The December 14th edition of ‘This day..’ focuses on the Armageddon PPV. Twice has the PPV fallen on the date and twice was a new World Champion crowned.
13 years ago, Goldberg saw his last day as a Champion and a young Randy Orton started his first. Also on the same day at the same PPV five years later, Jeff Hardy proved that risk takers are not mid card attractions in the WWE when he captured his first WWE Championship.
Read on about what happened at Armageddon 2003 & 2008
#3 Jeff Hardy wins the big one – 14th December 2008
After a year long quest for the WWE Championship, fan favourite Jeff Hardy finally captured the WWE Championship at the 2008 Armageddon PPV in Buffalo, New York. Edge was the defending Champion and the match also included a then-face Triple H, but it was Hardy who clearly had the fans’ support.
Triple H would prevent a Swanton Bomb attempt by Hardy on Edge and deliver a Pedigree to the Champion, but Hardy would go on to execute the Swanton onto both Edge and Triple H. Three seconds later, Hardy was declared the new WWE Champion.
Hardy’s coronation was the greatest feel-good story in the company for years and the WWE had prepared the slow build up months earlier, which had seen Hardy score clean victories over the likes of the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton before winning the title.
Hardy would capture the title on two more occasions before leaving the company after a
#2 Randy Orton wins his first title in the WWE – 14th December 2003
Armageddon 2003 would also see Evolution’s Randy Orton win his first title in the WWE. Orton would beat Rob Van Dam to capture the Intercontinental Championship. The match would feature one of the earlier instances of Orton’s elevated spike DDT manoeuvre.
The match was refereed by Mick Foley who would start a feud with Orton soon afterwards, resulting in a handicap match at Wrestlemania XX and an Intercontinental title match at Backlash. Orton would hold on to the title for seven months, marking the longest Intercontinental title reign in over seven years.
He would eventually be beaten by a returning Edge in mid-2004.
#1 Goldberg loses the World Heavyweight Championship – 14th December 2003
Despite what has been made of it, Bill Goldberg’s first WWE run from 2003-04 was far from a failure. In fact, he has never lost a one-on-one match during his entire tenure in the WWE.
WWE did the right thing by putting the World Heavyweight title on him at Unforgiven and Goldberg feuded with former Champion Triple H for the title in the following PPVs. At Armageddon, Goldberg was scheduled to face Triple H and Kane – the latter in the midst of a monster push after having taken off his mask on screen – for the title.
That match would see Goldberg’s title run end after a Chokeslam from Kane and interference from Triple H’s Evolution stable-mates. Goldberg would never compete for the title again.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
#1 Goldberg loses the World Heavyweight Championship – 14th December 2003
Despite what has been made of it, Bill Goldberg’s first WWE run from 2003-04 was far from a failure. In fact, he has never lost a one-on-one match during his entire tenure in the WWE.
WWE did the right thing by putting the World Heavyweight title on him at Unforgiven and Goldberg feuded with former Champion Triple H for the title in the following PPVs. At Armageddon, Goldberg was scheduled to face Triple H and Kane – the latter in the midst of a monster push after having taken off his mask on screen – for the title.
That match would see Goldberg’s title run end after a Chokeslam from Kane and interference from Triple H’s Evolution stable-mates. Goldberg would never compete for the title again.
