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Becoming a champion in WWE is somewhat like an honor. It also means that the management has finally started trusting on that Superstar and he has an opportunity to either break his career or make it. However, sometimes it’s not about the champions but what they do after becoming one.
WWE believes that one should always do what they have decided and if a champion (or any other Superstar) refuses to obey them, then it’s a sign of danger.
Most Superstars understand this and it is why something like this seldom happens. However, some Superstars were not afraid of the management when they decided not to lose their precious titles. But at the same time, there were some, who refused to win the big one. In this article, we will look at 3 WWE Superstars who refused to lose their championships and 2 who refused to win one.
#5 Refused to drop the title: Shawn Michaels - WWF World Heavyweight Championship
Shawn Michaels is known for being a recalcitrant person backstage during his initial WWE days. According to many reports, the former WWE Champion refused to lose his matches against certain Superstars.
While we know some of his infamous backstage incidents, I would like to tell you about one more that isn't known to many fans. Also, only a few credible sources have confirmed that this story. At one point, Vader was originally supposed to win against Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam 1996 for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
In an interview, Vader, himself, revealed that Vince McMahon promised him to be a 2-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion in the company but it is evident that he never got the opportunity to get his hands on that prestigious title.
You know what, the title was promised to me two times. I was supposed to be a two-time heavyweight champion. If I did the job for Shawn at SummerSlam, and then something would happen and I'd get it then give it to somebody else, take it back and then give it back to Shawn in San Antonio. Instead, somehow that got changed around.
Shawn Michaels vs Vader was the first storyline where the latter got the opportunity to win the title. The original plan was supposed to be in Vader’s favor as he would win the championship, drop it to a new contender, win it again and then lose it to Michaels. However, as the Heart Breaking Kid didn't lose the title in first place, Vader never became a 2-time World Heavyweight Champion.
#4 Refused to win the title: Bret Hart - WWE Intercontinental Championship
Bret Hart in his autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, revealed that at one point, Triple H and Shawn Michaels forced him to defeat The Rock (Rocky Maivia, at that time) for the Intercontinental Championship at an episode of Raw.
However, Hart knew that if he did that then it would certainly destroy Rock’s momentum and will kill every chance of him being the future main-eventer. It is why he refused to win the title and instead pitched an idea of winning the match via disqualification so that a title change would not occur.
While we don't know how much Hart's decision helped The Rock but we can clearly see how big of a Superstar he has become now. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened if The Hitman hadn’t decided to change the match’s finish.
#3 Refused to drop the title: Bruno Sammartino - WWWF World Heavyweight Championship
Bruno Sammartino, indeed, was one of the best wrestlers in the world. During his prime, the Longest Reigning World Champion defeat countless Superstars. His 4040 days of combined title reign is still a big deal in the wrestling industry and seemingly, no other wrestler will ever break this record.
However, most of you may not know that Sammartino had refused to lose his matches against some wrestlers as he thought they were not capable enough to beat him. For this very reason, some promoters also blackballed him.
“I wouldn’t cooperate with promoters. I told them ‘if anybody can really beat me, fine. But that’s the only way I’ll go down.’ I was a real young guy, and I wanted to establish myself. I didn’t want to be a preliminary boy, so the promoters took a negative stand against me by blackballing me all over the country.”
#2 Refused to win the title: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin - ECW Championship
Steve Austin, the sturdiest wrestler of his time, once worked for the ECW too. After leaving WCW, Austin joined ECW where he was offered a championship reign. However, Austin didn't do something extraordinary to earn the title and it is why he refused to win it. He revealed all this in Lillian Garcia’s podcast Chasing Glory:
It was also because I figured if I rolled in there and Paul [Heyman] wanted to put the strap on me; but, Mike [Whipwreck] had it. I said, ‘No man.’ Here I just came waltzing in and because I came from WCW. I was a very good mechanic in the ring; but, I wasn’t a Superstar yet although we’d call myself “Superstar” Steve Austin there in ECW – I said, ‘Man, everybody’s expecting me to take the Title. Let me chase it. Let me earn it.’ I want to get over with that ECW crowd or wherever it is from a television standpoint. Those people in that sh*t hole arena, the ECW Arena – it was a dump and when I say that I mean it as a compliment. It was just this raw crazy atmosphere with a lot of guys working their asses off to build that place up and doing a hell of a job with all those great promos. I just didn’t want to waltz in there and get handed a belt. I wanted to earn it through the boys in the company and earn the fans respect. I just didn’t want it handed to me….I wanted to earn it and I wanted to work for it.
Even when Austin became a box-office Superstar, he never won this championship as he was working for WWE but just imagining him as an ECW Champion would give goosebumps to some fans. He, alone, was capable to rebuild this brand.
#1 Refused to drop the title: Jeff Jarrett - WWE Intercontinental Championship
Jeff Jarrett may not be the most brilliant wrestler of his time but he was a significant name in WCW and WWE. In Vince McMahon’s company, the mastermind behind TNA won the Intercontinental Championship on 6 different occasions.
The story goes back to 1999 when Jarrett and Chyna were feuding for the Intercontinental Championship. The company became so busy in other things that they didn't even notice that Jarrett’s contract was going to expire soon.
When it happened, Jarrett reportedly took the advantage and demanded $300,000 to drop the title to Chyna at No Mercy 1999. The deal happened and he left WWE for WCW. However, Jarrett only admitted about receiving stock options from WWE. We never saw him again in this company for many years before WWE decided to induct him to the Hall Of Fame. Recently, Jerrett also made his in-ring return against Elias on Monday Night Raw.
