This week in WWE history: Major star gets rewarded a world title, huge free agent signed (September 2-September 8)
WWE's business keeps on getting better and better. It was just last weekend that the Sports Entertainment juggernaut put on two Premium Live Events, one from the main roster and one from NXT.
Fast forward a week and all eyes are on a few major upcoming moves and shows. Bad Blood and Halloween Havoc will both air in October. Additionally, SmackDown moves to the USA Network beginning this upcoming Friday, and NXT will move to The CW in early October.
While there is a lot for fans to look forward to, there is also a lot for the audience to look back on. The Sports Entertainment titan has been around in some form with various names dating back around 70 years. That means there is a lot of history for fans to learn about or re-live.
This article will look back at some major matches and moments from the company's past that helped build it up to what it is today. The years covered will range from 1997 to 2015, which is just a small fraction of the promotion's history. Still, there's a lot to look back on and enjoy.
Below are four major events from WWE's past:
#4. Triple H was rewarded the World Heavyweight Championship on WWE RAW on September 2nd, 2002
The first entry on this list will cover an episode of Monday Night RAW from September 2nd, 2002. This edition of WWE's franchise program aired live from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
This was a big edition of RAW, as the previous week's show left fans shocked. The then-Undisputed WWE Champion Brock Lesnar revealed that he signed an exclusive deal with Stephanie McMahon's SmackDown. That left RAW without a world title, but General Manager Eric Bischoff had a way to fix it.
The former WCW President introduced the new World Heavyweight Championship, which was designed based on WCW's Big Gold Belt. He went on to award it to Triple H, meaning The Game didn't technically even earn the belt, but it was instead just handed to him.
#3. In Your House: Ground Zero took place on September 7th, 1997 featuring The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels
The next entry on this list was WWE In Your House: Ground Zero. This pay-per-view was held at the Louisville Gardens in Louisville, Kentucky back on September 7th, 1997. Under 5,000 fans were in attendance for this show.
In Your House: Ground Zero was notable for one primary match: Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker. The two battled it out in the main event and fought for around 16 minutes, but things got chaotic towards the end.
D-Generation X interfered and referees were knocked down, which led to the bout being called off as a no-contest. From there, tons of officials and wrestlers came out to pull the brawl apart. It was then that The Deadman flew over the top rope and took out everybody in an attempt to get at Shawn Michaels. This set up their eventual Hell in a Cell Match.
#2. Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho had an Unsanctioned Match at Unforgiven on September 7th, 2008
WWE Unforgiven was held on September 7th, 2008. This was the 11th edition of the pay-per-view and it aired live from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Under 9,000 fans were in attendance for what was an interesting card.
This show is likely known for the introduction of the Championship Scramble concept. A version of the match, albeit quite altered, exists today on NXT as the Iron Survivor Challenge. While the Championship Scramble concept took up most of the show, it wasn't the highlight.
Instead, the highlight of the night was an Unsanctioned Match between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels. The heated rivals clashed for over 26 minutes. Shawn ultimately won when the beating got so bad and he beat Jericho down so much with a leather belt that the referee called off the bout.
#1. Asuka was signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on September 8th, 2015
September 8th, 2015 was a big year for one particular performer. Kanako Urai, also known as Kana, officially signed a contract to join WWE. For those unaware, she went on to become the legendary figure known as Asuka.
Asuka would go on to join WWE NXT where she dominated the women's division. She later joined the main roster and has had a Hall of Fame-worthy career with multiple world title wins, tag team gold on her waist, and she even won the Women's Royal Rumble Match.
If that isn't enough, Asuka is still a member of the roster nine years later. In fact, The Empress recently signed a brand new long-term contract with the promotion. While she's currently out injured, there is little doubt that Asuka will make a splash for years to come.