This week in WWE history: Major change to Money in the Bank, big event held in bizarre venue, and more (May 6-May 12)
Things continue to be exciting for WWE and fans of the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. Just last weekend was the Backlash France Premium Live Event which took place in front of thousands of loud and energetic members of the company's fandom.
Now the industry leader is primarily focused on the King and Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event which is taking place later this month. As the name implies, the big PLE will feature new stars crowned as wrestling royalty.
Many fans prefer a stroll down memory lane as opposed to checking out the current product, however. For those kinds of wrestling fans, you're in luck, as Sportskeeda offers articles each and every week dedicated to wrestling's past.
This article will take a look at several major matches, moments, and events from this past week in the company's illustrious history. This includes a big change to Money in the Bank, a battle of Samoans named Joe, and more.
Below are major matches, events, and moments from this week in WWE history.
#5. Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns clashed at Backlash on May 6th, 2018
The first entry for this article covers WWE Backlash. The classic event was brought back after almost a decade on May 6th, 2018. The show was held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in front of around 14,000 fans.
While the show had eight matches on the main card, the most notable was likely the Universal Championship bout between Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe. The two clashed for around 18 minutes with The Big Dog ultimately standing tall.
Samoa Joe's push in WWE was far too short thanks to a combination of medical issues and Vince McMahon's poor booking. Still, The Tribal Chief and The Samoan Submission Machine battling it out was a lot of fun. Who wouldn't be excited to see two Samoan stars named Joe duking it out?
#4. Edge won Mr. Kennedy's Money in the Bank briefcase on RAW on May 7th, 2007
WWE held an episode of Monday Night RAW on May 7th, 2007. Around 7,000 fans were in attendance for the program that aired live from the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania.
This era of RAW was interesting, as it had various intriguing plotlines of differing quality. For example, John Cena was feuding with The Great Khali and Vince McMahon was slowly losing his mind, which would eventually lead to his limo exploding.
Mr. Kennedy and Edge were big players at this time. Kennedy had won the Money in the Bank briefcase, but on this episode of RAW, he lost it in just a matter of seconds in a match with Edge. This was due to an injury Ken suffered, which was expected to keep him out of action for a long time. Instead, his time out was short, but his career never recovered following this loss.
#3. Kofi Kingston, Sami Zayn, and AJ Styles battled on SmackDown on May 7th, 2019
WWE SmackDown has gone through various changes over the years. It started off as the sister show to Monday Night RAW upon debuting in 1999, but it was later made a brand in 2002. It was often believed to be the B-show up until the move to FOX in 2019.
WWE held an episode of the blue brand on May 7th, 2019. This was during the Wild Card Rule era, an ill-fated idea that saw wrestlers appearing on the other brands willy nilly with no real rhyme or reason. While the logic didn't make much sense, it did lead to a great match.
The-then world champion defended his prized world title against both Sami Zayn and AJ Styles, two all-time greats. All three men fought with passion, but in the end, it was Kofi who retained and remained world champion thanks to his trusty Trouble In Paradise kick.
#2. Money in the Bank was held at WWE Headquarters on May 10th, 2020
While this article already covered a change for Money in the Bank, there is a full event that took place highlighting the game changing briefcase. This has been a yearly tradition for well over a decade now, but the 2020 edition switched things up.
WWE held the 2020 Money in the Bank Premium Live Event on May 10th of that year. This was during the Covid-related lockdowns that meant fans couldn't attend shows. As a result, instead of fans seeing the show, the two Money in the Bank Ladder Matches were held at Titan Towers, WWE's corporate headquarters.
Instead of proper Ladder Matches, both the male and female stars involved in their respective matches raced up from the floor of the building to the roof. This led to chaotic action and wacky comedy. In the end, the unlikely winners were Otis and Asuka.
While Asuka is great, her victory wasn't expected by most viewers. Meanwhile, Otis' win seemingly came out of nowhere. Fans loved it, however, as he was gaining popularity at this time.
#1. Steve Austin and The Undertaker clashed at In Your House: A Cold Day In Hell on May 11th, 1997
The final entry in this week's list is In Your House: A Cold Day In Hell. This pay-per-view aired all the way back on May 11th, 1997. The show aired from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond Virginia with around 14,000 fans in attendance.
Just five matches were on the main card, which wasn't unusual for In Your House events of the era. Ken Shamrock battled Vader in a No Holds Barred Match, Mankind fought Rocky Maivia, Hunter Hearst Hemsley bested Flash Funk, and The Nation of Domination faunt Ahmed Johnson in a Gauntlet Match.
The main event of the WWE show saw The Undertaker defend the WWF Championship against Steve Austin. The Hart Foundation ended up interfering, which cost Austin the bout. Both Undertaker and Stone Cold proceeded to to be attacked by the faction post-match.