Unlike most other championships currently defended on Raw and SmackDown, the United States Championship did not start out as a recognized WWE Championship. Rather, the title first emerged in WCW.
Many of the ring's greatest names have staked claim to the U.S. Title during the title's early years, including WWE Hall of Famers Sgt. Slaughter and Greg Valentine. Years later, the U.S. Championship regained the glory it held in years past when competitors like Eddie Guerrero, Booker T and John Cena fought over it in many memorable battles.
Current WWE United States champion Champion : Carmelo Hayes
Date won : Dec. 26, 2025
Defeated : Ilja Dragunov
Event : SmackDown
WWE United States Championship title history Wrestler Date won Event Length Reign No. Carmelo Hayes 12/26/25 SmackDown TBD 1 Ilja Dragunov 10/17/25 SmackDown 70 days 1 Sami Zayn 8/29/25 SmackDown 48 days 1 Solo Sikoa 6/28/25 Night of Champions 62 days 1 Jacob Fatu 4/19/25 WrestleMania 41 69 days 1 LA Knight 3/7/25 SmackDown 42 days 2 Shinsuke Nakamura 11/30/24 Survivor Series 97 days 3 LA Knight 8/3/24 SummerSlam 119 days 1 Logan Paul 11/4/23 Crown Jewel 273 days 1 Rey Mysterio 8/11/23 SmackDown 85 days 3 Austin Theory 11/26/22 Survivor Series 258 days 2 Seth Rollins 10/10/22 Monday Night Raw 47 days 2 Bobby Lashley 7/2/22 Money in the Bank 100 days 1 Austin Theory 4/18/22 Monday Night Raw 75 days 1 Finn Balor 2/28/22 Monday Night Raw 49 days 1 Damian Priest 8/21/21 SummerSlam 191 days 1 Sheamus 4/11/21 WrestleMania 37 132 days 3 Matt Riddle 2/21/21 Elimination Chamber 49 days 1 Bobby Lashley 8/30/20 Payback 175 days 2 Apollo Crews 5/25/20 Monday Night Raw 96 days 1 Andrade 12/26/19 WWE Live @ MSG 151 days 2 Rey Mysterio 11/25/19 Monday Night Raw 31 days 2 AJ Styles 7/14/19 Extreme Rules 134 days 3 *Samoa Joe 6/3/19 Monday Night Raw 20 days 2 *Rey Mysterio 5/19/19 Money In The Bank 15 days 1 Samoa Joe 3/5/19 SmackDown 75 days 1 R-Truth 1/29/19 SmackDown 35 days 2 Shinsuke Nakamura 8/15/18 Royal Rumble 2 days 2 Rusev 12/18/18 SmackDown 32 days 3 Shinsuke Nakamura 8/15/18 Extreme Rules 156 days 1 Jeff Hardy 4/16/18 Monday Night Raw 90 days 1 Jinder Mahal 4/10/18 WrestleMania 34 6 days 1 Randy Orton 3/11/18 Fastlane 28 days 1 Bobby Roode 1/16/18 SmackDown 54 days 1 Vacated 12/26/17 SmackDown N/A N/A Dolph Ziggler 12/17/17 Clash of Champions 9 days 2 Baron Corbin 10/8/17 Hell in a Cell 70 days 1 AJ Styles 7/25/17 SmackDown 74 days 2 Kevin Owens 7/23/17 Battleground 2 days 3 AJ Styles 7/8/17 WWE Live Event (MSG) 16 days 1 Kevin Owens 5/2/17 SmackDown 66 days 2 Chris Jericho 4/30/17 Payback 2 days 2 Kevin Owens 4/2/17 WrestleMania 33 28 days 1 Chris Jericho 1/9/17 Monday Night Raw 83 days 1 Roman Reigns 9/25/16 Clash of Champions 106 days 1 Rusev 5/22/16 Extreme Rules 126 days 2 Kalisto 1/24/16 Royal Rumble 119 days 2 Alberto Del Rio 1/12/16 SmackDown 12 days 2 Kalisto 1/11/16 Monday Night Raw 1 day 1 Alberto Del Rio 10/25/15 Hell in a Cell 78 days 1 John Cena 9/20/15 Night of Champions 35 days 5 Seth Rollins 8/23/15 SummerSlam 28 days 1 John Cena 3/29/15 WrestleMania 147 days 4 Rusev 11/3/14 Monday Night Raw 146 days 1 Sheamus 5/5/14 Monday Night Raw 182 days 2 Dean Ambrose 5/19/13 Extreme Rules 351 days 1 Kofi Kingston 4/15/13 Monday Night Raw 34 days 3 Cesaro 8/19/12 SummerSlam 239 days 1 Santino Marella 3/5/12 Monday Night Raw 167 days 1 Jack Swagger 1/16/12 Monday Night Raw 49 days 1 Zack Ryder 12/18/11 TLC 29 days 1 Dolph Ziggler 6/19/11 Capitol Punishment 182 days 1 Kofi Kingston 5/1/11 Extreme Rules 49 days 2 Sheamus 3/14/11 Monday Night Raw 48 days 1 Daniel Bryan 9/19/10 Night of Champions 176 days 1 The Miz 6/14/10 Monday Night Raw 97 days 2 R-Truth 5/24/10 Monday Night Raw 21 days 1 Bret Hart 5/17/10 Monday Night Raw 7 days 5 The Miz 10/5/09 Monday Night Raw 224 days 1 Kofi Kingston 6/1/09 Monday Night Raw 126 days 1 MVP 3/20/09 SmackDown 73 days 2 Shelton Benjamin 7/20/08 Great American Bash 243 days 1 Matt Hardy 4/27/08 Backlash 84 days 1 MVP 5/20/07 Judgment Day 343 days 1 Chris Benoit 10/13/06 SmackDown 219 days 5 Mr. Kennedy 9/1/06 SmackDown 42 days 1 Finlay 7/14/06 SmackDown 49 days 1 Bobby Lashley 5/26/06 SmackDown 49 days 1 JBL 4/2/06 WrestleMania 54 days 1 Chris Benoit 2/19/06 No Way Out 42 days 4 Booker T 1/13/06 SmackDown 37 days 4 Booker T 10/21/05 SmackDown 35 days 3 Chris Benoit 8/21/05 SummerSlam 61 days 3 Orlando Jordan 3/3/05 SmackDown 171 days 1 John Cena 11/18/04 SmackDown 105 days 3 Carlito 10/7/04 SmackDown 42 days 1 John Cena 10/3/04 No Mercy 4 days 2 Booker T 7/29/04 SmackDown 66 days 2 John Cena 3/14/04 WrestleMania 137 days 1 Big Show 10/19/03 No Mercy 147 days 1 Eddie Guerrero 7/27/03 Vengeance 84 days 2 Edge 11/12/01 Monday Night Raw 6 days 1 Kurt Angle 10/22/01 Monday Night Raw 21 days 1 Rhyno 9/23/01 Unforgiven 29 days 1 Tajiri 9/10/01 Monday Night Raw 13 days 1 Chris Kanyon 7/26/01 SmackDown 46 days 1 Booker T 3/18/01 Greed 128 days 1 Rick Steiner 2/5/01 Nitro 41 days 1 Shane Douglas 1/14/01 Sin 22 days 1 Bill DeMott 11/26/00 Mayhem 49 days 2 Lance Storm 11/13/00 Nitro 13 days 3 Bill DeMott 10/29/00 Halloween Havoc 15 days 1 Lance Storm 9/23/00 House show 36 days 2 Terry Funk 9/22/00 House show 1 day 2 Lance Storm 7/18/00 Nitro 66 days 1 Scott Steiner 4/16/00 Spring Stampede 84 days 2 Jeff Jarrett 1/17/00 Nitro 84 days 3 Jeff Jarrett 12/20/99 Nitro 27 days 2 Chris Benoit 12/19/99 N/A 1 day 2 Scott Hall 11/8/99 Nitro 41 days 2 Bret Hart 10/25/99 Monday Night Raw 14 days 4 Goldberg 10/24/99 Halloween Havoc 1 day 2 Sid Vicious 9/12/99 Fall Brawl 42 days 1 Chris Benoit 8/9/99 Nitro 34 days 1 David Flair 7/5/99 N/A 35 days 1 Scott Steiner 4/11/99 Spring Stampede 85 days 1 Scott Hall 2/21/99 SuperBrawl 25 days 1 Roddy Piper 2/8/99 Nitro 13 days 3 Bret Hart 11/30/98 Nitro 70 days 3 Diamond Dallas Page 10/26/98 Nitro 35 days 2 Bret Hart 8/13/98 Thunder 74 days 2 Lex Luger 8/10/98 Nitro 3 days 5 Bret Hart 7/20/98 Nitro 21 days 1 Bill Goldberg 4/20/98 Nitro 91 days 1 Raven 4/19/98 Spring Stampede 1 day 1 Diamond Dallas Page 12/28/97 Starrcade 112 days 1 Curt Hennig 9/15/97 Nitro 104 days 1 Steve McMichael 8/21/97 Clash of the Champions 25 days 1 Jeff Jarrett 6/9/97 Nitro 73 days 1 Dean Malenko 3/16/97 Uncensored 85 days 1 Eddie Guerrero 12/29/96 Starrcade 77 days 1 Ric Flair 7/7/96 Bash at the Beach 141 days 5 Konnan 1/29/96 Main Event 160 days 1 One Man Gang 12/27/95 Starrcade 33 days 1 Kensuke Sasaki 11/13/95 New Japan Pro Wrestling 44 days 1 Sting 6/18/95 Great American Bash 148 days 2 Vader 12/27/94 Starrcade 88 days 1 Jim Duggan 9/18/94 Fall Brawl 100 days 1 Steve Austin 9/18/94 Fall Brawl 0 days 2 Ricky Steamboat 8/24/94 Clash of the Champions 25 days 4 Steve Austin 12/27/93 Starrcade 240 days 1 Dustin Rhodes 8/30/93 Saturday Night 119 days 2 Dustin Rhodes 1/11/93 Saturday Night 110 days 1 Rick Rude 11/19/91 Clash of the Champions 378 days 1 Sting 8/25/91 House show 86 days 1 Lex Luger 12/16/90 Starrcade 210 days 4 Stan Hansen 10/27/90 Halloween Havoc 50 days 1 Lex Luger 5/22/89 House show 523 days 3 Michael Hayes 5/7/89 Music City Showdown 15 days 1 Lex Luger 2/20/89 Chi-Town Rumble 76 days 2 Barry Windham 5/13/88 House show 283 days 1 Dusty Rhodes 11/26/87 Starrcade 141 days 1 Lex Luger 7/11/87 Steel Cage 138 days 1 Nikita Koloff 8/17/86 House show 328 days 1 Magnum T.A. 11/28/85 Starrcade 154 days 2 Tully Blanchard 7/21/85 House show 130 days 1 Magnum T.A. 3/23/85 House show 120 days 1 Wahoo McDaniel 10/7/84 House show 167 days 5 Wahoo McDaniel 6/24/84 House show 7 days 4 Ricky Steamboat 4/21/84 House show 64 days 3 Dick Slater 12/14/83 House show 129 days 1 Greg Valentine 4/30/83 House show 228 days 2 Roddy Piper 4/16/83 House show 14 days 2 Greg Valentine 11/4/82 House show 163 days 1 Wahoo McDaniel 8/22/82 House show 74 days 3 Sergeant Slaughter 6/7/82 N/A 76 days 2 Wahoo McDaniel 5/21/82 House show 17 days 2 Sergeant Slaughter 10/4/81 House show 229 days 1 Wahoo McDaniel 8/8/81 House show 31 days 1 Roddy Piper 1/27/81 House show 193 days 1 Ric Flair 4/20/80 House show 97 days 4 Jimmy Snuka 9/1/79 House show 232 days 1 Ric Flair 4/1/79 House show 133 days 3 Ricky Steamboat 12/18/78 House show 104 days 2 Ric Flair 4/9/78 House show 252 days 2 Mr. Wrestling 3/19/78 House show 21 days 1 Blackjack Mulligan 1/1/78 House show 77 days 3 Ricky Steamboat 10/21/77 House show 72 days 1 Ric Flair 7/29/77 House show 84 days 1 Bobo Brazil 7/7/77 House show 22 days 1 Blackjack Mulligan 12/15/76 House show 204 days 2 Paul Jones 10/16/76 House show 43 days 2 Blackjack Mulligan 3/13/76 House show 217 days 1 Paul Jones 11/27/75 House show 107 days 1 Terry Funk 11/9/75 House show 18 days 1 Johnny Valentine 7/3/75 House show 60 days 1 Harley Race 1/1/75 House show 183 days 1 * Rey Mysterio relinquished the title back to Samoa Joe
