10 Pieces Of Wrestling Trivia That Will Astonish You

6. The Undertaker Never Won The WWE Championship Cleanly

Vader Ultimate Warrior
WWE

WWE is a roll-up company now, and WWE is a roll-up company because Vince McMahon is, apparently, a benevolent chap. He just likes to protect his workers.

No, not by providing them with health insurance or any nonsense like that, but by promoting legitimate wrestling holds as theft. These wrestlers "steal one!" They don't earn wins, they therefore don't get over as winners: they are cursed by rotten luck, every week. What are the chances, eh?

Very f*cking high, as it happens. As high as you must be to watch this sh*t.

This modern development is as inexplicable as it is out of control, but it's consistent with how WWE has always done things. It's a carny finish company, then, now, forever, and the "now" part is woefully out of date.

WWE is such a carny company that the Undertaker, the man with the most clean notable wins in company history, never once captured the WWE Championship without some sort of f*ckery attached. The Big Gold Belt is different, but:

He won his first WWF/E Title at Survivor Series 1991 after Ric Flair slid a chair under Hulk Hogan's head.

He won his second at WrestleMania 13 when Bret Hart distracted Sycho Sid.

He won his third at Over The Edge 1999 when Shane McMahon fast-counted his roll-up of Steve Austin.

And, at Judgement Day 2002, in another cute trivia note, he won his fourth by capitalising on the referee's distraction and...hitting Hulk Hogan with a chair.

Time is a flat circle.

Then.

Now.

Forever.

Contributor
Contributor

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!