The Shield Make History

Money in the Bank was a historic night for WWE. Not only did it see the first ever meeting between Styles and Cena, which I can't wait until they do it again so they can have a better match, (not saying it wasn't great but I expected a better ending) it also gave us the first stable where all of its members were World Champion in the same night. It turns out that the Ambrose Asylum section of Raw last week was accurate, as Dean Ambrose was able finally win the Money in the Bank briefcase on his third attempt. In the main event, Seth Rollins proved he was The Man when he was able to CLEANLY defeat Roman Reigns for the title, giving Rollins his 2nd WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Minutes later, Ambrose's music hits and Rollins got prepared for the Lunatic Fringe, but he wasn't checking behind him as Ambrose blasted Rollins with the briefcase, cashed in, hit Dirty Deeds and finally became WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Reigns had his 3rd reign ended, Rollins started his 2nd reign and Ambrose won his first ever World Title. The Shield Triple Threat is all but set now. It's a SummerSlam worthy main event that will most likely take place at Battleground with the whole brand extension, draft whatever coming a week before.

Ambrose cashing in on Rollins is one of the rare times a face cashes in on a heel, and the first time it was done on a heel right after they won the title. Usually, it's the heel taking advantage of the face. It was definitely a much better way for Ambrose to win the title, screwing over long time nemesis Seth Rollings. This has done its job; keep me interested in the World Title picture. I'm really interested to see how Reigns reacts to all of this. Will we finally get that heel Reigns we've been waiting for? Rollins/Ambrose is kind of played out and I'd definitely be more invested in a long term Ambrose/Reigns feud. There's no way all three guys will be on the same show following the draft so I really think Battleground will be the stage for the big match. It instantly makes the B PPV a must see. Plus, add in Styles/Cena II and you have another MITB situation.

Triple Threat has been confirmed guys...

I feel most bad for Kevin Owens. He was definitely the favorite for the briefcase heading into MITB and then, it just all fell apart. I still think Owens has a chance to become champion one day but with such a fast cash in, it's almost if the MITB was wasted. I miss the Edge/Ziggler/Seth Rollins approach, where you build the MITB winner the whole year before they cash in. A quick cash in is fine, but not when it's just one MITB briefcase. When Kane did it in 2010, it was fine as there were 3 different MITB matches then. It needed to happen because there was a MITB overload that year. Regardless, time will tell if WWE will ever push Owens.

Congrats Ambrose! You certainly deserve it! I don't think it will be a long reign but at least he got his moment. And did you know that The Shield have been apart of EVERY TELEVISED WWE Title match since the Royal Rumble 2015? That's a bit ridiculous to be honest. That's like, 30+ title matches. It just goes to show you the long lasting effects of the group. With the draft coming, this stat will likely end very soon.

If this is the Battleground main event, what do they have for SummerSlam? Reigns/Ambrose? I'm fine with that, if Reigns starts playing the bad guy, which he kind of teased last night on Raw. 'All you guys chanting you can't wrestle, take a sip of your beer and relax.' It was something a little harsher than that and it was un-Roman like. I loved it. If THAT Reigns face Ambrose, I'm cool with that main event. Post SummerSlam though, I think it's time to get some new faces in the picture. Cesaro, Owens, Zayn, Jericho, etc. We'll see. WWE has accomplished a big goal with this and I'm definitely intrigued to keep watching. To be honest, I was going to keep watching anyway....but you get the point!

Money in the Bank 2016 Predictions

Money in the Bank 2016 is being dubbed as the greatest Money in the Bank PPV of all time and it hasn't even happened yet. It's a very daunting tagline but with what's on the card, it's hard to argue their high expectations. The three matches the show is built around all look amazing and the tag team match features some of the best teams in the division. The remainder of the card might not fit in with that tagline but only time will tell. Let's talk!



So, two of the NXT call ups that came after Wrestlemania are on the pre-show, Baron Corbin will face Ziggler for the 3rd time on a PPV pre show while Apollo Crews has the daunting task of facing Sheamus, a former 4 time World Champion. I don't really care about the Corbin/Ziggler match but the Crews/Sheamus match is very interesting. It's a mix of styles and it's Apollo's first big time match up on the main roster on a big stage. I'm going with both NXT guys to win here. I don't understand why they didn't have either Corbin or Crews in the MITB match to begin with.



The New Day will try to keep their historic, 300 day reign as champions running as they face The Vaudevillians, Enzo and Cass and The Club's Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in a Fatal Four Way match. This will be chaotic and very entertaining. The New Day are very close to breaking the record that London and Kendrick set back in 2005-06, just about a month away when they defend the titles on Sunday. I don't see them coming all this way just to lose them now. Granted, there are some major teams in this match. The Vaudevillians were former NXT Tag Champions but I don't think their gimmick is getting over on the main roster. The Club is with Styles so they're big time players and Enzo and Cass are super over. It all makes for such an interesting clash come Sunday. I'm obviously behind Gallows and Anderson becoming tag team champions but where does that leave Enzo and Cass? I'm always bias towards New Day and especially now that they're very close to breaking the record. The New Day actually won their titles in a Fatal Four Way back at SummerSlam so could they lose the titles in the same match type they won them in? I REALLY want The Club to win but my pick is New Day for now.



I think this will be Titus O'Neal's first singles title shot ever. I could be wrong but this a big deal. Titus has all the major points of being a star and definitely deserves better after that bogus suspension earlier this year. The only problem is that Rusev just won the US Title and I don't think WWE would do a quick title change again. Would they? This is the company that traded the US Title between Del Rio and Kalisto in the month of January. Anything is possible but this may be too much so quick. Titus deserves it but it doesn't mean he'll get it. Don't know if it will be a good match or not but Rusev will retain the championship.



Charlotte gets a break and will team with Dana Brooke to face Becky Lynch and Natalya. If this is WWE's way of preserving Sasha and Charlotte for SummerSlam, good job WWE and I applaud you. If not, I hate you. This match should set up a Fatal Four at Battleground as there is obviously tension between Dana and Charlotte now. Dana could cost Charlotte the match and a Fatal Four could come out of it. Charlotte would obviously retain, says she beat everyone in the division, out comes Sasha to set up for the match I've been waiting for. WWE is obviously smart, only doing Sasha/Charlotte once since they came up. It's a money match for the division and one that could finally turn this division around. Becky and Nattie win.



The Money in the Bank Ladder match features two former World Champions in Alberto Del Rio and Chris Jericho, two former NXT Champions in Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens and two former United States Champions, Dean Ambrose and Cesaro. This is an All Stars MITB. I really would like all but one guy win this match, that one guy being Del Rio because he has already won the match. Jericho hasn't been World Champion in 6 years guys. 6 years! The man deserves another run with the title. The other four have never held World Title gold. Ambrose has come the closest, main eventing this same event last year against Seth Rollins so he's not a stranger when it comes to the big stage. Cesaro had a couple chances in 2014 in multi man matches but he's never got a one on one shot. Owens, despite his great first year, only got as close as the semi-finals of the WWE Title tournament back at Survivor Series. Since then, it's just been about the IC Title. Zayn hasn't been on the main roster for that long so obviously he hasn't had a shot yet. This is truly anyone's match.



After Raw and looking at the main event, just like last year, it's obvious that a Shield member will win the MITB. Last year, it was Reigns in the MITB while Rollins and Ambrose battled for the title. Funny how things just shifted around isn't it? Anyway, the thought there was that Reigns was going to win the MITB and eventually cash in and set up some type of Triple Threat Shield main event. That didn't happen as Sheamus won last year. I think Ambrose winning is TOO obvious and he's already proven on his own that he can get to the main event. A Shield Triple Threat should happen naturally, like Ambrose beats Reigns or something like that and get added to the match. That should be the main event for SummerSlam actually. Ambrose/Reigns/Rollins is the best SummerSlam main event on paper since Bryan/Cena. It will happen without the MITB contract. Zayn won't win, I think he'll be feuding with Miz for the IC Title. Cesaro might get into a feud with Jericho. I think the choice should be Kevin Owens. Great heel, great on the mic and in the ring and no clear direction. Give him the briefcase. They could build him up as a major heel and eventual WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Kevin Owens wins the Money in the Bank briefcase.



So, this is actually going to happen. A match that's only been talked about and simulated in WWE video games for the past decade will finally happen on Sunday. In a match that you wouldn't think was possible when the year started, international superstar AJ Styles will finally battle the face that runs the place John Cena in a dream match of epic proportions. THIS is a true dream match. For years, AJ Styles was one of the top guys in TNA and one of the top names to never have signed with WWE. During the same time, John Cena rose to super stardom, winning 15 World Titles in 10 years. The two never crossed paths as Styles stayed with TNA, the company WWE never talks about even though they're running circles around them. Styles would leave TNA in 2014, going back to Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he became IWGP Champion in his first match. With the acquisition of Prince Devitt in 2014, many started to talk if Styles could one day come to WWE. 2016 came around and the report came in that AJ Styles was coming to WWE. We all hoped, we all dreamed and finally, at the Royal Rumble, Styles made his debut and the WWE Universe exploded.



Five months later, Styles is now going up against John Cena, Big Match John. This is will the match of the night and is definitely a Wrestlemania worthy encounter. We always wondered what if John Cena and AJ Styles would step in the ring together. After Sunday, that will no longer be a fantasy. Obviously, this feud will go the way everyone expects right? Styles wins here, only to drop the next two to Cena and Styles will go away somewhere. That has been the sad reality of guys like Wade Barrett, Bray Wyatt, Rusev and Kevin Owens in the past decade but there are some guys like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins who escaped this trend, especially Bryan as he would go on to super stardom after his SummerSlam victory over Cena. You don't bring in this worldwide talent only to have him be 'buried' by John Cena. WWE won't let it happen....right? After a fantastic 20-25 minute affair, AJ Styles will defeat John Cena. Will it be thanks to The Club? Maybe someone debuting with The Club? Finn Balor perhaps? Time will tell but don't miss this dream match 15 years in the making.



This is one of the best WWE main events of this generation. The two biggest stars of this generation clash for the top prize as Seth Rollins makes his in ring return to challenge the Roman Empire, Roman Reigns, in a mega title match that is two years in the making. Rollins and Reigns have wrestled each other before. Remember the Raw before Night of Champions 2014? They were scheduled to have a match at Night of Champions but it was canceled when Reigns had to have emergency surgery. They did the match on that Raw though, for whatever reason. They were also suppose to have a match at Survivor Series 2014, where Reigns would have finally won the World Title from him arch-nemesis. THAT didn't happen due to the ACL/MCL injury to Rollins. Since then, Reigns has won the WWE Title three different times and is currently seen as The Guy, AKA the top guy in the company. Rollins doesn't agree with that, especially since he never lost the title in the first place. It all comes together for a great main event that has a lot of history and makes so much sense.


I'm all for a Rollins victory but once again, Reigns has won the title THREE times already within six months. That's a lot. He needs to have a long reign as champion and I think #3 will be it for him. Rollins isn't going anywhere though and I definitely think there's a lot of money in a Triple Threat between the former members of The Shield. They can do that at either Battleground or hold if off for their big PPV SummerSlam. Regardless, they have to keep building Reigns as this unstoppable bad ass who beats all the Internet's heroes. He's never going to get cheered in his current state and if he keeps beating everyone we like, he'll slowly but surely have no choice BUT to turn heel. I just want the Reigns that destroyed Triple H at TLC. THAT Reigns is what WWE needs, but time will tell if they can do it. Roman Reigns will defeat Seth Rollins in their huge match-up.


This is one of the last events before the brand extension, draft, Smackdown going live thing so it's going to be interesting to see how everything falls into place afterwards. Anyway, this Money in the Bank has four matches that could be really something. Rollins/Reigns already made the event must see but then they added a great MITB with four stars of the New Era and of course, the biggest WWE match of the year, AJ Styles VS John Cena. I'm Wrestlemania excited to see this event. Don't miss what could be the best Money in the Bank PPV of all time!

Alternate Money in the Bank Winners

The Money in the Bank ladder match is a career changer for many stars. Look at guys like Edge, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk and Seth Rollins, all guys who were able to win their first World Titles by using the contract. In Edge's case, it solidified his main event status in WWE and got him into the Hall of Fame. Not everyone who cashes in reaches this height of fame though. Guys like Jack Swagger or Damien Sandow didn't do much with the briefcase. Swagger did become World Champion but it failed and Sandow was beaten clean while cashing in his contract. I said all this to set up this next post.

I always re-watch the MITB matches ever year around this time, just so I can prepare myself for the match. As I watch them, I always find myself thinking, what if? What if instead of the person who won getting the briefcase, someone else did instead? This post is all about that.

1. Wrestlemania 26 - Jack Swagger over Drew McIntyre?

Heading into Wrestlemania 26, Jack Swagger was not one of my favorites at all. This ladder match had 10 guys in it, the biggest one in history. There were a couple of other guys who could have won it instead. Ladder match veterans Christian and Matt Hardy were both in the match. Either one could have used to win to finally get out of the shadow of their more successful tag team partners. Christian was very close to winning too. Out of all the guys though, it should have been Drew McIntyre who won that night. McIntyre's whole thing was that he was hand picked by Vince McMahon himself. He was the chosen one, the guy who Vince wanted to succeed next in WWE. He didn't succeed though. Yeah, he won the IC Title and had a pointless tag team title reign with Cody Rhodes but that was it. No World Title opportunities, no main events, nothing. In my eyes, WWE had chosen Jack Swagger over Drew and in the long run, it turned out to be a bad move. Swagger held the title for two months before losing it and then hasn't been the same since. He got a bit of resurgence in 2011 but still, nothing. Looking back at it, it really should have been McIntyre as the winner. Hey, who knows who would be TNA Champion now had they did this?

2. Money in the Bank 2011 - Daniel Bryan's Moment

Again, if you would have asked me who was going to win this MITB match, Daniel Bryan wasn't in the realm of possibility. At this time, the guys from ROH or anywhere else weren't as sought out like they are now. I think Bryan's win was mostly due to Punk's uprising and thanks to it, Bryan's career flourished and it definitely started here. Bryan's MITB win made him World Champion, which brought about the Yes chants and the rest is history. What if Bryan didn't win here? This MITB match was filled with first timers like Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel and Sin Cara. Granted, none of those guys stood a chance. Kane and Sheamus were in it as well but Kane won last year and Sheamus didn't seem like a likely winner just yet. You know which two guys could have won? Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett. It's still baffling to me why they didn't pull the trigger on either but these were the two favorites for me when the match came around. Barrett had always been a big name player since his Nexus days so holding onto the briefcase made sense. Cody Rhodes had been impressing everyone with his UnDashing gimmick and with the briefcase, WWE could have built more upon him. Neither guy won though and this is one of the ones on this list where it's not the worst decision. Bryan's rise started here so maybe Rhodes or Barrett winning wouldn't have been best but still, it was a tough decision.

3. Money in the Bank 2012 - Ziggler or Rhodes?

MITB 2012 was down to two rising stars in WWE. Dolph Ziggler was regarded as one of the best in ring workers at the time, consistently putting on great matches with just about anyone. He had World Title matches in the past and was even World Champion for about 10 minutes but Ziggler never had his chance to shine on the big stage. Cody Rhodes continued to rise. After winning the IC Title and losing the UnDashing gimmick, Rhodes continued to look impressive in his feuds, feuding with former World Champions Big Show, Randy Orton and Big Show during his time. WWE had a tough choice; either give the briefcase to the best worker who had already been in the main event picture or one of their evolving talents who didn't have a chance at all. In the end, they gave it to Ziggler, who had a great moment on the Raw following Wrestlemania 29. That could have been Rhodes and it should have been Rhodes. I believe in giving the MITB to guys who never won the title. Granted, guys like Orton and Sheamus, who were in ruts, can use the briefcase to revitalize their careers but when looking at their resumes, Rhodes deserved it just a bit more. It could have easily made him the top guy on Smackdown and kept him in the company longer. Like with Bryan, it's a hard choice but it really should have been Rhodes.

4. Money in the Bank 2013 - Sandow, really?

The World Heavyweight Championship MITB match is what the match is all about. It's about giving opportunity to guys who never would have gotten a chance. This match featured 6 guys who never won the World Title and one guy who actually won MITB before and became champion but when down following that. Look at this talent, Dean Ambrose, Wade Barrett, Cesaro, Jack Swagger, Fandango, Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow. Youth wise, this was the best MITB ever. This is a whole new era on its own. The other great thing was that there was no favorite to win the match either. Literally any one of these stars could have won the match. In the end though, it was Damien Sandow who turned on his partner and won the briefcase. I was indifferent with this decision from the start but seeing the track record of the past MITB winners, I waited until they actually would give Sandow the title to reserve my full judgment. That didn't happen as Sandow would try to cash in on a vulnerable John Cena. That was dumb. Cena would defeat Sandow and made him the first star to lose cleanly while cashing in the contract. When I look back at that, Sandow should not have won the match. I'm obviously bias towards Rhodes and Barrett, mainly because they're two of my favorites and they're gone now, but really, either one of those two should have won. Dean Ambrose was another guy who would have flourished in the role and it would have been a nice story for breaking up The Shield. It's just bizarre to me why they chose Sandow over both Rhodes and Barrett though, as they both had been great mid card stars who could've done much more given the opportunity. I mean, Barrettt main evented 5 PPVs in his rookie year. Why didn't the guy become Mr. MITB? Cody is a second generation star. It's such a shame that even though WWE claims they respect Dusty Rhodes but yet they don't respect the talent that his son obviously has. Sandow should NOT have won the briefcase over guys like Amborse, Rhodes and Barrett. Point blank PERIOD. It's a slap in the face and look what it got them. The winner and their two rising stars all were let go this year and they really could have been the next era of stars all by themselves.

As we head into Sunday's event (predictions are DEFINITELY coming) with two former World Champions, two former NXT Champions and two former US Champions, I hope the right move is made. The right move being that neither Jericho or Del Rio win, mainly because they've both won World Titles before. Let it come down to Cesaro, Zayn, Ambrose and the obvious favorite, Kevin Owens. I think Ambrose winning is too obvious, especially seeing how they teased it on Raw. I think a Shield Triple Threat is going to happen but let it happen naturally, no need to waste MITB for it.

Just a short post but it really makes you wonder. Look at how many times Cody Rhodes had to become World Champion. If only the powers at be had more faith in him then they really could have had a star on their hands. No pun intended.

Stay tuned for my Wrestlemania 33, I'm sorry, Money in the Bank 2016 predictions. Also, my Top 50 Favorite Titles Changes will conclude by the end of the month. Definitely have to get it done before Star Ocean and Zero Time Dilemma take over my life.

Top 50 Favorite Title Changes - #20-11

20. Stone Cold wins the WWF Title – WM17

Stone Cold! Stone Cold! Stone Cold! When Stone Cold got injured in 1999, it was probably some of the worst news WWE or WWF at the time ever heard. Stone Cold was on the shelf for about a year and when he came back, he obviously wanted the WWF Title. He was able to win his 3rd Royal Rumble match in 2001 and after The Rock won the title at No Way Out, the mega match was set for the greatest Wrestlemania ever. Both guys need the win. Stone Cold to solidify his return from career ending injury. The Rock to prove that he was the absolute best. Something had to give in their main event match. The promo package for the match is the greatest in WWE history. It was made in a No DQ match at the last second and it was a great move. Rock and Austin were able to have a great match that embodied everything that the Attitude Era was all about. Vince McMahon came out and in a major shocker, gave Stone Cold a steel chair to beat The Rock with. Austin pummeled Rock with that chair and afterwards, covered him and won the WWF Title. Afterwards, Vince and Austin shook hands, something NEVER before done, at least, not without Austin turning on McMahon right away. It was a surreal moment. For the past three years, these two were the bane of each other and to see them join forces was something else. It also showed how truly desperate Austin was to get one more reign with the title. He was willing to make a deal with Satan himself. It was awesome and something different, which is always a good thing.

19. JBL wins the WWE Title – GAB 2004

I hate to this say this but 13 year old me was not a fan of the Eddie Guerrero title switch. I'm sorry! He beat Brock Lesnar! I was a huge Lesnar guy then so I was devastated. Then he had the nerve to beat Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania! Another one of my favorites, beaten! Guerrero was beating them all! Anyway, Bradshaw, now known as John Bradshaw Layfield, was making his rise on the Smackdown roster and would soon clash with Guerrero. Their first encounter was very memorable as a vicious chair shot would split Eddie's head in two and he literally leaked blood ALL OVER the ring. Eddie got DQed in this match so they had to have a rematch at the next PPV. It was a Texas Bull Rope match, the first in some time in WWE. While it looked to many that Eddie had won the match, Smackdown General Manager Kurt Angle would reverse the decision, as JBL had hit the last turnbuckle first. This decision would award JBL with his first and only World Title; the WWE Title. JBL was a tag team guy through and through but when he finally got his shot to go solo, he made it count. JBL had a reign of 280 days, where he beat guys like Guerrero, The Undertaker, Booker T and Big Show in PPV matches, even beating three of those guys in a Fatal Four Way. He was in Last Ride and Barbed Wire Steel Cages matches along the way. JBL was a great champion and one that I was really glad won the title, and not only because he ended Guerrero's reign either!

18. Brock Lesnar wins the WWE Title - SummerSlam 2002

The Next Big Thing. Nobody in history had a better start to their careers than Brock Lesnar. This guy was literally pushed to the top in such a short amount of time. He debuted in March 2002 and won the title in August 2002. There's not a lot of guys who can say they won the WWE Title in their rookie year. Ric Flair, Yokozuna, Kurt Angle and Sheamus are just the few but Lesnar had to be the most dominant one of them all. Lesnar tore through the roster and won the King of the Ring tournament to earn a shot at the WWE Title. Before he would face the champ, The Rock, Lesnar destroyed Hulk Hogan, destroyed him like I never seen before. It was brutal. At SummerSlam 2002, 25 year old Brock Lesnar would get his shot at the title, taking on one of the greatest champions in WWE history, The Rock. Lesnar showed his true power in his first PPV main event and as The Rock was on his way out to film another movie, the crowd turned on him. With the crowd behind him, Lesnar was able to land the momentous F5 and become the youngest WWE Champion in history, a record that title hold today. Not World Heavyweight Champion, WWE Champion. Lesnar was shot to the top and for good reason. The guy looked like a superstar, he was a complete beast in the ring and he had Paul Heyman as his mouthpiece. This guy was everything so winning the title so fast was needed and look what it did for his career in the long run. Great title change here.

17. Randy Orton wins the Intercontinental Title – Armageddon 2003

While some guys had a quick rise like Lesnar, there were other guys like Randy Orton that was built on for a couple of years. Joining the group Evolution in 2003, Randy Orton made the best of his opportunity to be under the great Ric Flair and Triple H. He would get dubbed the moniker, The Legend Killer which meant he was prone to taking out WWE legends. People like Sgt. Slaughter, Fablous Moolah and even Harley Race fell victim to Orton, either by getting his with a RKO or being disrespected by the kid. Orton was only 23 at the time and was learning all he could. After beating Shawn Michaels and helping his team eradicate Stoen Cold from the General Manager spot on Raw, Eric Bischoff gave Orton a favor of his choice. Orton chose to be granted an Intercontinental Title match. The match would take place at Armageddon 2003 against veteran IC Champ Rob Van Dam. This was Orton's first shot at the title and he made the most of it. In a great wrestling match and with Mick Foley, Orton's arch rival, as the special guest referee, Randy Orton planted a vicious RKO on RVD and covered him for the 1-2-3 and the Intercontinental Title. Many great stars have won the IC Title before going on to win a World Title. Guys like Bret Hart, Stone Cold, The Rock, the list goes on. Randy Orton was another one of those guys and he really built himself up while holding this title. This is one of those passing of the torch title wins as Orton would win plenty more titles in his career. There may be one more Orton appearance on this list....And this title change could also include the whole Evolution as they all won titles on this night.

16. Christian wins the World Heavyweight Title – Extreme Rules 2011

When Christian went to TNA, or as WWE will tell you, when he went on his vacation, he was able to win the NWA World Title two different times. When he came back to WWE, he won the ECW Title and held it for the longest in the history of the title's reigns but the big World Title always eluded Christian. I thought WWE were going to do a big Edge/Christian feud in 2011 but once Edge announced his retirement, those dreams went up in smoke. Instead, Christian would win a chance to face the #1 contender for the title, Alberto Del Rio, at Extreme Rules. They would compete in Christian's specialty, the Ladder match. With his best friend looking on, Christian was able to capture the title and share a special moment with Edge. It was a really well done and deserving moment for Christian who had always been in Edge's shadow. The crowd was behind the decision as well and it was definitely the feel good moment of the year. While it only lasted TWO DAYS, it was still one of the more deserving title changes on the list. My favorite part is of this is Christian's reaction. He was so happy to win the title, as was I. The guy truly deserved it.

15. Kane wins the World Heavyweight Title – Money in the Bank 2010

Kane had already won the WWF Title in 1998, a little more than 7 months after his debut. The reign was only for a day. Kane would win the ECW Title 10 years after his debut but it was the ECW Title, not a real World Title. Kane has been one of the most faithful superstars in the history of the WWE. He just does things with no questions asked. You want me to team with X-Pac? Sure thing. You want me to pretend to have a dead girlfriend? I'm down. You don't want to give me a World Title run in 12 years? Alright, where do I sign? Kane always deserved better and when he was in a storyline to find out who put his brother The Undertaker, I wouldn't have thought that it would lead to a World Title run but it did. Kane was entered into the Smackdown Money in the Bank match at the first ever MITB PPV. After laying waste to everyone in the match, Kane was able to secure the briefcase on his fourth time in the match. Kane wasted no time and after Mysterio was able to defeat Jack Swagger, Kane would come down with a referee and cash in his contract. After a vicious chokeslam and a Tombstone Piledriver, Kane captured the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in his career. You want to talk about a guy who deserved it? Kane truly needed this win and he did great in his World Title position. You guys remember he beat The Undertaker three straight times in three different match types right? Kane excelled in his World Title reign and it was one that should have happened years ago.

14. Trish Stratus wins the Women's Title - Unforgiven 2006

Trish Stratus is the greatest women's wrestler ever. There, I said it. While I can't argue with Fabulous Moolah's 30 year title reign, there's just something about Trish Stratus that I love. When the reports were coming through that Trish was preparing to retire in the coming months, I was heartbroken. Trish was like the leader for the women, how could she leave? How could she not? She accomplished everything possible in WWE at that point. 6 time Women's Champion, Diva of the Decade, etc. She wanted to retire on top so after Lita broke the news of Trish retiring, their feud would culminate at Unforgiven 2006, which took place in Toronto, Trish's hometown. She was given a hero's welcome and was able to put on one more great match with her greatest rival Lita. In the end, since they were in Canada, Trish locked in the Sharpshooter on Lita and forced her to submit, giving Trish her 7th and final Women's Title. It was a move that we all saw coming but it was still a very emotional title change. Trish was the best woman they had in the company since 2002 and to see her leave on top just made sense. It was even better than it was in Toronto against her greatest rival Lita. Everything just fell into place and the world was right for it.

13. CM Punk wins the World Heavyweight Title - Extreme Rules 2009

CM Punk had already won the Money in the Bank briefcase and the World Title the year before but, the way it ended wasn't the best. Punk didn't even compete in the match where he lost the title, instead, losing it due to an injury angle the night of the PPV. Fast forward to Wrestlemania 25 and CM Punk got another chance as he would win the Money in the Bank for the 2nd straight time. Punk wouldn't wait too long before using his opportunity. After a Ladder match between Jeff Hardy and Edge, Hardy was able to defeat Edge to win his first World Heavyweight Championship. The refs were getting the ladders out of the ring while JR was getting ready to interview Hardy. All of a sudden, Punk's music hit and he came down to cash in the contract. Punk quickly hit a GTS and Hardy kicked out. Punk tried again, got rolled up for a close 2 count. Punk would not be denied and used a quick kick, and another GTS to finally win the World Title. The crowd was indifferent to the change. Many were happy Hardy was finally champion again and saw Punk as a villain for ruining his moment. Many were Punk fans who were happy the change happened. I'm apart of the latter and I'm glad Punk did it here. Not only did it lead to a great summer feud between Punk and Hardy, it led to a better character for CM Punk. Punk turned heel during the feud and would start his Straight Edge preaching gimmick, which would eventually lead to his cult like leadership and group, the Straight Edge Society. It wouldn't have been possible if Punk didn't first win the World Title at Extreme Rules 2009. And looking back on it, it was a great decision for the career of CM Punk that would eventually lead to his biggest title victory in the coming years.

12. Jeff Hardy wins the WWE Title – Armageddon 2008

Jeff Hardy was always on the precipice of greatness, but was never given any runs with the World or WWE Titles in WWE. It might have been due to drug problems as the time I thought they were going to pull the trigger on Hardy was at Wrestlemania 24, where he was apart of the MITB match. Weeks before though, he faced another suspension and was taken out of the match. He was easily the favorite to win the match. After the suspension, he was always around the WWE Title, competing for it at three straight PPVs for the title but he was unsuccessful at each attempt. He was scheduled to compete at Survivor Series but was taken out by a returning Edge at a hotel. Storyline wise obviously. After a year of battling for the title and personal issues, it came down to the final PPV of year, which featured new champion Edge, former champion Triple H and Jeff Hardy. It was a great match and after Triple H hit a Pedigree on Edge and went for the cover, Hardy hit a Swanton Bomb out of nowhere, pinned Edge and won the WWE Championship for the very first time. The crowd was obviously very behind the change and it was very deserving. It was like Hardy's redemption from the crazy year he had. Always a huge fan favorite, a run with the main championship was much deserved and although he beat two of my favorite wrestlers to win it, I can't hate on the decision. JR's words made the change even better. From daredevil to champion, from enigma to icon. Goosebumps, man. Much deserved.

11. Sasha Banks wins the NXT Women's Title - Takeover" Rival

What would this list be without The Boss? Yes, Sasha makes the list. I remember when I first started getting behind Sasha. Charlotte had just beat Bayley at Takeover Fatal Four Way and Sasha came out to beat up Bayley. Charlotte wasn't having none of that and got Banks off of her. Charlotte and Banks would start the best women's feud in WWE history and that's when I knew I wanted her to be champion. Her gimmick was so on point and her obvious love for her craft was evident. When she got her first shot against Charlotte at Takeover R Evolution, I was fully convinced of the future of women's wrestling. They tore down the roof of Full Sail and told an amazing story while doing so. Sasha was unsuccessful here and in a rematch on NXT a couple weeks later but she would not stop. At Takeover Rival, William Regal made a Fatal Four Way match between the Four Horsewomen of NXT, Charlotte defending against Sasha, Bayley and Becky Lynch. It was a great match and once again, my faith in the division was restored. In the end, it came down to how it started, between Charlotte and Sasha and after having Charlotte locked in the Banks Statement, she flipped her into a pinning combination and won the NXT Women's Championship. I popped hard for this in my living room and I was very happy to have another great woman win the title. For me, this was the first title change I saw in NXT where I saw someone grow and be deserving of the title. When I started watching NXT, Sasha's boss gimmick wasn't fully developed just yet and I watched each week as she came more into her own and eventually, win the title. So far, this was the biggest win of her career and it was such a deserving one. I'm just counting down the days to SummerSlam, so we can finally see the main roster title win for Sasha. Hopefully. Lord willing...

Next up, THE TOP TEN! Are you ready?!?!?

Top 50 Favorite Title Changes - #30-21

30. Paige wins the Divas Title – Raw 2014

The Divas division has suffered the most of any division in WWE, mainly because WWE wouldn't take it seriously and all they offer the women were 5 minute matches on all their shows. When NXT had a chance to do a live special on the new WWE Network, they gave time to two women, Emma and Paige as they had a fantastic women's title match, unlike anything seen on the main roster for some years. Paige was seen by many to be a likely savior to the total division and we all anticipated her eventual call-up to the main roster. The Raw after Wrestlemania is a great show where they usually debut talents as the entire world watches that Raw. As then record breaking Divas Champion AJ Lee was talking about her dominance of the division, out of nowhere, Paige came out to congratulate AJ on her win. AJ took this as a threat and told Paige she could have a shot at her title after taking a cheap shot at the upstart. After being locked in AJ's finisher, the Black Widow, Paige reversed into her finisher the Paige Turner and got the shocking upset win and her first of two Divas Title reigns. She was also still the NXT Women's Champion as well and the only champion to not have loss her title as she was stripped of it because she moved to the main roster. Paige winning here was a breath of fresh air to the division and gave hope that WWE were going to finally start making the necessary changes to the women's division. Without Paige first winning here, it's impossible to say if the Sasha, Charlotte and Becky would have been a main event of Wrestlemania two years later. It wasn't the longest title reign but it was one of the most important Divas Title changes in WWE history.

29. Sami Zayn wins the NXT Title – R Evolution

An expected title change doesn't have to be the worse thing. Roman Reigns, I'm looking at you. It can be a very deserving change that should happen. That was the case when Sami Zayn captured the NXT Title. Let's set the stage. Zayn was always the lovable loser of NXT. He had come close to winning the title before but he could never capitalize on the opportunity. Zayn would go on his redemption tour, that's what I call it, as he would try to make his way to becoming NXT Champion. He had to defeat Tyler Breeze and Tyson Kidd, two guys who had beaten Zayn before in the past and Titus O'Neil, another one of Zayn's conquerors. He got a match with NXT Champion Adrian Neville on a NXT episode and lost after Neville feigned an injury. Zayn was given one more shot and he told everyone is he didn't win, he would leave NXT. Yes, we all knew Zayn was going to win the match but you can't tell me they did a great job at teasing that he wouldn't. There were plenty of close calls, ref bumps and tense moments. Sami Zayn would not be denied as he was able to hit Neville with the Hellvua Kick and got the victory. The feeling in the arena was amazing and it was clearly felt through the TV. The locker room came out to congraulate Zayn and his best friend Kevin Owens, who made his debut earlier in the evening, gave him a big hug. It was such a surreal moment for Zayn as he had finally climbed the mountain top. It was such a deserving title change and it came from a fantastic one on one match between two future stars of the company. I still get goosebumps thinking about this moment.

28. Jeff Hardy wins the TNA World Title – Bound for Glory 2010

The TNA Title is vacant. ALOT. It took two months for TNA to crown a new champion but they did it amazing fashion. There was an eight man tournament for the title but when it came to the semi-finals, Jeff Hardy and Kurt Angle wrestled to a draw while Mr. Anderson moved on. To be fair, management added Hardy and Angle to the match, making the triple threat at TNA's biggest event of the year between three former WWE employees. Pro wrestling everybody! Now, Abyss, another TNA wrestler if you don't know, was referring to a secret group called They for months and they would finally reveal themselves in TNA. During the main event, Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan came down during a referee bump and and were looking to attack the combatants in the match. Hardy stood his ground with a crutch in his hand and as Angle was getting up, he cracked him with it. Bischoff and Hogan looked on and smiled as he hit Anderson as well. Then a Twist of Fate and Hardy was crowned champion. It was amazing to see. Abyss and Jeff Jarrett came out afterwards and they all joined together. This is how TNA's Immortal started. This was a bold and amazing move in the life of Jeff Hardy. Never having a main event heel run in his life, this was new and bold for him and TNA. Once again, HEEL turns are amazing and while the storyline was bad and it ended bad, like most TNA factions, it still can't overshadow the start of the it all. There's only one TNA Title change that was done better...

27. Sheamus wins the WWE Title - TLC 2009


This is easily one of the most shocking wins on this list. Sheamus was only in the WWE for 5 months before getting a shot at John Cena's title. Sheamus was apart of the WWECW project on Sci-Fi and when he came to Raw, he destroyed Jamie Noble so bad, it forced him to retire. Sheamus would then win a break through battle royal, which featured stars on the roster who had never won a World Title to receive a shot at John Cena's WWE Title. This was done by Raw Guest GM Jesse Ventura, who said he thought there was a conspiracy to keep John Cena as WWE Champion, you know, because he had a conspiracy theory themed show out. The match was going to be a Tables match. Going into it, no one really thought Sheamus would win right? Well, they were all wrong. While Sheamus and Cena were on the top rope, they both fell off, only Cena fell straight through a table. Per the rules, this meant that Sheamus had defeated John Cena and claimed the WWE Championship. WOW, what a break out for Sheamus. He was only apart of WWE TV for 166 days before he captured the championship. I'm all for new guys winning the title but Sheamus' ascension in retrospect, was a little too fast. Regardless, during the time, I was ecstatic that someone new was the WWE Champion, especially if they had defeated John Cena to do it.

26. Jay Lethal wins the ROH World Title – Best in the World 2015

Hey, it's a Ring of Honor title change! I like ROH. I'm not a hardcore fan but I try to watch the big matches when I can. When they announced the best guy in the company, Jay Lethal, would be finally getting a shot at the ROH World Title, I knew I had to watch when I could. Lethal was in the midst of a year long reign with the ROH World Television Title and was claiming he was the top champion in Ring of Honor. This obviously angered the ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe as he's technically the top champ in the business. This would lead to a Winner Take All match at ROH's PPV Best in the World. The winner would take both titles. It was a great main event which featured Briscoe putting Lethal through a table but Lethal would not be denied as he would hit Briscoe with his own finisher and then hit his own Lethal Injection for the three count and history. Lethal became the first man to hold both the ROH World and Television Title and also the first African-American ROH World Champion. It was such a great moment for Lethal as he had proven his worth by defending the TV Title whenever he could and by holding it for so long. This is just a great example of how a midcard champion can make his way to the main event. Lethal is STILL champion today. It's almost been a year. This title change is one of the most deserving on the list.

25. American Alpha wins the NXT Tag Team Titles – Takeover Dallas

I'm not a big fan of the NXT Tag Team division. They have good teams but it just isn't as good as the heavyweight or women's division. It looks like it's trying to make a comeback. Anyway, Jason Jordan has been with NXT from the beginning but unfortunately, with all the added stars of the indies coming into NXT, he's been pushed to the back. I was in the NXT show in Philadelphia when they chanted Jason Jobber to him. They wouldn't give up on Jordan and as he was looking for a tag team partner, he was met by Chad Gable. The crowd couldn't get enough of Gable and and the two were really getting over as a team during the late months of 2015. They had their coming out party during NXT Takeover Respect as the crowd was massively behind them. Eventually, they would go on to defeat just about every former NXT Tag Team Champions on route to NXT Takeover Dallas during Wrestlemania weekend. With a hot crowd solely behind them. Jason Jordan and Chad Gable were able to to capture the titles from Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson. This one is on the list solely for Jason Jordan. I love Gable as well but I'm so happy that Jordan was able to finally become something in NXT after all the years. It really showed how much he cared during his celebration. They are the best tag team going so it only makes sense for them to win here. Excellent title change and certainly deserving for Jordan.

24. Charlotte wins the Divas Title – Night of Champions 2015

Three in a row! Another current champion makes the list! The Divas division has always been in a bit of a funk. Even though Paige won the title a couple of times and had a couple short but great matches with AJ Lee, the division still didn't have the change it deserved. WWE saw the opportunity to try and bump the division up in 2015. With all the female sports stories piling up, WWE took their swing at it by bringing up Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte from NXT to the main roster. This would start the Divas Revolution, a failed way to launch the Divas division in a new light. It didn't really work and instead of doing three different teams, they should have done all 9 Divas competing against one another for the title. Anyway, it still helped the Divas Division enough to finally get rid of the stupid butterfly title and bring a new title for the ladies to compete for. I'm getting ahead of myself but Charlotte won a Beat the Clock Challenge to earn a shot at Nikki Bella's title. Charlotte wanted to beat Nikki before she broke the longest reign record and she did win the match but it was against Brie as they did a little twin magic. Charlotte got her rematch at Night of Champions and just like how her father won so many titles, Charlotte was able to make Nikki tap out with the Figure 4, or Figure 8, Leg Lock to win her first Divas Title, becoming the second woman to hold both the NXT Women's Title and Divas Title. She would later go on to becoming the first ever WWE Women's Champion at Wrestlemania 32. Charlotte's win here along with the matches she has put on since were one of the reasons she holds the Women's Title today. Her, Sasha, Paige, Becky and definitely Bayley are responsible for breaking down barriers for all the women in WWE. This title win here was very deserving and even a bit emotional as she dedicated it to her late brother and got to share the ring with her father. And when you see what it has led to for the WWE's main roster women, you should see why it's on the list.

23. The whole Shield wins gold – Extreme Rules 2013

The Shield were the most dominant group since Evolution. You can't tell me otherwise. In their debut match, they defeated Daniel Bryan, Kane and Ryback. In their 2nd PPV match, they beat the super team of Sheamus, Ryback and JOHN CENA. You have to remember that Cena was prepping for his rematch with The Rock at Wrestlemania. At the same event, The Shield has a successful debut as they beat Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show. They were unstoppable, destroying everyone in their path. When it finally came time to win some titles, The Shield were also dominant in that. Ambrose pinned the current US Champ Kofi Kingston to earn his shot while Reigns and Rollins had been feuding with Team Hell No since they tried to attack The Undertaker on the Raw after Wrestlemania 29. It all came to a head at Extreme Rules when Ambrose was able to defeat Kofi Kingston to win the US Title while Rollins and Reigns knocked off Team Hell No to win the WWE Tag Team Titles. It was the right move. None of them were ready just yet for the World Title picture so giving the best team in the company all the titles made too much sense. This would also set the careers up for all three men as they would enter plenty of championship pursuits and reigns after this. Rollins and Reigns have both walked out of the Wrestlemania main event at WWE World Heavyweight Champion. That tells you a lot. Great win here for The Shield.

22. Edge and Jericho wins the Unified Tag Titles – The Bash 2009


Chris Jericho is one of my favorite all time wrestlers. Edge IS in a tie for my favorite all time wrestler. Pairing the two together in 2009, after both have already won multiple World Titles, maybe seem like a backwards move but it was one that, for me, really worked. Edge just lost his World Title to Jeff Hardy while Jericho just lost his IC Title back to Rey Mysterio at The Bash, a PPV Edge didn't even have a match for. Edge and Jericho pressured Smackdown GM Theodore Long to do something about the injustices to them. Long's decision was to put them in a WWE Unified Tag Team Titles match that was being contested between Legacy's DiBiase and Rhodes and The Colons, Carlito and Primo. They didn't have too much in ring time but when they did, they capitalized. Edge would hit Carlito with a Spear after a blind tag and would get the pinfall for him and Jericho. Edge would get hit with an injury a week or so later and have to get surgery but their initial win here was great. The tag division was lost and having these two guys hold onto the titles was definitely going to help the division. It still did when Jericho formed with Big Show to make Jeri-Show but I would have much preferred JeriEdge or Edgicho, whichever you prefer. Regardless, to see two of the best stars in WWE form a team and actually win the titles is good enough for me.

21. Bully Ray wins the TNA World Title – Lockdown 2013

Bubba Ray Dudley, in the early 2000s, is the last guy you would think would become a World Champion of a wrestling promotion. TNA has a habit of making guys like him their champion. It was even better considering the storyline it was stemming from. TNA had a villainous rogue like group who called themselves the Aces & Eights. They were this biker gang who would destroy everyone in their way. I liken them to The Nexus in their take over the company style. While they were in the company from June 2012, they didn't wrestle their first match until October, where they defeated Bully Ray and the guy they attacked first, Sting. After winning the match, they finally revealed the first member of the group; Devon, Bully's own brother. They would soon start to reveal other members in the following weeks; Doc Gallows, Wes Bricso, Mr. Anderson, etc. They never revealed the true leader of the stable though. All during this time, Bully Ray was getting close to Hulk Hogan, the authority figure for TNA and his daughter Brooke. Bully would constantly defend TNA and he was seen as one of the leading fighters against the group. Hogan would grant Bully a title shot against Jeff Hardy at Lockdown inside the traditional gimmick of the show, a Steel Cage. 

During the match, Aces & Eights would surround the ring. Devon was seen with a hammer in his hand and was preparing to strike anyone who came close to him. Instead, he tossed it to Bully who cracked Hardy with it. Bully would cover Hardy and become TNA World Heavyweight Champion and then would reveal he was the true President of the Aces & Eights all while demeaning Hogan and Brooke. I'll never forget the post match comments. Hogan, I used you! Brooke, I SCREWED you! SO awesome, so villainous and so right. In the following weeks, TNA would release videos of Bully Ray EXPLAINING the past year of events, leaving no unanswered questions about the group. This is a list about title changes but it was very awesome seeing TNA cover all of its tracks with the storyline. Bully Ray deserved to be World Champion and we all knew he was going heel but the way it happened was amazing and it was even better that they explained it in detail. I'm still trying to figure out why Nexus attacked The Undertaker or who lowered the Hell in a Cell when Truth and Miz were beating up Cena and Punk. Bravo TNA. If TNA goes down sometime in the future, I hope everyone will get to know just how amazing they were at convincing faction storylines. The builds, not the endings.

This is getting intense! #20-11 coming next week!