WWE’s New Championship Belt Designs Explained: What’s Changed in 2026

WWE has introduced or redesigned three championship belts in 2026 alone: a fur-trimmed custom United States Championship for Trick Williams, a Chicago-specific commemorative belt for Elimination Chamber, and a brand-new championship promised for the upcoming John Cena Classic. That is an unusually active year for title design, and each belt reveals something different about how a championship actually gets built, not just what it looks like on screen.

In this article

• Trick Williams’ fur-trimmed United States Championship
• The Elimination Chamber Chicago commemorative belt
• The John Cena Classic Championship: announced, not yet revealed
• Why WWE keeps commissioning custom titles
• FAQ

Trick Williams’ fur-trimmed United States Championship

On the July 10 episode of SmackDown, rapper Lil Yachty presented Trick Williams with a custom version of the United States Championship built around a white faux-fur strap, matching the fur coat Williams wears to the ring. Williams has held the title since WrestleMania 42 and credited the concept entirely to Yachty. WWE Shop released a replica at $699.99, listed at roughly 8.38 lbs.

From a construction standpoint, fur is the hardest strap material to build a durable championship belt around. A standard leather or synthetic strap takes snap studs, stitching, and plate mounting without much risk to the surface finish. Fur has to be backed and reinforced before it can safely hold heavy brass or zinc plates, or the weight distorts the pile and the strap loses its shape within a handful of wears. That is likely part of why reactions were mixed, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry said the look fit Williams’ personality but doubted the design would move much volume as a mainstream product.

The Elimination Chamber Chicago commemorative belt

WWE’s Elimination Chamber returned to Chicago’s United Center in February 2026, its first stop there since SummerSlam 1994, and the event got its own commemorative title: gold center and side plates matching the modern Undisputed Championship, with event graphics honoring the host city printed across the strap.

This is a different design challenge than a wrestler’s personal custom belt. A one-off event belt has to be finished and shipped inside the tight window between an event being booked and the show itself, which is why most commemorative straps use printed or dyed city graphics on an existing plate design rather than a full custom mold. It keeps the piece recognizably tied to the main championship while still being a limited, collectible variant.

The John Cena Classic Championship: announced, not yet revealed

At WWE Backlash in May 2026, John Cena announced a new annual tournament, the John Cena Classic, pitting main roster talent against NXT superstars, with the champion decided by fan vote rather than the result of the final match. Cena confirmed a brand-new championship belt will debut alongside the event, but as of this writing WWE has not revealed the design.

Speculation has centered on whether WWE will bring back a version of the spinner mechanism Cena made famous on the WWE Championship in 2005. A working spinner is one of the more complex builds in championship belt manufacturing, the center plate has to rotate freely on a bearing or pin mount while still sitting flush enough to look solid on camera and survive being dropped, slammed on shoulders, or raised overhead. It is a good example of why not every custom concept makes it to production even when a design is approved. We will update this section once WWE reveals the actual belt.

Belt	Debuted	Key design feature
Trick Williams US Championship (fur edition)	July 10, 2026	White faux-fur strap over the standard US title plates
Elimination Chamber Chicago belt	February 2026	City-specific graphics printed on Undisputed-style gold plates
John Cena Classic Championship	Announced May 2026, not yet revealed	Unconfirmed, possible spinner homage

Why WWE keeps commissioning custom titles

Every one of these belts does double duty as storyline and merchandise. A custom title gives a wrestler a piece of their character they can carry into every entrance, and WWE Shop turns the same design into a sellable replica within days of the reveal, as it did with the Trick Williams fur belt. It is the same instinct that drives custom orders in the replica belt world generally: a title only feels earned when it looks like it belongs to the person holding it, whether that is a WWE Superstar, a gym’s fighter of the month, or a collector building a display around a single design idea.

Frequently asked questions

What does Trick Williams’ custom WWE title look like?

It is the standard United States Championship rebuilt with a white faux-fur strap in place of leather, matching the fur coat Williams wears to the ring. Rapper Lil Yachty presented it to him on the July 10, 2026 episode of SmackDown.

What is the John Cena Classic Championship?

It is a new WWE title announced by John Cena at Backlash in May 2026 for the John Cena Classic tournament, where the champion is decided by fan vote. The belt’s design had not been revealed as of this writing.

What does the Elimination Chamber Chicago belt look like?

It uses gold center and side plates matching the modern Undisputed WWE Championship, with commemorative graphics honoring Chicago’s United Center printed across the strap.

Why do WWE Superstars get custom championship belts?

A custom belt personalizes a title to a wrestler’s character and gives WWE a new piece of merchandise tied to a storyline moment. Trick Williams’ fur belt went up for sale on WWE Shop within days of its television debut.

Can I get a custom championship belt made with my own design?

Yes. Custom replica belts can be built in your choice of plate material, strap color, and center plate design, the same process behind most wrestler-specific title variants, just without needing to be a WWE Superstar first.