'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
One of the most eventful WWE RAW segments of the last decade took place on December 9, 2013 when John Cena and Randy Orton exchanged words ahead of their unification match at the TLC pay-per-view.
Before WWE introduced the Universal Championship, only one male World Championship existed from December 2013 to August 2016. Prior to that, Cena held the World Heavyweight Championship and Orton held the WWE Championship, and the two men agreed to unify their titles in a blockbuster TLC match.
Six days before the event, Authority members Triple H and Stephanie McMahon organized a Championship Ascension Ceremony on RAW, which consisted of Cena and Orton cutting promos in front of former WWE World Champions in the middle of the ring.
The segment was hijacked on numerous occasions by the WWE Universe, who wanted Daniel Bryan to have the spotlight instead, but Cena eventually got things back on track by repeatedly mentioning Bryan in his promo.
In what turned out to be the most chaotic RAW finish of 2013, CM Punk got involved in altercations with Orton, Triple H and Shawn Michaels, and Triple H ended up hitting Orton with a pedigree after he inadvertently knocked Stephanie to the mat.
Now, seven years on, a lot has changed in WWE and in the careers of every Superstar who appeared in the ring that night.
In this article, let’s reflect on that famous segment by taking a look back at all 20 WWE Superstars from the Championship Ascension Ceremony to find out where they are now.
#20 Daniel Bryan
The biggest star of the Championship Ascension Ceremony, Daniel Bryan went on to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from the winner of the TLC match – Randy Orton – at WrestleMania XXX. After being forced to retire in 2016, Bryan returned in 2018 and he is now a member of the SmackDown roster.
#19 The Miz
The Miz has appeared consistently on WWE television over the last seven years. Whether he is working in a tag team or knocking on the door of the main-event scene, the current SmackDown Superstar is always involved in a storyline.
#18 Rey Mysterio
Having fallen down the WWE card around the time of the Championship Ascension Ceremony, Rey Mysterio departed WWE in 2015 and he did not return until 2018. Along with his son, Dominick Mysterio, Rey has featured regularly on RAW in recent months.
#17 Mark Henry (WWE Hall of Famer)
After retiring from WWE in-ring competition in 2017, Mark Henry was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. The World’s Strongest Man still works as a backstage mentor for WWE Superstars, while he also gives his take on the latest wrestling news on Busted Open Radio.
#16 The Great Khali
After leaving WWE in 2014, The Great Khali made a surprising return at Battleground 2017 to help Jinder Mahal retain the WWE Championship against Randy Orton. The former World Heavyweight Champion, who owns Indian company CWE (Continental Wrestling Entertainment), also appeared in the 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble, but he only lasted 31 seconds.
#15 Booker T (2-time WWE Hall of Famer)
Followers of behind-the-scenes WWE news will probably notice Booker T’s comments on the current-day product in headlines on a weekly basis. The wrestling legend, who regularly appears on PPV kickoff shows, discusses all things WWE on his Hall of Fame radio show.
#14 Bret Hart (2-time WWE Hall of Famer)
Bret Hart still makes sporadic appearances on WWE television but not as much as he did back in 2013. The Hitman’s last notable appearance came when he spoke about his legendary career with Steve Austin on WWE Network show Broken Skull Sessions earlier in 2020.
#13 Kane
Out of everybody in this list, Kane’s career has taken the most unexpected twist. After two decades of playing a demonic character in WWE, the man behind the Kane persona – Glenn Jacobs – was elected mayor of Knox County, Tennessee in August 2018.
#12 The Big Show
The Big Show slowed down his WWE career in 2017 and underwent multiple surgeries to deal with a long-term hip injury. Nowadays, he still wrestles sporadically – notably on the post-WrestleMania 36 episode of RAW against Drew McIntyre – but he has concentrated on acting over the last year.
#11 Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon is the one person in this list whose WWE role has not changed drastically over the last seven years. Vince McMahon’s daughter is still the company’s Chief Brand Officer, while she occasionally performs as an on-screen authority figure.
#10 CM Punk
It is interesting to look back at CM Punk’s mannerisms during the Championship Ascension Ceremony segment, especially when he laughed at Stephanie McMahon’s comment about Triple H being the “pinnacle” of all the former WWE World Champions in the ring.
Punk, who left WWE seven weeks after the segment, has since fought in UFC, acted in movies, and even worked on FS1 show WWE Backstage.
#9 Triple H (WWE Hall of Famer)
Triple H’s NXT was just beginning to gain some buzz in December 2013, but the brand had not even held a TakeOver event at the time of the Championship Ascension Ceremony. The Game’s focus is well and truly on NXT these days and he has not wrestled since June 2019.
#8 Mick Foley (WWE Hall of Famer)
Mick Foley’s most notable WWE appearances in recent years came in 2016-17 when he performed as the General Manager of RAW. He has made sporadic appearances since his authority role came to an end, with his last major on-screen moment coming in July 2019 when he was attacked by “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt.
#7 Alberto Del Rio
Alberto Del Rio returned to WWE for a one-year run in 2015-16 after being fired in 2014. The Mexican, who has wrestled for companies including Lucha Underground and IMPACT Wrestling in recent years, claimed in an interview earlier in 2020 that he was hoping to rejoin WWE, but that has not yet come to fruition.
#6 Christian
Although Christian competed in a short unsanctioned match against Randy Orton in June 2020, he is still very much retired as an in-ring competitor. The former World Heavyweight Champion appeared regularly on WWE Backstage before the show was axed in June.
#5 Jack Swagger
Now known as Jake Hager, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion wrestles in AEW and fights in MMA promotion Bellator. He is a member of Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle faction in AEW.
#4 Shawn Michaels (2-time WWE Hall of Famer)
Although Shawn Michaels returned to action at Crown Jewel 2018 to team with Triple H against Kane and The Undertaker, he has assured WWE fans that he has no plans to make another in-ring comeback. The Heartbreak Kid now plays an important role in the running of the NXT and NXT UK brands.
#3 Dolph Ziggler
Much like 2013, Dolph Ziggler is still considered to be one of WWE’s most underappreciated Superstars in 2020. The two-time World Heavyweight Champion has recently been involved in segments on RAW Underground.
#2 John Cena
It was clear in 2013 that John Cena was going to achieve huge things outside of WWE one day, and that is exactly what has happened since he became a part-time Superstar in 2016. The 16-time World Champion is still part of the WWE family, but it is clear that his future lies in movies and not inside the squared circle.
#1 Randy Orton
Randy Orton was the top heel in WWE when the Championship Ascension Ceremony took place. Seven years later (and after a three-year babyface run), The Viper is producing some of the best work of his career as the main villain on the RAW roster.
