Skip to main content

Greatest Successful Title Defenses

We always make a big deal out of title changes but it this was a real sport, I think a great title defense would be valued more than it is. There'd be title defense compilations on youtube along with all the title change compilations....or maybe not. 

So what would be some of the greatest successful title defenses? Hogan defeating Andre at WM3 seems like the clear winner but here's some other matches I'd nominate...

-Austin over Dude at Over The Edge '98 (Talk about the deck stacked against you)
-Shawn over Diesel at In Your House '96 (If this was all real, that's a tough first title defense)
-Miz over Cena at WM27?? (Foil for The Rock or not...a win's a win right?)

​I'd add Flair over Luger in 88, both at the Bash and Starrcade, because in both cases it was considered a foregone conclusion that Lex would win and become the star of the future, and yet Flair managed to win both matches fair and square.  ​

Comments

  1. Yokozuna defending his title against Lex at SummerSlam 93.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Steve Austin retaining over the Undertaker at SummerSlam 1998 was a big one that stands out, considering how big that match was at the time (that whole card smacks of being one of the high watermarks of the Attitude Era). Backing up, Hulk Hogan defeating Andre the Giant in the biggest match in wrestling history should probably be considered as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Also, The Giant defending his title against Lex Luger at Great American Bash 96.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cena vs Orton,one more timeJune 27, 2015 at 11:14 AM

    HHH beating Foley at RR 2000,he was pretty much a made man because of it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ric Flair defending his title against Lex Luget at WrestleWar 90 is another great one.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You can't forget the sequel either at Capital Combat. Another great Ric Flair title defense against Lex Luger.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nick Bockwinkel over Hulk Hogan at Super Sunday. Oh wait, that was the most calamitous successful defense.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hunter at Mania 16.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kurt Angle retaining in the six man Hell in a Cell at Armageddon.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My favorite successful defense was Bret over the Undertaker at Summerslam 1997 because of Shawn's legit boo boo face at having to count the pinfall, and also screw the boring Undertaker.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great call. Was just about to type that lol.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wasn't Taker the Champ going into the show?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Although the match was an absolute trash bag, Shane v Al Snow at Wrestlepalooza 98. Everyone though Al was gonna win.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This entry is disqualified for including Shane fucking Douglas.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Cue the Target jokes and elderly couch surfer Ric Flair sobbing someone hurt his fragile feelings.

    ReplyDelete
  16. HHH/Booker T at WM19. One of the greatest defenses in World Wrestling Confederation history.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Cena defending over HHH at Wrestlemania 22. Established him as the man

    ReplyDelete
  18. Does Yokozuna beating Lex Luger at WM 10 count as a title defense?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Mitch, The GodfatherJune 27, 2015 at 11:26 AM

    Angle was.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This gets my vote. I gave HHH no chance

    ReplyDelete
  21. It's crazy how many of these already include "over Lex Lugar"

    The last 10 years a lot would be "over Batista"

    ReplyDelete
  22. Probably Austin squeeking out of SummerSlam as champion in 2001. Kurt won by DQ and was then handed the title due to 9/11 at the next PPV - but he should have won it here.

    In theory, Triple H surviving Scott Steiner at Royal Rumble 2003. Match in hindsight was very bad and Steiner was very bad - but in the heat of the moment - the match was fun. I'm scared to watch it again, because I might still think the match is good or something.

    A lot of Flair matches with him as champion. In theory, you thought the power guy was going to serve Flair and Flair escaped with a Dusty Finish.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Miz over Cena wasn't an upset as much as it was stupid. I think the ones with interference shouldn't count b/c the guy didn't actually beat his opponent.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Are we limited to world title defenses? If not, I go with the Rock N' Roll beating The Andersons at Starrcade '86. And what about Flair constantly defeating Nikita? I'd say the Bash '85 win was an upset.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Angle was wrestling in 1997? He must have gained a lot of weight after taking off that mask. Joke: Angle and Patriot used the same music.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Ramon over HBK at WM10

    ReplyDelete
  27. 10 year old me was certain Bret was going to lose the belt to Owen at Summerslam 94, especially after losing at WM10 and Owen being reigning KotR by golly. I was ecstatic when he retained.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I wouldn't call Flair's win at the '88 Bash "fair and square."

    ReplyDelete
  29. He won them FAIR and SQUARE, Jeremy Rinehart!

    ReplyDelete
  30. It's pretty recent, but Brock taking every fucking thing Cena and Rollins could throw at him and still powering through to win was pretty damn impressive.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Cena vs Orton,one more timeJune 27, 2015 at 11:57 AM

    Also, brock vs taker at no mercy 2002.

    ReplyDelete
  32. That was my pick. I thought for sure the Cena Experiment was over considering the reaction he was getting, and that they were just going to move on and try something else.


    Good lord was I incredibly fucking wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hogan/Andre is historic for a number of reasons. I think that was the first time Hogan's title ever looked like it was in real jeopardy.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Eddie over Angle at WM I thought was a foregone conclusion and they would switch the title back to Angle afte Eddie had his feel-good moment beating Brock.

    ReplyDelete
  35. AJ Lee vs 14 divas comes to mind for me at wrestlemania, even if the match was terrible. Were there any championship matches where the champ had to defend against that many opponents at once? I cant think of any.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Steamboat / Flair: Clash VI

    ReplyDelete
  37. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 27, 2015 at 12:35 PM

    Miz over Cena at WM27 was the worst title defense ever.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I'd throw in Bret vs Bulldog at IYH5. I always think of that as an example of a successful championship defense by a great champion.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment