Most Shocking Title Changes

**Mr. Nerfect** · 06-05-2017, 12:16 AM

I know the subject asks for ONE, but going through the memory banks, it is making me realize how hard it is to think of truly shocking memories in professional wrestling. Everything is painted over with a brush of "anything can happen" and a retroactive conditioning to the emotions you felt at the time.

Ultimately, I do have to settle on JBL as the most shocking choice for champion. The sudden transformation from Bradshaw, the lack of build. It's impossible to find Khali or Jinder Mahal (sorry, India, it's not you) too jarring once that precedent has been set. Not even Jack Swagger. When you consider that leading up to it, the previous first-time champions in WWE had been Eddie Guerrero, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle and, before that, Triple H, it really does emphasize how random JBL was.

But the most shocking change, and one of the few times I had to talk to someone about a title change I saw in wrestling, was when Austin turned heel to win the title from The Rock at WrestleMania X-7. The nature of it -- Austin shaking hands with Vince, and essentially bringing an end to the Attitude era, while detrimental to business, might have been one of the last true shocks to the system wrestling has delivered at that level.

06-05-2017, 12:16 AM	#1
Mr. Nerfect Posts: 61,527	I know the subject asks for ONE, but going through the memory banks, it is making me realize how hard it is to think of truly shocking memories in professional wrestling. Everything is painted over with a brush of "anything can happen" and a retroactive conditioning to the emotions you felt at the time. Ultimately, I do have to settle on JBL as the most shocking choice for champion. The sudden transformation from Bradshaw, the lack of build. It's impossible to find Khali or Jinder Mahal (sorry, India, it's not you) too jarring once that precedent has been set. Not even Jack Swagger. When you consider that leading up to it, the previous first-time champions in WWE had been Eddie Guerrero, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle and, before that, Triple H, it really does emphasize how random JBL was. But the most shocking change, and one of the few times I had to talk to someone about a title change I saw in wrestling, was when Austin turned heel to win the title from The Rock at WrestleMania X-7. The nature of it -- Austin shaking hands with Vince, and essentially bringing an end to the Attitude era, while detrimental to business, might have been one of the last true shocks to the system wrestling has delivered at that level.