Another year is in the books for WWE! This has been a fantastic year for the professional wrestling company on both the main roster and NXT. Given the fact that we’re in an era of long title reigns, not many titles changed hands in 2023, but there have been several notable years of reigns that began and ended within the calendar year.

The list narrows down the five best titles in the promotion. Whether it was RAW, Smackdown, or even NXT, these five men or women have had (or still have) a strong title reign with great matches and memorable feuds. 

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WWE Intercontinental Champion - Gunther (Jun 10, 2022 - Present)

Gunther is arguably the best champion on the WWE roster right now. It doesn’t matter if it’s The Miz, Chad Gable, Drew McIntyre, or Bronson Reed, this guy has managed to get a great match out of most of his opponents! That’s because Gunther isn’t a generic “Big guy” champion. 

What makes him different is that he notably sells more than other WWE giants of the past. It makes his matches more dynamic because he can play the big guy against the likes of Chad Gable, yet he can do the technical wrestler role against names like Sami Zayn or Kevin Owens. His matches tend to feel different from the others on the roster, and even though he’s held that belt for over a year, it still doesn’t feel like the right time for him to drop the belt. 

Gunther has restored the prominence that the Intercontinental Championship once had during the times when guys like Bret Hart or Stone Cold Steve Austin held it. There’s no telling how long he’s going to keep the belt, but we’re enjoying the ride until someone finally dethrones the longest-reigning IC champion. 

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WWE Undisputed Universal Champion - Roman Reigns (August 20, 2020 - Present)

The biggest drawback for Roman’s title run is that he’s barely here. Still, The Bloodline saga is easily the best thing going in 2023. Just when many of us thought that he wouldn’t be able to peak past the incredible story of Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber, he managed to get magic out of his bout against Cody Rhodes and even his feud with Jey Uso. 

The Bloodline stuff has been some of the most compelling content in all of pro wrestling in the last decade. Sure, not every moment connects. Plus, it does feel that Cody should’ve beaten Roman at WrestleMania. But even though the title reign hasn’t been perfect, there are too many segments and moments with Reigns to not involve him on this list. Let’s hope WWE does the smart thing and let Cody finish the story. As memorable as Reigns’ title run has been, it does feel that he needs to drop the belt. 

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NXT Champion - Bron Breakker (April 4, 2022 - April 1, 2023)

It’s amazing how fast Bron Breakker has grown as a performer. The company quickly strapped a rocket to the former NXT Champion and he has yet to fail both inside and outside of the ring. Breakker is by no means perfect, but his confidence on the mic is solid and his in-ring skills continue to evolve every time he steps in the ring. It’s head-scratching that he’s not on the main roster because he’s ready, and his lengthy title reign has proven that. 

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NXT Champion - Carmelo Hayes (April 1, 2023 - September 30, 2023)

Carmelo Hayes feels like the Shawn Michaels of NXT. The former NXT Champion is bursting with charisma and is a dynamic performer. He’s excelled at both being a heel and a babyface and is a big reason why audiences started to take notice of the developmental brand once again. Hayes elevated the brand by having bangers against names like Bron and IIja Dragunov. It may have not been a year-long reign, but there have been plenty of short runs that have proven long title reigns aren’t necessary to make a lasting impression. 

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WWE RAW and Smackdown Tag Team Champions - The Usos (May 20, 2022 - April 2, 2023)

Like Reigns, The Usos were a part of the best stories of 2023. The long game with Sami and Jey was a masterclass on storytelling. Plus, it helped both Sami and Jey grow as characters. Their main event spot at WrestleMania was well deserved.

Of course, The Usos' reign isn’t just about their Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn stuff. The tag team has always been top-tier inside of the ring, but their alliance with Roman Reigns helped define them as memorable characters beyond their wrestling skills. Though some matches weren’t all that they were cracked up to be, the Usos had plenty of great matches throughout their lengthy run with the belts and they dropped them at the right time.

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WWE Women’s Champion - Bianca Belair (April 2, 2022 - May 27, 2023)

It’s amazing how much Bianca Belair has changed in five years. The company took a huge risk on the former WWE Women’s Champion and it paid off immensely. Her year-long arc with Becky Lynch was a great start to her reign, and Bianca continued to have strong in-ring performances throughout her run. The only drawback was that Belair started to feel like the female version of SuperCena towards the end. She dropped the belt at the right time and is easily one of the modern female stars in WWE.