Finn Bálor was the first WWE Universal Champion, winning the title at SummerSlam 2016.
The championship was created in 2016 after WWE separated its main roster into Raw and SmackDown brands. Raw needed a world championship because the WWE World Championship was assigned to SmackDown after the brand split.
At SummerSlam on August 21, 2016, Bálor defeated Seth Rollins in the inaugural title match at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. He competed under the name Finn Bálor after becoming a major star in WWE’s developmental brand, NXT.
Bálor’s reign lasted only one day in terms of recorded championship duration because he suffered a shoulder injury during the match. He vacated the title the following night on Raw. Kevin Owens eventually won the championship in a four-way elimination match.