15 WWE Title Changes That IMMEDIATELY Backfired
1. Sgt. Slaughter Isn’t A Draw (WWF Title)
Title Change: The Ultimate Warrior was all set to be the babyface of the 1990s when he beat Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI, but his drawing power wasn't sufficient enough for the WWF gravy train. They were used to the highs of Hulkamania, and Warrior wasn't cutting it, so Sgt. Slaughter won the WWF Title at Royal Rumble 1991 to line up more Hulk magic for WrestleMania VII.
Why It Backfired: Slaughter's sudden title win guaranteed a match vs. Hogan that’d play on the Gulf War hostilities. Thinking big, Vince McMahon planned to hold ‘Mania VII in the cavernous Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but ticket sales were slow. Thinking better of running in a half-empty monster of a venue, McMahon moved the show into the much smaller LA Sports Arena instead.
The WWF had to save face by claiming this was done for safety reasons (they pondered whether or not Slaughter might be targeted by snipers). The real truth? They couldn’t punt enough tickets to make the Coliseum worthwhile, not even with Hulk back on top of things winning belts and posing to close the show.
Plus, it was pretty obvious that Slaughter's newfound anti-American gimmick wasn't working. He was even less of a draw than Warrior with the belt, and there was a sour taste in some mouths that the WWF planned to financially capitalise on a very-real conflict which had people fearing for their lives.
In a heartbeat at the Rumble, McMahon set himself back to square one. He had to try and find another suitable replacement for Hogan. It was 1990 all over again, and it was as though the Warrior's reign hadn't happened.
What other title changes backfired on WWE? For more like this, check out 12 Misconceptions About WCW You Probably Believe and 10 WWE Name Changes That IMMEDIATELY Backfired!