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Professional Wrestling championship matches are special. After all, the titles are what every wrestler, ostensibly, is striving for. Winning a championship can take guts, determination, and a long time.
Sting once wrestled Ric Flair during the Clash of the Champions for nearly an hour without being able to claim the strap, while it took Shawn Michaels more than a sixty minute Iron Man match to dethrone Bret Hart at WrestleMania.
Typically, a title match is usually at least twenty to thirty minutes long. This is done in part because the championship match is often the culmination of a long story line or angle. In order to give full credence to both the wrestlers involved and the title itself, the match should feel like an arduous struggle.
But that's not always the way it goes. Sometimes, the title's fate can be decided in a matter of minutes--or even seconds!
Here are ten of the shortest championship matches in WWE history -- not including Money In the Bank Cash ins, which by their very nature are often short. The matches are arranged from longest run time to shortest.
Super Short Championship Match #10: Velvet McIntyre vs. Fabulous Moolah
The Place: Wrestlemania 2
The Championship: The WWE Women's Championship
The Time: One minute, twenty-five seconds
For our first super short championship match, we go waaaaay back to the second ever Wrestlemania. In the first Wrestlemania, champion Fabulous Moolah would lose her prized WWE Women's Championship to young upstart Wendi Richter, who was a major figure in the Rock N Wrestling scene.
But by the second Wrestlemania, Richter was gone from the company and Moolah was once again champion. The match was not one-sided, but was over much more quickly than anyone expected. Velvet McIntyre missed a body splash and was pinned by Moolah, but the referee failed to notice that McIntyre had one foot under the rope.
Rumor has it that Velvet McIntyre had a minor wardrobe malfunction, and the match was ended early to prevent any accidental exposure. While never confirmed, McIntyre can be seen somewhat awkwardly holding her arms over herself after the match, so it's possibly true.
Super Short Championship Match #9: Honky Tonk Man vs. Ultimate Warrior
The Place: SummerSlam I
The Championship: The WWE Intercontinental Championship
The Time: 32 seconds
When you list the greatest Intercontinental Champions of all time, the name at the top of the list is probably Honky Tonk Man. The former Blonde Bomber held onto the championship with a death grip, and turned back the challenges of many of the top superstars of the WWE's classic era.
Many fans started to wonder if Honky Tonk Man would EVER lose the strap. One man who came quite close on multiple occasions was Brutus the Barber Beefcake. When the two were booked to face each other at the very first SummerSlam, fans hoped that not only would Beefcake take the title, but he would give Honky Tonk man a haircut to boot.
Alas, the Outlaw Ron Bass injured Beefcake before the event, and a cocky Honky Tonk Man issued an open challenge for this belt. However, when Ultimate Warrior's music hit, Honky Tonk can be seen mouthing the words "NOT HIM NOT HIM!" Ultimate Warrior would squash Honky Tonk Man in just over half a minute to bring his historic reign to an end.
In a way, it was an unfit end to Honky's phenomenal reign as the champion. But the WWE has often used this technique to make the Ultimate Warrior look strong, and this was just one example of the squash match.
Super Short Championship Match #8: Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna
The Place: Wrestlemania 9
The Championship: The WWE Championship
The Time: 22 Seconds
For our third entry on the list, we go to one of the biggest names in the sport as well as one of the most controversial finishes in wrestling history.
The original main event booked was Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna. The two rivals squared off once again for one of their classic encounters, but Yokozuna won by nefarious means. His manager Mr. Fuji threw the traditional Sumo Wrestling Salt into Bret Hart's eyes, blinding him and allowing Yokozuna to win.
Hulk Hogan came out to demand justice for the fallen Canadian hero. In pro wrestling logic, he was suddenly granted his own title opportunity. Hogan would avoid a similar fate to Hart's by ducking under Fuji's salt assault and leg-dropping big Yoko for the one-two-three and the title.
Because it was Hogan, the angle could be sold and was sold. He was the WWE's biggest name at the time and the fans accepted the booking with both hands.
Super Short Championship Match #7: Rey Mysterio vs. JBL
The Place: Wrestlemania 25
The Championship: The WWE Intercontinental Championship
The Time: 21 Seconds
John Bradshawn Layfield had begun his ascent to the main event scene, and was still establishing his new heel character. On his way, he ran afoul of Rey Mysterio Jr, and the two would become rivals.
After JBL defeated CM Punk to claim the WWE Intercontinental Championship, he would make noise about trying to end the Undertaker's undefeated streak. JBL would lose out on that opportunity to Shawn Michaels, but the big Texan would still get his Wrestlemania moment, though probably not in the way he expected.
JBL was challenged by Rey Mysterio to a title match, which JBL initially refused. However, after Misterio pinned the champ in a non-title match, their destiny was booked at Wrestlemania 25. It took Rey Misterio just 21 seconds to defeat JBL and become the new champion.
JBL quit wrestling post the embarrassing loss.
Super Short Championship Match #6: Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus
The Place: Wrestlemania 28
The Championship: The World Heavyweight Championship
The Time: 18 seconds
Former WWE champion Daniel Bryan is currently enjoying his run as one of the top WWE superstars after returning to in-ring action from a career-threatening injury.
Meanwhile, Sheamus is struggling to establish his foothold as a main eventer despite being one of the better stars in the promotion for over a decade.
But back at Wrestlemania 28, things were going quite differently. Daniel Bryan entered the match as the World Champion in the curtain jerker match. The champion kissed his then-kayfabe girlfriend AJ Lee, turned around and immediately ate a Brogue Kick from Sheamus, who pinned the champion and won the title in just eighteen seconds. Many fans expressed frustration because the two men had put on lengthier matches that were well received.
It was another experiment that the WWE creative team toyed with that left a bad effect in the WWE universe's mouth.
My how the worm has turned!
Super Short Championship Match #5: Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.
The Place: Wrestlemania 24
The Championship: The WWE version of the ECW Championship
The Time: 11 Seconds
During WWE's short-lived revival of the Extreme Championship Wrestling brand, the company was accused of shuffling talents who had no clear direction on the main roster into the ECW roster. Instead of men like Danny Doring, Sabu, or Sandman in the ECW title picture, you instead had Viscera/Big Daddy V, Matt Hardy, and Chavo Guerrero Jr.
The ECW title was set to be defended by Chavo Guerrero Jr. against Kane at Wrestlemania 24. While Chavo talked a good game, the bell was not the only thing rung as it took the Big Red Machine just eleven seconds to choke slam the champion to the mat and pick up the victory and the title belt.
The entire ECW re-run was a botched project and Kane's squash match against the champion was a testament to what the brand was already running on TV.
Super Short Championship match #4: Kofi Kingston vs. The Brian Kendrick
The Place: Monday Night Raw
The Championship: The WWE United States Championship
The Time: 11 seconds
Brian Kendrick, AKA Spanky, AKA THE Brian Kendrick, is one of the most skilled cruiserweight wrestlers in the world. He has appeared all over the globe and won championships in just about every promotion he has ever wrestled in.
He and partner Paul London enjoyed one of the more dominant runs with the WWE Tag Team Championship in recent memory, and when the pair split up Kendrick was groomed for the main event picture and given new entrance music and a new look.
However, his last appearance with the WWE before he returned for the Cruiserweight Classic was probably one he'd like to forget. Kendrick was set to challenge Kofi Kingston for the US Championship, but he was more focused on ring announcer Jerry Lawler than his opponent. Kofi would charge in and hit Trouble in Paradise for a quick victory in just eleven seconds.
Super Short Championship Match #3: Sheamus vs. Zack Ryder
The Place: WWE Raw
The Championship: The WWE Championship
The Time: 10 seconds
Poor Zack Ryder just can't seem to catch a break. You'd think that a man with a legion of loyal social media followers and the ability to do a 450 splash would have an easier time of things, but alas, that is not the case.
One of Ryder's more humiliating moments came courtesy of an edition of Monday Night Raw. Zack Ryder was just beginning to enjoy something of a fan following, and those same fans were clamoring for more opportunities for the Long Island Iced Z. Unfortunately, when that opportunity came it didn't go as any of the fans hoped.
It took the Great White just ten seconds to lay out Ryder with a Brogue kick and get the one two three. A somewhat ignominious chapter in the history of Zack Ryder.
Sheamus has been the benefactor of two such high profile squash matches.
Super Short Championship Match #2: Bob Backlund vs. Diesel
The Place: Madison Square Garden during a WWE house show
The Championship: The WWE Championship
The Time: 8 seconds
Bob Backlund was one of the longest reigning WWE Champions in all of history. He racked up over a thousand days as champion during his separate reigns, and was famous for wrestling for an hour-to-time limit draw against some of the best international talent the world had to offer.
When he came back to the WWE in the late 1990s, he was already in his forties, which was mostly unheard of in that era. Even more amazing, he challenged Bret Hart for the WWE Championship and won.
However, those who were hoping Backlund would enjoy another lengthy reign were disappointed. WWE didn't even wait for the next PPV before having Backlund drop the belt in a total squash to Kevin "Diesel" Nash, who took just one jackknife powerbomb to dethrone the legendary Backlund.
Super Short Championship Match #1: Curt Hawkins vs. Dolph Ziggler
The Place: Smackdown
The Championship: The WWE Intercontinental Championship
The Time: 7 seconds
For our shortest entry in the list, we go to Dolph Ziggler and Curt Hawkins. Dolph Ziggler holds many records in the WWE. He is technically a Grand Slam Champion, having held the Tag Team Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, as well as the Intercontinental and United States Championships. He is also one of the few wrestlers to survive multiple gimmick changes, from the Spirit Squad to being Chavo Guerrero Jr.'s caddie during his Kerwin White days.
Add another accolade to Ziggler's list, one of the shortest title defenses in all of WWE history. The entrances and a lengthy diatribe by Curt Hawkins are actually much longer than the actual bout itself. It only took Dolph Ziggler one super kick to get the pinfall victory and retain his title, in just seven seconds. If anyone ever says that WWE books Ziggler to look weak, just show them this match. It won't take long!
There you have it - ten of the shortest WWE championship matches in history. Questions or comments? Please leave them below the article, and as always thanks for reading!
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
