Sasha Banks makes history, match that made Seth Rollins 'ready to strangle' Vince McMahon - This week in WWE history (October 3-October 9)

The past week has been a standout seven days for WWE. NXT's new era began on Tuesday featuring both set and graphic changes. The season premiere of SmackDown aired featuring an epic Intercontinental Championship match, a big return, NXT call ups, and more took place on Friday. Most notably, Extreme Rules 2022 took place featuring the shocking return of Bray Wyatt.

With each passing week, more and more memorable matches and moments take place. While fans love to enjoy the present, there's always a sense of longing for the past. This weekly article offers a trip down memory lane, allowing the WWE Universe to relive wrestling's past.

Several key matches and moments took place this week in World Wrestling Entertainment's history. A legendary match type debuted for the first time in 1997, with a head scratching version taking place over two decades later. There were also major network changes and a history-making main event.

Below are five key events that happened this week in WWE history.

#5. WWE returned to USA Network with RAW Homecoming on October 3rd, 2005

RAW Homecoming aired on USA Network on October 3rd, 2005. The special edition of WWE Monday Night RAW was the first on the USA Network in several years. To celebrate the return to the network, the show was a three-hour long special, years prior to the three hours of RAW becoming the norm.

The show was stacked with top stars and legends including Roddy Piper, the McMahon family, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, Eric Bischoff, Ted Dibiase, Batista, John Cena, and more.

Several notable matches took place on the show, including a 30-minute Iron Man Match featuring Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. The show also featured a Loser Leaves RAW Ladder Match featuring Edge and Matt Hardy, plus John Cena wrestled Eric Bischoff.

#4. SmackDown debuts on FOX on October 4th, 2019

Friday Night SmackDown aired on FOX for the first time on October 4th, 2019. After twenty years on air, this move was considered one of the biggest and certainly the most lucrative for the blue brand.

The show was loaded with top stars and big matches. Vince and Stephanie McMahon introduced the show before The Rock, Becky Lynch, and King Corbin had a memorable segment together. The card also saw Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens clash in a Ladder Match, plus Roman Reigns competed in a Lumberjack Match.

For better or for worse, the best remembered portion of the show saw Brock Lesnar challenging Kofi Kingston for the WWE Champion. Lesnar defeated the fan favorite in seconds to win the title. Following the win, Cain Velasquez made his debut by amushing the new champion.

#3. The first-ever Hell in a Cell match took place at WWE Badd Blood: In Your House on October 5th, 1997

On This Day in Wrestling History - Shawn Michaels defeated The Undertaker at WWF In Your House Badd Blood 25 years ago today (10/5/97)
https://t.co/kHKwA0cyni

Badd Blood: In Your House took place on October 5th, 1997. The event was headlined by a WWF Championship match featuring The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels following the two battling at Ground Zero.

The bout is known for many reasons, but the most notable is that the two competed in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match. While cage matches existed for decades prior, this twist on the concept proved to be a major draw for years to come. The bout between the two future Hall of Famers was epic, with fans still praising it twenty-five years later.

Beyond being known for being an epic match and the first-ever Hell in a Cell, the bout is also remembered for marking the debut of Kane. The Big Red Machine shockingly showed up towards the end of the match and laid out his "brother" The Undertaker, which allowed Shawn Michaels to retain the WWE Championship.

#2. The Fiend and Seth Rollins have a bizarre match at WWE Hell in a Cell on October 6th, 2019

While Hell in a Cell is one of the most iconic matches of all time, the bout hasn't always proven to be a winner. On October 6th, 2019, the Hell in a Cell Premium Live Event took place. Bray Wyatt headlined the show as The Fiend, taking on Seth Rollins inside the structure.

Prior to the match taking place, The Fiend was one of the most popular acts, but also one of the most dominant. Their match featured a lot of unusual spots and the constant use of finishers. Rollins continually attacked the monster until the referee surprisingly ended the match without declaring a winner. The bout has been almost universally panned, infuriorating the competitors involved. Rollins ranted about the match while on a WWE Network program.

Below are Seth's comments from Stone Cold Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions:

“I put a positive spin on it now that I can look back on it a year and a half later, but at the time I came through that curtain and I was ready to strangle Vince McMahon. I’m not kidding you, I’m not kidding you. Tyson Kidd, TJ Wilson [WWE producer] was there to hold me back. Dude, I stared right into Vince’s eyes. You know where he sits in that chair over there [backstage]. I looked at him, he looked at me, we didn’t say a single word to each other, and he walked out,”

In an interview with Hall of Famer Steve Austin, Seth made it clear that he was so angry with how the match was booked that he wanted to strangle Vince McMahon. While the match was panned and a bad memory for those involved, Bray Wyatt recently returned to the promotion, meaning there's a chance that the two could revisit their rivalry.

#1. Bayley and Sasha Banks made history at WWE NXT TakeOver: Respect on October 7th, 2015

THIS WAS 7 YEARS AGO TODAY SASHA BANKS VS BAYLEY (30-MINUTE IRON MAN MATCH) NXT TAKEOVER: RESPECT AND THEY MADE HISTORY THAT DAY AND IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST MATCH IN HISTORY💙🙌🥇💪🔥 @MercedesVarnado @itsBayleyWWE https://t.co/HNRSgCNGSp

History was made on October 7th, 2015. WWE held the NXT TakeOver: Respect event featuring the likes of Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Rhyno, Asuka, and American Alpha in action. Despite a plethora of talented stars performing on the under-card, the show is best remembered for the main event.

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks headlined the event in the first-ever Iron Woman Match. The bout was a rematch from their epic clash at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in August. In addition to being notable for the match type, the bout was the final one on the show, marking the very first time a women's match headlined a major WWE event.

The first-ever Iron Woman Match featured thirty minutes of drama and excitement. Both stars managed to pick up multiple points throughout the bout, but Bayley was able to lock in a last-minute submission that earned her a victory. When it was all said and done, Bayley defeated Sasha Banks with a score of 3-2.

What match or moment was your favorite in World Wrestling Entertainment's illustrious history this week? Give your thoughts in the comments section below.