40. Bobby Roode wins TNA World Title – Impact 2011
Bobby Roode screams a main event player. From his look, his gimmick and his in ring work, everything about him says he's a main event player. Roode was never pushed as a singles star, that was until they started the Bound for Glory series. This is a tournament where the winner is granted a title shot at TNA's biggest event, Bound for Glory. Despite all the plans being laid in front of them, TNA didn't pull the trigger and Roode lost in his opportunity against Kurt Angle. You know who did defeat Angle for the title? Roode's tag team partner, James Storm. Roode won another match to become #1 contender to his partner's title. During the match, Roode cheated to win and turned heel in the process. This would lead to Roode becoming the top guy in TNA and he also had the longest reign in the title's history. Roode is a freaking star and this was the start of his ascension to the top. Hopefully, this isn't the last time we'll see him win World Title gold.
Bobby Roode screams a main event player. From his look, his gimmick and his in ring work, everything about him says he's a main event player. Roode was never pushed as a singles star, that was until they started the Bound for Glory series. This is a tournament where the winner is granted a title shot at TNA's biggest event, Bound for Glory. Despite all the plans being laid in front of them, TNA didn't pull the trigger and Roode lost in his opportunity against Kurt Angle. You know who did defeat Angle for the title? Roode's tag team partner, James Storm. Roode won another match to become #1 contender to his partner's title. During the match, Roode cheated to win and turned heel in the process. This would lead to Roode becoming the top guy in TNA and he also had the longest reign in the title's history. Roode is a freaking star and this was the start of his ascension to the top. Hopefully, this isn't the last time we'll see him win World Title gold.
39. Austin Aries wins TNA World Title– Destination X 2012
Another star in TNA deserving to win the World Title was Austin Aries, who was absolutely dominating the X Division. His dominance over the division caused caused him to issue a challenge for the top prize in TNA. Hulk Hogan, the authority figure in 2012, agreed but Aries had to give up the X Division Title, which he had held the longest in the history of the company. Aries would agree, only if in the future, when Destination X comes around, that whoever holds the X Division Title will be able to cash it in for a World Title opportunity. This is called Option C and it also gave long time TNA original Chris Sabin his first World Title reign as well. (Sabin isn't on this list, sorry) At Destination X, Aries' gamble paid off and he ended Roode's recording setting reign. It was awesome to see. Aries is another indie darling so it was great to see him get what was coming to him. As with Roode, I can only hope this isn't the last time we'll see Aries holding a World Title.
38. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro win the WWE Tag Team Titles – Fast Lane 2015
Sometimes, WWE will pair together two extremely talented guys and push them as a tag team when they don't have anything singles wise planned for them. Edge and Jericho and Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre are just two off the top of my head. In 2014, WWE may have put together the best combination of guys. Cesaro is probably the hardest in ring worker in WWE while Tyson Kidd is the most underrated star the company has. When this two tagged together, they just clicked and had instant chemistry. WWE knew what they had so on Kidd and Cesaro's first attempt, they were able to capture the WWE Tag Team Titles from The Usos. It made sense as the team was a wrestling's fan dream and it was a good way to give both guys something to do. It also helped Cesaro get more exposure and he was able to thrive in late 2015. Time will only tell what it will do for Kidd, who is currently still battling his neck injury. Regardless, this was a great title win for two guys who definitely deserved it.
The New Day, heading into 2015, were a failed gimmick. The trio of Xavier Woods, Big E and Kofi Kingston were not off to a great start as they were met with boos heading into the Royal Rumble. Fans were just not into their whole staying positive, being positive crap. It was generic and a far cry from what it looked like they were going to be when they first came together. They would eventually become heels and things have never been the same. They were able to capture the titles at Extreme Rules 2015 but it was their win at SummerSlam that made much more of an impact. After losing the titles to the Prime Time Players at MITB, they were involved in a Fatal Four Way at SummerSlam with the PTP, The Lucha Dragons and Epico and Primo in their matador gimmick. Thanks to a blind tag, Kofi was able to steal a victory for his team which led to the best celebration in WWE history. This is the only title change on the list where the champions are STILL the champions. They defend the titles on a regular basis and have beaten every team that has stepped in front of them. They are a shining example of a gimmick going sour quick but when given another chance, a HEEL CHANCE, can be really amazing. Heel turns have always done wonders for superstars, Stone Cold, The Rock, Hulk Hogan etc and The New Day proved that the trend is still relevant in 2015 as they are the most over stars in WWE right now. I will now post GIFs of The New Day dancing in various situations. Please enjoy.
What other tag team have gotten Seth Rollins, Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H to dance? None, that's who!
Thanks for reading, #30-21 will be up next week!
Another star in TNA deserving to win the World Title was Austin Aries, who was absolutely dominating the X Division. His dominance over the division caused caused him to issue a challenge for the top prize in TNA. Hulk Hogan, the authority figure in 2012, agreed but Aries had to give up the X Division Title, which he had held the longest in the history of the company. Aries would agree, only if in the future, when Destination X comes around, that whoever holds the X Division Title will be able to cash it in for a World Title opportunity. This is called Option C and it also gave long time TNA original Chris Sabin his first World Title reign as well. (Sabin isn't on this list, sorry) At Destination X, Aries' gamble paid off and he ended Roode's recording setting reign. It was awesome to see. Aries is another indie darling so it was great to see him get what was coming to him. As with Roode, I can only hope this isn't the last time we'll see Aries holding a World Title.
38. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro win the WWE Tag Team Titles – Fast Lane 2015
Sometimes, WWE will pair together two extremely talented guys and push them as a tag team when they don't have anything singles wise planned for them. Edge and Jericho and Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre are just two off the top of my head. In 2014, WWE may have put together the best combination of guys. Cesaro is probably the hardest in ring worker in WWE while Tyson Kidd is the most underrated star the company has. When this two tagged together, they just clicked and had instant chemistry. WWE knew what they had so on Kidd and Cesaro's first attempt, they were able to capture the WWE Tag Team Titles from The Usos. It made sense as the team was a wrestling's fan dream and it was a good way to give both guys something to do. It also helped Cesaro get more exposure and he was able to thrive in late 2015. Time will only tell what it will do for Kidd, who is currently still battling his neck injury. Regardless, this was a great title win for two guys who definitely deserved it.
37. Bad News Barrett wins the Intercontinental Title – Extreme Rules 2014
It's no secret that Wade Barrett is one of my favorite stars in WWE. Well, was as he was recently released. I always felt he he was better than what WWE was giving him. The Raw after Wrestlemania 30, Barrett returned to in ring performance as Bad News Barrett and as expected from the crowd, he was greeted with a hero's welcome. This would propel him to winning a tournament to determine the #1 contender for the IC Title that was currently held by Big E. Barrett made the most of his opportunity as he was able to beat Big E and win his fourth Intercontinental Championship. Though this was his fourth reign as IC Champ, it was a rejuvenating win and sparked a resurgence for Barrett. Barrett would get injured and have to relinquish the title and I think this was the final nail in the coffin for his career. I'll always question what if with Barrett but his title win here was a beacon of hope for his career.
It's no secret that Wade Barrett is one of my favorite stars in WWE. Well, was as he was recently released. I always felt he he was better than what WWE was giving him. The Raw after Wrestlemania 30, Barrett returned to in ring performance as Bad News Barrett and as expected from the crowd, he was greeted with a hero's welcome. This would propel him to winning a tournament to determine the #1 contender for the IC Title that was currently held by Big E. Barrett made the most of his opportunity as he was able to beat Big E and win his fourth Intercontinental Championship. Though this was his fourth reign as IC Champ, it was a rejuvenating win and sparked a resurgence for Barrett. Barrett would get injured and have to relinquish the title and I think this was the final nail in the coffin for his career. I'll always question what if with Barrett but his title win here was a beacon of hope for his career.
36. Chris Jericho wins the World Heavyweight Title – Elimination Chamber 2010
Heading into 2010, the main event for Wrestlemania was pretty much set as the world wanted to see the ultimate rematch between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. The Undertaker was World Champion at the the time so the match looked like it could be for the title. That was until Edge made his return at Royal Rumble and won. Jericho and Edge had a history and Jericho blamed Edge for the fall of their team. Edge also eliminated Jericho from the Royal Rumble match. A Jericho/Edge match at Mania seemed likely, which could only happen if Jericho was World Champion. He got his chance inside the Elimination Chamber PPV right before Mania. Jericho and Taker were the last two inside the Chamber. As Taker was about to put away Jericho, HBK pulled away a part of the Chamber to sneak in and gave Taker the Sweet Chin Music. Jericho took advantage to win his 6th World Title. It was expected and it made things fall into place for the big event. I always like seeing Jericho as champion and this is another good one from the best in the world at everything he does.
Heading into 2010, the main event for Wrestlemania was pretty much set as the world wanted to see the ultimate rematch between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. The Undertaker was World Champion at the the time so the match looked like it could be for the title. That was until Edge made his return at Royal Rumble and won. Jericho and Edge had a history and Jericho blamed Edge for the fall of their team. Edge also eliminated Jericho from the Royal Rumble match. A Jericho/Edge match at Mania seemed likely, which could only happen if Jericho was World Champion. He got his chance inside the Elimination Chamber PPV right before Mania. Jericho and Taker were the last two inside the Chamber. As Taker was about to put away Jericho, HBK pulled away a part of the Chamber to sneak in and gave Taker the Sweet Chin Music. Jericho took advantage to win his 6th World Title. It was expected and it made things fall into place for the big event. I always like seeing Jericho as champion and this is another good one from the best in the world at everything he does.
35. Roman Reigns wins the WWE Title – Raw 2015
Roman Reigns had such a crazy 2015. He was prime picked to be the next top star of the company. To do that, Reigns was going to challenge the unstoppable Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania, conquer the conqueror and look like a major hero. It didn't exactly go as planned as during one of the key moments in this plan, the Royal Rumble victory, the crowd turned on Reigns. HARD. Philadelphia destroyed Reigns and the entire Rumble match after Daniel Bryan got eliminated early. Reigns won the Rumble but didn't walk out of Mania as champion and spent the year fighting to get the opportunity again. He won the title at Survivor Series only to lose it minutes later to Sheamus as he cashed in the Money in the Bank contract. Reigns lost his rematch at TLC and goaded Vince McMahon in giving him one last opportunity on the Raw following TLC, with the caveat being that if Reigns lost, he was going to be fired. Oh, did I mention this Raw was in Philadelphia, the same place where Reigns' 2015 began? Reigns was able to overcome the odds and won the title, much to the delight of the Philadelphia crowd. It was awesome to see live and even better to see things come full circle for Reigns. Obviously, it didn't last long but to see the year long journey finally culminate and hear the crowd behind Reigns was great.
Roman Reigns had such a crazy 2015. He was prime picked to be the next top star of the company. To do that, Reigns was going to challenge the unstoppable Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania, conquer the conqueror and look like a major hero. It didn't exactly go as planned as during one of the key moments in this plan, the Royal Rumble victory, the crowd turned on Reigns. HARD. Philadelphia destroyed Reigns and the entire Rumble match after Daniel Bryan got eliminated early. Reigns won the Rumble but didn't walk out of Mania as champion and spent the year fighting to get the opportunity again. He won the title at Survivor Series only to lose it minutes later to Sheamus as he cashed in the Money in the Bank contract. Reigns lost his rematch at TLC and goaded Vince McMahon in giving him one last opportunity on the Raw following TLC, with the caveat being that if Reigns lost, he was going to be fired. Oh, did I mention this Raw was in Philadelphia, the same place where Reigns' 2015 began? Reigns was able to overcome the odds and won the title, much to the delight of the Philadelphia crowd. It was awesome to see live and even better to see things come full circle for Reigns. Obviously, it didn't last long but to see the year long journey finally culminate and hear the crowd behind Reigns was great.
34. Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton win the WWE Title - SummerSlam 2013
The summer of 2013 belonged to Daniel Bryan as his popularity was through the roof. The Yes chants were getting ridiculous at this point and WWE knew they had to capitalize on it. When MITB 2013 came around, we all thought Bryan was going to win the briefcase again and cash in at SummerSlam for a big time coming out match against John Cena. That wasn't the case at Randy Orton was able to grab the briefcase. John Cena was able to pick his opponent for SummerSlam 2013 and to worldwide acclaim, he chose Daniel Bryan. The build for the match was great with Bryan calling out Cena for not being in WWE for the wrestling but the entertainment and he even made a parody shirt of Cena. SummerSlam came around and Bryan and Cena had an amazing match, which saw Cena take a rare clean loss and Bryan was able to capture the WWE Championship for the first time, his 2nd World Title overall. It was a great moment of hard working coming to fruition. It didn't last long as Randy Orton came out and teased his MITB cash in. As he was walking away, the special referee Triple H turned heel and gave Bryan a Pedigree, allowing Orton to successfully cash in and become WWE Champion for the 7th time, becoming a 10 time World Champion overall. It successfully did two things. One, make Triple H and Orton the top heels and two, make Bryan the ultimate underdog. It also gave the title picture a fresh change outside of John Cena and a truly great story that played out from SummerSlam to Wrestlemania 30. That title change will be talked about later but here at SummerSlam 2013, it was awesome to see not only Bryan get his moment but also to see Triple H and Randy Orton on the same page again.
The summer of 2013 belonged to Daniel Bryan as his popularity was through the roof. The Yes chants were getting ridiculous at this point and WWE knew they had to capitalize on it. When MITB 2013 came around, we all thought Bryan was going to win the briefcase again and cash in at SummerSlam for a big time coming out match against John Cena. That wasn't the case at Randy Orton was able to grab the briefcase. John Cena was able to pick his opponent for SummerSlam 2013 and to worldwide acclaim, he chose Daniel Bryan. The build for the match was great with Bryan calling out Cena for not being in WWE for the wrestling but the entertainment and he even made a parody shirt of Cena. SummerSlam came around and Bryan and Cena had an amazing match, which saw Cena take a rare clean loss and Bryan was able to capture the WWE Championship for the first time, his 2nd World Title overall. It was a great moment of hard working coming to fruition. It didn't last long as Randy Orton came out and teased his MITB cash in. As he was walking away, the special referee Triple H turned heel and gave Bryan a Pedigree, allowing Orton to successfully cash in and become WWE Champion for the 7th time, becoming a 10 time World Champion overall. It successfully did two things. One, make Triple H and Orton the top heels and two, make Bryan the ultimate underdog. It also gave the title picture a fresh change outside of John Cena and a truly great story that played out from SummerSlam to Wrestlemania 30. That title change will be talked about later but here at SummerSlam 2013, it was awesome to see not only Bryan get his moment but also to see Triple H and Randy Orton on the same page again.
33. John Cena wins the United States Title – Wrestlemania 31
Usually, when John Cena wins a title, I either don't care or dislike it. This is my favorite title win for Cena. It was reported in 2015 that WWE wanted to elevate the mid card titles. To do this, they were going to have main eventers hold onto the titles, with Daniel Bryan with the IC Title and John Cena with the US Title. Rusev was the current US Champion and undefeated for just about a year. Not for much longer! Rusev got the first win at Fast Lane 2015 thanks to some dirty tactics. At Wrestlemania 31, Rusev couldn't overcome the odds and John Cena was able to win the Unite States Title for the fourth time, the first time he held the title in 10 years. For this title change, it's not so much about the actual win, it was about what followed. John Cena started to defend the title on a weekly basis against random superstars, starting off with a great match Dean Ambrose and uping the ante each week. He battled Stardust, Wade Barrett, Zack Ryder, Neville, anyone who would step up to the plate. One of the biggest surprises was when Sami Zayn from NXT took on Cena's open challenge and alomst defeated Cena. This would also lead to Kevin Owens coming up to the main roster two weeks later. Cena's win at Wrestlemania helped elevate the title for most of the year. Yes, it went down after Cena lost it to Del Rio, but his win at Mania was one of the best decisions in WWE that year.
Usually, when John Cena wins a title, I either don't care or dislike it. This is my favorite title win for Cena. It was reported in 2015 that WWE wanted to elevate the mid card titles. To do this, they were going to have main eventers hold onto the titles, with Daniel Bryan with the IC Title and John Cena with the US Title. Rusev was the current US Champion and undefeated for just about a year. Not for much longer! Rusev got the first win at Fast Lane 2015 thanks to some dirty tactics. At Wrestlemania 31, Rusev couldn't overcome the odds and John Cena was able to win the Unite States Title for the fourth time, the first time he held the title in 10 years. For this title change, it's not so much about the actual win, it was about what followed. John Cena started to defend the title on a weekly basis against random superstars, starting off with a great match Dean Ambrose and uping the ante each week. He battled Stardust, Wade Barrett, Zack Ryder, Neville, anyone who would step up to the plate. One of the biggest surprises was when Sami Zayn from NXT took on Cena's open challenge and alomst defeated Cena. This would also lead to Kevin Owens coming up to the main roster two weeks later. Cena's win at Wrestlemania helped elevate the title for most of the year. Yes, it went down after Cena lost it to Del Rio, but his win at Mania was one of the best decisions in WWE that year.
32. Cody Rhodes wins the Intercontinental Title – Smackdown 2011
I loved Legacy. It featured Randy Orton with two other superstars who had ties to the business, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes. Everyone, including myself, thought that DiBiase was going to be the breakout star of the two and be pushed to the main event. That didn't happen as Cody Rhodes was able to find himself and find a nice little spot on Smackdown, turning into Dashing Cody Rhodes, a guy who was so concerned about his face and basically a narcissist. It did wonders for his career. He would eventually enter a feud with Rey Mysterio and turn into UnDashing Cody Rhodes, who was shell of his former self after being hit in the face by Mysterio. He basically became a super villain and became a top heel on Smackdown. His heel persona was over and he got an IC Title shot on Smackdown in 2011. He made the most of the opportunity and was able to beat then champion Ezekiel Jackson for his first singles title in WWE. Rhodes held the title until Wrestlemania 28 and was able to feud with top star Randy Orton during this period. Along with Wade Barrett, the two were seen as top stars on the brand but we obviously know how that went. Rhodes' win here was great and for me, I felt like it was a sign of the future. It's sad Rhodes didn't go onto to World Title glory but it was amazing to see him get his moment here.
31. New Day wins the WWE Tag Team Titles – SummerSlam 2015I loved Legacy. It featured Randy Orton with two other superstars who had ties to the business, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes. Everyone, including myself, thought that DiBiase was going to be the breakout star of the two and be pushed to the main event. That didn't happen as Cody Rhodes was able to find himself and find a nice little spot on Smackdown, turning into Dashing Cody Rhodes, a guy who was so concerned about his face and basically a narcissist. It did wonders for his career. He would eventually enter a feud with Rey Mysterio and turn into UnDashing Cody Rhodes, who was shell of his former self after being hit in the face by Mysterio. He basically became a super villain and became a top heel on Smackdown. His heel persona was over and he got an IC Title shot on Smackdown in 2011. He made the most of the opportunity and was able to beat then champion Ezekiel Jackson for his first singles title in WWE. Rhodes held the title until Wrestlemania 28 and was able to feud with top star Randy Orton during this period. Along with Wade Barrett, the two were seen as top stars on the brand but we obviously know how that went. Rhodes' win here was great and for me, I felt like it was a sign of the future. It's sad Rhodes didn't go onto to World Title glory but it was amazing to see him get his moment here.
The New Day, heading into 2015, were a failed gimmick. The trio of Xavier Woods, Big E and Kofi Kingston were not off to a great start as they were met with boos heading into the Royal Rumble. Fans were just not into their whole staying positive, being positive crap. It was generic and a far cry from what it looked like they were going to be when they first came together. They would eventually become heels and things have never been the same. They were able to capture the titles at Extreme Rules 2015 but it was their win at SummerSlam that made much more of an impact. After losing the titles to the Prime Time Players at MITB, they were involved in a Fatal Four Way at SummerSlam with the PTP, The Lucha Dragons and Epico and Primo in their matador gimmick. Thanks to a blind tag, Kofi was able to steal a victory for his team which led to the best celebration in WWE history. This is the only title change on the list where the champions are STILL the champions. They defend the titles on a regular basis and have beaten every team that has stepped in front of them. They are a shining example of a gimmick going sour quick but when given another chance, a HEEL CHANCE, can be really amazing. Heel turns have always done wonders for superstars, Stone Cold, The Rock, Hulk Hogan etc and The New Day proved that the trend is still relevant in 2015 as they are the most over stars in WWE right now. I will now post GIFs of The New Day dancing in various situations. Please enjoy.
What other tag team have gotten Seth Rollins, Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H to dance? None, that's who!
Thanks for reading, #30-21 will be up next week!
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