2025 is rapidly coming to a close, and it’s been a mixture of good and bad years for WWE. Some of the in-ring action and storylines have been sublime. However, Triple H hasn’t been exempt from criticism for some illogical booking decisions. Nevertheless, the men’s world title picture in 2025 has generally been booked strongly.
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The Undisputed WWE Championship resides on SmackDown, and the World Heavyweight Championship continues to feature on Raw since its inception in 2023. Every wrestler who walks through the door aspires to win a world title in WWE. Being a world champion has big responsibilities inside and outside of the squared circle, which some can cope with.
However, only six men across both brands have held WWE world championships in 2025. Furthermore, some have been fortunate to have multiple world title runs in 2025. Moreover, some world title runs in 2025 were outstanding, and the champion was booked strongly. On the flip side of the coin, some failed to deliver the goods as world champions.
6. CM Punk
Despite becoming a seven-time WWE world champion in 2025, CM Punk has only one World Heavyweight Championship title defense to his name across his two World Heavyweight Championship runs.
The Straight Edge Savior defeated Gunther in an excellent World Heavyweight Championship match at SummerSlam. However, Punk’s reign lasted just five minutes and 10 seconds as Seth Rollins pulled off “The Ruse of the Century” by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
Punk fell victim to the same fate that happened to him 14 years prior at SummerSlam 2011. However, Punk found himself winning the World Heavyweight Championship again sooner rather than later. Rollins’ injury caused the prestigious Big Gold Belt to become vacant. The Straight Edge Savior defeated Jey Uso on the November 1, 2025, edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event to reclaim the title.
As Punk featured in WarGames at Survivor Series, he’s yet to defend the World Heavyweight Championship. He’s next scheduled to defend the title against Bron Breakker on Raw’s January 5, 2026, episode, two months after winning the title.
