This week in WWE history: Kevin Owens embarrassed by big name, commentator replaced after walkout (March 4-March 10)
The Road To WrestleMania is the focus for most WWE fans right now. It is easy to see why, as this period is by far the most exciting and intriguing for pro wrestling every single year. This year's Road To WrestleMania has been particularly interesting.
The Show Of Shows is now under a month away so RAW and SmackDown are both dedicated towards building up the event. Something is working too, as the company is experiencing sellout after sellout.
There's certainly a lot for fans to enjoy, but the modern product isn't for everybody. Some prefer re-living the past or even just learning about the company's history. For either of those kinds of fans, you're in luck!
Sportskeeda offers a weekly look back at some of the biggest and most important moments through the promotion's illustrious history. This article will take a look at a commentator being replaced, an embarrassing title change, and more.
Here are five key events that took place this week in WWE history:
#5. Paul Heyman replaced Jerry Lawler on RAW on March 5th, 2001
WWE Monday Night RAW took place on March 5th, 2001. This show was held live from the MCI Center in Washington, DC. While the program featured build towards WrestleMania 17, it is perhaps best remembered for a surprising replacement.
Paul Heyman, previously known to mainstream wrestling fans as Paul E. Dangerously, made his official debut for the company as a full-time color commentator. He joined Jim Ross in what became an excellent duo.
This move came as a result of Jerry "The King" Lawler quitting WWE upon hearing his then partner The Kat was being released. Lawler would eventually return later in the year to replace Heyman, but it was a shocking change nonetheless.
#4. Goldberg destroyed Kevin Owens at Fastlane on March 5th, 2017
WWE Fastlane was held at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The interesting show took place on March 5th, 2017 and 15,000 screaming fans were in attendance.
While the show drew a big audience, it isn't fondly remembered. The main event of the night was a 22-second match with an outcome many fans disliked. Kevin Owens defended the Universal Championship against Bill Goldberg and quickly lost to the WWE Hall of Famer.
Of course, there was a bit more to it. Chris Jericho, whom Owens had recently betrayed, caused a distraction. Still, the loss was embarrassing for Kevin and it killed much of his momentum as a top-level singles star.
#3. Shayna Baszler dominated Elimination Chamber on March 8th, 2020
The next entry on this list is from March 8th, 2020. On that date, WWE held the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Almost 15,000 fans were jam-packed into the building.
Naturally, the big hook of this show was the Elimination Chamber Match. This card featured two, one for tag team gold and the main event, a Women's Elimination Chamber Match. That bout was particularly notable thanks to the dominance displayed by one star.
The WWE gimmick match featured Natalya, Asuka, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, and Shayna Baszler. The Queen of Spades dominated everybody in the match and won in 21 minutes, making it one of the shortest Elimination Chamber Matches ever.
#2. The Shield had their last proper match at an official Premium Live Event at Fastlane on March 10th, 2019
WWE Fastlane was held on March 10th, 2019. This edition of the yearly Premium Live Event was held at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Around 10,000 fans attended this somewhat average show.
The main hook of this show was the end of The Shield. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose teamed up for their last major match in WWE to battle Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, and Baron Corbin. They won in around 24 minutes.
While this was their last match at a big Premium Live Event, the trio did unite later in the year at a house show the company put up on streaming. Shortly thereafter, Dean left the promotion and is now part of All Elite Wrestling.
#1. WWE introduced the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles on March 10th, 2021
The final entry on this list comes from an episode of WWE NXT. This show, which was held at Full Sail University, took place on March 10th, 2021. This was still in the black and gold era, but during the worldwide pandemic, meaning they didn't have the standard audience in the building.
This show was notable thanks to a segment with the then WWE NXT General Manager William Regal. He called out Raquel Gonzalez, later known as Raquel Rodriguez, and Dakota Kai. The two had won the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
As a bonus reward for their victory, the two became the inaugural NXT Women's Tag Team Champions. Sadly, the belts were unified last year and the brand's division has felt lacking without them. Hopefully, the legacy of the titles will continue on the white and gold brand in the future.