5 Times champions lost non-title matches in WWE
Non-title matches in WWE are always an interesting concept: On the one hand, they're used to elevate up and coming talent without fear of a champion losing his or her gold. On the other hand, they rob some of the spectacle and welcome anticipation we've come to expect from challengers getting a shot at the big-time.
Whatever your opinion of non-title matches in WWE, it's safe to say they're always used to achieve a specific creative goal. And, now that the upcoming match as Extreme Rules between challenger Bray Wyatt and Universal Champion Braun Strowman has been announced as a non-title match, the speculation can begin as to whether Wyatt will topple his former protege while remaining title-less, or whether the "Monster Among Men" will put his Wyatt Family saga firmly to bed.
But given just how high-profile of a non-title match this is, it offers us a chance to look back at some of the times in WWE history where champions did indeed fail to overcome their opponents when the gold was not on the line. We've seen it many times before, and in all likelyhood we'll be seeing it again very soon.
With this in mind, here are 5 times champions lost non-title matches in WWE:
#5 - Dolph Ziggler(c) vs Jack Swagger, WWE Monday Night RAW, April 15th, 2013
Dolph Ziggler's world heavyweight championship reign in WWE was one that's tinged with missed opportunity. After receiving a ridiculous ovation upon cashing in his money in the back contract against Alberto Del Rio, Ziggler looked as though he was ready to be skyrocketed right to the top with masses of WWE fan support clearing his way.
Sadly, what we got was a forgetful reign which lasted a mere eight weeks, before Del Rio took back the title that was stolen from him in one of the most memorable moments in Monday Night Raw history.
One of the things that made Ziggler's reign so unfortunate was his loss at the hands of Jack Swagger a mere seven days after his iconic title victory.
Even with Big E and AJ Lee in his corner, the advantage wasn't enough to stop Swagger picking up an unexpected roll-up victory on the newly crowned Ziggler. Swagger would go on to enter the world of MMA with Bellator (under his real-life name Jake Hager) before teaming up with Chris Jericho and the Inner Circle faction in All Elite Wrestling, where he currently competes.
Dolph is yet to reach this level of prominence in WWE again, to the point where his apparent disappointment with his status within the business has even been used as part of his overall storyline in recent years. But, with his upcoming WWE Championship match against 'The Socttish Psychopath' Drew McIntrye, Ziggler has the chance to climb the mountain once again and knock-off one of the most popular champions in recent memory.
He's certainly one of the most talented superstars on the WWE roster, and could even be considered a veteran at this point. Can Ziggler pull of a monumental upset against McIntyre?