Randy Orton challenges for championship, WWE Universe shocked: 5 times wrestling fans didn't want to see a title change hands (but it happened anyway)
WWE fans worldwide love "The Legend Killer" Randy Orton. But that doesn't mean the crowd has enjoyed all his title victories. There have been times when The Viper and other superstars have won a championship, and that outcome has received a negative reception from fans.
Regarding title changes that viewers enjoy, many fans root for the underdog to overcome the odds. However, not all underdogs are as popular as Sami Zayn, Mick Foley, Rey Mysterio, and Daniel Bryan. Sometimes an underdog winning a major title can be something that fans don't want to see, especially if that underdog is a villain that's boosted from the undercard to the main event without much build-up.
Without further ado, let's check out five times that wrestling fans didn't want to see a championship change hands, but it happened anyway.
#5. Goldberg vs. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt (c) for the Universal Championship at WWE Super ShowDown 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Goldberg's bout with Bray Wyatt is one of the most controversial WWE matches of the past decade. Before their main event bout at 2020's Super ShowDown, The Fiend was built up as a seemingly unstoppable monster, convincingly defeating top names like Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins. However, when facing Bill Goldberg, the former WCW Champion appeared to become Wyatt's kryptonite.
The battle between The Fiend and Goldberg in Saudi Arabia shocked and disappointed wrestling fans worldwide, including former IMPACT World Champion EC3, who stated that wrestling died for him when the former WCW star beat Wyatt.
EC3 gives his honest thoughts on The Fiend vs Goldberg https://t.co/5oH8I2swnh
Within three minutes, the match was over, and Goldberg was a two-time Universal Champion. The Fiend's credibility took a massive hit due to the outcome, killing off much of the character's mystique as a fearsome monster that seemed unstoppable.
The 53-year-old part-timer was able to put a stop to Wyatt's red-hot push in the main event, greatly harming the momentum that The Fiend had built up in previous months.
The Eater of Worlds regained the Universal Championship from Braun Strowman at SummerSlam 2020. However, a week later, he lost the gold in a triple-threat match to Roman Reigns.
#4. Roman Reigns vs. Triple H (c) for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32
The WWE Universe rejected Roman Reigns' babyface story at WrestleMania 32, loudly booing The Big Dog throughout the main event. According to the attendance numbers reported by the company, over 100,000 fans filled out the AT&T Center in Arlington, Texas.
Regarding the final bout on the card, the vocal crowd overwhelmingly sided with the villainous Triple H over Reigns in the WWE Championship match.
Roman Reigns was booed from start to finish. The crowd cheered The King of Kings whenever he hit a move on Reigns. Conversely, the audience voiced their disapproval whenever The Big Dog took the fight to The Game. Although his win initially received an audible pop from the crowd, the chorus of boos quickly returned.
#FlashbackFriday - WrestleMania 32 Roman Reigns vs Triple H for the WWE Championship 🔥🔥
#RomanReigns
@WWERomanReigns https://t.co/29345qPQbE
Triple H was the heel going into the match, but the crowd heavily favored him over the face. Many fans felt that WWE was force-feeding them Roman Reigns, and they wholeheartedly rejected The Big Dog at The Showcase of the Immortals in 2016.
Judging from the crowd's response, it's safe to say that most fans in attendance would have preferred that The King of Kings retained the title. However, Roman Reigns stood victorious in the end, securing his third reign as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
#3. Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton (c) for the WWE Championship at Backlash 2017
When Jinder Mahal became WWE Champion in 2017, there was no groundswell of fan support that got him there. Mahal secured a shocking win over Randy Orton with assistance from The Singh Brothers, providing a distraction and leading to one of the most surprising title changes in the company's history.
The Modern Day Maharaja did have a segment of support from fans at the Allstate Arena. However, much of the crowd sided with Orton throughout the contest, and they were completely in shock when The Viper was defeated by a wrestler who was mostly known to be a low mid-carder and an enhancement talent.
The overwhelming majority of wrestling fans worldwide weren't calling for Mahal to become WWE Champion. However, that didn't stop Jinder from overcoming Orton in the main event of Backlash.
The villainous underdog's championship victory seemingly came out of nowhere, a win that wasn't on the wishlist of the WWE Universe (for the most part).
#2. Rob Van Dam (c) vs. The Big Show in an Extreme Rules match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship on July 4, 2006
A poorly-timed arrest derailed Rob Van Dam's mega-push in 2006, with a real-life incident seemingly forcing WWE's hand in booking RVD to drop both of his two world titles in consecutive order.
Van Dam dropped the WWE Championship to Edge in a triple threat match also involving John Cena on Monday Night RAW. The Whole F'N Show lost the ECW World Heavyweight Championship to The Big Show the very next night.
Big Show was deep in the heart of ECW territory when he challenged Rob Van Dam for the extreme brand's top title in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RVD took the fight directly to the giant and had the audience firmly on his side. Fans inside the Wachovia Center booed and jeered the World's Largest Athlete throughout the match, chanting, "You can't wrestle" at the two-time WWE Champion. Clearly, the crowd loved the ECW original and hated his opponent.
During the climax of the match, Rob Van Dam appeared to have Big Show beat with a Five Star Frog Splash. Paul Heyman came down to the ring to count the pinfall but stopped before counting the three.
Big Show finished off RVD with a chair shot to the skull, followed by a Chokeslam on the chair for the win. Van Dam was screwed out of the ECW Championship, and the crowd showed their rage and dissatisfaction by pelting the ring with trash.
#1. Randy Orton cashes in MITB against Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2013
#SummerSlam 2013 saw Daniel Bryan pin John Cena clean in the middle of the ring to become the #WWE Champion.
However, Bryan's celebration was short-lived as Randy Orton cashed in his #MITB contract and walked out with the gold after Triple H laid out Bryan with a Pedigree! https://t.co/yJw6KxH2YV
Attendees inside Los Angeles' Staples Center were very vocal in supporting Daniel Bryan as he battled John Cena for the WWE Championship on August 18, 2013.
Wrestling fans were elated to see Bryan dethrone the legendary Cena for the grandest prize in sports entertainment. Many fans were visibly excited about the idea of Daniel Bryan's first reign as WWE Champion. Randy Orton ended up being the one to spoil that for them.
Fans certainly weren't calling for a title change immediately following the scheduled main event of 2013's SummerSlam. They had long hoped and waited for the moment when Daniel Bryan would grab the proverbial brass ring. However, this feeling of euphoric joy for fans didn't last long as Randy Orton and Triple H would spoil Daniel Bryan's celebration.
Triple H, who had just performed as the special guest referee in the heavily-hyped main event, swerved fans and Daniel Bryan by hitting a Pedigree on the newly-crowned champion. The Viper quickly capitalized on his vulnerable prey, cashing in the red Money In The Bank briefcase, and within seconds Randy Orton received his seventh reign as WWE Champion.
Considering that Orton was also a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, the win over Bryan made The Legend Killer a 10-time World Champion.