WWE History Vol. 26: Vacated Titles
In the world of professional wrestling, achieving championship gold is one of the major milestones. Yes, the victors maybe predetermined, but to be given a championship run by promoters is a huge vote of confidence. It's a statement that not only does the promotion believe the wrestler is getting themselves over, but that they can also get their opponents over as well. So when a champion in WWE must abdicate their title belt, it's a pretty big deal.
Take the most recent example which is fresh on everyone's mind, Becky Lynch. She vacated the RAW Women's Championship due to her pregnancy.
This is one of the more surprising, if not necessarily unhappy, title vacancies in recent history. The Man's status as the hottest property in all of WWE, no matter the division, makes it that much juicier of a headline.
But there are many reasons why a champion in WWE might have to vacate their championship. Often this is due to injuries suffered while performing, and the champion is too hurt to work a match to drop the title. Other times it might be due to a storyline convenience. Often title changes in this manner happen to babyfaces who are very popular with the fans.
Then there are the happiest reasons for vacating a title, namely because the champion has won a higher tier belt and must now vacate the midcard title.
Whatever the reason, title vacancies always create a lot of heat and drama both in terms of the storylines presented and the fan buzz surrounding the wrestling product.
Here are some of the most memorable title vacations in WWE History.
#1 The Main Event 1988: Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and evil twin referees
Hulk Hogan is very likely the reason why you watch pro wrestling today, and are reading this article, even if you were never a fan of him personally.
That's because Hulk Hogan is the man who took pro wrestling from tiny venues to gigantic arenas. He changed the public perception of pro wrestling as fringe, gory entertainment and made it into a family friendly product with massive mainstream marketing appeal.
Hulk Hogan wasn't just a pro wrestler, or even a wrestling champion. He was, and is, a 1980s icon and probably the first name most people associate with pro wrestling and the industry in general. Especially, for the non pro wrestling fans.
It's important to add this context to our first title vacancy, because of the significance. At Wrestlemania III, Hogan defeated Andre the Giant cleanly in one of the most celebrated contests of all time.
But in the world of pro wrestling, there's no such thing as definitive victory until history says it's a definitive victory. Because of a botch where the referee at Wrestlemania III accidentally counted three while Hogan kicked out of a pin attempt, Andre the Giant and his manager Bobby Heenan had plenty of ammunition to demand a rematch.
Add into the mix the Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, who wanted to 'buy' the WWE Championship, and you have the set up for one of the wildest and most memorable title vacancies of all time.
For months, Ted Dibiase hounded the champion Hulkster, offering to buy the title for millions of dollars. When Hogan refused, Dibiase enlisted the help of the Eighth Wonder of the World, Andre the Giant.
Thanks to an evil twin referee and plenty of shenanigans, the title changed hands with Andre the Giant pinning Hogan in the ring. However, Andre 'surrendered' the title to Ted Dibiase after only a few seconds.
Then-WWE president Jack Tunney made the decision not to recognize Dibiase's reign, since it's not legal to 'surrender' your title to anyone. Hogan had lost the belt, and the referee's decision--even that of an imposter--was final, so Hulk was not given the belt back. Likewise, Tunney felt that Andre had besmirched the prestige of the title, and decided not to recognize him as champion either.
This set the stage for an unprecedented one night tournament at Wrestlemania IV, which would eventually be won by the Macho Man. But when it comes to title vacancies, they don't get any crazier than this.