Daniel Bryan made the ludicrous statement that (and I looked this up, this is an exact quote): “Some of Ric Flair’s title reigns were only like a month or 2 long, he’d lose it and gain it right back… John Cena’s title reigns haven’t been like that".
So I pulled the data (limiting Flair’s data to his 16 recognized titles… if we count EVERYTHING, Flair has 21 or 22 reigns, which ends the conversation).
Flair’s reigns:
Title | Won | Lost | Days | Notes |
NWA | 9/17/81 | 6/10/83 | 631 | |
NWA | 11/24/83 | 5/6/84 | 164 | |
NWA | 5/24/84 | 7/26/86 | 793 | |
NWA | 8/9/86 | 9/25/87 | 412 | |
NWA | 11/26/87 | 2/20/89 | 452 | |
NWA | 5/7/89 | 7/7/90 | 426 | |
NWA | 1/11/91 | 9/8/91 | 240 | * |
WWF/E | 1/19/92 | 4/5/92 | 77 | |
WWF/E | 9/1/92 | 10/12/92 | 41 | |
NWA | 7/18/93 | 7/17/94 | 364 | ** |
WCW | 12/27/95 | 1/22/96 | 26 | |
WCW | 2/11/96 | 4/22/96 | 71 | |
WCW | 3/4/99 | 3/14/99 | 10 | |
WCW | 5/15/00 | 5/22/00 | 7 | |
WCW | 5/29/00 | 5/29/00 | 0 |
Total days: 3916 days Avg Run: 244.75 days
*This reign lasts until he leaves for WWF and is stripped
**This is the oddball. NWA drops recognition (9/93) Flair remains WCW champion
Cena’s reigns:
Title | Won | Lost | Days | Notes |
WWF/E | 4/3/05 | 1/8/06 | 280 | |
WWF/E | 1/29/06 | 6/11/06 | 133 | |
WWF/E | 9/16/06 | 10/2/07 | 380 | |
World Hvy | 11/23/08 | 2/25/09 | 94 | |
World Hvy | 4/5/09 | 4/26/09 | 21 | |
WWF/E | 9/13/09 | 10/4/09 | 21 | |
WWF/E | 10/25/09 | 12/13/09 | 49 | |
WWF/E | 2/21/10 | 2/21/10 | 0 | |
WWF/E | 3/28/10 | 6/20/10 | 84 | |
WWF/E | 5/1/11 | 7/17/11 | 77 | |
WWF/E | 7/25/11 | 8/14/11 | 20 | |
WWF/E | 9/18/11 | 10/2/11 | 14 | |
WWF/E | 4/7/13 | 8/18/13 | 133 | |
World Hvy | 10/27/13 | 12/15/13 | 49 | |
WWF/E | 6/29/14 | 8/17/14 | 49 | |
WWF/E | 1/29/17 | 2/12/17 | 14 |
Total days: 1418 days Avg Run: 88.625 days
If we compare short/long runs:
Length | Flair | Cena |
Less than 1 month | 4 | 6 |
Less than 2 months | 5 | 9 |
Less than 3 months | 7 | 11 |
More than 1 year | 5 | 1 |
More than 2 years | 1 | 0 |
Cena’s AVERAGE reign is less than 3 months and more than half are less than 2 months, but so much for "John Cena’s title reigns haven’t been like that".
Just putting real data to WWE’s “alternative facts".
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