We're at the point where I have to once again remind you of the disclaimer I posted in the very first post of this series. Just because your top ten doesn't match mine doesn't make me wrong or you wrong, it just makes us different and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. Happy reading!
10. Chris Jericho becomes the first ever Undisputed Champion – Unforgiven 2001
2001 is remembered as the year Stone Cold and Vince McMahon joined forces together and it's also remembered for the bad Invasion angle, where WCW and ECW stars battled WWF stars for control of the company. WCW did bring over the WCW Title and after the the Alliance fell to the WWF, it was determined that only one man would be recognized as the World Champion. Four men would compete for the honor. Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, World Champion The Rock and WWF Champion Stone Cold. Stone Cold and Angle had been involved in a heated feud during the summer while Rock and Jericho traded back the WCW Title a couple of times. This all came down to a one night tournament. The Rock defending his World Title against Jericho and Austin defending against Angle. Austin retained against Angle while Jericho was able to beat The Rock to win the title again. Jericho didn't have a rest period and was thrust right into the Undisputed Title match. During the main event, classic Attitude Era antics ensued and thanks to interference from Vince and Booker T, Chris Jericho was able to overcome all the odds and win the WWF Title, becoming the first ever Undisputed Champion. This was definitely a much deserved title win for him. Jericho came into the company hot, going against The Rock on the mic but soon after, nothing was really done with him main event wise. It took time and the win here was even more important considering that. For Jericho to beat the two faces of the Attitude Era for the titles was amazing and it made Jericho a household name. You have to be a pretty big thing if you can beat the two biggest names in the company in one night. Jericho was definitely the guy to do it.
2001 is remembered as the year Stone Cold and Vince McMahon joined forces together and it's also remembered for the bad Invasion angle, where WCW and ECW stars battled WWF stars for control of the company. WCW did bring over the WCW Title and after the the Alliance fell to the WWF, it was determined that only one man would be recognized as the World Champion. Four men would compete for the honor. Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, World Champion The Rock and WWF Champion Stone Cold. Stone Cold and Angle had been involved in a heated feud during the summer while Rock and Jericho traded back the WCW Title a couple of times. This all came down to a one night tournament. The Rock defending his World Title against Jericho and Austin defending against Angle. Austin retained against Angle while Jericho was able to beat The Rock to win the title again. Jericho didn't have a rest period and was thrust right into the Undisputed Title match. During the main event, classic Attitude Era antics ensued and thanks to interference from Vince and Booker T, Chris Jericho was able to overcome all the odds and win the WWF Title, becoming the first ever Undisputed Champion. This was definitely a much deserved title win for him. Jericho came into the company hot, going against The Rock on the mic but soon after, nothing was really done with him main event wise. It took time and the win here was even more important considering that. For Jericho to beat the two faces of the Attitude Era for the titles was amazing and it made Jericho a household name. You have to be a pretty big thing if you can beat the two biggest names in the company in one night. Jericho was definitely the guy to do it.
9. Mark Henry wins the World Heavyweight Title - Night of Champions 2011
The summer of 2011 will always be remembered as the Summer of Punk, when Punk fought the powers at be and changed WWE as we know it forever. There was another breakout star that summer and that was the World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry. It's strange to say that as Henry was already a veteran of WWE but he had never had his time in the main event spotlight. That changed in 2011 when Mark Henry took on a more violent and angry persona, which really started after Big Show assaulted him. After this, Henry started to target the World's Largest Athlete and went as far as destroying him inside a Steel Cage, hitting him with the door and causing Show to fall out of the cage. During the assault, Henry would verbally assault Show and the officials helping him. It felt all so real with Henry's real life frustration with his spot in WWE, at least that's what I attribute it to. And of course, this was the same night as CM Punk's Pipe Bomb promo so yeah...
Henry would defeat Show at Money in the Bank 2011 and would break Big Show's leg with the a steel chair. After this, Mark Henry would coin what he was doing the Hall of Pain. Anyone who he assaulted was entered and Show was the first inhabitant of it. After putting Sheamus through a barricade and winning at SummerSlam, Henry became the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Title, which Randy Orton just won. With Orton just winning the title, it was no way that Henry would be able to take the title off of him. Right? Wrong. At Night of Champions 2011, Mark Henry's 15 year career was vindicated as he became the World Heavyweight Champion after hitting two World's Strongest Slams on the Viper.
Henry's title win was solidified with his coronation speech. Josh Matthews got in the ring after Henry won to conduct an interview with him.I'm paraphrasing but Henry went off. "You didn't believe did? You didn't believe that I would be holding the most coveted title in professional wrestling, did you? And don't start cheering! Don't start cheering because none of you believed it either. You're all doubters! You're all haters! I'd like to welcome you all to the Hall of PAIN! This is my moment and I'm not sharing it with none of you. I'm going to be the most dominant champion, I'm taking on all comers and I'm never losing this title!" Then once he got out the ring, Henry berated the crowd. I'm assuming he saw someone with a replica World Title and yelled, "Yours is fake! Mine is real!" Classic. The last line was the best one. "You came to see me. Welcome to the Mark Henry Era!" Mark Henry's win was a culmination of a new anger and it's one that was much deserved. The reign only lasted 90 days and they made Henry a typical coward champion but that cannot take away from this moment.
8. The Miz wins the WWE Title – Raw 2010
WWE had some amazing young talent in the late 2000s. Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase were just a few. None of those guys ended up being WWE Champion though. You know who did? The Miz. Yes, Mike Mizanin from the Real World. Never in a million years would I have thought that Miz would have even gotten a shot at the title, let alone win it but he did just that. How though? How was Miz able to become champion in the first place? Miz was fortunate enough to get to team with John Morrison, who had amazing talent himself and was destined to be one of the top youth talents WWE had. Miz's time was obviously limited and once they wanted to make Morrison a singles star, it was going to be game over for the Miz. Miz and Morrison won multiple tag team titles and became a hit, hosting their own WWE.com show, which became very popular. They would finally split once the draft split them up and they both found singles success. Miz won the US Title and Morrison the Intercontinental. They met at Bragging Rights, with Miz going over and Miz would lead his team to victory against Morrison's at Survivor Series. Miz's stock continued to soar, holding the US Title for over 7 months and he became a top heel on Raw. When Raw's Money in the Bank match came around, Miz was able to retrieve the briefcase.
The Internet Wrestling Community predicted that Miz would be the first guy to cash in and lose his title match, simply because The Miz as WWE Champion just couldn't happen. Right? Wrong. After holding onto the contract for 4 months, Miz saw his opportunity come on the Raw following Survivor Series 2010. Randy Orton just completed the burial of The Nexus and Wade Barrett's career but he did it with an injury to his leg. The Miz smelling a gold opportunity rushed to the ring for his title match. Shocking the entire wrestling community, The Miz did what every other MITB holder did, win a World Title. The Miz became the WWE Champion after hitting the Skull Crushing Finale. I went ballistic when this happened. I didn't get to see this live as I had work but I didn't spoil myself to what happened either. I yelled so loud and watched it over about 100 times that night. The Miz's title win will be forever remembered by that little girl who had an evil scowl on her face but look at the video again. If you look in the stands, there's another kid who is losing his freaking mind over the win. In the GIF below, look at the stands right where Miz is holding the title up. That was how I reacted as well. The kid's brain just melted.
Miz's title win was shocking, especially because of how he was used when he debuted with the company. Miz is truly a rags to riches type story. He was always seen as the Marty Jennety of the team with him and Morrison but he was able to fight past the doubters and become champion, a champion that main evented Wrestlemania and defeated John Cena. A bad Wrestlemania and not a clean finish but who cares, he did it! Miz got a lot of eyes on WWE with his win as well and he looked poised to be the next top guy in the company but that never happened. Miz is still around today and is a good mid carder, but time will tell if he will get back to this level again.
WWE had some amazing young talent in the late 2000s. Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase were just a few. None of those guys ended up being WWE Champion though. You know who did? The Miz. Yes, Mike Mizanin from the Real World. Never in a million years would I have thought that Miz would have even gotten a shot at the title, let alone win it but he did just that. How though? How was Miz able to become champion in the first place? Miz was fortunate enough to get to team with John Morrison, who had amazing talent himself and was destined to be one of the top youth talents WWE had. Miz's time was obviously limited and once they wanted to make Morrison a singles star, it was going to be game over for the Miz. Miz and Morrison won multiple tag team titles and became a hit, hosting their own WWE.com show, which became very popular. They would finally split once the draft split them up and they both found singles success. Miz won the US Title and Morrison the Intercontinental. They met at Bragging Rights, with Miz going over and Miz would lead his team to victory against Morrison's at Survivor Series. Miz's stock continued to soar, holding the US Title for over 7 months and he became a top heel on Raw. When Raw's Money in the Bank match came around, Miz was able to retrieve the briefcase.
The Internet Wrestling Community predicted that Miz would be the first guy to cash in and lose his title match, simply because The Miz as WWE Champion just couldn't happen. Right? Wrong. After holding onto the contract for 4 months, Miz saw his opportunity come on the Raw following Survivor Series 2010. Randy Orton just completed the burial of The Nexus and Wade Barrett's career but he did it with an injury to his leg. The Miz smelling a gold opportunity rushed to the ring for his title match. Shocking the entire wrestling community, The Miz did what every other MITB holder did, win a World Title. The Miz became the WWE Champion after hitting the Skull Crushing Finale. I went ballistic when this happened. I didn't get to see this live as I had work but I didn't spoil myself to what happened either. I yelled so loud and watched it over about 100 times that night. The Miz's title win will be forever remembered by that little girl who had an evil scowl on her face but look at the video again. If you look in the stands, there's another kid who is losing his freaking mind over the win. In the GIF below, look at the stands right where Miz is holding the title up. That was how I reacted as well. The kid's brain just melted.
Miz's title win was shocking, especially because of how he was used when he debuted with the company. Miz is truly a rags to riches type story. He was always seen as the Marty Jennety of the team with him and Morrison but he was able to fight past the doubters and become champion, a champion that main evented Wrestlemania and defeated John Cena. A bad Wrestlemania and not a clean finish but who cares, he did it! Miz got a lot of eyes on WWE with his win as well and he looked poised to be the next top guy in the company but that never happened. Miz is still around today and is a good mid carder, but time will tell if he will get back to this level again.
7. Bayley wins the NXT Women's Title - NXT Takeover Brooklyn
It's hard to believe that a recent title change made it this high on the list but when you realize everything that was associated with the win, you'll see why I put it here. Let's start from the beginning. WWE NXT was WWE's developmental center, where they would train future stars of the company and prepare them. NXT became a weekly TV show, only broadcast on Hulu and other online channels, that is, until the WWE Network came around in 2014. WWE used NXT as a guinea pig as they would have the brand's first live event on the WWE Network as a way to prepare everyone for Wrestlemania 30. The network just came out so WWE wanted to make sure all the kinks would be good just in time for Mania. WWE put on a good show, a glimpse into the future of WWE and on the show, two women, two of the hopeful shining stars of the division, Paige and Emma arguably stole the show with their mat based match. To see the women actually get a proper build and payoff was shocking, at least for me. WWE had always used the women's matches post Trish/Lita as bathroom breaks. Paige/Emma wasn't a piss break, it was a marquee match. As the live events continued, the women took the place as the last match before the main event and there were some definite great matches. Charlotte VS Natalya, Charlotte VS Sasha Banks and Sasha Banks VS Becky Lynch are just a few of the amazing main event lead in matches that took place. When NXT announced they were doing a live Takeover Special on SummerSlam weekend in the Barclays Center, the same arena hosting SummerSlam, it was clear that the brand had made it.
In July of 2015, WWE launched a Divas Revolution which was inspired by all the triumph of women in sports that year. The revolution involved calling up Sasha, Charlotte and Becky to the main roster to mix things up. Bayley, the remaining member of the Four Hoursewomen of NXT, stayed behind and began her quest for a NXT Women's Championship match. Bayley is the underdog of the division. She's the lovable loser. She's come close so many times before but she was never able to win the big one. Bayley would go on her own redemption tour, which was like Sami Zayn's tour he did which I covered earlier. First, she defeated Emma, a woman who tormented her and encouraged her to change her ways to get ahead. Next, she had to defeat the one woman she never beat and probably the best in the division, Charlotte. She did so in spectacular fashion and moved onto a #1 contender's match for the title against Becky Lynch, who herself turned on Bayley to further her career. Bayley won there and the match was set; Sasha Banks would defend the NXT Women's Championship against Bayley in front of the biggest NXT crowd yet. You following me?
Although it was a women's match and the penultimate match, it had all the feelings of a main event. The awesome promo package built up the match even more and pushed the issue that Bayley was being left behind by her other peers. When it finally came time for the match, the ladies stole the show. Almost 20 minutes the two went and it was filled with so much raw emotion, storytelling and great in ring action. The end came after Bayley hit a reverse hurricanarana of the top rope, followed by her Bayley to Belly suplex for the win and the victory, much to the crowd's approval. It was the match of the year for 2015. A special moment in time where everything came together so perfectly. At the end, Sasha and Bayley embraced along with Becky and Charlotte and had a nice moment.
It was such a magical moment for all involved. Everything came together so well and so perfect that as far as women's title changes go, this one will be hard to beat. If you combine the build, the story, the players and the payoff, you'll see why. It's only right that this is #7 on the list and the highest ranking women's title change, especially since it's probably the best women's match WWE has ever put on. Bravo WWE. Bravo.
It's hard to believe that a recent title change made it this high on the list but when you realize everything that was associated with the win, you'll see why I put it here. Let's start from the beginning. WWE NXT was WWE's developmental center, where they would train future stars of the company and prepare them. NXT became a weekly TV show, only broadcast on Hulu and other online channels, that is, until the WWE Network came around in 2014. WWE used NXT as a guinea pig as they would have the brand's first live event on the WWE Network as a way to prepare everyone for Wrestlemania 30. The network just came out so WWE wanted to make sure all the kinks would be good just in time for Mania. WWE put on a good show, a glimpse into the future of WWE and on the show, two women, two of the hopeful shining stars of the division, Paige and Emma arguably stole the show with their mat based match. To see the women actually get a proper build and payoff was shocking, at least for me. WWE had always used the women's matches post Trish/Lita as bathroom breaks. Paige/Emma wasn't a piss break, it was a marquee match. As the live events continued, the women took the place as the last match before the main event and there were some definite great matches. Charlotte VS Natalya, Charlotte VS Sasha Banks and Sasha Banks VS Becky Lynch are just a few of the amazing main event lead in matches that took place. When NXT announced they were doing a live Takeover Special on SummerSlam weekend in the Barclays Center, the same arena hosting SummerSlam, it was clear that the brand had made it.
In July of 2015, WWE launched a Divas Revolution which was inspired by all the triumph of women in sports that year. The revolution involved calling up Sasha, Charlotte and Becky to the main roster to mix things up. Bayley, the remaining member of the Four Hoursewomen of NXT, stayed behind and began her quest for a NXT Women's Championship match. Bayley is the underdog of the division. She's the lovable loser. She's come close so many times before but she was never able to win the big one. Bayley would go on her own redemption tour, which was like Sami Zayn's tour he did which I covered earlier. First, she defeated Emma, a woman who tormented her and encouraged her to change her ways to get ahead. Next, she had to defeat the one woman she never beat and probably the best in the division, Charlotte. She did so in spectacular fashion and moved onto a #1 contender's match for the title against Becky Lynch, who herself turned on Bayley to further her career. Bayley won there and the match was set; Sasha Banks would defend the NXT Women's Championship against Bayley in front of the biggest NXT crowd yet. You following me?
Although it was a women's match and the penultimate match, it had all the feelings of a main event. The awesome promo package built up the match even more and pushed the issue that Bayley was being left behind by her other peers. When it finally came time for the match, the ladies stole the show. Almost 20 minutes the two went and it was filled with so much raw emotion, storytelling and great in ring action. The end came after Bayley hit a reverse hurricanarana of the top rope, followed by her Bayley to Belly suplex for the win and the victory, much to the crowd's approval. It was the match of the year for 2015. A special moment in time where everything came together so perfectly. At the end, Sasha and Bayley embraced along with Becky and Charlotte and had a nice moment.
It was such a magical moment for all involved. Everything came together so well and so perfect that as far as women's title changes go, this one will be hard to beat. If you combine the build, the story, the players and the payoff, you'll see why. It's only right that this is #7 on the list and the highest ranking women's title change, especially since it's probably the best women's match WWE has ever put on. Bravo WWE. Bravo.
6.
Randy Orton was bred for success. The business is in his blood. A third generation superstar, Orton was basically made to be a star. Obviously seeing something in the young man, Triple H and Ric Flair took him and Batista under their wing and formed Evolution. Ever hear of them? You know, the group that ruled Raw for 2 years? Anyway, Orton really grew into his own during his time with Evolution and WWE did a good job of building him up. He beat HBK in his singles debut on PPV, he led his team to victory as Survivor Series, he won the Intercontinental Title, led his team to victory at Wrestlemania over the Rock N Sock Connection and beat Mick Foley in a Hardcore match. Orton got to the 7 month mark with his title before Edge dethroned Orton in a fantastic match. The same night, Evolution leader Triple H lost to Chris Benoit again, basically pushing him to the back of the line.
When it was time to name a new #1 contender, they had a battle royale to see who would face Benoit at SummerSlam. Orton was the sole survivor and gained himself the title match. Orton was involved in the SummerSlam Elimination Chamber in 2003 and had come full circle. Orton and Benoit were put in the main event slot in front of a very pro Orton crowd. They were in Toronto and Canada is known for it's vicious crowds and this one was no different. Even though Benoit is FROM Canada. The match was a mat based affair and the ending saw Orton reverse the Crippler Crossface right into the RKO for the 1-2-3 and his first ever World Heavyweight Championship. In the process, Randy Orton became the youngest World Champion in WWE history, winning it at the tender age of 24.
Was the young Orton ready to hold the title? Was it smart to have him be the champion of the flagship show of WWE? In the end, it doesn't matter. Orton's title win here launched a Hall of Fame career as he would win 11 more in the years to come. I clearly remember this title win as I was a big Orton fan at this time. My 13 year old self couldn't contain his excitement. I went crazy over the title change, so crazy, that I put up an Orton biography on the wall downstairs in my house. I was that excited. I rewatched the moment about a billion times that day. It was such an awesome moment to experience and Orton is one of the first stars I followed from the beginning of their WWE careers. It's amazing to see how far he's come in the past 12 years. It all started with this faithful night in Toronto.
Randy Orton was bred for success. The business is in his blood. A third generation superstar, Orton was basically made to be a star. Obviously seeing something in the young man, Triple H and Ric Flair took him and Batista under their wing and formed Evolution. Ever hear of them? You know, the group that ruled Raw for 2 years? Anyway, Orton really grew into his own during his time with Evolution and WWE did a good job of building him up. He beat HBK in his singles debut on PPV, he led his team to victory as Survivor Series, he won the Intercontinental Title, led his team to victory at Wrestlemania over the Rock N Sock Connection and beat Mick Foley in a Hardcore match. Orton got to the 7 month mark with his title before Edge dethroned Orton in a fantastic match. The same night, Evolution leader Triple H lost to Chris Benoit again, basically pushing him to the back of the line.
When it was time to name a new #1 contender, they had a battle royale to see who would face Benoit at SummerSlam. Orton was the sole survivor and gained himself the title match. Orton was involved in the SummerSlam Elimination Chamber in 2003 and had come full circle. Orton and Benoit were put in the main event slot in front of a very pro Orton crowd. They were in Toronto and Canada is known for it's vicious crowds and this one was no different. Even though Benoit is FROM Canada. The match was a mat based affair and the ending saw Orton reverse the Crippler Crossface right into the RKO for the 1-2-3 and his first ever World Heavyweight Championship. In the process, Randy Orton became the youngest World Champion in WWE history, winning it at the tender age of 24.
Was the young Orton ready to hold the title? Was it smart to have him be the champion of the flagship show of WWE? In the end, it doesn't matter. Orton's title win here launched a Hall of Fame career as he would win 11 more in the years to come. I clearly remember this title win as I was a big Orton fan at this time. My 13 year old self couldn't contain his excitement. I went crazy over the title change, so crazy, that I put up an Orton biography on the wall downstairs in my house. I was that excited. I rewatched the moment about a billion times that day. It was such an awesome moment to experience and Orton is one of the first stars I followed from the beginning of their WWE careers. It's amazing to see how far he's come in the past 12 years. It all started with this faithful night in Toronto.
5. Dolph Ziggler wins the World Heavyweight Title - Raw 2013
Money in the Bank cash ins are always good. I've already featured a few on the list. The unpredictability of it all makes for a memorable moment. Dolph Ziggler did it in spectacular fashion in 2013. Ziggler for many years was the workhorse of WWE. He would always put on the best matches but he could never capture that elusive crown jewel. His first reign as World Champion was basically given to him and it only lasted about 11 minutes. He would float around the mid card for a year, putting on great matches with just about anybody he came in contact with. Ziggler would have to wait a full year from his first World Title reign before he would have any real direction. At Money in the Bank 2012, the briefcase was going to one of two men; Dolph Ziggler or Cody Rhodes. Both men were on the rise on Smackdown and looked to be breakout stars. In the end, it was Dolph Ziggler who was able to grab the briefcase and earn a title shot whenever he wanted.
With a new focus, Ziggler was given direction as he started feuds with some major WWE stars, including Chris Jericho, Randy Orton and of course John Cena. As we entered 2013, it looked very likely that Ziggler would cash in at Wrestlemania, especially seeing how the title match was between Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio. Much to the crowd's dismay, this wouldn't be the cash in attempt at Wrestlemania. The fans would have to wait another night for that but thankfully, it wasn't too long. After Del Rio defeated Swagger again in the rematch for the title on the Raw afterwards, his ankle was injured. The crowd knew it was coming and when Ziggler's music finally hit, the IZOD Center erupted. It might have been one of the biggest pops in WWE history. It was time. It looked like Del Rio was going to pull off the upset as he locked Ziggler in the cross armbreaker but Ziggler twisted the ankle to get out of that. Ziggler hit his finisher the Zig-Zag for the win and his 2nd World Heavyweight Championship. Did I mention the crowd was loud?
An absolutely fantastic moment in WWE history. Ziggler went from the main event picture to obscurity back to the main event picture and the biggest cash in since Edge first did it. It's not hard to see why this made it so high on list. I mean, did you here that freaking pop? It was a title change that they were building for over 200 days and it's good that WWE actually built on the star before just giving him the title. It's insane how WWE dropped the ball on Ziggler afterwards but like with many of these changes, I'm just glad it happened. Well deserved!
Money in the Bank cash ins are always good. I've already featured a few on the list. The unpredictability of it all makes for a memorable moment. Dolph Ziggler did it in spectacular fashion in 2013. Ziggler for many years was the workhorse of WWE. He would always put on the best matches but he could never capture that elusive crown jewel. His first reign as World Champion was basically given to him and it only lasted about 11 minutes. He would float around the mid card for a year, putting on great matches with just about anybody he came in contact with. Ziggler would have to wait a full year from his first World Title reign before he would have any real direction. At Money in the Bank 2012, the briefcase was going to one of two men; Dolph Ziggler or Cody Rhodes. Both men were on the rise on Smackdown and looked to be breakout stars. In the end, it was Dolph Ziggler who was able to grab the briefcase and earn a title shot whenever he wanted.
With a new focus, Ziggler was given direction as he started feuds with some major WWE stars, including Chris Jericho, Randy Orton and of course John Cena. As we entered 2013, it looked very likely that Ziggler would cash in at Wrestlemania, especially seeing how the title match was between Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio. Much to the crowd's dismay, this wouldn't be the cash in attempt at Wrestlemania. The fans would have to wait another night for that but thankfully, it wasn't too long. After Del Rio defeated Swagger again in the rematch for the title on the Raw afterwards, his ankle was injured. The crowd knew it was coming and when Ziggler's music finally hit, the IZOD Center erupted. It might have been one of the biggest pops in WWE history. It was time. It looked like Del Rio was going to pull off the upset as he locked Ziggler in the cross armbreaker but Ziggler twisted the ankle to get out of that. Ziggler hit his finisher the Zig-Zag for the win and his 2nd World Heavyweight Championship. Did I mention the crowd was loud?
An absolutely fantastic moment in WWE history. Ziggler went from the main event picture to obscurity back to the main event picture and the biggest cash in since Edge first did it. It's not hard to see why this made it so high on list. I mean, did you here that freaking pop? It was a title change that they were building for over 200 days and it's good that WWE actually built on the star before just giving him the title. It's insane how WWE dropped the ball on Ziggler afterwards but like with many of these changes, I'm just glad it happened. Well deserved!
4. Daniel Bryan wins the WWE World Heavyweight Title - Wrestlemania 30
WWE told an old story and it took them 8 months for them to tell it. It was a hard 8 months and it almost didn't have the payoff everyone wanted. It all started when Daniel Bryan started getting way over during the summer of 2013. The Yes chants were starting to take off and WWE couldn't ignore the fans. Bryan was put in a title match with John Cena by John Cena himself at SummerSlam. Bryan won clean and in the process, became WWE Champion. The dream ended quickly as Orton cashed in his MITB contract thanks to the special guest referee Triple H turning heel and nailing Bryan with a Pedigree. We've covered this already but I'm just giving a refresher. Anyway, Triple H explained that Bryan was good but he wasn't a top star. He was a B+ player and Triple H couldn't have him being the star of the company. Bryan would beat Orton in the rematch at Night of Champions but would be stripped of the title the next night due to the referee doing a fast count. Orton and Bryan would fight for the title at the next two PPVs before Orton would prevail and Bryan would be pushed down.
Bryan would be put in a feud with the Wyatt Family, away from the WWE Title. WWE decided to unify the WWE and World Titles at TLC and during a Raw in Seattle, Bryan's hometown, there was a segment where they had all the former WWE and World Champions in the same ring and the crowd hijacked Raw. They would not stop chanting for Bryan. They tried to ignore it but Mark Henry raised Bryan's arm and Cena said if he was the one to win the titles, he would give Bryan a shot. Cena lost by the way.
The Royal Rumble came around and Bryan was a favorite to win it. He wasn't an announced participant in the match because of his match with Wyatt on the show but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be in the match. Right? Wrong. Daniel Bryan wasn't in the match and the crowd was livid. Rey Mysterio was #30 and because the crowd realized Bryan no longer had a chance, they booed him! They booed Rey Mysterio, a face for his entire WWE career. They began to cheer Roman Reigns (ha!) over the expected winner Batista. When Batista did finally win, they crucified him. It was bad but it's an important moment.
WWE told an old story and it took them 8 months for them to tell it. It was a hard 8 months and it almost didn't have the payoff everyone wanted. It all started when Daniel Bryan started getting way over during the summer of 2013. The Yes chants were starting to take off and WWE couldn't ignore the fans. Bryan was put in a title match with John Cena by John Cena himself at SummerSlam. Bryan won clean and in the process, became WWE Champion. The dream ended quickly as Orton cashed in his MITB contract thanks to the special guest referee Triple H turning heel and nailing Bryan with a Pedigree. We've covered this already but I'm just giving a refresher. Anyway, Triple H explained that Bryan was good but he wasn't a top star. He was a B+ player and Triple H couldn't have him being the star of the company. Bryan would beat Orton in the rematch at Night of Champions but would be stripped of the title the next night due to the referee doing a fast count. Orton and Bryan would fight for the title at the next two PPVs before Orton would prevail and Bryan would be pushed down.
Bryan would be put in a feud with the Wyatt Family, away from the WWE Title. WWE decided to unify the WWE and World Titles at TLC and during a Raw in Seattle, Bryan's hometown, there was a segment where they had all the former WWE and World Champions in the same ring and the crowd hijacked Raw. They would not stop chanting for Bryan. They tried to ignore it but Mark Henry raised Bryan's arm and Cena said if he was the one to win the titles, he would give Bryan a shot. Cena lost by the way.
The Royal Rumble came around and Bryan was a favorite to win it. He wasn't an announced participant in the match because of his match with Wyatt on the show but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be in the match. Right? Wrong. Daniel Bryan wasn't in the match and the crowd was livid. Rey Mysterio was #30 and because the crowd realized Bryan no longer had a chance, they booed him! They booed Rey Mysterio, a face for his entire WWE career. They began to cheer Roman Reigns (ha!) over the expected winner Batista. When Batista did finally win, they crucified him. It was bad but it's an important moment.
The crowd was NOT happy...
The main event of Wrestlemania XXX wasn't set yet as Orton defended the title in an Elimination Chamber match. It came down to Orton and Bryan and thanks to some heel tactics, Orton walked out as champion and set up Batista VS Orton as the main event. Yay. Bryan on the other hand, was looking like he would face Triple H at Wrestlemania and they went that route but Bryan took it a step further. He hijacked Raw with dozens of fans and they wouldn't leave until Bryan's demands were met. He not only did he want to face Triple H at Wrestlemania, he wanted to be added to the title match if he won. Bold! Bryan was going to pull a Bret Hart Wrestlemania X here! Triple H accepted begrudgingly.
Wrestlemania came around and Bryan and Triple H started the show. It began to dawn on me that if Bryan was to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion, he would have to defeat 3/4s of Evolution to do it. That's...a daunting task. Bryan was able to play The Game as he defeated Triple H to advance to the title match. Bryan was beaten up by The Game after the match. During the main event, Batista and Orton double teamed Bryan and even put him through a table in one of the most vicious WWE PG spots of all time but Bryan would not be denied. Batista hit Orton with a Batista Bomb only to have Bryan run in and hit a flying knee and lock The Animal in the Yes Lock. Batista didn't last long as he tapped out to give Daniel Bryan what would be his final reign as WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
What a moment...
It was the best payoff of this era, to see the guy who was always put down and was oppressed for the past 8 months, get his redemption on the grandest stage of them all. It's very cliche but damn, it worked out so well. It was the best wrestler in the company winning the top title at the biggest show. The story was all in place and to think, WWE almost really went with the main event of Batista VS Randy Orton. HAHAHAHA. Almost....This would also set up a future major title which of course, brings me to the next year's Wrestlemania.
3. Seth Rollins wins the WWE World Heavyweight Title - Wrestlemania 31
Opportunity. It was just waiting for Seth Rollins to take it and take it he did. Seth Rollins began his title chase back in June 2014, the day he turned on Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose and joined Triple H and The Authority. WWE would basically make a Money in the Bank match exclusively for Rollins to win in the coming month and win he did, thanks to The Authority. With the title within reach, Rollins began to slowly become the company's top heel, feuding with Dean Ambrose in the following months, which led to some chaotic battles, including the best Lumberjack match in WWE history and the insane Hell in a Cell with the double table spot from the mid point of the cell.
Rollins captained a team at Survivor Series and began a singles feud with John Cena, which he of course lost. Can't beat Superman guys! He was added to the Royal Rumble 2015 title match and stole the freaking show. The diving elbow through the announce table and the Phoenix Splash were just two of the highlights of having him in the match. It was easily one of the best WWE Title matches in recent memory. After this, he began a feud with former face of The Authority, Randy Orton and they would battle at Wrestlemania. Rollins was involved in another amazing spot as Orton hit a highlight reel RKO on him.
So, he was done right? Rollins had his Wrestlemania moment right? That's what we all thought but that wasn't it for him. Former Shield brethren Roman Reigns was in the main event that night, challenging the Beast Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Title. It was a great main event that featured some amazing moments. The best moment was after Brock Lesnar grounded Reigns with a F5. As neither man could move, Seth Rollins' music blasted through the arena as the stadium erupted. Rollins would cash in the MITB contract, a week shy of setting the record for holding it the longest. This would be the first piece of history for Rollins as he was the first man to cash in while a match was in place. It didn't take long for Rollins and after a vicious Curb Stomp, Seth Rollins captured his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship. This made Rollins the first alumni from the NXT brand to win the WWE Title and the first former NXT Champion to do the same. It was also the first cash in attempt at Wrestlemania in the 10 year existence of the Money in the Bank contract. And also, the first time a heel won and walked out the WWE Champion of the main event of Wrestlemania. (Yokozuna, I'm sorry.) Holy crap Rollins...
Talk about stealing a moment! Roman Reigns was prime picked as the next face of the company with his crowning moment going to be at Wrestlemania 31. As with Batista in the last post, severe fan backlash caused plans to change. It was a great change as Rollins truly deserved the title and his win impacted the NXT brand as the first man to win the title from the brand. It only makes sense that the first NXT Champion does it right? Everyone thought they had to make Reigns the future star but they had the Man there all along. I put this one over Bryan's simply because this was unexpected while everyone knew Bryan was going over at WM 30. Of course, this would have NEVER happened without some help from a rebel a few years earlier...
Opportunity. It was just waiting for Seth Rollins to take it and take it he did. Seth Rollins began his title chase back in June 2014, the day he turned on Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose and joined Triple H and The Authority. WWE would basically make a Money in the Bank match exclusively for Rollins to win in the coming month and win he did, thanks to The Authority. With the title within reach, Rollins began to slowly become the company's top heel, feuding with Dean Ambrose in the following months, which led to some chaotic battles, including the best Lumberjack match in WWE history and the insane Hell in a Cell with the double table spot from the mid point of the cell.
Rollins captained a team at Survivor Series and began a singles feud with John Cena, which he of course lost. Can't beat Superman guys! He was added to the Royal Rumble 2015 title match and stole the freaking show. The diving elbow through the announce table and the Phoenix Splash were just two of the highlights of having him in the match. It was easily one of the best WWE Title matches in recent memory. After this, he began a feud with former face of The Authority, Randy Orton and they would battle at Wrestlemania. Rollins was involved in another amazing spot as Orton hit a highlight reel RKO on him.
So, he was done right? Rollins had his Wrestlemania moment right? That's what we all thought but that wasn't it for him. Former Shield brethren Roman Reigns was in the main event that night, challenging the Beast Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Title. It was a great main event that featured some amazing moments. The best moment was after Brock Lesnar grounded Reigns with a F5. As neither man could move, Seth Rollins' music blasted through the arena as the stadium erupted. Rollins would cash in the MITB contract, a week shy of setting the record for holding it the longest. This would be the first piece of history for Rollins as he was the first man to cash in while a match was in place. It didn't take long for Rollins and after a vicious Curb Stomp, Seth Rollins captured his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship. This made Rollins the first alumni from the NXT brand to win the WWE Title and the first former NXT Champion to do the same. It was also the first cash in attempt at Wrestlemania in the 10 year existence of the Money in the Bank contract. And also, the first time a heel won and walked out the WWE Champion of the main event of Wrestlemania. (Yokozuna, I'm sorry.) Holy crap Rollins...
Talk about stealing a moment! Roman Reigns was prime picked as the next face of the company with his crowning moment going to be at Wrestlemania 31. As with Batista in the last post, severe fan backlash caused plans to change. It was a great change as Rollins truly deserved the title and his win impacted the NXT brand as the first man to win the title from the brand. It only makes sense that the first NXT Champion does it right? Everyone thought they had to make Reigns the future star but they had the Man there all along. I put this one over Bryan's simply because this was unexpected while everyone knew Bryan was going over at WM 30. Of course, this would have NEVER happened without some help from a rebel a few years earlier...
2. CM Punk wins the WWE Title - MITB 2011
Let's get something straight right now; the last three big title changes would NOT have happened if this one didn't take place. CM Punk's first run with the WWE Championship was so important to WWE that it's almost scary. Although I've told the story about a billion times but hey, one more time won't hurt.
In the summer of 2011, WWE just got done putting on the crap show Capitol Punishment, which featured a Barack Obama impersonator dancing in the ring before the main event. I wish I was lying. WWE was very stale, both golden boys Randy Orton and John Cena were their respective brand's champions. This would soon start to change. In a triple threat match, CM Punk defeated Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio to gain a shot at the WWE Title at Money in the Bank. Punk would announce to the crowd that his contract was coming to an end following the event and he intended to leave the PPV, from his hometown, with the WWE Championship. This was not a work. Punk's contract really was coming to an end and it was a rare time actually let reality come onto their scripted program. On June 27th, 2011, CM Punk sat on the stage and fired his infamous Pipe Bomb promo, talking about a lot of taboo things in WWE, like suck ups, Brock Lesnar and calling out to other wrestling promotions. In WWE now, it's not rare for this to even happen now. Hell, AJ Styles told Cena he BURIES guys like him on a recent Raw but in 2011, this was unheard of. It was the fresh air WWE needed.
The scathing promo crossed over the border of fact and fiction. Had that been written out before hand or was all that coming from CM Punk himself? You couldn't tell if it was a work or a reality. Punk was suspended on the Raw following but Cena got him reinstated, claiming the match had to happen but Vince himself added the caveat that if Cena couldn't beat Punk that he would be fired. With Punk reinstated, Vince and Punk negotiated over a new contract on the Raw leading to Money in the Bank. Punk and Vince would have a great promo, one that continued to blur the lines as Vince would even use Punk's real name and there was even swearing, taboo by 2011's standards. In the end, John Cena messed up the negotiations and Punk still claimed he was leaving after the PPV with the title.
Now, according to the Punk DVD tell all thing, Punk resigned with the company the DAY OF MITB but of course, they wouldn't tell the public. It would hurt the long term story of the match. MITB was going on and it was a hot event, featuring Daniel Bryan winning the Smackdown MITB and Christian winning his 2nd World Title. It all came down to the main event, which started at an unheard of 10PM. Usually WWE main events came on at 10:25 at the earliest in 2011. Anyway, Punk came out to a massive pop, not only because he was facing John Cena but because they were in Chicago, Punk's hometown. Cena was greeted with the loudest boos since he fought Rob Van Dam in 2006. The match was spectacular, the match of the PG Era. 5 star affair that went past 30 minutes. Vince tried to come down to cause a Montreal Screwjob type ending but Cena stopped it only to be caught by a GTS. It was enough to keep Cena down for the 3 count as CM Punk won his first WWE Championship, fourth overall World Title. The crowd was excited, Vince was livid, got on the headset and called for Del Rio to cash in his contract which he won earlier. Del Rio ran down but Punk was ready and hit him with a roundhouse kick. Punk then left through the crowd with the title in hand.
Let's get something straight right now; the last three big title changes would NOT have happened if this one didn't take place. CM Punk's first run with the WWE Championship was so important to WWE that it's almost scary. Although I've told the story about a billion times but hey, one more time won't hurt.
In the summer of 2011, WWE just got done putting on the crap show Capitol Punishment, which featured a Barack Obama impersonator dancing in the ring before the main event. I wish I was lying. WWE was very stale, both golden boys Randy Orton and John Cena were their respective brand's champions. This would soon start to change. In a triple threat match, CM Punk defeated Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio to gain a shot at the WWE Title at Money in the Bank. Punk would announce to the crowd that his contract was coming to an end following the event and he intended to leave the PPV, from his hometown, with the WWE Championship. This was not a work. Punk's contract really was coming to an end and it was a rare time actually let reality come onto their scripted program. On June 27th, 2011, CM Punk sat on the stage and fired his infamous Pipe Bomb promo, talking about a lot of taboo things in WWE, like suck ups, Brock Lesnar and calling out to other wrestling promotions. In WWE now, it's not rare for this to even happen now. Hell, AJ Styles told Cena he BURIES guys like him on a recent Raw but in 2011, this was unheard of. It was the fresh air WWE needed.
The scathing promo crossed over the border of fact and fiction. Had that been written out before hand or was all that coming from CM Punk himself? You couldn't tell if it was a work or a reality. Punk was suspended on the Raw following but Cena got him reinstated, claiming the match had to happen but Vince himself added the caveat that if Cena couldn't beat Punk that he would be fired. With Punk reinstated, Vince and Punk negotiated over a new contract on the Raw leading to Money in the Bank. Punk and Vince would have a great promo, one that continued to blur the lines as Vince would even use Punk's real name and there was even swearing, taboo by 2011's standards. In the end, John Cena messed up the negotiations and Punk still claimed he was leaving after the PPV with the title.
Now, according to the Punk DVD tell all thing, Punk resigned with the company the DAY OF MITB but of course, they wouldn't tell the public. It would hurt the long term story of the match. MITB was going on and it was a hot event, featuring Daniel Bryan winning the Smackdown MITB and Christian winning his 2nd World Title. It all came down to the main event, which started at an unheard of 10PM. Usually WWE main events came on at 10:25 at the earliest in 2011. Anyway, Punk came out to a massive pop, not only because he was facing John Cena but because they were in Chicago, Punk's hometown. Cena was greeted with the loudest boos since he fought Rob Van Dam in 2006. The match was spectacular, the match of the PG Era. 5 star affair that went past 30 minutes. Vince tried to come down to cause a Montreal Screwjob type ending but Cena stopped it only to be caught by a GTS. It was enough to keep Cena down for the 3 count as CM Punk won his first WWE Championship, fourth overall World Title. The crowd was excited, Vince was livid, got on the headset and called for Del Rio to cash in his contract which he won earlier. Del Rio ran down but Punk was ready and hit him with a roundhouse kick. Punk then left through the crowd with the title in hand.
Seriously, this title change is everything for current run WWE. Do you really think WWE would have pulled the trigger on guys like Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Seth Rollins or Dean Ambrose if Punk didn't break down the barriers in 2011? Do you think WWE would have sought after guys like Prince Devitt, Kevin Steen or AJ STYLES had not Punk won the title here? This whole Reality Era started because of CM Punk. It was the match of the year and it's still the best match WWE has put on this era. As with many of these title changes, it's really a shame that Punk isn't around now to personally see the change that he caused but I'm just thankful that it happened. I'll never forget the energy that night and I was all the way in Philadelphia, Thank you CM Punk.
1. Edge wins various World Titles - New Year's Revolution 2006, Raw 2006, Smackdown 2007, Armageddon 2007, One Night Stand 2008, Survivor Series 2008, Royal Rumble 2009, No Way Out 2009, Backlash 2009, TLC 2010, Smackdown 2011
This isn't fair I know but there has been no other wrestler besides Edge where I marked out for each and every one of his World Title victories. I've listed all 11 but I still think his first title win at New Year's Revolution was the one that set the standard for how he would be booked to win World Titles for the rest of his career. Edge was one of those guys who was still around from the Attitude Era but was being past by newer guys, like the whole Class of 2002 and several injuries held him back. When he finally did enter the fray, his face status wasn't met with the biggest reaction, which was very evident in 2004, when at a SummerSlam in Toronto, Edge's hometown, he didn't get a positive reaction, despite being face at the time. Edge would later become the Rated R Superstar and it would turn his entire career around.
Edge could never win the big one, probably because WWE only saw him as a tag team specialist. Chris Jericho would bring up the concept of the Money in the Bank contract ladder match, which would feature stars battling for an opportunity for a World Title battle whenever they wanted for up to a year. The match would take place at Wrestlemania and featured Edge, Christian, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Kane and Shelton Benjamin. Basically, all the top mid carders on Raw. It was a hell of a match and set the standard of the Money in the Bank ladder match. Benoit was close to winning it and was within reach of winning until Edge hit Benoit with a chair and sent him crashing down. This led to Edge grabbing the briefcase to win the match. This would be the start of his main event rise.
Edge would gain Lita as his valet, due to their real life relationship coming to light, which the fans didn't like as Lita was attached to Matt Hardy at the the time. Hardy would eventually come back to WWE to feud with Edge during the late summer months, which in the end, caused Hardy to be traded to Smackdown. All the while, Edge was still holding onto the briefcase, which he did defend against Matt Hardy during their feud. No one still knew how it all worked but we were about to find out.
As the year 2006 came about, Raw put on a PPV called New Year's Revolution, which featured Edge challenging Ric Flair for his Intercontinental Championship. Edge lost by DQ but he his night wasn't done just yet. John Cena was featured in the main event, trying to defend his WWE Title against Kurt Angle, Kane, Shawn Michaels, Chris Masters and Carlito and keep his 280 day title reign alive. Cena actually started the chamber match as well. After a half hour, Cena was victorious. Cena thought his night was done and out comes Vince McMahon, who announced that Edge was cashing in his Money in the Bank for a WWE Title match right now! The crowd started cheering as they were very anti Cena, even then. Edge took advantage and hit the first Spear on Cena. Somehow, he kicked out. Edge stayed his course and hit him with another Spear and won his first ever WWE Championship.
Edge's first win would set up a career for winning World Titles in this way. Let's talk; Edge won his 2nd WWE Title by taking advantage of Cena's FU on RVD in their Triple Threat, Edge won his first World Heavyweight Title by beating Mr. Kennedy and taking his MITB briefcase and then cashing in on Undertaker the next night, Edge would enlist the help of Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins to win World Heavyweight Title #2, La Famila helped Edge banish The Undertaker in a TLC match to win World Heavyweight Title #3, Edge returned from injury as a surprise entrant in the Triple H/Vladmir Kozlov match to win the WWE Title for a third time, Edge capitalized on Matt Hardy turning on Jeff Hardy to win WWE Title #4, Edge would lose that WWE Title in the first Elimination Chamber and then lock himself in the World Heavyweight Title Chamber match, which he won the World Heavyweight Title for the fourth time, Edge didn't even have anything to do with winning the World Title for the fifth time as Big Show threw Cena into a spotlight in their Last Man Standing match, Edge would return from injury and overcome Del Rio, Mysterio and Kane in a TLC match to win the World Title for the SIXTH time and then finally, after Ziggler was crowned champion by Vickie Guererro, Edge ended his reign in 11 minutes to win the World Heavyweight Title for the 7th time, giving him his 11th and final World title reign. WOW.
Edge would always win the World Title in spectacular fashion. I'm really only focusing on the first WWE Title win, but really, all 11 wins were amazing. Edge made a career off of winning the title by nefarious means, really making him the Rated R Superstar. The first Money in the Bank cash in made Edge a star, the match synonymous with opportunity for anyone who won it and set the precedent for all who won it. Edge was the best at winning World Titles and it sucks he was forced to retire so early in his career. Edge's first WWE Title win is my favorite title change of all time simply because it was unexpected, needed and awesome. I'll never forget January 8th, 2006.
There's the list! Did you enjoy it? Let me know what other lists you think I should do in the future. Thanks for reading everybody!!
This isn't fair I know but there has been no other wrestler besides Edge where I marked out for each and every one of his World Title victories. I've listed all 11 but I still think his first title win at New Year's Revolution was the one that set the standard for how he would be booked to win World Titles for the rest of his career. Edge was one of those guys who was still around from the Attitude Era but was being past by newer guys, like the whole Class of 2002 and several injuries held him back. When he finally did enter the fray, his face status wasn't met with the biggest reaction, which was very evident in 2004, when at a SummerSlam in Toronto, Edge's hometown, he didn't get a positive reaction, despite being face at the time. Edge would later become the Rated R Superstar and it would turn his entire career around.
Edge could never win the big one, probably because WWE only saw him as a tag team specialist. Chris Jericho would bring up the concept of the Money in the Bank contract ladder match, which would feature stars battling for an opportunity for a World Title battle whenever they wanted for up to a year. The match would take place at Wrestlemania and featured Edge, Christian, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Kane and Shelton Benjamin. Basically, all the top mid carders on Raw. It was a hell of a match and set the standard of the Money in the Bank ladder match. Benoit was close to winning it and was within reach of winning until Edge hit Benoit with a chair and sent him crashing down. This led to Edge grabbing the briefcase to win the match. This would be the start of his main event rise.
Edge would gain Lita as his valet, due to their real life relationship coming to light, which the fans didn't like as Lita was attached to Matt Hardy at the the time. Hardy would eventually come back to WWE to feud with Edge during the late summer months, which in the end, caused Hardy to be traded to Smackdown. All the while, Edge was still holding onto the briefcase, which he did defend against Matt Hardy during their feud. No one still knew how it all worked but we were about to find out.
As the year 2006 came about, Raw put on a PPV called New Year's Revolution, which featured Edge challenging Ric Flair for his Intercontinental Championship. Edge lost by DQ but he his night wasn't done just yet. John Cena was featured in the main event, trying to defend his WWE Title against Kurt Angle, Kane, Shawn Michaels, Chris Masters and Carlito and keep his 280 day title reign alive. Cena actually started the chamber match as well. After a half hour, Cena was victorious. Cena thought his night was done and out comes Vince McMahon, who announced that Edge was cashing in his Money in the Bank for a WWE Title match right now! The crowd started cheering as they were very anti Cena, even then. Edge took advantage and hit the first Spear on Cena. Somehow, he kicked out. Edge stayed his course and hit him with another Spear and won his first ever WWE Championship.
Edge's first win would set up a career for winning World Titles in this way. Let's talk; Edge won his 2nd WWE Title by taking advantage of Cena's FU on RVD in their Triple Threat, Edge won his first World Heavyweight Title by beating Mr. Kennedy and taking his MITB briefcase and then cashing in on Undertaker the next night, Edge would enlist the help of Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins to win World Heavyweight Title #2, La Famila helped Edge banish The Undertaker in a TLC match to win World Heavyweight Title #3, Edge returned from injury as a surprise entrant in the Triple H/Vladmir Kozlov match to win the WWE Title for a third time, Edge capitalized on Matt Hardy turning on Jeff Hardy to win WWE Title #4, Edge would lose that WWE Title in the first Elimination Chamber and then lock himself in the World Heavyweight Title Chamber match, which he won the World Heavyweight Title for the fourth time, Edge didn't even have anything to do with winning the World Title for the fifth time as Big Show threw Cena into a spotlight in their Last Man Standing match, Edge would return from injury and overcome Del Rio, Mysterio and Kane in a TLC match to win the World Title for the SIXTH time and then finally, after Ziggler was crowned champion by Vickie Guererro, Edge ended his reign in 11 minutes to win the World Heavyweight Title for the 7th time, giving him his 11th and final World title reign. WOW.
Edge would always win the World Title in spectacular fashion. I'm really only focusing on the first WWE Title win, but really, all 11 wins were amazing. Edge made a career off of winning the title by nefarious means, really making him the Rated R Superstar. The first Money in the Bank cash in made Edge a star, the match synonymous with opportunity for anyone who won it and set the precedent for all who won it. Edge was the best at winning World Titles and it sucks he was forced to retire so early in his career. Edge's first WWE Title win is my favorite title change of all time simply because it was unexpected, needed and awesome. I'll never forget January 8th, 2006.
There's the list! Did you enjoy it? Let me know what other lists you think I should do in the future. Thanks for reading everybody!!
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