5 Biggest WWE Title Changes at Live Events

WWE, not the true marketing giant of a corporation that it is now, used to use live events at key venues to create title changes.

Before there were PPVs, buyrates and television ratings, the WWE relied on key northeast venues to be the home of the championship switches. Then known as the WWF, the company saved tag team title changes for television. Meanwhile, the Intercontinental and World titles would change hands in places like Boston Garden or, more notably, Madison Square Garden.

WWE is now a global company and has even changed titles overseas over the past several years. But in the 1980s and even into the 1990s, the most significant title changes occurred in the northeast, at the heart of WWE’s fanbase.

There were notable occasions, such as Pat Patterson’s alleged winning of the inaugural IC title in a tournament in Rio de Janeiro. Generally speaking, however, title changes were made before live audiences and, hopefully, taped for television viewing at a later date.

In the current era of having a PPV almost monthly, it is almost hard to believe title changes were done so intimitely. Imagine being lucky enough to purchase a ticket to the WWE live event at Madison Square Garden on a night in January and laying witness to a monumental WWE title change, perhaps even the dawning of a new era.

On this list are the 5 biggest WWE title changes at live events.

#5 Diesel wins the WWE title.

On November 24th, 1994 at a Madison Square Garden event, Bob Backlund defended his newly won WWE title against Diesel. Backlund defeated Bret Hart just 3 days earlier in the Survivor Series to become champion.

A jacknife powerbomb and 12 seconds later, and suddenly Diesel was the new WWE champion. The New Generation now had a man Vince McMahon hoped would be its face as champion.

The reaction of the WWE audience at Madison Square Garden was one of surprise and genuine excitement. It's doubtful that anyone thought they were going to see history.

Backlund had just won the title three days earlier at a major PPV. Most people probably assumed that he would have a decent run as champion while McMahon considered his next babyface successor. Instead, just three nights later and in record time, Diesel would change the course of WWE history.

Diesel’s reign as champion lasted nearly a full year at 358 days. He was handpicked to be the face of the WWE’s New Generation. His title reign began feuding with his former running mate Shawn Michaels and ended with a memorable match with Bret Hart at Survivor Series.

In between, WWE saw mixed results in both its television ratings and PPV buyrates. Diesel would go on to greater heights in WCW as 'Big Sexy' Kevin Nash, but it would not have been possible without the notoriety of this title reign.

WWE needed to shake things up back in 1994. McMahon took a shot on Diesel, but it fell short.

Who knows? Without that fateful night in Madison Square Garden, perhaps there would never have been an NWO or Attitude Era.

#4 The Hitman wins the gold.

Bret Hart is a WWE Hall of Famer and a certified legend. What a surprise then that his first World Title win would come at a live, untelevised event in Saskatoon, Canada.

For the proudly Canadian Hart and his understated personality, perhaps this was the perfect venue for his first WWE title win. Hart defeated Ric Flair that night and would go on to carry the company through a transition period.

Hart was coming off an amazing IC title match against the British Bulldog at SummerSlam that cemented his place as a singles star. The longtime member of the Hart Foundation was now among WWE’s elite singles wrestlers.

After that match, it was just a matter of time before WWE would give Hart the and see how far he could go with it. Hart would carry the company through a dark period as McMahon dealt with the federal government in regards to steroid claims.

Bret Hart earned his moniker: the best there was, the best there is and the best there ever will be. It may have been forged that night in Saskatoon in front of a small gathering of his countrymen.

#3 The Iron Sheik defeats Bob Backlund for the WWE World Championship.

Nearly 40 years ago this week, on December 26th, 1983, The Iron Sheik defeated Bob Backlund to win the WWE title at Madison Square Garden. Backlund was in the midst of a championship reign that spanned over five years. The very idea of Backlund being knocked off the top spot seemed insane. Of course, The Sheik’s win would shape the course of wrestling history.

What WWE fans didn’t know that sat inside Madison Square Garden that night after Christmas was that Vince McMahon had a plan. McMahon needed a heel champion before he could put the belt on Hulk Hogan. The Iron Sheik, probably the most hated superstar in the company at the time, was the perfect transition champion for McMahon. When Backlund’s manager, Arnold Skaaland, threw in the towel, it was the end of an era.

The shocked reaction of the crowd as ‘Classy’ Freddy Blassie and the Iron Sheik paraded around the ring with the title belt was not surprising. Backlund held the title for 2,135 days. No one expected to attend the live event and see that streak end. On the night after Christmas, it did.

Vince McMahon had his own vision of the WWE and Bob Backlund was not a part of it. So, on a December night at Madison Square Garden, at a live event, Backlund was dethroned. And the rest is history.

#2 WWE has a macho garden party.

At a live event in Boston Garden on February 8th, 1986, the Macho Man Randy Savage era began in earnest in WWE. In front of a sold-out Boston crowd, the Macho Man unseated Tito Santana to claim the Intercontinental Title belt.

WWE typically didn’t use the Boston Garden as a place for live event title changes, so the win was shocking. From that moment, a legend was born.

Randy Savage already had a strong career in smaller territories before coming to the WWE. Once in the WWE, with his flamboyant robes, high flying style and the lovely Elizabeth by his side, the Macho Man instantly became an attraction.

Great in the ring and on the mic, Savage quickly became one of the company’s top heels. It was not a surprise that the company chose him to win its second biggest title.

Savage would hold the IC title for a then-record 414 days and was soon becoming one of the WWE’s most popular stars, despite playing a heel. He was chosen as the next WWE champion when Hogan took time off to film a movie. One night in Boston and the Macho Madness experience was off and running.

#1. The night Hulkamania took off.

Whether you love him or hate him, there can be no denying Hulk Hogan’s place in WWE history. He brought about Hulkamania, made pro wrestling mainstream and fulfilled Vince McMahon’s vision of having WWE Superstars. At a live event, on January 23rd, 1984, at Madison Square Garden in New York, WWE history was changed forever.

McMahon handpicked Hulk Hogan as the superstar who would take WWE first nationally and then globally. First, he had to take the title off of Bob Backlund and get it to the perfect heel champion for his next superstar. He did that with the Iron Sheik.

So on January 23rd in front of a sold out live crowd at MSG, Hulkamania was born. Hogan pinned the Sheik in under six minutes and sent the live crowd into a frenzy.

Hogan’s win was both the start of one era and the end of another. Soon, live events became the main way to promote WWE. PPV events replaced live events as the place where storylines would come to a conclusion.

Major title changes will almost exclusively take place on PPVs and never again at live events. After Hogan’s victory, it would be nearly 10 years before a WWE title changed hands at anything other than a PPV.

Hulk Hogan’s win at a live event at Madison Square Garden in New York nearly 38 years ago marked the changing of the guard. Vince McMahon’s WWE would soon go nationwide and eventually global and sports entertainment would never be the same.

Live events are still a great place to watch the WWE, but you are unlikely to see moments like these again.

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Have you ever attended a live event where a title change took place? Please share your memories in the comments section below.