Ranking Every World Title Match To Take Place On New Year's Raws

Arguably, WWE kicked off their 2016 on a high note with a entertaining edition of Raw featuring the return of Chris Jericho, excellent in-ring action, and most notably a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match in the main event. Roman Reigns defended his newly won title against the former champ Sheamus with Mr. McMahon serving as the special guest referee; of course, WWE stacked the deck against Reigns to give viewers the impression there was a chance he could lose the title, which would therefore lead to a ratings boost. Ultimately, it paid off: the Raw rating was up from the week prior and the events that transpired during the title match set the stage for what is to come in the Royal Rumble match. It isn't out of the ordinary for WWE to host championship matches on their premier episode in the new year, however, as it has been something of an on-and-off tradition for the past 17 years. It started with Mankind's memorable title win in 1999 over The Rock and it is a formula that has worked every time it has been done over the years. Reigns vs. Sheamus was obviously the latest example, but there have been six world title matches in total that have occurred on the first Raw of the year since the inception of the flagship show in 1993. But which were the best?

6. Triple H Vs. Big Show (January 3, 2000)

Triple H and Big Show have feuded on multiple occasions since Show's WWE arrival in 1999, but never have they had anything resembling strong in-ring chemistry. Triple H's second run with the WWE Championship came to abrupt end at Survivor Series 1999, and from that point forward, he stopped at nothing to regain the gold. He unsuccessfully challenged for the title on the final episode of Raw that year, though he was granted one last shot the following week against The World's Largest Athlete. That night in Miami, the two failed to create a big fight feel for their bout and it came across as any ordinary television matchup as a result. It wasn't a terrible match whatsoever, but taking place in the middle of the show and featuring a questionable finish, it lacked the excitement necessary for it to be labeled a must-see championship clash. On the bright side, the belt was finally off Big Show and with the title in HHH's possession for the third time, he took the ball and ran with it on the road to WrestleMania. He knocked off all comers before dropped the strap to The Rock at Backlash, so at least this title change kicked off what was a strong reign for The Game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chj8x5iJuFA