John Cena has won the most WWE Championship reigns recognized by WWE, with 13.
Cena’s first WWE Championship victory came at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, when he defeated John Bradshaw Layfield. His later reigns established him as one of the central main-event wrestlers of WWE’s Ruthless Aggression and PG eras.
The total of 13 refers specifically to WWE Championship reigns, not every world championship recognized in wrestling history. Ric Flair’s often-cited 16 world-title total includes championships from multiple promotions and title lineages, which is why the numbers can be confused.
Cena’s 13th WWE Championship reign began at the Royal Rumble in 2017, when he defeated AJ Styles. That victory tied him with a long-standing company record for the most WWE Championship reigns.