There are a number of sons who joined their fathers in the wrestling business, but only a select few of these pairs have both won world championships during their careers.
Winning a world title is the most impressive thing a wrestler can do. It shows that they are considered one of the best in the world, and are trusted fully by the booker to draw money for the company.
Very few father/son combinations can boast that they won world titles over multiple generations, with the accolade being perhaps the most rare honour a family can achieve in the business.
(Note: this list does not include Vince McMahon, as the two former WWE Champions are father-and-son-in-law, rather than biologically related.)
Cody Rhodes and Dusty Rhodes are former NWA World’s Heavyweight Champions
After winning the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship at All In in 2018, Cody Rhodes joined an incredibly elusive club.
He won the same title his father won all the way back in 1979, when “The American Dream” pinned Harley Race to win the first of his three world titles.
Neither man has managed to win the WWE Championship, although Cody Rhodes could change that at WrestleMania 40.
Dusty Rhodes thought he’d won the belt during a match against “Superstar” Billy Graham in 1977, but had the title cruelly taken away from him after the referees remembered you can’t win a belt via count out.
This became Cody’s entire motivation for his WWE return, until The Rock decided that actually, it wasn’t.
Fritz and Kerry Von Eirch won different world titles
One of the few father and son pairings that won different world title belts are the patriarch and the star of the legendary Von Erich family.
The wrestling royalty (sorry Cody) are the subject of the new hit film “Iron Claw”, and the picture will address Kerry Von Erich’s NWA World Heavyweight Championship victory.
Kerry won the belt following the death of his brother David, and was presented as a feel-good story for the young, charismatic star. His dad Fritz being the president of the group had nothing to do with it, trust me.
Meanwhile, Fritz von Erich also boasts a world title in his own career. He won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from Verne Gagne in 1962, and this was the only world title win of his career.
For a family which such a tragic past, it is nice that there is some good news about the group.
Big Show and Andre The Giant both won the WWE Championship.
The father/son duo (just go with it) of Andre the Giant and the Big Show are one of the few to have both won the WWE Championships, although every single facet of this is incredibly dubious.
Both giants held the WWE Championship in their career, although Andre’s title win was much more controversial than any of Show’s wins.
His sole world title win in WWE came against Hulk Hogan in 1983, when he pinned the Hulkster after the ref simply forgot to check if his shoulder was still down.
This reign lasted mere minutes, as he quickly handed the belt off the Ted DiBiase, making his reign the shortest in WWE history.
Unfortunately, Andre The Giant isn’t actually the Big Show’s father, despite WCW claiming otherwise during the latter’s run in the company.
Big Show also won the ECW Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship during his storied career, so that makes up for Andre’s lack of gold.