Anybody who reaches the level of becoming a WWE Champion is a top-tier athlete whom the company decides to back and trust, which is something that few people reach. However, not every wrestler is loved in that role, with some stars becoming WWE Champions based on the fact they're great at getting heel heat.
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On the flip side, there are many former WWE Champions who have been brilliant babyfaces and have been loved due to their likability. They have gotten over with their personalities and charisma, having a level of charm that helps them connect to fans around the world.
10 Edge
Edge was an excellent WWE Champion, but he certainly wasn't a likeable one. A big reason for that is that he would always use underhanded tactics to win or retain his titles, which allowed him to take on the Ultimate Opportunist nickname throughout his career.
Edge was slimy and sneaky, and they're not characteristics that make people happy. While there were times when he was a brilliant babyface, his best work was always as a heel which led to fans hating him at times.
9 Daniel Bryan
A lot of people would associate Daniel Bryan as one of the most likeable WWE Champions of all time, but the time when he was at the top of the industry as an ultimate babyface he dealt with injury problems. That run with the title wasn't one of the best in history, but the time he was the Planet's Champion certainly was.
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However, at this point, Bryan was proving how effective he could be as a heel. Even though the things he was saying about the environment were technically correct, fans hated him projecting those thoughts onto them, and that ultimately made him hated by audiences.
8 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns' current run as WWE Champion is quickly becoming an iconic one due to how dominant he has been, holding that alongside the Universal Championship at the same time. However, while he's one of the best WWE Champions in history, that doesn't make him one of the most popular.
The Tribal Chief is hated by fans due to how dominant he has been, and the fact he has often cheated to defend it via the help of The Bloodline. The way he emotionally manipulates his family is an easy way to get him heat, and that has made him quite an unlikeable champion.
7 John Cena
John Cena is a 16-time World Champion, and few people are more synonymous with the WWE Championship than him. Cena has had a dominant grip on the title over the years, and he has done it all as a babyface, never wavering or operating in a shade of grey, instead, he has been the ultimate babyface and done everything by the book.
While that should make him the most likeable champion on paper, the reality has been very different. Cena has been an incredible hit with fans at times, being one of the most popular stars ever, yet on the other hand he has also been hated by a large and vocal part of the audience.
6 Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino isn't always spoken about amongst the great WWE Champions due to the fact his time in the industry was so long ago, from an era that isn't often mentioned by fans or WWE itself. However, Sammartino was certainly one of the best as he put together a dominant run with the title.
Throughout that time he was the ultimate babyface, being someone who fans loved around the world. He was consistently able to sell out major arenas such as Madison Square Garden due to the fact he had such a connection with the audience which came from his fighting spirit.
5 Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan might be a controversial wrestler at this point, but there's no denying he was incredibly popular during his main run as a full-time talent. He played an extremely generic babyface who would do everything people expect by telling people to eat their vitamins and say their prayers, but that was how characters were done in that era.
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Hogan acted in this manner perfectly and it allowed audiences to gravitate toward him. He was beloved by fans at this time, with the red and yellow version of his character being an ideal babyface.
4 Bret Hart
Bret Hart might have had a memorable run as WWE Champion while being a heel, but he also had a great run as a babyface. Audiences got behind the Hitman massively when he was competing against the likes of Yokozuna and his brother, largely because he had such a cool factor.
The way he'd head to the ring with his glasses and interact with the fans helped to make him a real hit with audiences. The fact he was able to back it up with incredible in-ring work helped matters as people always enjoyed his in-ring work.
3 The Rock
The Rock is one of the most charismatic wrestlers to ever grace the ring, and that is something that shone throughout his career, particularly when he had the WWE Championship. The Rock always brought tons of energy, and that was infectious as it helped to win him over in the eyes of the fans.
People loved seeing him in the ring, particularly during promo segments. Few people were funnier than him, and the fact he was able to consistently put together memorable promos allowed him to win over the audience and become very likeable.
2 CM Punk
CM Punk might have been a fantastic heel at points, but even when fans were booing him they still had a level of respect for everything that he did. That's because Punk as a heel would talk about the truth and the hardcore fans got behind him massively during that period.
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However, when he was allowed to be a top babyface during the 'Summer of Punk,' he put together an amazing run. He was incredibly popular with fans, largely because he was a big underdog at the time.
1 Steve Austin
Steve Austin is certainly the most likeable WWE Champion of all time as he truly was a man of the people. He was doing everything that people had wanted to at times in attacking their bosses when they were being a pain, and his rivalry against Vince McMahon helped take him to new heights of popularity.
The fan support for the Texas Rattlesnake helped to make him beloved with the reactions that he would receive being incredible every single time. It's something that helped take the industry to the next level, and only an incredibly popular wrestler could achieve that feat.
