10 Greatest World Title Changes That Didn't Take Place On PPV
Just because it isn't on PPV doesn't mean it isn't going to be historic.
Seeing a World Championship defended is one of the most exciting spectacles in any sport, whether it's wrestling, boxing, or any other athletic competition. WWE is no different and the WWE Championship is the cream of the crop.
Prestigious and steeped in history, the WWE Title is the crown jewel of Vince McMahon's wrestling company and the primary goal for any self-respecting singles competitor on the roster. As such, the belt is the ultimate prize and the very nucleus of the company's programming.
With such high-regard and prestige, title defences are often reserved for PPV events; however, there are rare occasions when the WWE Championship is defended on TV. While these title defences were more common during the battle for ratings supremacy with WCW, the presence of WWE Championship matches has become increasingly rare these days and seeing the gold won and lost outside of PPV is even rarer.
Nevertheless, new WWE Champions have been crowned several times on free TV over the years, proving time and again that anything really can happen in WWE.
10. The Hitman Gets Bitten By The Rattlesnake - Raw (17 February 1997)
After Shawn Michaels "lost his smile" and forfeited the WWF Championship, Bret Hart won his fourth WWF Title at In Your House 13: Final Four in Chattanooga, Tennessee. However, he would be forced to defend his new title the very next night on Raw.
Meanwhile, Bret was also embroiled in a heated feud with Steve Austin at the time. 'Stone Cold' had already jumped Bret twice during the broadcast, once at the top of the show during an in-ring segment with Sid and again while Bret was backstage. Proving that bad things come in threes, Austin made his presence felt once more during Bret's title defence in the main event.
For Austin, the third time was the charm and his final assault on Hart proved costly for the champ. With Sid locked in the Sharpshooter, Bret was seemingly en route to victory; however, 'The Texas Rattlesnake' soon appeared at ringside - steel chair in hand. Austin nailed Bret in the head, which allowed Sid to score with the powerbomb and walk away with the gold.
The outcome had huge WrestleMania implications and set up the big 'Taker vs. Sid bout at WrestleMania 13, while Austin's interference also led to the awesome Submission Match between Hart and Austin. The latter in particular would become one of the greatest bouts in WrestleMania history.