On This Day In WWE History - Intercontinental Title surprisingly headlines pay-per-view, despised WCW legend debuts on RAW
Dolph Ziggler surprised the world when he showed up during the main event of the latest edition of WWE Monday Night RAW. He sat ringside to watch a tag team bout featuring Bobby Lashley and Riddle taking on the duo of Theory and Seth Rollins.
When Theory was about to cheat to win, Ziggler rose from his chair and prevented it. The heel duo lost the match. Following the end of the bout, Ziggler made a statement by hitting Mr. Money in the Bank with a superkick.
Dolph Ziggler isn't a stranger to main events. On this day in WWE history, he competed against Seth Rollins in a 30-minute Ironman match at Extreme Rules 2018. Notably, the Intercontinental Championship was on the line.
The workhorse championship has always primarily been a mid-card title. While the belt's on-screen value varies from era to era, it has rarely been the focal point of a pay-per-view or a premium live event.
In fact, the IC Title has only been involved in a major main event a handful of times in WWE history. Extreme Rules 2018 was one of those nights.
Don’t miss a second of the #ICTitle showdown at #ExtremeRules when @HEELZiggler and @WWERollins battle in a 30-minute #IronmanMatch! wwe.me/pGYe7D https://t.co/Rz1tvCortN
The two highly talented stars had an even back-and-forth fight. Both picked up several falls. When the thirty minutes expired, the two superstars were tied at four falls each.
This led RAW General Manager Kurt Angle to come out and announce sudden death over time. Whoever won the last fall in overtime will win the Intercontinental Championship.
Soon, Dolph's then-partner and associate Drew McIntyre interfered. He distracted The Architect, which allowed Ziggler to hit the Zig Zag and win the match.
As a result, Dolph Ziggler successfully retained his Intercontinental Championship in the main event of Extreme Rules.
Eric Bischoff makes his shocking debut on WWE Monday Night RAW
Raw July 15th 2002
Eric Bischoff makes his WWE debut with barely anyone knowing.
Booker's WHAT TH- reaction is legit. https://t.co/UdStPIADCW
On July 15th, 2002, Vince McMahon announced that he would be naming a new general manager for the RAW brand.
Throughout the night, many speculated who would be chosen for the spot. This included mentions or teases of Shane McMahon, Paul Heyman, Mick Foley, and even Vince McMahon's brother.
Just before Mr. McMahon's announcement, Booker T was being interviewed backstage. Midway through, his eyes grew wide, and he looked off-screen. It was then revealed that Eric Bischoff was in the building.
Following a commercial break, McMahon revealed that Bischoff was the new RAW General Manager, and the two hugged on stage. The moment was one of the most shocking in WWE history.
Prior to his role as General Manager in 2002, Eric Bischoff was best known for his time with World Championship Wrestling. He served as the president of the company under Ted Turner. Eric was the brains behind WCW Monday Nitro and the nWo.
Bischoff was one of the most controversial figures of his time. He had a lot of bravado, which led to many despising him, especially those in WWE.
However, Eric had reason to be so boastful as Nitro beat RAW in the ratings for 83 weeks under his leadership. To see one of the most hated men in wrestling appear on RAW and hug his former business rival was shocking to all.