When Mick Foley walked down the ramp on Monday Night Raw in May 2019, the energy in the arena was electric. People actually thought we were getting the Hardcore Title back. Then he pulled that lime-green-and-gold belt out of the bag, and you could almost hear the collective "wait, what?" from the crowd.
The WWE 24 7 Championship was polarizing from second one. Honestly, it was a weird experiment. It wasn't about work rate or five-star classics. It was about pure, unadulterated chaos—and mostly about R-Truth running for his life.
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People love to bash it now, but for a while, those social media clips were the most-watched thing WWE was putting out. It was a bridge between the digital world and the traditional ring. You've got to admit, watching a title change hands at a wedding or 39,000 feet in the air on a flight to Saudi Arabia was at least different.
The "Anytime, Anywhere" Rule That Changed Everything
Basically, the hook was simple. As long as a referee was present, the champion could be pinned anywhere. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week.
It turned the roster into a pack of hungry wolves chasing a single person through hallways, parking lots, and golf courses. Titus O'Neil was the first guy to grab it, but he didn't even keep it for a full episode of Raw. Robert Roode snatched it on the ramp, then R-Truth pinned him in the parking lot.
That was the blueprint.
Why the 24/7 Rule was a double-edged sword
On one hand, it gave guys like Drake Maverick and Akira Tozawa something to do when they weren't in major storylines. On the other hand, it kinda turned the title into a "prop" rather than a prize. You had scenarios where the 24/7 rule was "suspended" during actual matches, which confused a lot of fans.
The belt didn't care about gender, age, or even if you were actually a wrestler. We saw legends like Pat Patterson (at 78 years old!) and Kelly Kelly win it. Even a Fox sportscaster, Rob Stone, had a brief run.
R-Truth: The Uncrowned King of the Green Belt
If we're being real, this title shouldn't have lasted six months. The only reason it survived as long as it did was R-Truth.
He didn't just win the WWE 24 7 Championship—he became it. Truth is officially recognized as a 54-time champion. Think about that number. Most legendary wrestlers don't have 54 wins in a year, let alone 54 title reigns.
His chemistry with Drake Maverick was lightning in a bottle. Remember the wedding? Drake Maverick actually tried to get married with the belt, and R-Truth showed up under the veil. It was ridiculous. It was "sports entertainment" in its purest, silliest form.
Notable Champions You Probably Forgot
- Bad Bunny: People forget he held the title for 28 days before his big WrestleMania debut.
- Marshmello: The DJ won it backstage after a set.
- Enes Kanter: The NBA star pinned R-Truth on a live show.
- Santa Claus: Yes, Santa is a former WWE champion. Let that sink in.
Why Triple H finally put it in the trash
When the "New Era" started under Triple H's creative lead in 2022, the writing was on the wall. The 24/7 Title was a Vince McMahon creation through and through. It fit that "wacky comedy" vibe that Hunter has moved away from in favor of more serious, sport-centric presentation.
The end was actually pretty brutal. Nikki Cross won the belt from Dana Brooke on the November 7, 2022, episode of Raw.
Backstage, she just... dropped it in a trash can. Well, she actually missed the trash can and it hit the floor, which was unintentionally the most fitting end possible for that belt. Two days later, WWE officially moved it to the "Retired" section of their website.
It was a 3-year, 5-month experiment that ended with a thud.
The Real Legacy of the 24/7 Championship
Was it a "failure"? Most "purists" will say yes. They hated the design. They hated the roll-up finishes. They hated how it made the lower-card talent look like they were in a cartoon.
But look at the numbers.
The 24/7 Title segments consistently out-performed main event segments on YouTube and TikTok. It proved that there is a massive audience for short-form, comedic wrestling content. It gave us "Reggie" (SCRYPTS), who had the longest singular reign at 112 days and showed off some insane athleticism.
It also gave Dana Brooke a chance to show she was a workhorse. She took that belt seriously when no one else would. She held it for a combined 335 days across 15 reigns, second only to R-Truth in total time.
What we can learn from the 24/7 era
- Social media is a platform, not just a tool. WWE learned how to tell stories exclusively through 60-second clips because of this belt.
- Comedy has a ceiling. You can only do so many backstage chases before the audience gets "roll-up fatigue."
- Characters matter more than belts. People didn't care about the green strap; they cared about R-Truth's antics.
If you’re looking to dive back into the chaos, the best way is to go through the 2019-2020 archives on Peacock. Skip the in-ring matches and just look for the "backstage" or "on-location" segments. That’s where the real magic (and madness) happened.
The 24/7 Title is gone, and it likely isn't coming back in the current WWE landscape. But for a few years, it was a reminder that pro wrestling doesn't always have to be serious—sometimes it can just be a guy hiding in a suitcase to win a plastic belt.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're a fan of this style of comedy, check out the DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship in Japan. It was the inspiration for the 24/7 Title and has been won by inanimate objects like ladders, dogs, and even the belt itself.
For the WWE version, watch the "R-Truth and Drake Maverick" collection on the WWE Network. It’s the definitive look at why this title worked when it did. You can also track the full lineage on the official WWE Title History page to see every one of the 202 recognized reigns.