| DATE | CHAMPION | CITY |
| 9/79 | Pat Patterson (via tournament to become first champion) | Rio Di Janiero |
| 04-21-80 | Ken Patera | New York (MSG) |
| 12-08-80 | Pedro Morales | New York (MSG) |
| 06-20-81 | Magnificent Muraco | Philadelphia |
| 11-23-81 | Pedro Morales [2] | New York (MSG) |
| 01-22-83 | Magnificent Muraco [2] | New York (MSG) |
| 02-11-84 | Tito Santana | Boston |
| 09-24-84 | Greg Valentine | London, Ontario |
| 07-06-85 | Tito Santana [2] | Baltimore |
| 02-08-86 | Randy Savage | Boston |
| 03-29-87 | Rick Steamboat | Pontiac, MI |
| 06-02-87 | The Honky Tonk Man | Buffalo, NY |
| 08-29-88 | The Ultimate Warrior | New York (MSG) |
| 04-02-89 | Rick Rude | Atlantic City, NJ |
| 08-28-89 | The Ultimate Warrior [2] | East Rutherford, NJ |
| 04-23-90 | Curt Hennig (tournament final over Tito Santana; Warrior won WWF World title) | Austin, TX |
| 08-27-90 | Kerry Von Erich | Philadelphia |
| 11-19-90 | Curt Hennig [2] | Rochester, NY |
| 08-26-91 | Bret Hart | New York (MSG) |
| 01-17-92 | Jacques Rougeau Jr. | Springfield, MA |
| 01-19-92 | Roddy Piper | Albany, NY |
| 04-05-92 | Bret Hart [2] | Indianapolis, IN |
| 08-29-92 | Davey Boy Smith | London, England |
| 10-27-92 | Shawn Michaels | Terre Haute, IN |
| 05-17-93 | Marty Jannetty | New York, NY |
| 06-06-93 | Shawn Michaels [2] | Albany, NY |
| 09-27-93 | Razor Ramon (tournament final over Rick Martel; Michaels stripped for refusing to defend title) | New Haven, CT |
| 04-13-94 | Diesel | Rochester, NY |
| 08-29-94 | Razor Ramon [2] | Chicago |
| 01-22-95 | Jeff Jarrett | Tampa, FL |
| 05-19-95 | Razor Ramon [3] | Montreal, Quebec |
| 05-21-95 | Jeff Jarrett [2] | Trois-Rivieres, Quebec |
| 07-23-95 | Shawn Michaels [3] | Nashville, TN |
| 05-21-95 | Jeff Jarrett [3] | Trois Rivieres, PQ |
| 07-23-95 | Shawn Michaels [3] | Nashville, TN |
| 10-22-95 | Dean Douglas (awarded by forfeit after Michaels was injured by a marine group on 95/10/14 at a club in Syracuse, NY.) | Winnipeg, MB |
| 10-22-95 | Razor Ramon [4] | Winnipeg, MB |
| 01-21-96 | Goldust (title held-up after a match against Savio Vega on 96/04/01 in San Bernadino, CA.) | Fresno, CA |
| 04-01-96 | Goldust [2] (defeats Vega in rematch.) | San Bernadino, CA |
| 06-23-96 | Ahmed Johnson (declared vacant on 96/08/12 because of injury.) | Milwaukee, WI |
| 09-23-96 | Marc Mero (defeats Faarooq Asad in tournament final.) | Hershey, PA |
| 10-21-96 | Hunter Hearst Helmsley | Ft. Wayne, IN |
| 02-13-97 | Rocky Maivia | Lowell, MA |
| 04-28-97 | Owen Hart | Omaha, NE |
| 08-03-97 | Steve Austin | East Rutherford, NJ |
| 10-05-97 | Owen Hart [2] (Vacant on 97/09/08 in Cincinnati, OH when WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter suspends Steve Austin and orders a tournament to be held for the vacant title. Defeats Farooq in tournament final.) | St. Louis, MO |
| 11-09-97 | Steve Austin [2] | Montreal, PQ |
