This week in WWE history: Randy Orton makes history, former Universal Champion makes massive debut (December 11-December 17)
WWE had another big week. Monday Night RAW, in particular, was notable as it featured CM Punk deciding which of the three brands he would sign with. He ultimately went with the red brand, and then had an epic confrontation with Seth Rollins.
Meanwhile, Friday Night SmackDown featured two big returns. As if WWE's roster wasn't stacked enough, Roman Reigns made his return to the blue brand and AJ Styles did as well. All in all, things are looking extremely bright for the sports entertainment juggernaut.
Of course, not every fan enjoys the modern product. Thankfully, Sportskeeda has those individuals covered with weekly look backs at the company's illustrious history. It took decades for World Wrestling Entertainment to become what it is now, and the journey is fascinating.
This article will look at five major events from the company's past. This includes the debut of a future Universal Champion at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, a special women's main event, and a great night for Evolution. What went down this week in World Wrestling Entertainment history?
Below are five key events that happened this week in WWE history.
#5. Kevin Owens debuted at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution on December 11th, 2014
WWE held the NXT TakeOver: R Evolution event on December 11th, 2014. This was the third-ever NXT TakeOver event and it was held at Full Sail University in front of over 400 fans. Naturally, this smaller set up was due to the venue.
The big hook of the night was Sami Zayn winning the NXT Championship from Adrian Neville. Before then, however, Kevin Owens made his WWE debut by defeating CJ Parker. Many believed that a competitor like Owens would never make it to the company, but he debuted in a big way and fans were excited.
That wasn't the end of Owens' night, however. After Sami won the coveted prize, there was a big celebration and Kevin joined his real-life best friend. As everybody left and the duo made their way up the ramp, however, Owens slammed Sami down onto the ramp. He then proceeded to brutalize his supposed best friend, kickstarting an epic story.
#4. Evolution left with all the gold at Armageddon on December 14th, 2003
WWE Armageddon took place on December 14th, 2003. The show was held at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida. Over 12,000 fans were in attendance for the final pay-per-view of the year which was presented exclusively by Monday Night RAW.
The big story of the night was the rise of Evolution. Randy Orton, Ric Flair, Batista, and Triple H all walked into the event without titles, but soon the powerful stable were all WWE champions.
Randy Orton defeated Rob Van Dam to win the Intercontinental Championship. Batista and Ric Flair managed to win the tag team gold from The Dudley Boyz. Lastly, Triple H dethroned Goldberg of the World Heavyweight Championship, allowing the dominant stable to stand tall in the end.
#3. Jeff Hardy won his first-ever WWE Championship at Armageddon on December 14th, 2008
Another edition of WWE Armageddon took place on December 14th, 2008. This time around, the show was held at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. Over 12,000 fans were in attendance for the show.
This event had seven matches on the main card. Stars such as John Cena, Chris Jericho, Matt Hardy, Mickie James, Randy Orton, Batista, and CM Punk were some of the names featured. RAW, SmackDown, and ECW united for the pay-per-view.
The main event of the night was a Triple Threat Match. Edge, Triple H, and Jeff Hardy fought over the WWE Championship. In an epic moment, Jeff won the match and became the world champion for the very first time after over 17 minutes. He'd end up winning the title again in 2009.
#2. The world titles were unified at TLC on December 15th, 2013
WWE held their fifth annual TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs event on December 15th, 2013. 14,000 fans were in attendance at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Eight matches were featured on the main card.
This show was particularly notable, as it featured two titles being unified. The WWE Champion Randy Orton competed against the World Heavyweight Champion John Cena, continuing their epic feud from the past.
The two future Hall of Famers battled in a Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Match. After 24 minutes, Orton managed to win to unify the gold. Meanwhile, John Cena crashed through tables. There would only be one world title for the next two and a half years until the brand extension re-launched in 2016.
#1. The Kabuki Warriors headlined TLC on December 15th, 2019
The final entry on this week's list was another edition of TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs. This time around, the premium live event was held on December 15th, 2019. The show took place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnestoa.
This show featured seven matches on the main card. This includes King Corbin vs. Roman Reigns in a TLC Match, The New Day vs. The Revival in a Ladder Match, and Bobby Lashley vs. Rusev in a Tables Match.
TLC 2019 was headlined by a Tag Team TLC Match for the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles. The Kabuki Warriors defended their titles against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. After around 26 minutes, Asuka and Kairi Sane retained their coveted titles in what was considered a major upset.