Every Foreign WWE Champion Ranked From Worst To Best

Drew McIntyre became the 52nd WWE Champion in company history when he dethroned Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36, etching his name alongside some of the greats of the industry - and Jinder Mahal - dating all the way back to Buddy Rogers in 1963.

Although the company is very much based in North America, considering the global powerhouse that it has been for decades, it's somewhat surprising that of those 52 WWE Champions, only nine have been foreign to the USA and Canada.

The leading superstar of the company has so often been the big, bulking white American that it has actually left little room for the international stars of the wrestling world. For the most part, anyway.

There are a couple of notes to make before we get started. This is a list of WWE Champions who were born outside of North America. There are guys like Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio that seem like obvious additions to the list; however, despite very much having a rich Mexican heritage, they were both born and bred in the States.

Likewise for Ivan Koloff, Jinder Mahal and Stan Stasiak, who were all painted as foreign villains during their time, but are actually all Canadian.

Andre The Giant is without a doubt one of the most memorable, well-loved, larger-than-life (literally) wrestlers in the history of the business. The lore and myth around the incredible Frenchman almost pales in comparison to the life and career he actually lived.

His 15-year undefeated streak is the stuff of legend - even if it was b*llocks - and his drawing power unparalleled in many parts of the world for years on end.

What is not so impressive for Andre Roussimoff is his one and only reign with the WWF Championship. It is the shortest reign in the title's long and illustrious history at just one minute and 48 seconds.

In a bizarre series of events at The Main Event, Andre ended Hulk Hogan's four-year reign thanks to some referee shenanigans that were being directed by the crafty Ted DiBiase, resulting in a three count for Andre despite Hogan having his shoulder up at one.

Andre would immediately hand the title over to DiBiase after the Million Dollar Man had paid him to do so, , effectively ending his reign in the process, less than two minutes after he had won it.

Despite his star power and incredible career, Andre was already struggling physically at the time he won the title for the first time, meaning he was never able to get his hands on the Championship again and have the proper reign that he deserved.