This week in WWE history: Triple H ends major title reign, Cody Rhodes battles legendary names (September 9-September 15)
WWE continues to thrive as a business and fans are arguably loving most of the product currently being put out. Thousands of fans attend multiple events every week, but there are some major shows coming up that have garnered attention.
October will see the debut of NXT on The CW, Bad Blood 2024, and NXT Halloween Havoc. Those are three notable milestones that many fans are excited about. Still, not everybody is focused on events now, nor ones to come.
Many fans prefer to look back at wrestling's past. This can either be to re-live some of their favorite moments in history, or, alternatively, experience the major matches, moments, and shows for the first time.
This article will take a trip down memory lane and go over four major events and specials in World Wrestling Entertainment's history. This includes Cody Rhodes clashing with two legends, NXT's third-ever Premium Live Event, and the conclusion of an epic tournament. What went down this week in the company's past?
Below are several major matches and moments from this week in WWE history:
#4. NXT TakeOver: Fatal Four-Way was held on September 11, 2014
The first entry on this week's list will take a look back at an NXT Premium Live Event that aired on WWE Network and Peacock. The black and gold brand held NXT TakeOver: Fatal Four-Way on September 11, 2014, live from Full Sail University.
This was the second-ever WWE NXT TakeOver and the third Premium Live Event from the brand. While there were six matches booked for the show, it was the main event that led to the show being called Fatal Four-Way.
Adrian Neville, Tyson Kidd, Tyler Breeze, and Sami Zayn clashed in what ended up being a 24-minute match with the NXT Championship on the line. In the end, Neville managed to retain his title, but he would only hold it for a short time after this.
#3. Triple H and Randy Orton clashed at Unforgiven on September 12, 2004
The next entry on this list is WWE Unforgiven. The show was held on September 12, 2004, and it was held at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. Around 10,000 fans were in attendance for the RAW-exclusive pay-per-view.
Arguably the best match of the night saw Christian clash with Chris Jericho over the Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match. The show also saw Shawn Michaels battle Kane, Trish Stratus vs. Victoria, and more.
The main event of the night featured former Evolution teammates clashing, as Triple H challenged Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship and ultimately won the gold in just under 25 minutes. This, at least temporarily, shut down The Legend Killer's push as a top act for a while.
#2. Kairi Sane won the Mae Young Classic on September 12, 2017
In 2017, WWE introduced the Mae Young Classic. The Mae Young Classic was a tournament featuring only female performers. The winner would win a trophy and a future shot at the NXT Women's Championship.
The finals of the tournament took place on September 12, 2017. It aired live on the WWE Network from the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. Kairi Sane managed to defeat Shayna Baszler in about 12 minutes.
There were other notable names involved in the tournament, including some stars still in the company today. This includes Alba Fyre, Raquel Rodriguez, Candice LeRae, Mia Yim, Sarah Logan, Bianca Belair, Dakota Kai, Piper Niven, and Rhea Ripley.
#1. Legacy battled D-Generation X at the first-ever WWE Breaking Point pay-per-view on September 13, 2009
The final entry on this list was a pay-per-view presented by WWE back on September 13, 2009. The company held the Breaking Point show live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with around 12,000 fans in attendance.
The gimmick for this show was that the major matches would all have to end by submission. The main event was The Undertaker vs. CM Punk, although that bout ended controversially when the referee incorrectly called for the bell when The Undertaker hadn't submitted.
Perhaps the most fun match of the show saw Legacy's Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase take on D-Generation X's Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a Submissions Count Anywhere Match. After 21 minutes, Cody Rhodes and The Legacy stood tall, shockingly defeating the legends.