Over the years, WWE has introduced many new championships — most recently the Men’s and Women’s Speed Championships.
However, while new belts have been added, others have been retired.
Could we now see any of these defunct titles brought back and once again competed over?
Here are five previous championships that WWE could bring back.
5. WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The Cruiserweight Championship has existed in two forms in WWE — a title originally created for smaller stars with an emphasis on high-flying action, brought in from WCW when the WWF purchased the company in 2001.
It remained active for several years, held by the likes of Rey Mysterio, Matt Hardy, Chavo Guerrero, and The Hurricane, before being retired in 2007.
The title was resurrected in 2016, awarded to the winner of the outstanding Cruiserweight Classic tournament, TJ Perkins, and later held by standout workers including PAC, Lio Rush, and Roderick Strong before being retired once again in January 2022.
With WWE boasting a talented roster of world-class cruiserweight wrestlers, could we see the title return once again?
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4. Divas Championship
The WWE Divas Championship was retired in 2016.
The belt made way for the WWE Women’s Championship, marking a transition toward a more serious focus on women’s wrestling, with female stars finally being treated as legitimate competitors rather than side attractions of the “Divas Era.”
There are few stars more associated with the Divas Championship than two-time holder Nikki Bella, and with speculation growing about a potential Bella heel turn, could she look to reintroduce the title as a way to generate heat?
In storyline, we could see Bella present herself as the last true Diva in a new era of women’s wrestling.
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3. Hardcore Championship
For viewers of WWE’s Attitude Era, few will ever forget the Hardcore Title.
At the peak of the “hardcore” style influenced by ECW, WWE introduced the belt in November 1998, its unique ruleset saw it fought over in wild, weapon-filled matches without disqualifications, with champions including Mankind, The Big Boss Man, Hardcore Holly, Road Dogg, and Al Snow.
The title became something of a joke — albeit an entertaining one — when Crash Holly won it and introduced the now-infamous 24/7 rule, allowing the championship to be defended anytime, anywhere, as long as a referee was present.
The Hardcore Title was very much a product of its era, and while its return seems unlikely, WWE’s brief revival of the concept in 2019 with the 24/7 Championship proved that, in wrestling, nothing ever really stays dead.
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2. Million Dollar Championship
The Million Dollar Championship was first introduced to the WWF by “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase in 1989, created by the heel after he failed to buy the WWF Championship from Andre the Giant.
While never officially sanctioned by the promotion, the title was traded between DiBiase and his former bodyguard, the late Virgil, before being retired in 1992.
It has since been resurrected on several occasions — held by Steve Austin, as well as DiBiase’s son, Ted DiBiase Jr., and most recently reappearing in NXT in 2021, where it was traded between LA Knight and Cameron Grimes.
Given its legacy and the fact it continues to resurface across eras, the Million Dollar Championship’s WWE return at some point in the future should not be ruled out.
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1. European Championship
The European Championship was first introduced in the WWF in 1997, with the inaugural winner crowned in a tournament featuring a who’s who of legendary stars including Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Triple H, The Rock, The British Bulldog, Mankind, and Vader — with Bulldog ultimately emerging the victor.
The title was held by some of the best in-ring workers of the era, including Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, and William Regal, before being quietly retired in 2002, with Jeff Hardy serving as its final champion.
But could we soon see it resurrected?
Of all the defunct titles, this appears the most likely to return — with the long-rumoured NXT Europe potentially on the horizon, the European Championship could serve as the main prize for WWE’s newest brand.
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