Taking over the reigns of the company from his father in the early-1980's, Vince McMahon Jr was determined to make the WWF bigger than ever. In order to achieve that goal, Vince reasoned that he'd have to shift perception of the company in the eyes of the viewing public. No longer simply content to be pro wrestling, McMahon Jr envisioned a world in which his WWF was the crown jewel of entertainment. Part of the plan was to install a champion who was extraordinary. Enter Hulk Hogan, a huge man who had remarkable charisma and a cool connection to the people. Bob Backlund had reigned as WWF Heavyweight Champion for 1,470 days. Holding the belt since December, 1979, Backlund was quickly moved aside and replaced by The Iron Sheik in December, 1983. The purpose of this was simple, McMahon wanted Hogan to promptly batter the Sheik and win his first WWF Heavyweight Title. Sheik held the belt for only 28 days, before dropping it to Hulk on January 23rd, 1984. By far, this was the most important WWF Title win of all time. From there, McMahon used Hogan's win as a launching pad for the WWF. Ideas such as WrestleMania followed, and the company - not to mention the entire industry - was never the same again. What other WWE Title wins would you class as "crucial"? Do you agree with the ones listed here? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!
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.
