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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
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!
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