Professional wrestling is an industry steeped in tradition. While many things have changed over the years, many longstanding traditions remain intact. One of those that even the least observant fan has to notice comes after a champion loses his or her title. Inevitably, you will hear them demand their contractually obligated rematch for said championship. Automatic rematches are as commonplace in WWE today as pyro, authority figures or distraction finishes. In todays wrestling world of monthly PPVs and multiple weekly television programs, these rematches help stretch out feuds, fill a programming slot and answer a big question: Will the new champ solidify his or her reign, or can the former champ turn him or her into a one-hit wonder? Currently, Brock Lesnar has returned from suspension and immediately reinserted himself in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture, having lost the title to Seth Rollins at WrestleMania XXXI three months ago. Lesnars automatic rematch has been delayed, but has not been forgotten. However, there have been numerous high-profile examples throughout the years where a champion has not gotten their rematch for one reason or another. In some cases, the loser left the WWE. In others, the new champ quickly lost his title before a rematch could take place. Since the PPV era began, there have been several notable title changes that havent been followed up with a rematch. For some of these, the real losers were the fans who were robbed of a great second contest. Lets look at some of the most notable former champions who never got their rematch.
Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.
