The first-ever WWE Universal Champion was Finn Bálor. He won the inaugural WWE Universal Championship on August 21, 2016, at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event. Finn Bálor defeated Seth Rollins in the finals of a tournament to crown the first champion. However, his reign was short-lived as he had to relinquish the title the next night on Raw due to a shoulder injury sustained during the match. Nonetheless, Finn Bálor's victory marked him as the first holder of the WWE Universal Championship.