passing Hulk Hogan’s 88-89 and Diesel’s runs over the last week. If he makes it through the end of the month, he’ll also pass John Cena and Randy Savage’s reigns to move into seventh place.
