This week in WWE history: Bizarre gimmick match debuts, The Shield do the unthinkable (July 22-July 28)
WWE is continuing to have a hot run in 2024. Business has never been better than it is this year, and much of that success comes thanks to the Triple H-led regime and the extraordinary talent on the roster.
The sports entertainment juggernaut has a major premium live event coming up. The SummerSlam 2024 show is scheduled to take place live from the Cleveland Browns Stadium this Saturday. The show will undoubtedly be historic and remembered for a long time, as most massive events like this one typically are.
Of course, it took decades for World Wrestling Entertainment to reach the pinnacle it has now. There have been numerous ups and downs over the seven decades of the promotion, and numerous top stars have come and gone.
This article will take a look at four major matches, moments, or events in the company's illustrious history. This includes The Shield making history and memories by wrestling each other, a bizarre gimmick match being born, and beyond.
Below are major matches and moments from this week in WWE history.
#4. Diesel and Sycho Sid had a Lumberjack match at In Your House on July 23, 1995
The first entry on this week's list was the second-ever WWE In Your House event. WWF (now WWE) aired the pay-per-view on July 23, 1995, at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Around 6,000 fans were in attendance for the show.
Six matches were included on this In Your House show, with the main event featuring WWE Champion Diesel battling fellow giant Sycho Sid in a Lumberjack match. Diesel ultimately won the bout in around ten minutes, despite some of Sid's Lumberjacks attempting to interfere.
Other intriguing or notable matches on the card included the likes of Owen Hart and Yokozuna vs. The Allied Powers, Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Henry O. Godwinn, and Shawn Michaels vs. Jeff Jarrett. The HBK and Double J match was the best bout on the show and one of the best matches of the year.
#3. The first-ever Punjabi Prison Match happened at Great American Bash on July 23, 2006
The next entry on this list will look at a bizarre piece of WWE history. The promotion held the Great American Bash event on July 23, 2006, and it took place at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
While this show was headlined by King Booker vs. Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship, that isn't the match people remember. Instead, WWE fans remember the debut of the infamous, bizarre, and arguably outright bad Punjabi Prison Match.
The bout was supposed to be The Great Khali vs. The Undertaker, but due to health problems, Khali was removed from the match, and Big Show took his spot. The two big men clashed for 21 minutes, which saw them fight inside two cages, which limited how much fans could see. In all, the stipulation didn't work.
#2. The Shield did the unthinkable and clashed at Battleground on July 24, 2016
The Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., hosted the WWE Battleground. The event took place live from the Capitol on July 24, 2016. Excluding SummerSlam, this was the final dual-branded premium live event before the second brand extension took place.
This show was a hit, specifically for two matches. One was a bout between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, while the other was a Triple Threat Match featuring Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose. That's right, all three members of The Shield went at it.
These three men having a match together was unthinkable, but constant issues since breaking up led to this. In the end, Dean Ambrose defeated his two foes to retain the WWE Championship, which went on to become a SmackDown exclusive belt.
#1. CM Punk and Jeff Hardy wrestled at WWE Night of Champions on July 26, 2009
The final entry on this list is WWE Night of Champions. The Stamford-based promotion held this big-time pay-per-view on July 26, 2009. The show aired live from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over 17,000 fans were in attendance, which is a huge house for the era.
The main event of Night of Champions featured CM Punk battling Jeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight Championship. The two popular and talented stars clashed for nearly 15 minutes.
Jeff Hardy won the bout, which in turn led to Punk losing his prized belt. Shortly after this, The Straight Edge Superstar would turn heel and have a fantastic run leading the Straight Edge Society.