25 WWE Champions Who Never Got Their Rematch
Bray Wyatt and Goldberg are only the latest casualties. Many have been denied a rematch.
Professional wrestling is an industry steeped in tradition.
While many things have changed
over the years, many longstanding traditions remain intact. One of those that
even the least observant fan has to notice comes after a champion loses his or
her title. Inevitably, you will hear them demand their contractually obligated
rematch for said championship.
In today’s wrestling world of monthly PPVs and multiple weekly television programs, these rematches help stretch out feuds, fill a programming slot and answer a big question: Will the new champ solidify his or her reign, or can the former champ turn him or her into a one-hit wonder?
During the second half of 2016, we saw Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks turn the automatic rematch into a game of hot potato with the Raw Women’s Championship. But not every former champ gets a shot to reclaim his or her title. In some cases, the loser left the WWE. In others, the new champ quickly lost his title before a rematch could take place.
At WrestleMania this year, Bray Wyatt and Goldberg both lost their titles, but neither man received the chance to fight to get it back. In Wyatt's case, he switched brands before he could get a rematch, and Goldberg simply bowed out of WWE after Mania.
Since the PPV era began, there have been several notable title changes that haven’t been followed up with a rematch...
25. AJ Styles And John Cena
Title Lost: WWE Championship.
Lost Title To: John Cena and Bray
Wyatt (respectively).
Man, the WWE World Championship really has been a hot potato over on SmackDown Live.
Last fall, AJ Styles defeated Dean Ambrose for the title, becoming the top dog on the blue brand. However, John Cena returned to challenge Styles after AJ’s victory at SummerSlam. Cena would go on to defeat Styles for the strap at the Royal Rumble this winter and then he would defend it unsuccessfully at the Elimination Chamber PPV, with Bray Wyatt winning the title.
That’s pretty notable, with back-to-back champs losing and not having a rematch for the title they lost. And now that trend has continued, with Wyatt losing the title to Randy Orton and not getting a shot to regain his title, making it three consecutive World champions who did not get a one-on-one rematch.