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2022 was a big year for WWE. Several events have set records throughout the year for both income and viewership. There were also many big news stories, such as Vince McMahon's scandals and subsequent retirement, which helped Triple H's rise to power.
Part of Triple H's new leadership led to new wrestlers being signed by WWE and many being rehired. Additionally, there were shifts with some brands with the closure of the NXT UK brand with the goal of NXT Europe replacing it in 2023.
Other changes made by The Game had to do with championships. Since taking over the creative direction of the company, four belts have been discontinued. The WWE Women's Tag Team Titles were also reinstated in the summer.
This article will look at the four titles discontinued since Triple H took the reigns of creative, along with another belt that was scrapped earlier in the year with the previous administration. Each of the titles has its own history, lasting for at least several years.
Below are five championships in WWE that were scrapped in 2022.
#5. The United Kingdom Championship was discontinued
The United Kingdom Championship is a title that was introduced in 2016. A 16-man tournament held for two nights determined the first champion. The title actually predates the NXT UK brand officially forming by many months.
The winner of the inaugural tournament was Tyler Bate. Pete Dunne aka Butch, WALTER aka Gunther, and Ilja Dragunov all held the coveted championship and the United Kingdom's biggest prize.
The final United Kingdom Champion is recognized as Tyler Bate, the same man who first won the belt. Despite that, he lost in a unification match against Bron Breakker at NXT Worlds Collide, arguably indicating that Bron should be considered the last champion.
#4. The Cruiserweight Championship is no more
The NXT Cruiserweight Championship, originally known as the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, debuted on September 14th, 2016. The winner of the first-ever Cruiserweight Classic, TJP, was awarded the championship following an epic match with Gran Metalik.
The title was eventually defended on Monday Night RAW before 205 Live became the exclusive home for the title. The belt began appearing on the purple brand less often in 2019 and eventually became a full-time NXT Championship.
The belt was discontinued on January 4th, 2022. Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong battled North American Champion Carmelo Hayes in a unification bout which the latter won. Unlike the NXT United States Championship, the winner of the unification bout, Carmelo Hayes, is considered the final NXT Cruiserweight Champion.
#3. The NXT UK Tag Team Titles were unified on NXT
The NXT UK Tag Team Titles were introduced shortly after the launch of the British brand in 2018. A four-team tournament occurred, and the winners were decided at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool.
The Grizzled Young Veterans were the first-ever WWE NXT UK Tag Team Champions. Other duos holding belts include Gallus, Moustache Mountain, and Pretty Deadly, among others.
The NXT UK Tag Team Titles were also discontinued at the Worlds Collide event. Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, who had won the title a few months prior, defeated NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly to unify the belts. Briggs and Jensen are the final holders of the championship.
#2. The WWE 24/7 Championship is no longer active
Hall of Famer Mick Foley introduced the WWE 24/7 Championship on the May 20th, 2019, edition of Monday Night RAW. Titus O'Neil was the inaugural winner of the belt, collecting it during a mad scramble from many superstars.
The rules of the 24/7 Championship were pretty obvious, given the name. The title could be won and lost at any point in time as long as a referee was around to count a pinfall or submission. This has led to many comedic moments over the years.
While the WWE 24/7 Championship was initially exciting, the title grew stagnant. There was a consensus that the segments were hurting Monday Night RAW. As a result, Nikki Cross dumped the title after winning it on the November 7th edition of WWE RAW, and it hasn't been seen since.
#1. The NXT UK Women's Championship was discontinued
The NXT UK Women's Championship was introduced in an eight-woman tournament following the British brand's introduction in 2018. On June 18th, 2018, Rhea Ripley defeated Toni Storm to become the inaugural holder of the title.
While The Ripper was the first-ever champion, four women held the belt. Rhea lost the title to Toni Storm, who lost the belt to Kay Lee Ray, now known as Alba Fyre. Ray lost the belt to Meiko Satomura. KLR held the title for 600+ days, and Meiko held onto the title for 400+ days.
The WWE NXT UK Women's Championship was discontinued at Worlds Collide, just as with the other belts from the brand. Mandy Rose, Blair Davenport, and champion Meiko Satomura had a unification bout which Rose ultimately won. Meiko Satomura is recognized as the final champion by WWE.
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