You know what they say, “’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Those words ring especially true for the Superstars on this list. From Kane to The Miz (who has managed to do it twice), these are champions whose reigns lasted just one day or less.
Watch Superstars winning titles and losing them within 24 hours
Mankind won his third and final WWE Championship in a grueling Triple Threat Match against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Triple H at SummerSlam 1999. With Jesse Ventura acting as special guest referee and Chyna and Shane McMahon getting involved, the fast-paced, physical match is perhaps best remembered as one of the highlights of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley’s incredible in-ring career.
Watch SummerSlam 1999 on WWE Network
Since Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy is a Superstar who only held the WWE Championship for a combined 47 days throughout his lengthy career, after all, it is not a great surprise that the next night on Raw, Triple H defeated The Hardcore Legend. Delivering two devastating Pedigrees — the second of which was gruesomely onto a bed of thumbtacks — The Game ended Mankind’s time with the WWE Title after just one day.
After Edge & Christian lost the World Tag Team Championships to The Hardy Boyz at Unforgiven 2000 and then fell to the brothers again in a Ladder Match on Raw, they began competing under golden masks as Los Conquistadores to avoid the pre-match stipulation of never being able to challenge for the titles again.
Watch No Mercy 2000 on WWE Network
Conquistadores Uno and Dos defeated The Hardy Boyz at No Mercy 2000 to become the World Tag Team Champions. The next night on Raw, surprisingly, another masked team appeared as Los Conquistadores, challenging Edge & Christian for their titles. After defeating their rivals and ending their reign at a meager one day, the masked Superstars revealed themselves as The Hardy Boyz in disguise!
Mr. McMahon’s bitter rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin took a positive turn for The Chairman at the 1998 King of the Ring. In the main event match, WWE Champion Austin lost his title to Kane when The Undertaker intervened with a chair and caused The Texas Rattlesnake to lose the First Blood Match.
Watch King of the Ring 1998 on WWE Network
Unfortunately for The Big Red Monster — and Mr. McMahon — Austin won the title back from The Big Red Monster the next night on Raw, beginning the second of his six reigns. For Kane, who is a former World Heavyweight Champion, ECW Champion and nine-time WWE Tag Team Champion, it is amazingly the only 24 hours in his entire career when he has held the WWE Title.
Throughout early 1998, the many faces of Mick Foley were locked in a rivalry with World Tag Team Champions The New Age Outlaws. Knowing that even with his multiple personalities he needed more help, Foley recruited an old friend: Chainsaw Charlie.
Watch WrestleMania XIV on WWE Network
After The New Age Outlaws locked Cactus and Chainsaw in a dumpster and tossed it off the entrance ramp, the duo got a chance at revenge in a Dumpster Match at WrestleMania XIV. Shockingly, Cactus and Chainsaw beat The New Age Outlaws, but due to a technicality involving the dumpsters, the title was put on the line the next night on Raw in a Steel Cage Match. The Outlaws successfully regained the titles, ending the only World Tag Team Title reign of the rare partnership.
“Macho Man” Randy Savage won his third WCW World Heavyweight Championship when he pinned Sting — with the help of Kevin Nash — at Spring Stampede 1998. Unfortunately, Savage’s reign did not last long.
Watch Spring Stampede 1998 on WWE Network
The next night on WCW Monday Nitro, he lost the title to Hollywood Hogan in a No Disqualification Match. Nash again interfered in an attempt to aid Savage, but Bret Hart emerged to help Hogan secure the victory. Savage would go on to have one more run with the WCW World Title the next year, yet it also ended after a mere 24 hours.
After WWE Champion Shawn Michaels relinquished the WWE Title due to a knee injury, a No. 1 Contender’s Four Corners Match at In Your House 13: Final Four was changed to an outright contest for the vacant championship.
Watch In Your House 13 on WWE Network
Bret Hart emerged victorious over “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Vader and The Undertaker by clotheslining The Phenom over the top rope, eliminating him last and winning WWE’s top prize for the fourth time. It was to be a short-lived one, though, as Austin got his revenge on Hart the next night on Raw by costing him a title match against Sycho Sid, ending the “Hit Man’s” fourth run with the WWE Title at one day.
The Miz may be the uncrowned king of the 24-hour title reign. In 2013, during the WrestleMania 29 Interactive Pre-Show, The Awesome One dethroned Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett with the Figure-Four Leglock. The Hollywood actor's second reign with the illustrious title, however, ended abruptly the next night on Raw when the British brawler invoked his rematch clause and won the title right back from WWE's "most must-see Superstar."
Watch WrestleMania 29 on WWE Network
A little more than a year later, The Miz once again became a 24-hour Intercontinental Champion after defeating Dolph Ziggler at Night of Champions, only to immediately drop the title back to him the following night on Raw. If you think The Awesome One was upset, you should've seen the reaction of his stunt double, Damien Miz-dow.
The short-lived length of some title reigns is not surprising. In fact, it’s astounding that some of them ever happened at all, including a particularly strange alliance between John Cena and David Otunga.
After being forced to join The Nexus, John Cena was further required to partner with David Otunga to face WWE Tag Team Champions Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes at Bragging Rights 2010. Although the peculiar pair successfully won WWE’s twin titles when Rhodes submitted to Cena’s STF submission, the Cenation leader attacked his co-champion after the match and left with both titles.
Watch Bragging Rights 2010 on WWE Network
The next night on Raw, Cena and Otunga lost the titles to fellow Nexus members Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel when Nexus leader Wade Barrett ordered Otunga to lie down in the ring and allow himself to be pinned.
After Tommy Dreamer defeated Raven at Wrestlepalooza 1997 in a Loser Leaves ECW Match, the master manipulator brought his antagonistic aggression back to WCW. There, Raven recruited Perry Saturn, Billy Kidman and other eccentrics to join his sect, The Flock. Then, at Spring Stampede 1998, Raven — with the help of The Flock — defeated United States Champion Diamond Dallas Page.
Watch Spring Stampede 1998 on WWE Network
It was not meant to last, though. The very next night on Monday Nitro, Goldberg defeated Raven to claim the coveted title gold, which the man from The Bowery blamed on The Flock, eventually leading to the dissolution of the group.
In summer 1999, D’Lo Brown rode possibly the greatest wave of his career to capture both the Intercontinental and European Championships, becoming the first “Euro-Continental Champion.” At SummerSlam 1999, Brown faced the recently returned Jeff Jarrett for both titles.
Watch SummerSlam 1999 on WWE Network
During the match, both the supporters in Brown’s corner — Mark Henry and Debra — turned on the dual-champion, helping Jarrett win the match to become just the second “Euro-Continental Champion.” The next night, Jarrett rewarded Henry with the European in return for his help, ending his run with that title after 24 hours.