Still to this day, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is the most prestigious title in the entire wrestling industry. Grappling enthusiasts who favour other promotions may disagree, but it's nonetheless fair to say that WWE's top belt is the one every professional wrestler wants to hold someday. The history of the strap is astounding, and WWE recognise title reigns right back to the 1960's. The current incarnation of the championship is the result of unification between the WWE Heavyweight Title and the old World Heavyweight Championship. The latter belt was similar in aesthetic to the 'Big Gold Belt' seen in WCW, but is actually a separate title. Formed in 2002, the title was then made defunct in December, 2013. Randy Orton's victory over John Cena at the TLC Pay-Per-View unified the title with the WWE Title. Over the years, there have been many World Title changes in WWF/WWE. Many have been memorable, such as Steve Austin's victory over Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV. On the other side of the proverbial coin, others have left fans with a bad taste in their mouths. The matches listed here fit into that category, as they proved instantly dissatisfying to wrestling fans.
10. Big Show (vs. Brock Lesnar - Survivor Series 2002)
Brock Lesnar's victory over The Rock at SummerSlam 2002 marked a sea change in the company. Hand-picked to lead a new era in WWE, 'The Next Big Thing' had become the man in the promotion. Fans predicted a lengthy reign during which Lesnar would dominate. There was therefore shock when his title reign ended just months later at the Survivor Series event. Scheduled to face The Big Show, Brock went into the match with injured ribs. That particular plot point would have been ideal to capitalise on, with Lesnar emerging victorious despite the odds. Instead, the story would be used as part of the reason why Big Show would win the WWE Title. Paul Heyman turned his back on Brock, pulling the referee out of the ring when he had the match won. From there, Big Show dominated in the aftermath. Hammering Lesnar with a steel chair to the ribs, the giant then hit him with a Chokeslam onto the chair for the win. The match lasted just 4 minutes, and fans were less-than-thrilled by the result.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
