The biggest win any wrestler can have is capturing the WWE Championship. This belt has been the top prize in WWE for decades. Wrestlers grow up dreaming of becoming the WWE Champion. It is meant to represent the top spot in the industry, given the legacy of the title and hit list of major names to hold it. Most wrestlers would love to win the title in an ideal scenario. A surprising title win is often the best possible outcome. Fans not expecting it makes the moment even more important. Reactions like that usually provide the best moments for wrestling. Obvious title changes also take place but are quite hit or miss. Some of them are viewed negatively as it was expected, while others go well due to the execution.
We will look at both sides of the variable to title wins. Both the WWE Championship wins that stunned fans and the ones that everyone expected will be examined with the situations behind them. There are memorable wins that fans still talk about it today from both sides as well as disappointments that are forgotten. Find out just which title reigns stand out for the moments we didn’t expect and the moments we waited for. These are ten WWE Championship title changes that fans never saw coming along with another ten that were obvious.
20 Never Saw Coming: CM Punk (Money in the Bank, 2011)
CM Punk defeating John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011 to become the WWE Champion is one of the most iconic moments in recent WWE memory. Punk's contract was coming to an end in WWE and most expected him to leave, as the rumor mill indicated.
A combination of Punk’s contract confusion and John Cena almost never losing at that point led to fans assuming Cena would win. WWE surprised us all with Punk not only winning to culminate an incredible storyline but walking out on the company to add more interest. The storyline fell apart shortly after, but Punk winning the title was an all-time great surprise.
19 Obvious: Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 32)
WrestleMania 32 still holds the record for the biggest attendance in WWE history. Over 100,000 fans attended the show, which was main-evented by Triple H vs. Roman Reigns closing the show. Many fans were annoyed with the quality of the match, but the obvious finish was part of the disappointment.
Triple H winning the WWE Championship at the previous Royal Rumble and having a feud with Reigns made it clear where WWE was going. The major event was planned to be the major elevation moment for Roman to become the face of the company. Not one person in the record-breaking audience was surprised at the result.
18 Never Saw Coming: Edge (New Year's Revolution, 2006)
The Money in the Bank contract stipulation is one of the most fascinating story plots in WWE. Any journey following the winning wrestler having a year to cash in at any point adds mystery. Edge became a legend, thanks to being the first wrestler to show us just what a surprise the MITB title shot can be.
Fans weren’t sure if the wrestler had to warn the champion in advance to cash in the title shot. Edge did it almost a full year after winning at the end of New Year’s Revolution. John Cena retained the WWE Championship in a brutal Elimination Chamber match, and Edge cashed in on him right after to become the next world champ.
17 Obvious: Rob Van Dam (ECW One Nigh Stand, 2006)
A predictable and obvious result can be an issue at times, but the right story makes it perfect. Rob Van Dam was the second Money in the Bank winner and decided to cash his title shot in far in advance. The rebirth of ECW would see RVD attempt to defeat John Cena at One Night Stand to bring the WWE Championship to ECW.
Some fans were skeptical of Van Dam pulling off the win due to Cena’s impeccable win/loss record at the time. However, the smart money and obvious story was set to see RVD get the biggest win of his career and add momentum to the ECW project. Fans in attendance lost their minds in support when Van Dam dethroned Cena to win the WWE Championship for the first and only time.
16 Never Saw Coming: Jinder Mahal (Backlash, 2017)
One recent instance of fans being stunned at a WWE Championship title change came at Backlash 2017 when Jinder Mahal defeated Randy Orton. Vince McMahon took note of Mahal's hard work and improved physique. Mahal was then moved to SmackDown in a strategic move via the Superstar Shakeup and surprisingly became No. 1 contender to Randy Orton's title.
The assumption from fans was that Mahal would hold his own against Orton, become a credible contender and move forward. This led to stunned silence when Mahal defeated Orton to win the title at Backlash. Jinder went on to have a lengthy reign no one could have predicted happening at the start of that year.
15 Obvious: Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania VII)
WWE used to get away with easily telling basic stories that fans believed in. Sgt. Slaughter becoming a top heel in the early '90s led to him winning the WWE Championship at the 1991 Royal Rumble event by defeating The Ultimate Warrior. The story in play would see top face Hulk Hogan challenging the evil heel for the top prize.
This was arguably the most obvious result to a WrestleMania main event. Hogan won the title at WrestleMania VII to dethrone Slaughter and return to his spot as the top champion in the WWE. Fans ate it up and loved the outcome, despite being blatantly obvious.
14 Never Saw Coming: Bob Backlund (Survivor Series 1994)
Bob Backlund had the prime of his career in the '70s and '80s. Vince McMahon brought Backlund back to the company for a veteran presence many years after his initial WWE Championship reign. Most fans were surprirsed Backlund would even get a WWE Championship match in 1993 against Bret Hart.
The bout ended in unusual fashion when Owen Hart convinced his family to throw in the towel and give up the match on behalf of Bret. Backlund won the WWE Championship in a way no fan would have predicted entering the show. The assumption was that Backlund would be an easy challenger for Bret to steamroll over, but he became the new champion.
13 Obvious: The Undertaker WrestleMania 13)
The Undertaker has arguably been the most decorated Superstar in WWE history since fans saw him for the first time 28 years ago. The Undertaker has been a relevant player in the company from the start until today, but most of his run would see him outside of the title picture.
Vince McMahon viewed The Undertaker as being too over to need the title. The Undertaker finally would get his first real chance as the WWE Champion by defeating Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13. It was clearly obvious that Undertaker was going to win that match, but every fan in the venue cheered in joy for the moment.
12 Never Saw Coming: Bret Hart (Canada House Show, 1993)
One consistent trend about the WWE Championship is that it almost always changes hands on PPV or at least on television. Two title changes would take place on house shows. Fans never expect to receive a major moment at a house show, but Bret Hart gave them one back in 1993.
Hart dethroned Ric Flair at a house show filmed in Canada. The first ever WWE Championship win of Hart would be included on home video releases for fans to enjoy the moment. Bret did a solid job with the title to remain in the main event picture for the rest of his WWE career.
11 Obvious: The Rock (No Way Out, 2001)
The Rock was arguably the most valuable performer for WWE during the Attitude Era. Once the People's Champion reached the top of the mountain, no one was able to match his charisma or confidence on the microphone. The biggest match of Rock’s career took place at WrestleMania X-Seven against Steve Austin.
Kurt Angle was surprisingly the WWE Champion at No Way Out 2001 just one PPV before WrestleMania X-Seven. Fans just knew that Rock/Austin seemed like the obvious main event for such a show, as Angle didn’t reach the WrestleMania main event stage just yet. The Rock defeated Angle in an obvious fashion to become WWE Champion and enter the X-Seven dream match main event.
10 Never Saw Coming: Vince McMahon (SmackDown, 1999)
Vince McMahon was always adamant against becoming a character on television for WWE. The Montreal Screwjob forced his hand and made him portray an evil authority figure. McMahon had great feuds with Steve Austin, The Rock, and Triple H at different points during the Attitude Era.
The feud between Vince and Triple H featured a surprising title change no one could have expected. McMahon defeated Triple H to become WWE Champion on an episode of SmackDown in 1999. Vince booking himself to win the title was a change we didn’t see coming. McMahon did vacate the title just one week later.
9 Obvious: Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XII)
The main event of WrestleMania has frequently seen some of the biggest title changes of all time. It is easy to forget that these great moments were obvious heading into the show. Shawn Michaels won his first WWE Championship in an incredible moment at WrestleMania XII after winning an Iron Man Match over Bret Hart.
Anyone looking at the match logically could tell it was Michaels’ time. Hart was starting to get stale as the top face in the company. Michaels was getting booked stronger than ever and had the momentum. WWE waited until the biggest and most obvious stage to have Michaels become the WWE Champion and face of the company.
8 Never Saw Coming: AJ Styles (SmackDown Live, 2017)
AJ Styles is approaching the one-year anniversary of winning the WWE Championship last November. The title reign of Styles is reaching historic territory with a few records within distance. Most fans didn’t even expect Styles to win the title when challenging Jinder Mahal on an episode of SmackDown.
Rumors were circulating that WWE wanted Mahal’s title reign to go into 2018 for a big match against John Cena. Jinder’s run was still failing to connect with the audience and WWE made a drastic change. Styles won the title during an episode of Smackdown taped in the United Kingdom. Fans at the taping reacted in joy not expecting such a major moment to take place.
7 Obvious: Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania XXX)
One positive instance of an obvious result came in the main event of WrestleMania XXX. Daniel Bryan had spent the past year as the most beloved wrestler in the company. Management didn’t want to push him to the top due to his size, but Bryan’s fans forced it by cheering for him in segments with other top stars.
WWE added Bryan to the original WrestleMania XXX main event of Randy Orton vs. Batista. The addition of the fan favorite to the triple threat made it clear Bryan was going to finally get his moments and the fans were finally going to get to enjoy it. We all rejoiced in the obvious moment when Bryan won the WWE World Championship.
6 Never Saw Coming: Diesel (Madison Square Garden House Show, 1994)
House shows almost never feature title changes of any kind, let alone the biggest championship in a company. Bob Backlund winning the WWE Championship was already a major surprise. Despite being a legend, Backlund had no star power and didn’t stand out at all.
WWE’s plan culminated in Backlund dropping the WWE Championship to Diesel aka Kevin Nash at a house show in Madison Square Garden. The stunning title change saw Diesel become the new face of the company as he started a lengthy title reign. Fans in the venue witnessed a special moment as the last time the WWE Championship changed hands at a house show.
5 Obvious: John Cena (WrestleMania XXIX)
The storyline between John Cena and The Rock led to two WrestleMania main events in a row. Both events would deliver box office records for WWE’s profits. The Rock defeated Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII with a plan for another match another year later.
A title win over CM Punk led to The Rock going into WrestleMania XXIX as WWE Champion and John Cena winning the Royal Rumble match to get a title shot. It was blatantly obvious that Cena would get his redemption and win back over Rock. There was no surprise when Cena won the main event of WrestleMania XXIX in New Jersey.
4 Never Saw Coming: Mick Foley (Raw, 1999)
Mick Foley was arguably the biggest surprise of the Attitude Era. Vince McMahon didn’t originally want to sign Foley and expected him to fail in WWE. Foley instead proved him wrong by becoming a success story in every role asked of him. Three characters – Mankind, Dude Love, and Cactus Jack – were all played by Foley.
Fans started to just love Foley for his genuine nature, strong work ethic and endearing personality. It led to Vince pulling the trigger and allowing Mick to become WWE Champion in 1999. Foley defeated The Rock during an episode of Raw that is still viewed as an all-time great moment today. Fans didn’t expect the title change and that made the moment even more magical.
3 Obvious: Bret Hart (SummerSlam 1997)
The '90s featured Bret Hart becoming one of the top performers in the industry. Hart's matches were always stellar, but the best character work of his came towards the end of his run. Bret became a top heel for WWE in 1997 by ripping apart many of the company’s new top stars.
SummerSlam 1997 gave WWE fans a huge main event as The Undertaker defended his WWE Championship against Hart with Shawn Michaels as the referee. Despite Michaels and Hart being rivals, fans knew that a Michaels mistake was likely going to help Bret defeat The Undertaker. Wrestling 101 played out and Hart scored the obvious title win.
2 Never Saw Coming: Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 31)
The Money in the Bank cash-in peaked at WrestleMania 31 when Seth Rollins used it in the best way possible. Fans were souring on a main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns and the horrible build towards it. Rollins having the Money in the Bank briefcase gave WWE an easy way out of it.
Fans and pundits did not expect Rollins to get such a huge moment as the obvious result was expected to see Reigns dethrone Brock to become the face of the company. Instead, Rollins came out late into the singles match and cashed in to officially win in a triple threat. Despite his heel status, fans reacted like never before as Rollins cashed in during the main event of WrestleMania 31 to become WWE World Champion.
1 Obvious: Stone Cold Steve Austin (WrestleMania XIV)
Stone Steve Austin winning the WWE Championship was one of the most obvious, elaborately planned and satisfying title changes in company history. Austin became the most popular star in WWE around WrestleMania 13 when involved with Bret Hart in an iconic feud.
The standout match at WM13 led to Vince McMahon waiting a full year before Austin would win the WWE Championship. McMahon wanted Austin’s firs title win to come on the biggest stage. Austin dethroned Shawn Michaels in the main event of WrestleMania 14 to become the new face of the company. We all saw it coming, but it didn’t take away from our enjoyment of the moment.