WrestleMania 28 Results: Big Show's Rank Among the Other Grand-Slam Champions

This past Sunday, at WrestleMania 28, Big Show became a member of a very exclusive club.

Big Show became the 12th member of the grand-slam champion club.

What makes a wrestler a grand-slam champion?

In the WWE, a grand-slam champion is a wrestler who has held the World, Intercontinental, Tag-Team, and either the European or Hardcore titles.

The wrestler does not have to hold these titles all once. All they need to do is hold them at least once in their career.

Since the following wrestlers have had multiple title reigns, the first time they won the belt will be used for the date.

All dates of the title reigns come from Wikipedia.com.

12. Kane

Captured World Title: June 28, 1998

Captured Tag Title: July 13, 1998 (with Mankind)

Captured Intercontinental Title: May 20, 2001

Captured European / Hardcore Title: April 1, 2001 (Hardcore)

Kane debuted, in his current character, in 1997. His back-story was that he was the long-lost brother of The Undertaker. The two men have had legendary feuds together.

Kane's character is one that has stood the test of time. We have been witness to his success for 15 years.

His title reigns have been some of the shortest in history, but there is no questioning that he is a legend and deserved the championships he has won.

11. John Bradshaw Layfield

Captured World Title: June 27, 2004

Captured Tag Title: May 25, 1999 (with Faarooq)

Captured Intercontinental title: March 9, 2009

Captured European / HardcoreTitle: June 3, 2002 (Hardcore)      

JBL debuted for the WWE in 1995, but is more well known for teaming with Ron Simmons (Faarooq) in 1998. Together, these men formed the Acolytes, and later the Acolyte Protection Agency.

The APA went out of business (they would re-unite briefly in 2003) due to the annual draft. Bradshaw would be drafted to Raw to begin his singles career where he became part of the Hardcore division. Bradshaw would hold the Hardcore title 17 times.

In 2004, Bradshaw would begin his run as a heel. He would become a snob who would say how much better he was than everyone, and how much wealthier he was than everyone.

Bradshaw would become one of the top heels of his time.

Due to a bad back, JBL retired from wrestling the day after WrestleMania XXV.

10. Booker T

Captured World Title: July 23, 2006

Captured Tag Title: Oct. 30, 2001 (with Test)

Captured Intercontinental title: July 7, 2003

Captured European / Hardcore Title: May 4, 2002 (Hardcore)

The five-time WCW Champion, Booker T, debuted in the WWE in 2001, after the purchase of WCW. His first story-line came as a leader of the Alliance during the invasion angle. For a majority of his beginnings in WWE, Booker was a heel and played it well.

Booker T was a very great talent in the ring. He had all the tools necessary to succeed. It has been speculated that Vince would treat the WCW guys differently. The feeling was that Vince did not like the fact he was not responsible for making these wrestlers stars.

Booker worked hard to force Vince to see that he deserved to be pushed. Vince must have thought highly of Booker, since Booker was able to capture all the important titles that WWE has to offer.

Booker left WWE for TNA in 2007, but returned to WWE in 2011.

Booker is now a commentator for SmackDown, and on rare occasions, he puts the tights back on and gets in the ring.

9. Jeff Hardy

Captured World Title: Dec. 14, 2008

Captured Tag Title: June 29, 1999 (with Matt Hardy)

Captured Intercontinental title: April 10, 2001

Captured European / Hardcore Title: July 10, 2001 (Hardcore)

Jeff, along with his brother Matt, debuted for WWE in 1998. The Hardy Boyz quickly became one of the best tag-teams of their time. The Hardys would go on to help revolutionize the ladder match.

Jeff would begin his singles career in 2002.

The WWE schedule took another victim in Hardy, and he left the company in 2003.

After a run on the Indy circuit and in TNA, Hardy returned to the WWE and was pushed into the main-event scene.

Hardy would leave the WWE again in 2008.

Hardy's unorthodox style won the fans over. His carefree spirit, and his charisma will always be remembered by the WWE Universe.

8. Big Show

Captured World Title: Nov. 14, 1999

Captured Tag Title: Aug. 22, 1999 (with Undertaker)

Captured Intercontinental title: April 1, 2012

Captured European / Hardcore Title: Feb. 25, 2001 (Hardcore)

Big Show finally got his WrestleMania moment, and with it, he became the newest member of the grand-slam champion club. Due to the retirement of both the European and Hardcore titles, Big Show will likely be the last grand-slam winner.

Big Show began his pro wrestling career in 1995, and debuted in the WWE in 1999. Big Show's debut was literally an eruption, when came up through the ring at St. Valentines Day Massacre.

Big Show went on to have feuds with some of the top legends in the business.

His victory at WrestleMania XXVIII will likely be his last run with a championship.

Big Show has wrestled for 17 years. Being a giant like he is, a 17-year career, in an industry that batters the body, is an amazing feat.

When it comes time for him to retire, he will go down as one of the greatest giants of all time.

7. Rob Van Dam

Captured World Title: June 11, 2006

Captured Tag Title: March 31, 2003 (with Kane)

Captured Intercontinental title: March 17, 2002

Captured European / Hardcore Title: July 22, 2001 (Hardcore)

The ECW original signed with WWE in 2001 after the closure of ECW. Van Dam truly was one of a kind. Van Dam was supposed to be a heel, but the fans loved his style in the ring so much, that they could not help but cheer for him.

Coming from ECW, Van Dam had a reputation of being hardcore, so naturally he was thrust into the Hardcore title hunt.

Although Van Dam held the World title, he never really became the top man in the company. Van Dam had loads of talent, but his activities outside of wrestling made him risky for the company to throw their full support behind him.

The WWE schedule had taken its toll on Van Dam, and he left the company in 2007.

6. Christian

Captured World Title: May 1, 2011

Captured Tag Title: April 2, 2000 (with Edge)

Captured Intercontinental title: Sept. 23, 2001

Captured European / Hardcore Title: Oct. 30, 2001 (European) 

Christian debuted in the WWE in 1998. He was paired with Gangrel, and Edge to form The Brood. The talent of Edge and Christian was quickly apparent, and they separated from The Brood, and took the Tag-Team division by storm.

Together with Edge, they had some of the greatest matches in tag-team history against The Hardy Boyz, and The Dudley Boys.

The two men split in 2001, and Christian was now trying to succeed in singles competition.

Christian is seen as the Marty Jannetty of the team of Edge and Christian, but don't let that fool you. Just because he was not as successful as a singles wrestler as Edge was, does not mean he is talented.

Christian is one of the most charismatic wrestlers in the world, and he can definitely handle himself in the ring.

Christian left the WWE and joined TNA in 2004. He was immediately pushed to the main-event level, and proved he had what it took to be a top guy in a wrestling company.

In 2009, Christian would return to WWE and in 2011, the last piece of the grand-slam puzzle was in place for Christian. Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio to become the World Heavyweight Champion.

5. Eddie Guerrero

Captured World Title: Feb. 15, 2004

Captured Tag Title: Nov. 17, 2002 (with Chavo Guerrero)

Captured Intercontinental title: Sept. 5, 2000

Captured European / Hardcore Title: April 3, 2000 (European)

Arguably the greatest wrestler from the Guerrero family, Eddie was a wrestling star all across the globe.

His lucha libre style would help make him a huge success in The United States.

Eddie would join the WWE in 2000. He came over from WCW with Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn. He would break away from the group in pursuit of the affection of Chyna, and Latino Heat was born.

Eddie would gain the respect and adoration of all the fans he wrestled for. Every time he was in the ring, he gave everything he had to entertain. His charisma, and in-ring ability were amazing.

WWE was not known to push wrestlers to the main event scene, unless they had a large build. Eddie did not have the "look" that Vince liked for his world champs, but Vince could not ignore how hard Eddie had worked to perfect his craft.

Eddie was rewarded with the World Heavyweight Championship in 2004. One of the greatest WrestleMania moments came at WrestleMania XX, when Eddie and Chris Benoit celebrated together as champions.

Sadly, Eddie was taken away from his family, and the business he loved on Nov. 13, 2005.

Eddie Guerrero will always be remembered as one of the greatest performers, not just in the WWE, but in every organization he wrestled for over his 18-year career.

4. Kurt Angle

Captured World Title: Oct. 22, 2000

Captured Tag Title: Oct. 20, 2002 (with Chris Benoit)

Captured Intercontinental Title: Feb. 27, 2000

Captured European / Hardcore Title: Feb. 8, 2000 (European)

Kurt Angle, the Olympic gold medalist, debuted in the WWE in 1998.

Not since Bret Hart did the WWE have a wrestler with this much technical skill. Kurt would use this skill to show the world that he could be one of the best pro wrestlers of his era.

It takes more than technical skill to be a success in pro wrestling. A wrestler needs to be able to bring out emotion from the fans who watch. Angle was a master at this.

His promo ability and his "better than you" attitude made him an excellent heel. No promo went by without the fans being told how he won a gold medal with a "broken freaking neck."

Angle did have runs as a face, but his work as a heel was where he excelled.

Angle would almost always be in the main-event picture, and when he was not, he was part of the upper mid-card.

Angle has wrestled the best in the business and has made many memorable moments.

Kurt Angle would leave the WWE for TNA in 2006, where he is currently wrestling.

Without a doubt, Angle will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the future.

3. Chris Jericho

Captured World Title: Dec. 9, 2001

Captured Tag Title: May 21, 2001 (with Chris Benoit)

Captured Intercontinental title: Dec. 12, 1999

Captured European / Hardcore Title: April 2, 2000 (European)

Chris Jericho, like Guerrero, made his name all over the world. Jericho would make his highly anticipated debut in the WWE in 1999.

It took Jericho some time to adjust to the WWE style of wrestling, but when he did, the world watched and realized that Jericho is one of the best wrestlers of all time.

Jericho had learned multiple wrestling styles, while traveling across the world, and he could utilize these different styles to help tell the story he wanted to while in the ring.

If his wrestling is great, then his promo work is amazing. Jericho can play any audience like a finely tuned instrument.

Jericho's hard work and talent would be rewarded when he became the first-ever Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. He will always be remembered as the first man to have that honor.

Jericho has had a couple of breaks from the WWE, but he has never left them for another company. He has always come back, and he has always shown the fans a new side of him.

Love him or hate him, there is no denying the greatness that is Chris Jericho.

2. Triple H

Captured World Title: Aug. 23, 1999

Captured Tag Title: April 29, 2001 (with Steve Austin)

Captured Intercontinental title: Oct. 21, 1996

Captured European / Hardcore Title: Dec. 11, 1997 (European)

Love him or hate him, there is no arguing the fact that Triple H has one of the best wrestling minds in the business.

Triple H debuted for the WWE in 1994, and was saddled with a blue-blood gimmick.

Triple H was well known for playing the game (no pun intended) of backstage politics. Triple H knew he was a great performer, and he wanted to make sure he had a top spot in the company.

In 1997, Triple H, along with Shawn Michaels, would be on the front lines of the Monday Night Wars. Together, the two men would help usher in the Attitude Era, which would take pro wrestling to heights it had never been before.

Triple H is a legend in the business. He has feuded with the best wrestlers in the world and had multiple reigns as the world champion. For a while, it was thought that Triple H would surpass Ric Flair in world title reigns, but that does not look like it will happen.

Triple H no longer wrestles full-time. You probably cannot even say he is a part-time wrestler anymore. His role within the WWE is now being groomed as the heir apparent to Vince McMahon.

Only time will tell what amount of success the WWE will have under Triple H.

1. Shawn Michaels

Captured World Title: March 31, 1996

Captured Tag Title: Aug. 28, 1994 (with Diesel)

Captured Intercontinental title: Oct. 27, 1992

Captured European / Hardcore Title: Sept. 20, 1997 (European)

Number one had to be Shawn Michaels. Not only was he the first grand-slam champion, but is one of the best wrestlers of all-time.

Shawn debuted in the WWE in 1988 with Marty Jannetty, forming The Rockers. They brought speed and agility to the tag division. Although they would be one of the most popular teams in history, they never officially won tag-team gold.

Shawn would break away from Jannetty, by throwing him through the window of The Barber Shop.

Shawn's career as a singles wrestler had begun, and he never looked back.

It is no secret that Shawn was a troublemaker and one of the biggest backstage politicians, but he was so incredibly talented that the WWE just had to deal with it.

Shawn would go on to achieve almost every accolade the WWE had to offer. The only prize he never won was the King of the Ring, but really did he need a crown for the world to know that he was wrestling royalty.

Michaels is an icon in the world of wrestling. No man deserved more to be the first grand-slam champion than he did.

Michaels always remained faithful to the WWE, never leaving them to work for another company. His loyalty to the WWE is something that is very rare in pro wrestling.

Michaels no longer wrestles, but he still makes appearances for WWE from time to time. His most recent appearance came as the referee for the Hell in a Cell match this past Sunday at WrestleMania XXVIII. The match itself was amazing, but Michaels made it unforgettable. The anguish he was feeling during that match was felt by every fan watching.

No matter how much time passes by, Shawn will always be in the conversation of who is the best wrestler of all-time.

Thank you all for reading this article.

I look forward to reading your comments. Who is too high or too low on the list? Comment below and let me know what you think.

Other articles by Louie Babcock that may interest you include:

WWE WrestleMania 28 Results: The Undertaker and the 15 Most Memorable Moments, is available here.

WrestleMania 28: 25 Greatest Moments in WrestleMania History, is available here

Louie Babcock has over five years experience working in emergency medicine, and is studying biology and health science at the University of Minnesota.

Follow me on Twitter@Medic_Louie.