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Being a champion in WWE means you're forever a part of history. It is the biggest company in pro wrestling and thus champions leave a lasting legacy.
Unfortunately, not every champion has a satisfactory conclusion to their title reign. Unforeseen circumstances can often force champions to vacate their title as opposed to losing their belt in memorable fashion in the ring.
Over the years, many stars have had to vacate their titles, with some incidents being more heartbreaking than others. This article will highlight key incidents over the years, including one superstar who relinquished their championship in the past week.
Below are 5 heartbreaking times WWE Superstars were forced to relinquish their championships.
This list includes spoilers from a recent NXT UK taping.
#5 Ilja Dragunov relinquished the NXT UK Championship
Ilja Dragunov is the first Russian-born champion in WWE history. He began his wrestling career in 2012 before signing with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2019. He has been a regular on the NXT UK brand since.
At NXT TakeOver 36, Ilja Dragunov battled WALTER, who was the reigning United Kingdom Champion and held the title for longer than anybody else in history. After an incredible bout, Ilja dethroned the Ring General.
Sadly, however, Dragunov revealed some unfortunate news at the latest NXT UK tapings. After holding the championship for almost a year, Ilja had to relinquish the title due to injury.
Information regarding his injury is still scarce, but it's always a shame when a long-reigning champion is forced to forfeit their title due to injury. Ilja's story is especially unfortunate, as he often spoke about his difficult life growing up prior to reaching the top of the mountain.
#4 Seth Rollins had to give up the WWE Championship
Seth Rollins made his professional wrestling debut in 2005. He wrestled all over, but he made his name in Ring of Honor. Five years later, he was signed by World Wrestling Entertainment. He spent the next two years with FCW and NXT before being called up to the main roster. On RAW and SmackDown, Seth has headlined WrestleMania, won numerous championships, and has been one of the biggest superstars of the last decade.
In 2015, Seth cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 31 to defeat Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns for the world championship. This WrestleMania moment is often referred to as "The Heist Of The Century".
Unfortunately, after a long and hard-fought journey to the top, Seth's body betrayed him. While attempting a sunset flip powerbomb on Kane at a live event in Ireland, Seth tore his ACL and MCL.
He forfeited the championship on November 5 that year. Thankfully, he has made a full recovery and has since gone on to hold numerous titles, including the Universal Championship. Still, Seth's dream was to become a world champion in WWE only to have his first major title reign end in devastating fashion.
#3 Roman Reigns' leukemia returned
Roman Reigns is undoubtedly WWE's biggest star today. He debuted in 2010 on Florida Championship Wrestling's weekly program. In 2012, he was called up to RAW. Since then, he has won numerous championships and has also headlined WrestleMania on several occasions.
At SummerSlam 2018, Roman defeated Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Championship. In October, however, he revealed some heartbreaking news. 11 years prior, Roman privately battled leukemia. Unfortunately, he was once again in for the fight of his life.
He vacated the Universal Championship on October 22. Four months later, he returned and revealed he was in remission. Since then, Reigns has reached unprecedented heights in the company. He's the reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, holding the Universal Championship for over 650 days.
#2 Finn Balor had to give up the Universal Championship
Finn Balor's professional wrestling career began in 2001. Prior to joining WWE, he was best known for his work in Japan. In 2014, he signed with World Wrestling Entertainment and reported to NXT. In 2016, he was drafted to Monday Night RAW.
Upon joining the main roster, he was immediately thrown into the main event mix. He defeated Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Rusev, and Roman Reigns on Monday Night RAW to earn the right to battle Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. The winner of that bout would become the inaugural Universal Champion. Just weeks after his main roster debut, Balor won the top championship by defeating Rollins.
Unfortunately, Balor's incredible rise came to a screeching halt immediately upon reaching the top. During his bout with Rollins, Balor tore his labrum during a powerbomb spot outside of the ring.
The Prince had to relinquish his title, and is yet to win the championship again. While he's had a wonderful career since his return from injury, fans can only wonder how his career could have gone had his injury not taken place.
#1 Daniel Bryan relinquished the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Daniel Bryan had a long road to becoming a top-level champion in World Wrestling Entertainment. Bryan was trained by Shawn Michaels and Rudy Boy Gonzalez before making his pro wrestling debut in 1999.
He made a name for himself internationally, on the independent scene, and in Ring of Honor. A decade later, Bryan was signed and reported to Florida Championship Wrestling. From there, he had a Hall of Fame career and captured numerous titles.
Unfortunately, Daniel Bryan has had to vacate championships in WWE multiple times. After battling The Authority for months, Bryan won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX by defeating Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista on the same night. Unfortunately, months later he lost strength in one of his arms. On May 12, 2014, he forfeited the title to have neck surgery.
He returned to action in 2015 and went on to capture the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31. Just weeks later, however, he was pulled from the road. On the May 11 edition of RAW, he revealed that he may have to retire due to injuries and once again forfeited a championship.
In February, he officially announced his retirement from the ring and there wasn't a dry eye in the building. It was truly heartbreaking.
Thankfully, Daniel Bryan's story is a happy one. He made a celebrated return to action in 2018. He went on to win the WWE Championship again. Today, Bryan competes for All Elite Wrestling, although he's currently inactive due to an injury.
Championships being vacated isn't a new phenomenon in professional wrestling. Still, the real-life ramifications that can often come with titles being forfeited can be quite heartbreaking.
