5 Worst World Heavyweight Champions Since Its 2002 Return

March 26, 2001: World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as we know it becomes extinguished. The legacy, the lineage, the long roads to superstardom... gone. Vince McMahon shocks the whole world on this episode of Monday Nitro by revealing the news that he has purchased WCW, or at least he thought. Shane McMahon "purchases" it right underneath his nose, and we now have WCW, for the first time ever, owned by the WWE.

Fast forwarding to September 2, 2002. By this time, the WWE and WCW World Heavyweight Championship have been combined and named the Undisputed Championship. The "Big Gold Belt" is no longer, and the legacy of WCW is becoming more and more of an afterthought. But on this episode of Monday Night on Raw, Eric Bischoff changed this by awarding Triple H the "Big Gold Belt," and naming it the World Championship. Since then, we have seen the name changed to the World Heavyweight Championship and 23 recipients of this coveted prize with a total of 49 reigns.

Though names such as Triple H, Batista, the Undertaker, Edge and Randy Orton have contributed to continuing the prestige and honor of the World Heavyweight Championship, there are some who have contributed in the opposite manner.

These are the top five worst World Heavyweight Champions since its exclusive 2002 return.

5. Goldberg

There are only a few people who deserve an immediate push due to them having the "it factor." Goldberg was one of these people in WCW. From the "Goldberg" chants, to the electrifying set up for the spear and Jackhammer, Goldberg was destined to be a top guy. The fans loved him, he learned the basics of the business quickly, and he was just what the WCW needed to give them a resurgence.

But his raging steam fizzled out during his WWE tenure.

Yes, his debut interfering the Rock was exciting, but we will soon find out that plowing through random talent would be no longer, as he became just "one of the guys." His reign as WHC from September to December 2003 is rather forgettable, and his career ended with a chorus of boos at WrestleMania XX and a "Stone Cold Stunner" send-off.

4. Dolph Ziggler

February 18, 2011. SmackDown celebrates its 600th episode and Dolph Ziggler is crowned the World Heavyweight Champion due to the aftermath of the Royal Rumble. This is a dream come true for Zolph Ziggler, as he parades around the ring and celebrates his first ever reign as World Heavyweight Champion. A giant leap after being a member of the Spirit Squad a few years earlier.

Dolph Ziggler, well respected for his athletic ability, wasn't quite ready to be the top guy on SmackDown yet. Want proof? Seven minutes and 22 seconds after his official coronation, he loses to Edge in an impromptu rematch, ending his World Title reign just like that.

Since then, we have seen his career go up and down. The upside was being a number one contender for CM Punk's WWE Title at the 2012 Royal Rumble; the downside was being a part of Team Johnny at WrestleMania 28. Unfortunately, there just isn't enough confidence in him yet to be a consistent main-eventer, as this WHC reign is the only main-event spot he has legitimately had during his career.

3. Big Show

Jeff Hardy wins his first World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules in 2009. A few minutes later, CM Punk cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Jeff Hardy after his hard fought victory against Edge in a Ladder Match. This win by CM Punk now makes Jeff Hardy the shortest World Heavyweight Champion ever.

Until the TLC pay-per-view on December 18, 2011.

After a very short match against Mark Henry, the Big Show joins the list of people who have held both world titles during their WWE tenure by claiming his first ever World Heavyweight Championship. One minute and 51 seconds later, Daniel Bryan cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase to claim his first ever World Heavyweight Championship.

It doesn't look like the Big Show will ever reclaim the World Heavyweight Championship, so unfortunately, his only reign as the WHC is now the shortest reign ever.

2. Jack Swagger

WrestleMania 26 gave us a huge surprise as one of the biggest underdogs of the Money in the Bank match, Jack Swagger, wins the match and has possession of the briefcase to become the No. 1 contender for the world title of his choosing. Less than a week later, he cashes in the briefcase on a taped-up World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho and becomes WHC for the first time in his career.

Less than three months later, and after the WWE realized that this wasn't the best decision regarding whom to crown as champion, Jack Swagger loses his title at the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view to Rey Mysterio.

Jack Swagger never rebounded from this failed WHC run. Since then, the highlight of his career was defeating Zack Ryder for the US Title, only to still not have much TV time, and eventually lose it to Santino Marella a short time after winning it.

Unless there is a drastic change in his character and/or the WWE Creative staff, Jack Swagger will be known as having one of the biggest drop offs in his career after losing a world title.

1. The Great Khali

The best way to describe the Great Khali's World Heavyweight Championship reign is he won the title in a battle royal on SmackDown, did nothing to enhance any kind of intrigue in his character during his run, and to this day, has the most irrelevant WHC reign ever.

Edge was sidelined with a pectoral injury during the summer of 2007, which left the World Heavyweight Championship vacant on SmackDown. Out of all the potential candidates to become world champion, The Great Khali was the proverbial "chosen one." To this day, nobody knows what WWE Creative was thinking, and what the then-resume of his WWE tenure proved to make him worthy of becoming champion.

Thank God that two months later at Unforgiven, Batista put the WWE Universe, as well as the Great Khali, out of their misery by defeating Khali and Mysterio in a triple threat match to become the WHC for the third time.

Who do you think is the worst World Heavyweight Champion since its return?

Voice your opinion as we discuss this matter, as well as Raw, SmackDown, TNA and ROH recaps and analysis on the "Pancakes and Powerslams" wrestling talk show every Tuesday. Here is this week's link. The number to call is [phone].

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