You’ve seen the "Big Gold Belt." You’ve seen the classic winged eagle. You might even still be trying to figure out how many "Undisputed" titles Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes have swapped lately. But there’s a weird, dusty corner of WWE history that most people completely gloss over: the WWE Champion of Champions Championship.
It wasn’t a decade-long lineage. It didn’t have a Hall of Fame ceremony. Honestly, it barely survived a single night in 2006. But for a brief moment during the peak of the brand-split era, WWE tried to convince us that one man was the king of the entire mountain—only to basically stop talking about it a week later.
What Was the WWE Champion of Champions Championship?
Let’s set the scene. It’s 2006. WWE is deep into its brand expansion. You had Raw, SmackDown, and the newly revived ECW all competing for eyeballs. Each brand had its own "World" champion, which naturally led to fans arguing in 2000s-era forums about who was actually the top guy.
Vince McMahon, being Vince McMahon, decided to settle it at the Cyber Sunday pay-per-view. The concept was simple but massive: the three world champions would face off in a Triple Threat match.
- John Cena (The face of Raw and the WWE Champion)
- King Booker (The ruler of SmackDown and the World Heavyweight Champion)
- The Big Show (The monster of ECW and the ECW World Champion)
The winner was supposed to be the "Champion of Champions." It wasn’t just a catchy slogan for a poster; they billed it as a definitive status. But because Cyber Sunday was an interactive show, there was a catch. Fans got to vote on which of the three titles would actually be on the line.
The Night King Booker Stole the Crown
When the votes came in, it wasn’t even close. Fans didn't want to see Cena lose his spinning WWE title, and nobody was particularly worried about Big Show’s ECW strap. Instead, a whopping 67% of the audience voted for King Booker to put his World Heavyweight Championship on the line.
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This changed the stakes instantly. If Cena or Big Show won, they wouldn’t just be the "Champion of Champions"—they’d take the "Big Gold Belt" back to their respective brand, leaving SmackDown without a world title.
The match itself was... chaotic. You had Big Show lumbering around (he was dealing with some pretty heavy injuries at the time), Cena doing his "Super Cena" thing, and King Booker being the ultimate opportunistic heel. But the finish is what people remember—or rather, the guy who caused it.
Kevin Federline.
Yes, "K-Fed," who was in a weirdly high-profile feud with John Cena at the time, showed up and hit Cena with the title belt. Booker capitalized, pinned Cena, and retained his championship. By winning the match, Booker was officially dubbed the "Champion of Champions."
Why Nobody Talks About This "Title" Anymore
So, if King Booker won the WWE Champion of Champions Championship, why isn't it in the record books next to the Intercontinental or Universal titles?
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Basically, it was a promotional gimmick that didn't have a physical belt to go with it. Unlike the "Crown" for King of the Ring or a trophy for the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, the "Champion of Champions" status was mostly just a talking point for the following week’s SmackDown.
WWE has a habit of doing this. They create a high-stakes "one-time" accolade to sell a pay-per-view, and then they quietly move on once the next storyline starts. By the time Survivor Series rolled around that year, the focus had shifted to traditional team matches, and the "Champion of Champions" moniker was tucked away in a drawer.
Modern Echoes: Is the Current Undisputed Title the Same Thing?
Fast forward to today. As of early 2026, we’ve seen Drew McIntyre reclaim the top spot after a brutal Three Stages of Hell match against Cody Rhodes. People often ask if the current "Undisputed" status is just a modern version of the WWE Champion of Champions Championship.
Not really.
The "Champion of Champions" was about brand supremacy. It was about proving which of the three separate world titles was the most prestigious. Today’s Undisputed title is a result of actual title unification. When Randy Orton beat John Cena in 2013, or when Roman Reigns smashed Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38, those titles merged.
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The 2006 version was more like a "Super Bowl" for wrestling. It was a clash of champions where everyone kept their own belts, but one guy got the bragging rights.
Real Talk: Was It Actually Good?
If you go back and watch the match on the WWE Network (or Peacock, depending on where you live), it’s a fascinating time capsule.
- Cena was at the height of his "polarizing" phase.
- Big Show was physically struggling but still an imposing presence.
- King Booker was arguably doing the best character work of his entire career.
The "Champion of Champions" idea worked because the brand split actually felt real back then. Wrestlers didn't just hop from show to show every week. If you were on SmackDown, you stayed there. That made a cross-brand triple threat feel like a legitimate "dream match," even if the finish involved a reality TV star.
Actionable Insights for Wrestling Collectors and Historians
If you’re a die-hard fan looking to track down "Champion of Champions" memorabilia, don't go looking for a belt. You won't find one. However, here is how you can actually engage with this weird slice of history:
- Watch the Build-Up: The October 9, 2006 episode of Raw is where it all started. It’s a great example of how WWE used to build "super-cards."
- Check the Programs: The Cyber Sunday 2006 event program is one of the few places where the "Champion of Champions" branding is used heavily in print. These are relatively cheap on secondary markets.
- The K-Fed Factor: If you want to see the weirdest era of WWE celebrity involvement, follow the Cena/Federline storyline from that match leading into their singles match on New Year's Day 2007.
The WWE Champion of Champions Championship might not have a long lineage, but it represents a time when WWE wasn't afraid to let the fans pick the stakes. It was a one-night-only experiment that proved King Booker was, at least for a few months, the most important man in the company.
Next time you’re debating world title histories with your friends, bring this up. Most people will remember the match, but almost nobody remembers the official "title" that was supposedly on the line. It’s the ultimate "did you know" for WWE trivia nights.