Massive WWE Championship Changes In September

World Wrestling Entertainment is a show that always goes on. There isn’t an offseason like we see in most other major sporting organizations. The wrestlers are on the road year-round, and WWE puts everything they have into making sure that each show is as entertaining as the last.

A problem that WWE does run into, though, is that there are months that are slower than others. Months like September, when not many huge shows are booked, act as a buffer between SummerSlam and Survivor Series. Luckily, WWE has managed to fit in some impressive title changes during September. Championship changes that shocked the world, popped the fans, and changed careers. Below are some of these changes.

Vince McMahon Captures The WWE Championship – SmackDown September. 16^th, 1999               

The WWE Championship was bounced around more than a basketball during the Attitude Era. Just about every top guy got their chance at WWE’s ultimate prize. It was a fast and furious way to book your top title, but one that fit in very well with the era. No one knew who would win the championship next, but no one thought it would be Vince McMahon.

On an episode of SmackDown, Vince McMahon was goaded into a match by Triple H—a contest where McMahon’s son-in-law agreed to put his WWE Championship on the line. After the usual Attitude Era run-in, Vince McMahon pulled off the massive upset, winning the WWE Championship. It was the first and only time the owner of WWE had the strap around his waist.

Razor Ramon Wins Mid-Card Gold – Monday Night Raw, September 27^th,1993 

Shawn Michaels had a stranglehold over the Intercontinental Championship in 1993. So much so that he rarely defended the championship, for fear of losing his standing. The office didn’t take kindly to this, and he was soon stripped of the IC Championship, setting up a history-making night for The Bad Guy.

Razor Ramon went through a 20-man battle royale and a showdown with Rick Martel to capture the Intercontinental Championship. It was a thing to see the secondary strap change hands on television, and it was also the first singles championship for Ramon. As well, it was the night that started WWE on the path to HBK and Ramon’s historic Wrestlemania X ladder match.

Pat Patterson Makes History – House Show September 1^st, 1979

The lineage surrounding the Intercontinental Championship’s beginning is spotty, at best, but that doesn’t mean the crowning of a new champion wasn’t a historic event. Before that night in 1979, WWE had the World, Tag Team, and North American Championships.

It was decided that a more critical secondary singles championship was needed, and thus the North American Championship was absorbed into the newly created Intercontinental Championship.

The IC title has gone on to become one of the most essential titles in professional wrestling. Known as the workhorses’ title, it is just as, if not more popular than, the WWE Championship itself. It’s become a staple of WWE, and Pat Patterson had the honor of being its inaugural champion.

Ric Flair Adds Another Championship To The Trophy Case – Unforgiven September 18^th, 2005

The Nature Boy is one of the greatest wrestlers to lace up a pair of boots. His longevity was incredible, but it was his ability to collect championships that set him apart. His record of 16 World Championships stood for years. He was a wrestler who looked odd without some gold wrapped around his waist.

For all the championships Flair acquired, one that eluded him for many years was the Intercontinental Championship. It was the one WWE strap he hadn’t won, and in the waning years of his career, he rectified that. Ric Flair used his wily ways to get the victory over Carlito and thus won the last championship he needed to complete his collection. The Nature Boy trophy case was full.

Heath Slater & Rhyno Feed Their Kids – SmackDown Live September 11^th, 2016 

WWE’s 2016 brand split was met with mixed reactions. The roster dictated that they split the shows, and it was nice to see the commitment to individuality on the part of Raw and SmackDown. What was also positive was the unexpected stories that developed—specifically, the work done by Heath Slater and Rhyno.