7 Times WWE Title Was Vacated With Shocking Consequences

6. Antonio Inoki Refuses To Hold The WWE title - December 1979

Japanese wrestling is known for its technicality, stiff ring €“ work and its loyal fan base who absolutely adore the professional wrestlers and consider them as superheroes. Japanese wrestling has produced many legends, but perhaps none greater than Antonio Inoki. Inoki€™s influence can perhaps be best explained by the fact that he is the only Japanese wrestler to have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame! Inoki was inducted in the year 2010, a testament to his greatness. However, very few would be aware of the fact that Antonio Inoki had once won the WWE championship in 1979, back when it was still functioning under the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) banner. Bob Backlund, the then WWF champion, fought Inoki in Japan and in the end, dropped the title to Inoki. A week later, Inoki faced Backlund in a rematch which Backlund won, but the bout was declared to be a no-contest due to outside interference, resulting in Inoki retaining the WWF title. Inoki, being a man of honor, turned down the offer and the title was vacated. Backlund won the WWF title back by defeating Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death match a week later for the vacant WWF championship! Although there are various rumored reasons for Inoki refusing to take the WWF title, it is suggested that since Inoki considered himself a modern day Samurai, he refused to accept the title as Backlund pinned him in the middle of the ring! With Inoki refusing to take the WWF title back, his first and only run as the WWF champion has been erased from the history books!