This week in WWE history: The Fiend beats major name for world title, CM Punk inside Hell in a Cell (October 28-November 3)
WWE had a big weekend. Not only did the Sports Entertainment juggernaut host Crown Jewel 2024, but they taped the first-ever episode of RAW in Saudi Arabia. As if that wasn't enough, the promotion also had an ongoing European tour.
It is clear that World Wrestling Entertainment is on fire, and the business over the past year or two has been the hottest it has been in a few decades. The crowd attendance and overall buzz matches or exceeds most of what has gone down since The Attitude Era.
Still, not everyone necessarily cares about the modern product. There is a segment of fans who prefer nostalgia, opting to enjoy the wrestling they grew up with or watched in the past as opposed to today's programming.
Those fans are in luck, as this article will look at major events and moments from the company's past. This week's list will focus on shows from 2007 to 2019, which should provide plenty of nostalgia, but with stars fans still know and love even today.
Below are four key events that took place this week in WWE history:
#4. The Undertaker battled Batista at Cyber Sunday on October 28, 2007
The first show featured in this week's article also happens to be the oldest one highlighted this week. WWE held the Cyber Sunday pay-per-view event on October 28, 2007, at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Over 10,000 fans were reportedly in attendance for the show hosted by RAW, SmackDown, and ECW. The gimmick, much like Taboo Tuesday, was that fans could vote on who would compete in some bouts and the stipulations attached to other contests.
The main event was The Undertaker vs. Batista. Fans voted on the special guest referee and ultimately chose Stone Cold Steve Austin over Mick Foley and John Bradshaw Layfield. From there, The Animal defeated The Deadman in around 17 minutes. The bout was one of many excellent matches these two had together.
#3. CM Punk fought Ryback inside Hell in a Cell at October 28, 2012
The next entry on this list took place at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, in front of around 10,000 fans. WWE held Hell in a Cell on October 28, 2012, and the namesake match main evented the show.
Fans in Georgia witnessed the-then WWE Champion CM Punk, now around a year into his time as champion, defend his gold against Ryback. The Big Guy had been seemingly unstoppable since rejoining the main roster and Punk was seemingly doomed.
Instead, Punk retained thanks to referee Brad Maddox surprisingly refusing to count. He then hit Ryback with a low blow and fast counted him out with a fluke pinfall from The Voice of the Voiceless. Ryback snapped post-match and laid out both men, but left without a world title.
#2. WWE held Evolution on October 28, 2018
One of WWE's most celebrated events took place on October 28, 2018. World Wrestling Entertainment hosted Evolution live from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, in front of about 10,000 fans.
This was the first and, to date, only all-women's Premium Live Event in WWE history. Seven main card matches and one bout on the pre-show featured a combination of NXT UK, NXT, Mae Young Classic, RAW, and SmackDown stars alongside semi-retired legends.
While the main event featured Nikki Bella clashing with Ronda Rousey, that wasn't the best match of the show. Instead, the best contest saw Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch battle it out in a Last Woman Standing Match. Becky won the bout in around half an hour, and it remains one of the best women's matches of all time.
#1. The Fiend became world champion at Crown Jewel on October 31, 2019
The final entry on this list took place just over five years ago when WWE held Crown Jewel 2019. This event was held at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 31 of that year. It was presented by RAW, SmackDown, and 205 Live.
There were eight matches on the main roster, with the most notable being a Falls Count Anywhere Match for the prized Universal Championship. The bout, which saw Seth Rollins clash with The Fiend, included a bonus stipulation stating that the match couldn't be stopped under any circumstance.
Bray Wyatt under the mask battled and battered The Visionary for around 22 minutes. In the end, The Field locked in the Mandible Claw on the former Shield member, ultimately defeating him and winning the Universal Championship, Bray's second world title win.