WWE Championship Title Changes

- Buddy Rogers was awarded the title on January 25, 1963 following Vince McMahon Sr. breaking away from the National Wrestling Alliance to establish the World Wide Wrestling Federation

New York City, NY Madison Square Garden May 17, 1963 - Bruno Sammartino defeated WWWF World Champion Buddy Rogers via submission with a backbreaker in 48 seconds to win the title

New York City, NY Madison Square Garden January 18, 1971 - Ivan Koloff pinned WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino with a bodyslam and knee drop off the top rope to win the title at 14:55 after kicking the champion in the face as he charged into the corner

New York City, NY Madison Square Garden February 8, 1971 - US Champion Pedro Morales pinned WWWF World Champion Ivan Koloff to win the title at 23:18 kicking off the top turnbuckle as Koloff had him in a waist lock, with both men falling backwards and having their shoulders down, but Morales lifting his at the count of 2

Philadelphia, PA Arena December 1, 1973 - Stan Stasiak pinned WWWF World Champion Pedro Morales to win the title at 17:42 when all four men's shoulders were down following a back suplex from the champion; after the bout, Stasiak was not announced as the new champion for fear of a riot - rather the ring announcer simply said "Let's hear it for a great champion, Pedro Morales"; the title change was announced the following Saturday on television; Barney Solomon was the referee for the bout

New York City, NY Madison Square Garden December 10, 1973 - Bruno Sammartino pinned WWWF World Champion Stan Stasiak at 12:35 to win the title; prior to the bout, Sammartino was escorted to the ring by Arnold Skaaland and the Grand Wizard escorted the champion

Baltimore, MD Civic Center April 30, 1977 - Superstar Billy Graham pinned WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino (w/ Arnold Skaaland) to win the title at 13:43 with a leg pick up and putting both feet on the top rope for leverage

New York City, NY Madison Square Garden February 20, 1978 - Bob Backlund pinned WWWF World Champion Superstar Billy Graham to win the title at 15:51 with the atomic drop, even though the champion's foot was on the bottom rope during the pinfall; voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Match of the Year

Tokusima, Japan City Gymnasium November 30, 1979 - NWF World Champion Antonio Inoki pinned WWF World Champion Bob Backlund with a back suplex to win the title after kicking out of the champion's atomic drop at 28:16; only Backlund’s title was on the line

New York City, NY Madison Square Garden December 17, 1979 - Bob Backlund defeated Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death Match at 17:18; the title was held up following a controversial rematch between Backlund and Inoki on December 6 so this match was held to determine the new champion; the title controversy and Inoki's win was not announced in the US; Backlund came to the ring without the title belt and was not announced as champion prior to the contest

- The title was declared vacant in New York City only following a controversial bout between Backlund and Greg Valentine on 10/19/81 in which the dazed referee raised Valentine's arm in victory, thinking it was Backlund, after the champion had scored the pinfall. A rematch was held on 11/23/81 with Backlund defeating Valentine. Backlund defended the belt in other cities between the two matches taking place.

New York City, NY Madison Square Garden December 26, 1983 - The Iron Sheik (w/ Freddie Blassie) defeated WWF World Champion Bob Backlund (w/ Arnold Skaaland) at 11:50 to win the title when Skaaland threw in the towel as Backlund was trapped in the Camel Clutch; moments prior to the finish, Backlund attempted his roll up into a bridge but was unable to keep it applied due to his injured neck

New York City, NY Madison Square Garden January 23, 1984 - Hulk Hogan pinned WWF World Champion the Iron Sheik (w/ Freddie Blassie) at 5:40 with the legdrop to win the title after ramming the champion back-first against the turnbuckle to escape the Camel Clutch (Hogan's return to MSG after a nearly 3-year absence)

The Main Event Indianapolis, IN Market Square Arena February 5, 1988 - Andre the Giant (w/ Ted Dibaise & Virgil) pinned WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan at 9:05 to win the title even though Hogan's shoulder came up before the three count; Ted Dibiase paid off Earl Hebner to fill in for his twin brother Dave as the referee for the match; according to storyline, Dibiase had plastic surgery done to get the referee to look like Dave; after the bout, Dibiase put the championship belt on as Dave Hebner ran into the ring and hit the other referee; Hogan then tossed Earl over the top rope onto Dibiase and Virgil; Dibiase was announced as the champion at house shows until the following weekend when WWF President Jack Tunney vacated the championship and ordered that a tournament take place at WrestleMania IV to determine the new champion; voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Match of the Year

WrestleMania IV Atlantic City, NJ Trump Plaza March 27, 1988 - A 14-man one-night tournament was held to determine the new title holder; prior to the finals, Randy Savage defeated Butch Reed, Greg Valentine, and the One Man Gang while Ted Dibiase defeated Jim Duggan and Don Muraco - WWF World Championship Tournament Finals: Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) pinned Ted Dibiase (w/ Andre the Giant) with the flying elbowsmash to win the title at 9:17 after Hulk Hogan interfered and hit Dibiase in the back with a chair as Savage was caught in the Million $ Dream; late in the bout, after interference from Andre, Elizabeth left ringside and later returned with Hogan; Bob Uecker was the guest ring announcer for the match, Vanna White was the guest timekeeper, and Robin Leach was the presenter for the world championship bel

WrestleMania V Atlantic City, NJ Trump Plaza April 2, 1989 - Hulk Hogan pinned WWF World Champion Randy Savage to win the title at 17:54 with the legdrop; Miss Elizabeth was in a neutral corner for the match until she was eventually sent backstage late in the contest; Savage hit the flying elbowsmash during the closing moments but Hogan kicked out at 2

WrestleMania VI Toronto, Ontario Skydome April 1, 1990 - WWF IC Champion the Ultimate Warrior pinned WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan to win the title at 22:50 with a splash after Hogan missed the legdrop; after the match, Hogan presented Warrior with the world title belt; both championships were on the line in the contest; voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Match of the Year

Royal Rumble 91 Miami, FL Arena January 19, 1991 - Sgt. Slaughter pinned WWF World Champion the Ultimate Warrior at 12:46 to win the title with an elbow drop after Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri interfered, with Savage smashing his scepter over Warrior's head; Gen. Adnan, who came ringside with Slaughter, ran backstage after the opening moments of the contest after Warrior easily fought off a double team attack; moments later, Sensational Sherri came ringside and grabbed Warrior's leg, with him chasing her down the asile until he was jumped by Randy Savage near the entrance way; Savage dropped Warrior with a clothesline and hit him across the back with a spotlight stand as Slaughter distracted the referee; late in the bout, Warrior hit the flying shoulderblock and prepared for the gorilla press slam but Sherri returned ringside and distracted the champion from the apron; moments later, Warrior pulled her into the ring and press slammed her onto Savage, who had just appeared ringside; seconds later, a knee to the back by Slaughter resulted in Warrior laying his head on the middle rope, allowing Savage to hit him in the head with the sceptor; after coming to his senses, Warrior ran backstage to find Savage

WrestleMania VII Los Angeles, CA Sports Arena March 24, 1991 - Hulk Hogan pinned WWF World Champion Sgt. Slaughter (w/ Gen. Adnan) to win the title at 20:23 with the legdrop after a boot to the face; in the final moments of the match, Slaughter laid the Iraqi flag across the challenger, went to cover him, and Hogan kicked out and Hulked up, which then led to the finish; Regis Philbin did guest commentary for the match; Alex Trebeck was the guest ring announcer and introduced both participants; Marla Maples was the guest time keeper for the bout; in footage not seen on the pay-per-view but later aired on Prime Time Wrestling two days later, Gene Okerlund attempted to interview Hogan backstage immediately following the bout but Hogan was attacked in his locker room by Sgt. Slaughter, sustaining a fireball to the face before being beaten down with a steel chair

Survivor Series 91 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena November 27, 1991 - The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) pinned WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan at 12:45 to win the title following a tombstone onto a steel chair, placed in the ring by Ric Flair

Tuesday in Texas San Antonio, TX Freeman Coliseum December 3, 1991 - Hulk Hogan pinned WWF World Champion the Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) to win the title at 13:11 with a roll up after Bearer accidentally hit Taker in the head with the urn and Hogan threw ashes from the urn into the champion's face; WWF President Jack Tunney was at ringside to see that the match was fair but was knocked out during a confrontation between Hogan and Ric Flair on the floor; Hogan was stripped of the title the following day because of the two controversial title changes and the title was held up for the Royal Rumble

Royal Rumble 92 Albany, NY Knickerbocker Arena January 19, 1992 - Ric Flair won the 30-man Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Sid Justice at 1:02:02; due to pre-match stipulations, Flair won the vacant WWF World Title; prior to the bout, WWF President Jack Tunney addressed the crowd, saying may the best man win Order of entry: Davey Boy Smith (00:00); Ted Dibiase (escorted by Sensational Sherri) (00:00); Ric Flair (escorted by Mr. Perfect) (2:31); Jerry Sags (escorted by Jimmy Hart) (4:21); Haku (6:08); Shawn Michaels (8:19); Tito Santana (10:10); the Barbarian (12:17); Kerry Von Erich (14:26); Repo Man (16:32); Greg Valentine (18:16); Nikolai Volkoff (20:23); the Big Bossman (22:15); Hercules (24:21); WWF IC Champion Roddy Piper (26:31); Jake Roberts (28:34); Jim Duggan (30:40); IRS (32:47); Jimmy Snuka (34:44); the Undertaker (escorted by Paul Bearer) (37:06); Randy Savage (38:35); the Berzerker (42:06); Virgil (43:58); Col. Mustafa (escorted by Gen. Adnan) (46:12); Rick Martel (47:59); Hulk Hogan (50:01); Skinner (52:04); Sgt. Slaughter (54:19); Sid Justice (56:07); the Warlord (escorted by Harvey Wippleman) (58:31) Order of elimination: Dibiase by Davey Boy via a clothesline (1:19); Saggs by Davey Boy via a dropkick after Sags was knocked over the top rope to the apron (5:25); Haku by Davey Boy (7:59); Volkoff by Repo (21:27); Valentine by Repo (22:30); Repo by Bossman (22:58); Davey Boy by Flair (23:37); Von Erich by Flair (23:47); Santana & Michaels eliminated each other at the same time (24:07); Barbarian by Hercules while Barbarian was trying to eliminate Flair (25:14); Hercules by Bossman via a clothesline (25:17); Bossman when Flair moved out of the way of a running tackle (25:53); Snuka by Undertaker (37:13); Roberts by Savage with a running knee to the back (39:30); after the elimination, Savage jumped over the top to further attack Roberts but Savage was not himself eliminated because he was not thrown over the top by an opponent; Mustafa by Savage (48:48); Undertaker by Hogan via a clothesline (50:58); Berzerker by Hogan via a backdrop (51:06); Virgil & Duggan eliminated each other at the same time (51:27); Skinner by Martel (54:18); Slaughter by Justice after been sent charging into the corner and over the top (58:56); IRS by Piper while Piper was down on the apron and pulled him over using IRS’s tie (59:50), Warlord by Justice & Hogan (1:00:13); Piper & Martel by Justice as they were trying to eliminate each other (1:00:38); Savage when Flair hit a running kneelift to Justice who was attempting to eliminate Savage (1:01:02); Hogan by Justice as Hogan was trying to eliminate Flair (1:01:32); Justice by Flair while Hogan was pulling Sid from the outside; after the match, Bobby Heenan left the broadcast booth to join Flair backstage before Hogan and Justice faced off inside the ring, with officials having to separate them; Hogan was booed by some in the crowd and there were chants of "Sid" during the segment; moments later, Gene Okerlund conducted a backstage interview with Flair, Perfect, and Heenan, during which Tunney presented Flair the title belt; Flair then cut a promo saying the WWF Title was the only belt in wrestling that made you number 1

WrestleMania VIII Indianapolis, IN Hoosier Dome April 5, 1992 - Randy Savage pinned WWF World Champion Ric Flair (w/ Mr. Perfect) to win the title at 18:01 with a roll up and using the tights for leverage after blocking a punch and hitting the champion; late in the bout, Miss Elizabeth came ringside to support Savage, despite a number of officials - including Shane McMahon - asking her to return backstage; after the bout, a furious Flair kissed Elizabeth before he was slapped by her and attacked by Savage until officials could pull the injured Savage away

Hershey, PA Hersheypark Arena September 1, 1992 WWF Superstars taping: WWF Prime-Time Wrestling - 9/14/92: Ric Flair (w/ Mr. Perfect) pinned WWF World Champion Randy Savage with the figure-4 to win the title after Razor Ramon attacked Savage on the floor; Razor returned to the ring after the match to attack Savage; the Ultimate Warrior carried Savage backstage after Razor left

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Center October 12, 1992 WWF Superstars taping: Bret Hart defeated WWF World Champion Ric Flair (w/ Mr. Perfect) via submission with the Sharpshooter following a superplex to win the title at 26:29

WrestleMania IX Las Vegas, NV Caesar's Palace April 4, 1993 - Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji) pinned WWF World Champion Bret Hart to win the title at 8:56 after Fuji threw salt in Hart's eyes as the Sharpshooter was applied; immediately after the bout, Hulk Hogan came out to tell referee Earl Hebner what happened; moments later, Mr. Fuji issued Hogan an immediate challenge, eventually offering to put up the title; it was not until after Hart encouraged him to do so that Hogan accepted - Hulk Hogan pinned WWF World Champion Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji) to win the title with a clothesline and the legdrop at the 23-second mark after Fuji accidentally threw salt in the champion's eyes; the bell never rang to begin the match; after the bout, in a segment not televised, Hogan celebrated in the ring with Randy Savage, Beefcake, and Vince McMahon (Yokozuna's first pinfall loss)

King of the Ring 93 Dayton, OH Nutter Center June 13, 1993 - Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji) pinned WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan (w/ Jimmy Hart) at 13:10 to win the title following a belly to belly suplex and leg drop after a photographer at ringside shot a fireball into the champion's face; although never revealed on TV, it was Harvey Wippleman in costume who was acting as the photographer (Hogan's last TV appearance in the WWF for nearly 9 years)

WrestleMania X New York City, NY Madison Square Garden March 20, 1994 - Bret Hart pinned WWF World Champion Yokozuna (w/ Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) to win the title at 10:33 after the champion lost his balance while attempting the Bonzai Drop; mid-way through the match, Piper knocked out Cornette with a punch after Cornette tried to interfere; after the match, Yokozuna chased surprise guest referee Roddy Piper backstage while Hart was congratulated by Lex Luger, WWF IC Champion Razor Ramon, Sparky Plugg, Tatanka, Piper, Randy Savage, the 1-2-3 Kid, Burt Rynolds, Rhonda Shear, Donny Whalberg, Pat Patterson, Gorilla Monsoon, and Vince McMahon; before the show went off the air, Owen Hart came ringside and stared at his brother inside the ring; Rynolds was the special guest ring announcer while Jeanie Garth was the special time keeper (Piper's surprise return after a 2-year absence)

Survivor Series 94 San Antonio, TX Freeman Coliseum November 23, 1994 - Bob Backlund (w/ Owen Hart) defeated WWF World Champion Bret Hart (w/ Davey Boy Smith) to win the title at 34:44 in a match where the participants' seconds would have to throw in the towel to end the match; Stu & Helen Hart were shown sitting ringside before the bout; during the contest, Bret's wife Julie and their kids were shown watching on from their balcony seat; at the 25-minute mark, Smith was knocked out while chasing an interfering Owen around the ring; moments later, Owen appeared to cry as Bret was caught in the Crossface Chicken Wing; Owen then pleaded with his parents, sitting ringside, to stop the match or Bret's arm would be broken; Owen eventually opened the barricade, with Stu & Helen standing ringside for several more minutes before Helen threw in the towel to end the match; immediately after the match ended, Owen slid in the ring, held up Bret's towel in celebration, and then ran backstage, quickly revealing that his emotion for Bret's health was fake; moments later, Bret was helped backstage by his parents, Pat Patterson, and other officials as Backlund was awarded the title; Todd Pettingill then conducted a backstage interview with Owen, who said it was the greatest Thanksgiving of his life because Bret was no longer the champion; Owen then said he would go on to be a WWF Tag Team, IC, and World Champion and, unlike Bret, he would never surrender New York City, NY Madison Square Garden November 26, 1994 - Diesel (sub. for Bret Hart) pinned WWF World Champion Bob Backlund to win the title following a boot to the midsection and a powerbomb after a matter of seconds

Survivor Series 95 Landover, MD USAir Arena November 19, 1995 - Bret Hart pinned WWF World Champion Diesel in a No DQ, No Count-Out, No Time Limit match to win the title at 24:51 with an inside cradle as the champion attempted the powerbomb; moments earlier, Diesel sent the challenger from the ring apron into the Spanish commentary table, breaking it in half; after the match, Diesel knocked down referee Earl Hebner and hit the powerbomb on Hart; moments later, Diesel struck a number of officials and hit a second powerbomb on the new champion; before leaving the ring, the former champion could be heard saying, "I'm back!"; due to pre-match stipulations, Hart would defend the title the following month against Davey Boy Smith at In Your House

WrestleMania XII Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond March 31, 1996 - Shawn Michaels (w/ Jose Lothario) defeated WWF World Champion Bret Hart in an Ironman match to win the title; the original decision was a draw at 60:02, as neither man had scored a fall in the 60-minute time-limit, however the match was restarted by WWF President Gorilla Monsoon, with Michaels hitting two superkicks in sudden death to pick up the win at 1:53; prior to the bout, Monsoon was formally introduced as the newly reinstated president; during the challenger's entrance, he came down from the ceiling on a zipwire, eventually landing in the crowd; during the contest, several members of the Hart Family were shown at ringside, including Stu and Blade; Freddie Blassie was shown sitting next to Stu; during the last 34 seconds of the bout, Micheals was trapped in the Sharpshooter but refused to submit; voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Match of the Year

Survivor Series 96 New York City, NY Madison Square Garden November 17, 1996 - Psycho Sid pinned WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels (w/ Jose Lothario) to win the title at 20:00 with the powerbomb after hitting the champion with a video camera on the floor; moments prior, Sid hit Lothario with the same video camera; after the match, Lothario was taken backstage on a stretcher with Michaels close behind; Sid was heavily cheered and Michaels booed during the match

Royal Rumble 97 San Antonio, TX AlamoDome January 19, 1997 - Shawn Michaels (w/ Jose Lothario) pinned WWF World Champion Psycho Sid to win the title at 13:49 after hitting him twice with a video camera and then executing the superkick; Michaels' parents, who sat ringside for the event, were featured on camera during the match as well as Lothario's son Pete (Lothario's last appearance with Michaels)

In Your House "Final Four" Chattanooga, TN UTC Arena February 16, 1997 - Bret Hart defeated Vader (w/ Paul Bearer), the Undertaker, and Steve Austin in a Final Four match by last eliminating Taker at 24:06 to win the vacant WWF World Title; pre-match stipulations stated that eliminations could occur via pinfall, submission, or by tossing your opponent over the top to the floor; early in the bout, Taker busted Vader's eye after hitting him in the face with the steel ringsteps; during the bout, Psycho Sid - who would challenge the winner the following night on Monday Night Raw - was shown watching the match backstage; Hart eliminated Austin by throwing him over the top at 18:09; Austin returned minutes later to attack Bret; Taker eliminated Vader at 22:33 by knocking him off the top as he attempted a moonsault on Taker; Hart eliminated Taker with a clothesline after Taker knocked an interfering Austin off the apron; after the bout, Sid interrupted Hart's celebratory fireworks and confronted Hart in the ring as the show came to a close

Nashville, TN Arena February 17, 1997 Monday Night Raw: - Psycho Sid pinned WWF World Champion Bret Hart with the powerbomb to win the title after Steve Austin interfered and hit the champion with a chair as Hart had the Sharpshooter applied; the bout was to have taken place earlier in the show on two seperate occasions but was postponed due to interference by Steve Austin both in the ring and backstage; during the bout, Hart used the ringpost figure-4 for the first time on TV; after the bout, the Undertaker - who had been named earlier in the broadcast as the #1 contender - came to the ring to confront the man he would face for the title at WrestleMania

WrestleMania XIII Chicago, IL Rosemont Horizon March 23, 1997 - The Undertaker pinned WWF World Champion Psycho Sid to win the title at 23:54 with the tombstone after Bret Hart came ringside and dropped Sid throat-first over the top rope as Sid attempted the powerbomb; seconds into the match, Hart entered the ring, claimed Shawn Michaels' injury was fake, blamed the Undertaker for costing him a title shot on Raw, and called Sid a fraud before the champion hit the powerbomb on Hart; late in the contest, Hart returned ringside and hit the champion with a steel chair as Sid was on the floor; Shawn Michaels did guest commentary for the bout

Summer Slam 97 East Rutherford, NJ Continental Airlines Arena August 3, 1997 - Bret Hart pinned WWF World Champion the Undertaker to win the title at 28:08 when guest referee Shawn Michaels accidentally hit Taker over the head with a steel chair Hart brought into the ring moments earlier after Hart spat in Michaels' face when Michaels confronted him about the weapon being in the ring; stipulations for the bout stated if Hart didn't win the title then he would never again wrestle in the United States and if Michaels favored Taker in his officiating then he too would not be able to compete in the US; prior to the bout, Hart had the Canadian National Anthem played and dedicated the match to his international fans; immediately after the match, Michaels left ringside, with Taker following after; moments later, Hart draped himself in the Canadian flag and celebrated in the ring with Owen Hart, Brian Pillman, and WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith as fans threw trash into the ring

Survivor Series 97 Montreal, Quebec Molson Centre November 9, 1997 WWF European Champion Shawn Michaels defeated WWF World Champion Bret Hart to win the title at 12:11 when referee Earl Hebner called for the bell in as Michaels had Hart in his own version of the Sharpshooter, however there was no submission from Hart; the original ending for the bout called for the Hart Foundation to interfere, causing a disqualification and involving DX in a post-match brawl, however Vince McMahon had secretly planned this alternative ending since Bret was unwavering in his refusal to lose the heavyweight title in Canada to Michaels in his final match in the WWF; only the world title was on the line

WrestleMania XIV Boston, MA FleetCenter March 29, 1998 - Steve Austin pinned WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels to win the title at 20:02 by catching the champion's foot in the middle of the superkick and hitting the Stunner; early in the bout, both Triple H and Chyna were sent backstage following interference; Mike Tyson was the special ringside enforcer for the bout and made the pin after the original referee was knocked out; after the bout, Tyson knocked Michaels out with a punch to the jaw

King of the Ring 98 Pittsburgh, PA Civic Arena June 28, 1998 - Kane (w/ Paul Bearer) defeated WWF World Champion Steve Austin in a First Blood match to win the title after the Undertaker accidentally hit Austin with a chair; the Undertaker came to the ring to stop the interference of Mankind; had Kane not won the title, he would have set himself on fire

Cleveland, OH Gund Arena June 29, 1998 Raw is War: - Steve Austin pinned WWF World Champion Kane (w/ Paul Bearer) with the Stunner to win the title at 8:28; after the bout, the Undertaker - who appeared ringside mid-way through the bout - came into the ring and sustained the Stunner from Austin

- The title was held up following a controversial three-way match on September 27 in which both the Undertaker and Kane pinned Steve Austin as well as a rematch on October 18 in which the Undertaker and Kane fought to a no contest

Survivor Series 98 St. Louis, MO Kiel Center November 15, 1998 - A 14-man one-night tournament was held to determine the new champion; prior to the finals, the Rock defeated the Big Bossman, Ken Shamrock, and the Undertaker while Mankind defeated Duane Gill, Al Snow, and Steve Austin - The Rock defeated WWF Hardcore Champion Mankind at 17:15 when Vince McMahon called for the bell as Mankind was caught in Rock's Sharpshooter, even though Mankind did not submit, moments after Rock hit the Rock Bottom and then gave the People's Eyebrow to McMahon; prior to the bout, the McMahons and their officials were shown backstage, making it clear they had returned to the arena; early in the contest, Vince & Shane McMahon came to ringside; immediately after the bout, the McMahons presented Rock with the world title belt and all three hugged in the ring; Vince then grabbed the microphone, saying "the people screwed the people", and said he would elaborate further the following night on Raw; moments later, a confused Mankind confronted Vince, with Rock assaulting Mankind from behind and eventually hitting the Rock Bottom; Steve Austin then appeared in the aisle before running into the ring, fighting off Rock as the McMahons ran backstage, hitting the Stunner, and tossing Rock to the floor; moments later, Austin hit the Stunner on Mankind as well; before going backstage, Austin briefly kicked and pounded on Rock on the floor

Worcester, MA Centrum December 29, 1998 Raw is War - 1/4/99: Mankind (w/ Triple H, Billy Gunn, the Road Dogg, X-Pac, & Chyna) pinned WWF World Champion the Rock (w/ Vince & Shane McMahon, Test, WWF Tag Team Champions - WWF IC Champion Ken Shamrock & WWF Hardcore Champion the Big Bossman, Test, & Kane) to win the title in a No DQ match at 8:48 after Steve Austin interfered and hit the champion in the head with a steel chair as all members of DX and the Corporation battled around ringside; after the match, DX hoisted Mankind on their shoulders in victory

Royal Rumble 99 Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond January 24, 1999 - The Rock defeated WWF World Champion Mankind at 21:47 in an I Quit match to win the title following ten chair shots to the head while the champion had his hands handcuffed behind his back; the champion never really submitted, however an audio clip from a promo earlier in the night was played over the PA with Mankind screaming "I quit! I quit! I quit!;" after the bout, Rock celebrated in the ring before walking down the aisle, standing over the body of Mankind, and hoisting the title belt in the air; moments later, Mankind refused to be taken backstage on a stretcher and was helped backstage; footage from the match, as well as of Mick Foley's family sitting ringside, was featured in the 2000 documentary Beyond the Mat; Foley's family was not mentioned during the match nor were they shown on camera; voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Match of the Year

Tucson, AZ Convention Center January 26, 1999 Half-Time Heat - 1/31/99: - Mankind pinned WWF World Champion the Rock to win the title in an empty arena match at 17:19 by using a forklift to trap the champion underneath a wooden palette; Mankind's head was heavily taped following the I Quit match at the Royal Rumble; prior to the bout, the champion was escorted ringside by Vince McMahon, who then provided sole commentary from the ringside commentary table; during the bout, Kevin Kelly & Shane McMahon would occasionally comment from inside a packed arena

Birmingham, AL Jefferson County Civic Center February 15, 1999 Raw is War: - The Rock defeated WWF World Champion Mankind in a ladder match to win the title at 13:00 after Paul Wight interfered as the champion had the Mandible Claw applied on the challenger and chokeslammed Mankind off the top of the ladder; following the entrances, Steve Austin appeared to do guest commentary for the match; after the bout, Rock knocked the ladder on top of Mankind who was laid out inside the ring; as the show came to a close, Austin slid into the ring behind the Rock and dropped him with the Stunner before holding up the title belt and throwing it back to the mat

WrestleMania XV Philadelphia, PA March 28, 1999 - Steve Austin pinned WWF World Champion the Rock to win the title at 16:52 in a No DQ match by blocking the People's Elbow and hitting the Stunner; prior to the bout, Michael Cole introduced Jim Ross to the crowd, with Ross returning to commentary duties alongside Jerry Lawler for the main event; moments later, Vince McMahon came out to act as the guest referee but WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels said only he could appoint the referee, told McMahon to leave the ring, and ordered that the Corporation would be banned from ringside for the duration of the contest; Mankind, who had been sent to the hospital following his match earlier in the evening, returned to the arena late in the match and served as the appointed referee after Vince McMahon interfered and knocked out Earl Hebner

Over the Edge 99 Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena May 23, 1999 - The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) pinned WWF World Champion Steve Austin after interference from special referee Vince McMahon backfired, with the second referee - Shane McMahon - making a fast count for the challenger

Charlotte, NC June 28, 1999 Raw is War: - Steve Austin pinned WWF World Champion the Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) to win the title following the Stunner; prematch stipulations stated that if there was any interference from the Corporate Ministry, the Undertaker would be forced for forfiet the title to the challenger

Summer Slam 99 Minneapolis, MN Target Center August 22, 1999 - Mankind defeated WWF World Champion Steve Austin and Triple H to win the title at 16:25 by pinning Austin with the double arm DDT after the champion sustained Triple H's Pedigree; prior to the wrestlers' entrances, special referee Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura cut an in-ring promo saying he was proud to be a former wrestler and proud to be at Summer Slam, no matter what negativity the media had to say about his participation in the event; Chyna was in Triple H's corner early on but was ejected by Ventura at the 5-minute mark after she interfered in the contest; Shane McMahon came out at the 13-minute mark after Ventura refused to count Triple H's cover after using a steel chair on both opponents but Shane eventually sustained the Stunner from Austin and was thrown to the floor by Ventura; after Mankind and Ventura left ringside following the contest, Chyna returned to the ring and held referees back as Triple H repeatedly assaulted Austin's knees with a steel chair before leaving the ring

Ames, IA Hilton Coliseum August 23, 1999 Raw is War: - Triple H (w/ Chyna) pinned WWF World Champion Mankind to win the title at 8:43 with the Pedigree; moments prior to the finish, Triple H hit the champion with a chair shot to the head on the floor, then did the same to the Rock, who was doing guest commentary for the bout; seconds later, Shane McMahon - who was the original referee for the bout until being knocked to the floor and having Earl Hebner replace him - pulled Hebner to the floor and knocked him out before sliding in the ring and making the 3-count; Chyna came ringside early in the bout, still selling the guitar shot from Jeff Jarrett earlier in the show

Las Vegas, NV Thomas & Mack Center September 14, 1999 Smackdown!: - Vince McMahon pinned WWF World Champion Triple H to win the title in an impromptu match at 8:53 after Steve Austin interfered, hit the Stunner on Chyna, and the champion, and laid McMahon on top for the win; prior to the decision, there was interference from Linda McMahon, Chyna, Gerald Brisco, and Pat Patterson; Shane McMahon was the guest referee for the bout

- 9/20/00: Vince McMahon vacated the title, citing that he wasn't a wrestler.

Unforgiven 99 Charlotte, NC Coliseum September 26, 1999 - Triple H defeated the Rock, Mankind, the Big Show, Davey Boy Smith, and Kane by pinning the Rock with the Pedigree at 20:29 after Smith hit Rock with a steel chair; mid-way through the contest, the referees on strike came out and attacked referee Jimmy Cordaris, with Steve Austin, guest ringside enforcer who also did guest commentary for the match, to attack the referees and take over as the in-ring official; due to pre-match stipulations, Triple H won the vacant WWF World Championship; after the bout, Austin handed Triple H the title belt and hit the Stunner on the new champion

Survivor Series 99 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena November 14, 1999 - The Big Show (surprise sub. for Steve Austin) defeated WWF World Champion Triple H and the Rock to win the title at 16:15 by pinning Triple H with the chokeslam after Vince McMahon, who was scheduled to be the guest referee but was unable to because he was at the hospital with Austin, came out and hit the champion in the face with the world title belt; Shane McMahon took over as referee mid-way through after referee Earl Hebner was knocked out; Triple H later assaulted Shane and hit the Pedigree when Shane took the title belt away as the champion attempted to use it as a weapon; late in the contest, X-Pac, the Road Dogg, and Billy Gunn came out and attacked both challengers

Miami, FL American Airlines Arena January 3, 2000 Raw is War: - Triple H pinned WWF World Champion the Big Show to win the title at 7:08 with a kick to the groin and the Pedigree as the referee was distracted by X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws on the rampway; DX and Stephanie McMahon watched the match from stage; after the bout, balloons were dropped from the rafters and pyro went off to celebrate Triple H's victory as he was congratulated by DX and Stephanie in the ring

Backlash 00 Washington DC MCI Center April 30, 2000 - The Rock pinned WWF World Champion Triple H to win the title at 19:22 following the spinebuster and People's Elbow after Steve Austin countered the interference of Vince & Shane McMahon, Gerald Brisco, and Pat Patterson; Shane McMahon was the guest referee for the match but Earl Hebner made the pinfall

Judgment Day 00 Louisville, KY Freedom Hall May 21, 2000 - Triple H defeated WWF World Champion the Rock in a 60-minute Ironman match to win the title, 6 falls to 5; Shawn Michaels was the special referee for the bout; named Pro Wrestling Torch's Match of the Year 1st fall: Rock pinned Triple H with the Rock Bottom at 10:44 2nd fall: Triple H pinned Rock by blocking the figure-4 and hitting the Pedigree at 25:30 3rd fall: Triple H pinned Rock immediately after with an inside cradle at 26:31 4th fall: Triple H pinned Rock with a piledriver at 32:27 5th fall: Rock pinned Triple H with a jumping DDT at 40:38 6th fall: Triple H is disqualified for a chair shot at 43:43 7th fall: Triple H scores the pinfall after the chair shot at 44:10 8th fall: Triple H locks on a sleeper to get the win at 47:29 9th fall: Rock won via count-out at 56:09 after hitting the Pedigree onto the commentary table 10th fall: Rock pinned Triple H with the spinebuster and People's Elbow at 58:04 after fending off Vince & Shane McMahon 11th fall: Rock is disqualified, after the 60-minute time-limit, once the Undertaker entered the ring and took out each member of the McMahon faction - including Triple H (Taker's surprise return after an 8-month absence)

King of the Ring 00 Boston, MA FleetCenter June 25, 2000 - The Rock, the Undertaker, & Kane defeated WWF World Champion Triple H (w/ WWF Women's Champion Stephanie McMahon), Vince & Shane McMahon at 17:55 when Rock pinned Vince with the Rock Bottom as Vince ran the ropes in hopes of hitting his own People's Elbow; late in the bout, Kane prevented the Rock from hitting the People's Elbow on Vince and hit a chokeslam on him, then hitting the tombstone on Triple H before Taker pulled him out of the ring and hit him over the head with a steel chair; moments thereafter, Taker hit a chokeslam on Shane from the top rope through the ringside commentary table; due to pre-match stipulations that stated if a member of Triple H's team was pinned, the winner of the fall would win the title, the Rock became the new champion; had Triple H's team won, the winner of the KOTR would have received a world title shot at Fully Loaded

No Mercy 00 Albany, NY Pepsi Arena October 22, 2000 - Kurt Angle (w/ Stephanie McMahon) pinned WWF World Champion the Rock in a No DQ match to win the title at 21:44 with the Olympic Slam, moments after Rikishi interfered and accidentally splashed in the corner and superkicked the champion before Angle dropped Rikishi with the Olympic Slam; at the 16-minute mark, Rock hit the Rock Bottom on an interfering Stephanie after she prevented him from hitting the People's Elbow; moments later, Triple H came out, knocked Angle out of the ring, and hit the Pedigree on Rock for attacking his wife; Triple H then carried Stephanie backstage

No Way Out 01 Las Vegas, NV Thomas & Mack Center February 25, 2001 - The Rock pinned WWF World Champion Kurt Angle to win the title at 16:53 following two consecutive Rock Bottoms after the champion hit an unprotected turnbuckle

WrestleMania X-7 Houston, TX AstroDome April 1, 2001 - Steve Austin pinned WWF World Champion the Rock to win the title in a No DQ match at 28:05 after Austin took a steel chair from Vince McMahon, who came ringside at the 22-minute mark and interfered on behalf of the challenger, and assaulted the champion with a chairshot to the head followed by 16 chairshots to the back, ribs, and legs; after the bout, Austin and McMahon shook hands; moments later, Austin hit Rock in the face with the title belt before he and Vince shared a beer to close the show; it was not announced until the ring introductions that the match would be No DQ

Unforgiven 01 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena September 23, 2001 - Kurt Angle defeated WWF World Champion Steve Austin to win the title by avoiding the pre-Stunner kick to the midsection and turning it into the ankle lock for the submission victory - even though Austin's hand was gripping the ring apron at the time of the tap out; after the match, the ring filled up with WWF superstars and the Angle family as they celebrated the win

Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse October 8, 2001 Raw is War: Steve Austin pinned WWF World Champion Kurt Angle to win the title at 17:18 with the Stunner moments after Commissioner William Regal hit Angle with the title belt; prior to the contest, Regal came ringside and sent Austin's wife and valet Debra backstage in order to ensure the match was kept one-on-one

Vengeance 01 San Diego, CA Sports Arena December 9, 2001 - WCW World Champion Chris Jericho pinned WWF World Champion Steve Austin to unify the titles at 12:37 after Booker T interfered and hit Austin with one of the belts, moments after a ringside altercation between Ric Flair and Vince McMahon and Austin taking out McMahon's referee Nick Patrick; before the match, Kurt Angle hit Austin with a chair while the Rock hit the Rock Bottom on Jericho

WrestleMania X-8 Toronto, Ontario Skydome March 17, 2002 - Triple H pinned WWF World Champion Chris Jericho (w/ Stephanie McMahon) to win the title at 18:40 with a kick to the midsection and the Pedigree as the champion came off the middle turnbuckle; late in the bout, Stephanie attempted to interfere with a steel chair but sustained the Pedigree from the challenger; prior to the bout, Drowning Pool performed Triple H's theme song live

Backlash 02 Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena April 21, 2002 - Hulk Hogan pinned WWF World Champion Triple H to win the title at 22:05 with the legdrop after sending an interfering Undertaker to the floor with a clothesline, moments after Taker punched out referee Earl Hebner, hit Triple H over the head with a steel chair, and pulled Hogan on top of the champion; late in the bout, Chris Jericho punched out Hebner and hit Hogan over the head with a steel chair but was eventually knocked out of the ring by Triple H; after the bout, a bloody Triple H extended his hand to the new champion, with Hogan shaking it

Judgment Day 02 Nashville, TN Gaylord Entertainment Center May 19, 2002 - The Undertaker pinned WWE World Champion Hulk Hogan to win the title at 11:20 with a chair shot and chokeslam after Hogan attacked Vince McMahon, who came ringside late in the contest as Hogan was about to win the match

Vengeance 02 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena July 21, 2002 - The Rock defeated WWE World Champion the Undertaker and Kurt Angle to win the title at 19:34 by pinning Angle with the Rock Bottom after Angle hit the Olympic Slam on the champion

Summer Slam 02 Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum August 25, 2002 - Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) pinned WWE World Champion the Rock to win the title at 15:49 by blocking the Rock Bottom and hitting the F5; at about the 12-minute mark, the champion hit the Rock Bottom on Heyman through the Spanish announce table; Rock was noticably booed in the match (Rock's last appearance for 4 months)

Survivor Series 02 New York City, NY Madison Square Garden November 17, 2002 - The Big Show pinned WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) to win the title at 4:19 after hitting the champion in the midsection with a chair followed by a chokeslam onto the chair; moments before the finish, Heyman turned on Lesnar by pulling the referee out of the ring and knocking him out after Lesnar hit the F5 on the challenger; immediately after the match, Heyman & Show drove out of the arena (Lesnar's first TV pinfall loss)

Armageddon 02 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Office Depot Center December 15, 2002 - Kurt Angle pinned WWE World Champion the Big Show (w/ Paul Heyman) to win the title at 12:37 after Brock Lesnar interfered, dropped Show with the F5, and chased Heyman backstage, moments after Albert interfered and dropped Angle with the backbreaker

WrestleMania XIX Seattle, WA SafeCo Field March 30, 2003 - Brock Lesnar pinned WWE World Champion Kurt Angle with the F5 to win the title at 21:08; during the closing moments of the bout, the challenger attempted a Shooting Star Press but missed Angle and landed awkwardly on his head; after the bout, the two men shook hands and embraced out of respect (Angle's last match for 3 months)

Vengeance 03 (Smackdown!) Denver, CO Pepsi Arena July 27, 2003 - Kurt Angle defeated WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar and the Big Show at 17:38 to win the title after hitting the Olympic Slam on both opponents and scoring the pin on Lesnar

Raleigh, NC RBC Center September 16, 2003 Smackdown!: - Brock Lesnar defeated WWE World Champion Kurt Angle in a 60-minute Ironman match to win the title, 5-4; during the final seconds of the bout, Angle had the modified ankle lock applied on the challenger but Lesnar refused to submit and waited out the clock; voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Match of the Year; fall #1: Lesnar was disqualified at about 8:32 after hitting the champion with a steel chair; 1-0; fall #2: Lesnar pinned Angle with the F5 at 10:21; 1-1; fall #3: Lesnar forced Angle to submit with the ankle lock at 12:09; 1-2; fall #4: Angle was counted-out after recieving the F5 on the floor at 19:56; 1-3; fall #5: Angle pinned Lesnar with the Olympic Slam at 25:55; 2-3; fall #6: Lesnar pinned Angle after hitting him with the title belt at 30:27; 2-4; fall #7: Lesnar pinned Angle with a superplex; 2-5; fall #8: Angle pinned Lesnar with a belly to belly superplex at 50:29; 3-5; fall #9: Angle forced Lesnar to submit with the ankle lock at 56:11; 4-5

No Way Out 04 (Smackdown!) San Francisco, CA Cow Palace February 15, 2004 - Eddie Guerrero pinned WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar to win the title at 30:05 with the Frog Splash after reversing an attempt at the F5 into a tornado DDT onto the title belt; late in the bout, Lesnar attempted to use the title belt as a weapon while the referee was knocked out but Bill Goldberg, who was arrested earlier in the evening, came out and hit the spear on the champion; after the match, Guerrero celebrated in the crowd and was congratulated by his mother and brother Mondo who sat ringside

Great American Bash 04 (Smackdown!) Norfolk, VA Scope June 27, 2004 - John Bradshaw Layfield defeated WWE World Champion Eddie Guerrero in a bullrope match to win the title when, after both men had touched three of the four corners, a collision sent the challenger into the fourth corner immediately before Guerrero was able to touch it

WrestleMania 21 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center April 3, 2005 - John Cena pinned WWE World Champion John Bradshaw Layfield to win the title at 11:27 with the FU after avoiding the Clothesline from Hell

- John Cena was drafted from Smackdown! to Raw during a Raw taping in St. Louis, MO on June 6, 2005.

New Year's Revolution Albany, NY Pepsi Arena January 8, 2006 - Edge (w/ Lita) pinned WWE World Champion John Cena to win the title with the spear at 1:46, moments after Cena kicked out of the first spear

Royal Rumble 06 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena January 29, 2006 - John Cena defeated WWE Raw World Champion Edge (w/ Lita) via submission with the STFU to win the title at 14:03 after Edge collided with Lita on the ring apron and the challenger hit the FU; prior to the match, the challenger walked out to the ring on a giant scaffold that was lowered from the ceiling; immediately after the bout, Todd Grisham interviewed Edge & Lita backstage, with Edge storming off and Jim Duggan confronting Lita moments later and yelling "Hoooo"

ECW One Night Stand II New York City, NY Hammerstein Ballroom June 11, 2006 - Rob Van Dam pinned WWE World Champion John Cena with the Five Star Frog Splash to win the title at 20:39 after interference from a man in a motorcycle helmet who speared Cena through a table set up in the corner; moments later, the man took off the helmet to reveal himself as Edge; Paul Heyman came out to the ring to count the pinfall after replacement referee Nick Patrick had been knocked out; prior to the match, Cena repeatedly threw his t-shirt out to the crowd but each time it was thrown back in the ring by the fans; Cena received several chants of "Fuck you, Cena," "Same old shit," and "You can't wrestle" from the crowd; after the match, RVD celebrated in the crowd, hugged his wife in the balcony, and was paraded around the ring by Heyman, Big Show, Kurt Angle, Balls Mahoney, Bill Alphonso, the Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, Justin Credible, Trinity, Mikey Whipwreck, and several others

- Rob Van Dam was presented with the ECW World Title, making him both WWE and ECW World Champion, during ECW's debut on the Sci-Fi Channel on June 13, 2006.

Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center July 3, 2006 Raw: - Edge (w/ Lita) defeated WWE / ECW World Champion Rob Van Dam and John Cena in a No DQ match to win the WWE World Title at 11:16 by pinning RVD after hitting Cena in the head with the title belt immediately after Cena dropped the champion with the FU; after the bout, Edge celebrated for several moments in the ring before finally pulling an injured Lita out and leaving ringside

Unforgiven 06 Toronto, Ontario Air Canada Center September 17, 2006 - John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Edge to win the title in a TLC match at 25:28 after hitting a FU from the top of the ladder through two tables stacked on top of each other; Lita interfered late in the match until Cena dropped her with the FU; after the bout, the new champion hugged his father, who sat ringside for the match; pre-match stipulations stated if Cena didn't win the match he would have to sign a 3-year contract with Smackdown!

- 10/2/07: Vince McMahon announced John Cena had suffered a severe injury and would be sidelined 6 months to a year, prompting McMahon to strip Cena of the title.

No Mercy 07 Chicago, IL AllState Arena October 7, 2007 - Randy Orton, John Cena's scheduled opponent for the night, was awarded the title

No Mercy 07 Chicago, IL AllState Arena October 7, 2007 - Triple H pinned WWE World Champion Randy Orton in an impromptu match to win the title at 11:10 with a roll up after Orton struck his shoulder on the ringpost when the challenger avoided a charge in the corner; after the match, Orton walked up to Vince McMahon backstage, with McMahon not saying a word and walking away

No Mercy 07 Chicago, IL AllState Arena October 7, 2007 - Randy Orton defeated WWE World Champion Triple H in a last man standing match to win the title at 20:25 after hitting the RKO onto the commentary table as Triple H attempted the Pedigree on the table

Backlash 08 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena April 27, 2008 - Triple H defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton, John Cena, and John Bradshaw Layfield in a No DQ, No Count-Out elimination match to win the title at 28:12; JBL submitted to Cena's STFU at 10:31; Orton pinned Cena with the kick to the head at 10:42; Triple H pinned Orton with the Pedigree following a series of reversals

Survivor Series 08 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden November 23, 2008 - Edge (sub. for Jeff Hardy) defeated WWE World Champion Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov to win the title in a No DQ match at 14:22 by pinning Triple H moments after Jeff Hardy ran out to attack Edge and hit both Triple H and Kozlov with a steel chair before Edge dropped Hardy with the spear; the match was to have included Hardy but it was announced just before the match that he could not compete due to injury, with Triple H and Kozlov then wrestling a one-on-one match; within the last two minutes of the match, Vickie Guerrero came out and said that it would be a triple threat match as promised, with Edge then coming out; after the contest, Edge and Vickie celebrated at the entrance stage as referees tended to Triple H and Hardy in the ring (Edge's surprise return after a 3-month absence)

Armageddon 08 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena December 14, 2008 - Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Edge and Triple H to win the title in a No DQ match at 17:20 by pinning Edge following a Swanton onto both opponents after Triple H dropped the champion with the Pedigree and made the cover; late in the bout, Vladimir Kozlov interfered, with ECW World Champion Matt Hardy then brawling with Kozlov all the way backstage; after the bout, Hardy scaled to the top of the entrance stage set to celebrate

Royal Rumble 09 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena January 25, 2009 - Edge pinned WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy to win the title in a No DQ match at 19:25 after Matt Hardy appeared, to counter the interference of Vickie Guerrero, and then Jeff over the back with a steel chair; prior to the match, Vickie appeared and, to keep Hardy from holding on to his title via a technicality, added the stipulation and then introduced the challenger; Chavo Guerrero Jr. was in the challenger's corner until the 12-minute mark when Jeff put him through the Raw announce table with a splash off the top of a ladder; Vickie returned ringside during the final moments of the contest and prevented the pinfall after Hardy hit the Twist of Fate and Swanton; after the bout, Matt left ringside while Edge and Vickie celebrated in the ring; moments later, referees helped Jeff out of the ring

No Way Out 09 Seattle, WA Key Arena February 15, 2009 - Triple H defeated the Undertaker, Jeff Hardy, the Big Show, Vladimir Kozlov, and WWE World Champion Edge to win the title in an Elimination Chamber match at 36:01; Hardy pinned Edge at 3:03 with an inside cradle as Edge attempted the spear; Taker pinned Kozlov with a powerbomb out of the corner at 23:01; Triple H pinned Show at 26:14 after Show sustained a superplex from Taker, Pedigree from Triple H, and Swanton from Hardy off the top of a pod; Taker pinned Hardy with the tombstone at 28:33; Triple H pinned Taker with the Pedigree after avoiding the powerbomb; during the final minutes of the match, the crowd was split with chants of "Undertaker" and "Triple H"

Backlash 09 Providence, RI Dunkin Donuts Center April 26, 2009 - Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes defeated WWE World Champion Triple H, Batista, & Shane McMahon at 23:49 when Orton pinned Triple H with the RKO and kick to the head after Triple H pulled a steel chair away from Batista on the floor; stipulations stated if Orton's team won, in any way, Orton would win the title

Extreme Rules 09 New Orleans, LA Lakefront Arena June 7, 2009 - Batista pinned WWE World Champion Randy Orton in a steel cage match to win the title with the sit-down powerbomb at 7:04 after Orton attempted to climb over the top of the cage; after the bout, Batista said the win was dedicated to the injured Ric Flair

- 6/9/09: Batista was stripped of the title due to injury and it was determined John Cena, Triple H, Randy Orton, and the Big Show would challenge for the vacant championship.

6/15/09; Charlotte, NC; Time Warner Cable Arena Raw - Randy Orton defeated Triple H, the Big Show, and John Cena at 11:15 by pinning Show with the RKO after Show already sustained the Pedigree and FU; stipulations stated the winner would earn the vacant WWE World Title

Breaking Point 09 Montreal, Quebec Bell Centre September 14, 2009 - John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton to win the title in an I Quit match at 19:47 as Cena had the STFU applied using a pair of handcuffs Orton brought into the match several minutes earlier; after the bout, Cena grabbed the mic and yelled "I did not quit!"

Hell in a Cell 09 Newark, NJ Prudential Center October 4, 2009 - Randy Orton pinned WWE World Champion John Cena to win the title in a Hell in a Cell match at 21:24 by kicking Cena in the head moments after trapping his arms in the ropes and choking the champion out; early in the bout, some fans chanted "RKO;" mid-way through the match, Orton kicked out of the FU; during the final minutes, Cena kicked out of the RKO

Bragging Rights 09 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena October 25, 2009 - John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton in a 60-minute No DQ Ironman match to win the title; stipulations stated that it would be the two men's last title match and that if Cena lost he would leave Raw; Cena received a mixed reaction during the introductions; there was a 30-second rest period between falls; fall #1: Cena defeated Orton via submission with the STFU at 3:55; fall #2: Orton pinned Cena at 9:00 with the RKO as Cena ran the ropes; the clock was briefly stopped at 12:56 as referee Mike Chioda had a ringside trainer look at a cut on Cena's head; fall #3: both men were pinned at 17:00 after Orton hit an RKO as Cena dropped him with the FU, thus giving both men another fall; following the fall, trainers tended to Cena in the corner; fall #4: Cena pinned Orton with a FU off the top at 19:37; after the fall, Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes ran out and double teamed Cena during the rest period, with Dibiase dropping Cena with Dream Street; fall #5: Orton pinned Cena at 20:56; immediately after the fall, Kofi Kingston ran out and ran Rhodes & Dibiase backstage with a steel chair; fall #6: Orton pinned Cena at 25:35 after throwing him a lighting grid at the entrance stage; fall #7: Cena pinned Orton with an inside cradle at 32:58; fall #8: Orton pinned Cena at 35:18 with a DDT from the apron to the floor; fall #9: Cena pinned Orton at 51:10 after walking up the steel steps and putting Orton through the commentary table with a FU; fall #10: Cena defeated Orton via submission with the STFU at 60:19, with seconds remaining on the clock, after Orton was caught in the hold for nearly a full minute

TLC 09 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center December 13, 2009 - Sheamus defeated WWE World Champion John Cena to win the title in a tables match at 16:23 after shoving Cena off the top and through a table set up in the ring as Cena attempted a superplex through the table; prior to the bout, the front page of "The Irish Voice" was shown in which Sheamus vowed victory; the champion received a mixed reaction upon his entrance; after the contest, Sheamus put his boot on Cena's body while holding up the title belt

Elimination Chamber St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center February 21, 2010 - John Cena defeated Randy Orton, WWE World Champion Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Ted Dibiase Jr., and Triple H in an Elimination Chamber match at 30:23; order of entry: Sheamus, Kingston, Triple H, Orton, Dibiase, and Cena; order of elimination: Dibiase pinned Orton at 24:03 after Cody Rhodes came ringside to help Orton, threw a steel pipe into the ring, and Dibiase hit Orton and then Cena in the face with it; moments later, an upset Rhodes left ringside; Kingston pinned Dibiase with the spin kick to the head at 25:32; Sheamus pinned Kingston with the kick to the face and crucifix powerbomb at 26:14; Triple H pinned Sheamus with the Pedigree at 28:39; Triple H submitted to the STFU; after the match, Vince McMahon appeared at the entranceway and said Cena could go to WrestleMania as champion as long as he could beat Batista in the next match

Elimination Chamber 2010 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center February 21, 2010 - Batista pinned WWE World Champion John Cena to win the title in an impromptu match with the spear and sit-down powerbomb at the 33-second mark

WrestleMania 26 Phoenix, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium March 28, 2010 - John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Batista to win the title at 13:30 via submission with the STFU after avoiding the sit-down powerbomb; following Batista's entrance, the United Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team performed at the entrance stage to introduce Cena; both men received mixed reactions; late in the bout, Cena kicked out after sustaining the powerbomb; moments later, Batista kicked out after sustaining the FU; after the match, Cena celebrated at ringside beside fans who wore "We Hate Cena" T-shirts

Fatal 4 Way 2010 Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum June 20, 2010 - Sheamus defeated WWE World Champion John Cena, Edge, and Randy Orton to win the title at 17:25 by pinning Cena after Nexus attacked the champion in the ring; during the bout, there were dueling chants of "Let's go, Cena" and "Cena sucks;" R-Truth, Evan Bourne, WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Tyson Kidd & David Hart Smith were shown watching on backstage until they were attacked by Wade Barrett, Skip Sheffield, David Otunga, Michael Tarver, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young, & Heath Slater attacked them; moments later, Nexus came ringside, assaulting officials en route, before fighting with Cena in the ring; Edge tried to intervene but was laid out on the floor; after the contest, Cena continued to be assaulted, ending with Gabriel hitting the 450 splash; Sheamus then celebrated his victory at the entrance stage until Nexus chased him backstage; the final minutes of the match and aftermath had no commentary; after the bout, the crowd chanted "Daniel Bryan"

Night of Champions 2010 Chicago, IL AllState Arena September 19, 2010 - Randy Orton defeated WWE World Champion Sheamus, John Cena, Chris Jericho, Edge, and Wade Barrett in an elimination match to win the title at 21:27; Cena was heavily booed during the early moments of the bout; Orton pinned Jericho with the RKO (1:30); after the fall, the crowd briefly chanted "Y2J;" Cena pinned Edge with the FU (15:00); Barrett pinned Cena with the fireman's carry into the forward slam after Cena became distracted by David Otunga, Michael Tarver, Heath Slater, & Justin Gabriel at ringside (18:32); moments later, Nexus surrounded Orton until Cena attacked two with a steel chair, with Orton dropping the other two with the RKO (20:32); Orton pinned Sheamus with the RKO

11/22/10; Orlando, FL; Amway Center Raw - Mike Mizanin (w/ Alex Riley) pinned WWE World Champion Randy Orton to win the title at 2:44 by blocking the RKO and hitting the Skull Crushing Finale

Extreme Rules 2011 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum May 1, 2011 - John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Mike Mizanin and John Morrison in a steel cage match at 19:54 by pinning Miz after hitting a FU off the top rope; early in the bout, there were dueling chants of "Cena sucks" and "Let's go, Cena;" R-Truth interfered at the 15-minute mark, kicking Morrison in the head as he was hanging outside the cage door, then entered the ring, assaulted Morrison and Cena, before exiting over the cage and returning backstage; after the pay-per-view went off the air, Cena took the mic, stood on the announce table, and told the crowd that President Barack Obama had announced Osama bin Laden had been found and killed, then adding he was proud to be an American

'''Money in the Bank 2011 Chicago, IL AllState Arena July 17, 2011''' - CM Punk pinned WWE World Champion John Cena to win the title at 33:44 with the Go To Sleep after Cena prevented Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis from stopping the bout prematurely as Punk was caught in the STFU, with Cena sliding out to the floor, punching out Laurinaitis and then threatening McMahon; Punk came out wearing a limited edition Punk Money in the Bank T-shirt; following his entrance, he gave the shirt to his mom, sitting ringside beside Colt Cabana and Ace Steele; during the bout, there were dueling chants of "Let's go, Cena" and "Cena sucks;" during the contest, Punk twice kicked out of the FU; McMahon and Laurinaitis appeared in the aisle during the closing moments of the contest; after the match, McMahon stole away a headset from Jerry Lawler and ordered Alberto Del Rio come out to cash in his Money in the Bank title shot; Del Rio then ran out but was immediately kicked in the head by Punk, who then escaped into the celebratory crowd after blowing McMahon a kiss.