There is a common misconception that a person can either love professional wrestling or hate it. However, we can prove that WWE events can hardly be called boring even if you have never been interested in sports before. We have collected ten facts about the championship that can surprise even advanced fans who seem to know it all.
The WWE is the most important event in the world of professional wrestling and, consequently, offers the biggest reward for the winner. Many participants have found fame in sports, and some have even made it to Hollywood since the championship establishment in the 1960s. The WWE has had eleven names throughout its dramatic history, changed the rules, and shocked the viewers with unprecedented audacity. Let us take a look at ten moments that have shaped the wrestling culture.
- The Longest Break
Bob Backlund is known in wrestling for his performance both in the 70s and the 80s, the time when professional wrestling gained popularity it had never seen before. He became a champion for the first time in 1978 after beating Billy Graham, but after that, he had not won a single fight until 1983. After that, he went unsuccessful for nine years and had the longest break between two reigns that the WWE has ever seen — 3,985 days.
- Hell in a Cell
When Randy Orton became a champion by beating John Cena inside Hell in A Cell event in 2009, it was the only time this has ever been achieved and has never been repeated since. One of the things that could have helped the champion was that he had performed in Hell in a Cell before and could use the experience to build his strategy. However, the audience was shocked, and the number of Randy’s fans raided significantly within one night.
- Not Defended Title
Fans know that all titles are defended in this event, but it has not actually always been like that. The first-ever WrestleMania went in a different direction, though it attracted a lot of attention after inviting legends such as Mr.T and Hulk Hogan. It even included Muckamed Ali as a guest referee.
- The Ninth WrestleMania Controversy
This event in 1993 was the only one in WWE history when the champion’s name changed twice in one evening. The first champion was Yokozuna when he took over Bret Hart, but after that, things went a bit unexpected as Hulk Hogan suddenly approached him and started a fight. After winning this unplanned fight, he managed to become the new champion. He wrote his name into the history of professional wrestling, becoming the first champion ever to get his title on the same night the previous one did.
- Survivor Series Champions
WrestleMania is known for the number of champions titles that change very fast. However, not all fans know that Survivor Series are actually not far behind. If the former has seen 24 WWE title changes, the latter has hosted 12.
- Title Changes
Suppose we are talking about the number of title changes in professional wrestling. In that case, WWE generally is not a place to relax, as becoming a champion is much easier than remaining one. For example, The Rock managed to win twice in 1999. This makes things tough for the competitors but makes life more interesting for fans because they do not have to wait long to visit another big event.
- The Night of 2007
We have mentioned previously that there has been only one event where the champion changed twice within a night. Well, if that shocked you, take a look at the results of the 2007 WWE. In this event, the champion changes three times after one got an injury and another one was defeated in a sudden fight with one of the present wrestlers.
- The 2002 Race of Champions
The 2002 WWE was probably the most intense and, therefore, the most interesting for the audience. Within only one year, eight different wrestlers managed to become champions one after another. The number had never been so high before and has never met this level since.
- Fresh Champions
It is also interesting that twenty people who have managed to win the WWE championship had never won any other championships before. Such strong debuts clearly show that power and passion are more important in wrestling than experience and preparation.
- The Four Ultimate Champions
One of the things that can turn you into a legend of wrestling is winning championships in three different decades. This was the case for only four WWE champions: Triple H, Randy Orton, The Rock, and Hulk Hogan. No wonder they are famous enough to be known not only among wrestling fans but also among people far from any sports culture. All of them have also started a relatively successful show business career, some even getting main roles in Hollywood films.
Bottom Line
WWE has become so popular because it combines two major parts of modern culture — sport and entertainment. The events are as interesting from a wrestling perspective as they are spectacular. Still, to understand why people are so into it, one must actually visit an event and dive into its atmosphere. Who knows, maybe you will be lucky enough to witness the next legendary moment. Go to https://www.koobit.com/wwe-c47 to find the best WWE tickets in 2022.
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