<P> The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches , in which participants execute scripted finishes rather than contend in direct competition . Some reigns were held by champions using a ring name , while others use their real name . The first champion was Buddy Rogers , who won the championship in 1963 . The champion with the single longest reign is Bruno Sammartino with a reign of 2,803 days , while the record for longest combined reign is also held by Sammartino at 4,040 . The current champion is AJ Styles , who is in his second reign . He won the championship by defeating Jinder Mahal on SmackDown Live in Manchester , England on November 7 , 2017 . </P>
<P> The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches , in which participants execute scripted finishes rather than contend in direct competition . Some reigns were held by champions using a ring name , while others use their real name . The first champion was Buddy Rogers , who won the championship in 1963 . The champion with the single longest reign is Bruno Sammartino with a reign of 2,803 days , while the record for longest combined reign is also held by Sammartino at 4,040 . The current champion is AJ Styles , who is in his second reign . He won the championship by defeating Jinder Mahal on SmackDown Live in Manchester , England on November 7 , 2017 . </P>
who has held the wwe title the longest
who has held the wwe title the longest
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino