15 WWE Title Changes That IMMEDIATELY Backfired
11. Debra Wins A Title By Losing (WWF Women's Title)
Title Change: Debra should act as the curious answer to an obscure WWE trivia question, because her Women's Title win on the 10 May 1999 Raw was something else. On that flagship, Debs won the belt from ratings grabber Sable under some of the most bizarre circumstances you're ever likely to see. Sadly, those circumstances are also partly why this decision backfired in a hurry.
Why It Backfired: Technically, Debra actually lost her ‘Evening Gown’ match with Sable, but Commissioner Shawn Michaels said she was the real winner because everybody got to see her lose the dress. OK then. It was impossible to take the Women’s Title seriously in this era, and this was peak 'they're only on the show as eye candy' nonsense. That was literally all the WWF wanted from their division at the time.
Debra, who was never going to be much of a wrestler, dropped the belt to Ivory in June. Her reign was a woeful reminder of everything wrong with women's wrestling (if one could even call the fed's approach that during the 'Attitude Era' days!) back then. Winning titles by losing matches is just never something that should happen - even if those belts aren't treated as credible trophies by the company booking them.
No, Sable was never Toni Storm between the ropes, but she was a big star who had improved tenfold as a worker. Meanwhile, beauty pageant winner Debra had zero interest in learning the difference between a headlock and a head cold. Actually working matches was never going to be her thing.
Senseless.