1. This is a list of MY favorite title changes and not one about the most important title changes. For example, you won't find Rock, Hogan or Austin's first run as champion on this list, even though they were very important to the business as a whole. This is about what I like.
2. There aren't many title changes for the following:
-Golden Age of Wrestling
-Attitude Era
-WCW and ECW
This is mainly due the the fact I wasn't watching wrestling yet. I wasn't a fan of either WCW or ECW so I can't comment on them. WWE from 2000 and on, TNA, ROH and NJPW all have spots on my list.
3. There will be repeat superstars on the list. For example, you might see Cena or Orton pop up twice because of how many titles they've won. I also have grouped together factions winning titles all on the same night and multiple title changes in one night, ala, Evolution in 2003 and Triple H and Randy Orton No Mercy 2007 respectively.
4. Once again, this is based on MY favorites. Favorite is based on how much I enjoyed the title change to this day or how I envision I will enjoy it in the years to come. You WILL NOT agree with everything on this list, I can personally guarantee that but you are free to do your own list and post it on your own blog/website/social media platform.
OK, got it? Without further ado, let's get this list started with the first 10, #50-41!!
50. Tetsuya Naito wins the IWGP Heavyweight Title - Invasion Attack 2016
We start the list with the only pick from New Japan Pro Wrestling and it's the most recent title change on the list. For those of you who don't know, Tetsuya Naito is a heel leader of the group Los Ingobernables De Japon which I believe translates to the Ungovernables from Japan, I don't know. It also features ROH World Champion Jay Lethal on a part time basis. Anyway, the group is responsible for getting Naito over as a villain after failing to connect with the fans as a face. NJPW is an amazing company with great talent and it shows after WWE took four of their big stars in the beginning of the year. With top single stars like AJ and Nakamura gone, NJPW had to look to Naito to build as a top star and establish him as the top heel in NJPW. Naito won the New Japan Cup and earned a title shot against Kazuchika Okada. After a great match and some interference from Sanada from TNA, Naito was able to capture the top prize of NJPW. After the match, Naito did something so amazing; he threw his newly won prize in the air and walked out the ring.
Heel status over 9000. Seriously, who does that? It was awesome to see Naito finally win the IWGP Heavyweight Title, especially after being rejected by the NJPW crowds a couple years ago. Turning a star heel is sometimes the best option. You hear that WWE? TURN ROMAN HEEL.
We start the list with the only pick from New Japan Pro Wrestling and it's the most recent title change on the list. For those of you who don't know, Tetsuya Naito is a heel leader of the group Los Ingobernables De Japon which I believe translates to the Ungovernables from Japan, I don't know. It also features ROH World Champion Jay Lethal on a part time basis. Anyway, the group is responsible for getting Naito over as a villain after failing to connect with the fans as a face. NJPW is an amazing company with great talent and it shows after WWE took four of their big stars in the beginning of the year. With top single stars like AJ and Nakamura gone, NJPW had to look to Naito to build as a top star and establish him as the top heel in NJPW. Naito won the New Japan Cup and earned a title shot against Kazuchika Okada. After a great match and some interference from Sanada from TNA, Naito was able to capture the top prize of NJPW. After the match, Naito did something so amazing; he threw his newly won prize in the air and walked out the ring.
Heel status over 9000. Seriously, who does that? It was awesome to see Naito finally win the IWGP Heavyweight Title, especially after being rejected by the NJPW crowds a couple years ago. Turning a star heel is sometimes the best option. You hear that WWE? TURN ROMAN HEEL.
How long before Naito and Omega clash?
49. Team Hell No win the WWE Tag Team Titles – Night of Champions 2012
Kane is no stranger to having weird tag team partners. This is the guy who has won the tag titles with Mankind, X-Pac and The Hurricane. His strangest pairing would come with Daniel Bryan. The two were paired together by then Raw GM AJ Lee and they would be put together in anger management classes to work out their issues. Though they were dysfunctional, they were able to become #1 contenders for the tag titles and at Night of Champions 2012, they were able to capture the titles after some miscommunication between the two. The team were very popular with the fans and it definitely launched Daniel Bryan into super stardom. They were also very entertaining to watch and held the titles for a long time. Kane and Bryan clicked and their title win was a breath of fresh air to the stagnant division.
Kane is no stranger to having weird tag team partners. This is the guy who has won the tag titles with Mankind, X-Pac and The Hurricane. His strangest pairing would come with Daniel Bryan. The two were paired together by then Raw GM AJ Lee and they would be put together in anger management classes to work out their issues. Though they were dysfunctional, they were able to become #1 contenders for the tag titles and at Night of Champions 2012, they were able to capture the titles after some miscommunication between the two. The team were very popular with the fans and it definitely launched Daniel Bryan into super stardom. They were also very entertaining to watch and held the titles for a long time. Kane and Bryan clicked and their title win was a breath of fresh air to the stagnant division.
48. AJ Lee wins the Divas Title – Payback 2013
The Divas division has definitely struggled since the days of Lita and Trish Stratus but many hoped, like myself, that change would be coming to division, especially with WWE signing some great talent to their developmental brand. My favorite Diva at the time was definitely AJ Lee but she never really wrestled and was used for the GM and manager role. She finally became the #1 contender for the title in 2013 which led to a great match with real life best friend Kaitlyn at Payback. AJ made Kaitlyn tap to capture her first Divas Title. She would win the title two more times but her reign here was her longest and is the 2nd longest in history. As a fan of AJ, I put this on the list because it was awesome to finally see her win the title. It also meant that change could be coming soon for the division, which it eventually did a couple years later.
47. Brock Lesnar wins the WWE World Heavyweight Title – SummerSlam 2014
Though it wasn't coined until Wrestlemania, this was the start of Suplex City and it was its most vicious here. John Cena was in the midst of his 15th reign as WWE Champion and The Authority wasn't happy about it and wanted to end it, so they sent in the mercenary Brock Lesnar to end the reign. This match was something to watch. John Cena would always get destroyed in his matches but he would always come back and win. It wasn't the case here. Lesnar threw Cena around the ring like he was nothing and managed to hit him with SIXTEEN SUPLEXES. That is ridiculous. John Cena was essentially squashed in the main event of SummerSlam. As a fan, it was refreshing to see Lesnar do this, get revenge from his Extreme Rules 2012 loss and hold a title he hadn't held in 10 years.
Though it wasn't coined until Wrestlemania, this was the start of Suplex City and it was its most vicious here. John Cena was in the midst of his 15th reign as WWE Champion and The Authority wasn't happy about it and wanted to end it, so they sent in the mercenary Brock Lesnar to end the reign. This match was something to watch. John Cena would always get destroyed in his matches but he would always come back and win. It wasn't the case here. Lesnar threw Cena around the ring like he was nothing and managed to hit him with SIXTEEN SUPLEXES. That is ridiculous. John Cena was essentially squashed in the main event of SummerSlam. As a fan, it was refreshing to see Lesnar do this, get revenge from his Extreme Rules 2012 loss and hold a title he hadn't held in 10 years.
46. Chris Jericho wins the Intercontinental Title – Extreme Rules 2009
You could argue that Chris Jericho could be the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time if reigns alone meant anything. No one comes close to Jericho's then 8 reigns as champion. Jericho was in the middle of a great feud with Rey Mysterio that led to a series of matches for the IC Title. Mysterio had beaten Jericho at Judgment Day and the rematch was set for Extreme Rules 2009. Jericho had to use some underhanded tactics and while Rey was prepping the 619, Jericho snatched off Mysterio's mask and rolled him up to win his 9th Intercontinental Championship. The next most reigns is 6 which RVD and Jeff Jarrett share the record for. Jericho owns the IC Title and not only was this a great match but it was a classic heel way to win the title. Bravo Jericho.
You could argue that Chris Jericho could be the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time if reigns alone meant anything. No one comes close to Jericho's then 8 reigns as champion. Jericho was in the middle of a great feud with Rey Mysterio that led to a series of matches for the IC Title. Mysterio had beaten Jericho at Judgment Day and the rematch was set for Extreme Rules 2009. Jericho had to use some underhanded tactics and while Rey was prepping the 619, Jericho snatched off Mysterio's mask and rolled him up to win his 9th Intercontinental Championship. The next most reigns is 6 which RVD and Jeff Jarrett share the record for. Jericho owns the IC Title and not only was this a great match but it was a classic heel way to win the title. Bravo Jericho.
45. Triple H and Stone Cold win the World Tag Team Titles – Backlash 2001
Stone Cold and Triple H were bitter enemies after The Game was revealed as being the mastermind behind running over Austin in 2000. To think the two could become allies was insane, but that's exactly what happened on the Raw following Wrestlemania 17. Stone Cold had just turned heel and needed to solidify his villain status. WWE decided to pair him with Triple H, who had been WWE's top heel for well over a year now. Stone Cold had already won the WWE Title at Mania while Triple H captured the IC Title during this time as well. It all came down to a huge winner take all match at Backlash where they faced Kane and Undertaker for their tag team titles. In true Attitude Era fashion, there was plenty of interference and in the end, The Two Man Power Trip were able to walk out with all the gold. It didn't last long because of Triple H''s legit quad injury but it was nice while it lasted.
Stone Cold and Triple H were bitter enemies after The Game was revealed as being the mastermind behind running over Austin in 2000. To think the two could become allies was insane, but that's exactly what happened on the Raw following Wrestlemania 17. Stone Cold had just turned heel and needed to solidify his villain status. WWE decided to pair him with Triple H, who had been WWE's top heel for well over a year now. Stone Cold had already won the WWE Title at Mania while Triple H captured the IC Title during this time as well. It all came down to a huge winner take all match at Backlash where they faced Kane and Undertaker for their tag team titles. In true Attitude Era fashion, there was plenty of interference and in the end, The Two Man Power Trip were able to walk out with all the gold. It didn't last long because of Triple H''s legit quad injury but it was nice while it lasted.
44. John Cena wins the WWE Title – Wrestlemania 29
John Cena had a horrible year heading into Wrestlemania 29, which all started the year before at Wrestlemania 28. He lost his mega match against The Rock, he was beaten by the GM, and failed to capture the WWE Championship despite numerous attempts. It was the worse year in the history of John Cena. It all changed when he won the 2013 Royal Rumble though and WWE started to build on the rematch between Cena and The Rock. Cena said he needed redemption from WM28 and made it his mission to get it and the title. At Wrestlemania 29, Cena was able to get his redemption when he defeated The Rock and win the WWE Championship. He broke his previous record of 10 and became an 11 time WWE champion, 13 time overall with his two World Heavyweight title reigns. I'm not a fan of Cena but I desperately wanted anyone to take the title off of The Rock. After his year, Cena deserved the title and it was a great passing of the torch moment that should have happened the previous year.
John Cena had a horrible year heading into Wrestlemania 29, which all started the year before at Wrestlemania 28. He lost his mega match against The Rock, he was beaten by the GM, and failed to capture the WWE Championship despite numerous attempts. It was the worse year in the history of John Cena. It all changed when he won the 2013 Royal Rumble though and WWE started to build on the rematch between Cena and The Rock. Cena said he needed redemption from WM28 and made it his mission to get it and the title. At Wrestlemania 29, Cena was able to get his redemption when he defeated The Rock and win the WWE Championship. He broke his previous record of 10 and became an 11 time WWE champion, 13 time overall with his two World Heavyweight title reigns. I'm not a fan of Cena but I desperately wanted anyone to take the title off of The Rock. After his year, Cena deserved the title and it was a great passing of the torch moment that should have happened the previous year.
43. Randy Orton wins the WWE Title – Backlash 2009
Before I talk about this one, let's be clear; Randy Orton should have won the title at Wrestlemania 25. He didn't though because, yeah, so Orton got another shot at Backlash 2009. This time though, it was going to be a 6 man tag, with the rule being if Orton's team won, he would become WWE Champion. There was also a rule in place if Triple H's team was DQed, Orton would be awarded the title. After some miscommunication between Triple H and his teammate Batista, Orton struck with a RKO and a Punt to win his 3rd WWE Title. It's ironic that at Backlash 2008, Triple H was the one who ended Orton's reign as WWE Champion so everything came full circle. I was a huge Orton fan during this time and I marked hard for one. This wouldn't be the last time he won the title either.
42. Triple H wins the WWE Title – Royal Rumble 2016
As the Royal Rumble drew near and many of the top stars injured, it was looking more and more likely that Roman Reigns was going to finally face Triple H for the title. The only thing was that Triple H wasn't on TV for a month after Reigns destroyed him at TLC 2015. The Royal Rumble was dubbed One Versus All as Roman Reigns wasn't only #1 but he had to defend his WWE World Heavyweight Title in inside the match, the first time a star had to defend the title inside the match type. At the event, Triple H made his unannounced and expected return when he entered the match at #30. He would then get revenge on Reigns by eliminating him, costing him his title. Triple H would go onto win the match and win his 9th WWE Championship, holding the record for the 2nd most of all time. Combined with his 5 runs with the World Heavyweight Title, Triple H became a 14 time World Champion. It was a predictable ending but to see one of my favorite wrestlers win the title one more time was a dream come true, even if only lasted 70 days.
41. Edge and Christian – Wrestlemania X7
Before I talk about this one, let's be clear; Randy Orton should have won the title at Wrestlemania 25. He didn't though because, yeah, so Orton got another shot at Backlash 2009. This time though, it was going to be a 6 man tag, with the rule being if Orton's team won, he would become WWE Champion. There was also a rule in place if Triple H's team was DQed, Orton would be awarded the title. After some miscommunication between Triple H and his teammate Batista, Orton struck with a RKO and a Punt to win his 3rd WWE Title. It's ironic that at Backlash 2008, Triple H was the one who ended Orton's reign as WWE Champion so everything came full circle. I was a huge Orton fan during this time and I marked hard for one. This wouldn't be the last time he won the title either.
42. Triple H wins the WWE Title – Royal Rumble 2016
As the Royal Rumble drew near and many of the top stars injured, it was looking more and more likely that Roman Reigns was going to finally face Triple H for the title. The only thing was that Triple H wasn't on TV for a month after Reigns destroyed him at TLC 2015. The Royal Rumble was dubbed One Versus All as Roman Reigns wasn't only #1 but he had to defend his WWE World Heavyweight Title in inside the match, the first time a star had to defend the title inside the match type. At the event, Triple H made his unannounced and expected return when he entered the match at #30. He would then get revenge on Reigns by eliminating him, costing him his title. Triple H would go onto win the match and win his 9th WWE Championship, holding the record for the 2nd most of all time. Combined with his 5 runs with the World Heavyweight Title, Triple H became a 14 time World Champion. It was a predictable ending but to see one of my favorite wrestlers win the title one more time was a dream come true, even if only lasted 70 days.
Edge and Christian are the greatest WWE tag team of all time. You cannot tell me otherwise. Pioneers of the tag team ladder match, at the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, E&C were apart of a historic TLC with The Dudleys and The Hardys. E&C had already won the Triangle Ladder match at Wrestlemania 2000 and the first ever TLC match at SummerSlam 2000, already proving their dominance over the two teams. In their 3rd match, it was more of the same as Edge and Christian were able to overcome the odds AGAIN and win their 7th tag team championship together. 7 different times these two were able to hold the gold together. That's unprecedented. Their victory here would only further their claim as the top tag team in the WWE and it's hard to argue that they weren't. E&C are my favorite tag team of all time and them winning the titles here earned their spot on the list.
And that's the first ten! #40-31 will be coming the next week or so!
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