10 Creepy Wrestling Curses

2. The WWE Universal Title

Brutus Beefcake mask
WWE.com

The first winner of the Universal Title, Finn Bálor, had to immediately vacate it after suffering a labrum tear at SummerSlam 2016.

This set the tone for a title that wasn't so much cursed, but was created and contested deep into the ills of what, in terms of popularity, was and remains a catastrophic era for WWE.

The title was subsequently "won" by Kevin Owens in order to build towards Triple H's eventual match with Seth Rollins, a development not later followed up on because Triple H had better things to do, like bagsy the first WrestleMania match with most famous sportswoman on the planet Ronda Rousey. Goldberg gave way to Brock Lesnar, whose stranglehold on the title scene created a vast nihilism from which most haven't escaped.

Seth Rollins broke the wildly counterproductive holding pattern, but not the curse, since he made a spectacular t*t of himself on Twitter and then had to transition into a profoundly tedious heel role as penance. He didn't lose but should have lost to the Fiend in the most cursed match ever, which, of course, Vince McMahon laughed off.

"It's only the Fiend. I'll f*ck 'im again, just watch!"

It's set to be defended in a Swamp match soon, man, for f*ck's sake.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!