4. Seth Rollins Wins the Inaugural World Heavyweight Title (WWE Night of Champions 2023)
In 2023, Triple H made the bold yet brilliant decision to introduce a brand-new World Heavyweight Championship for Raw. This move was triggered by Roman Reigns, whose multi-year stranglehold on the Undisputed WWE Championship had left the rest of the roster without a top prize to fight for.
Along with unveiling the brand-new title belt, Triple H announced a tournament that would culminate at WWE Night of Champions to crown the new champion. The finals featured two of WWE’s absolute best world-class technicians: Seth Rollins and AJ Styles.
The match absolutely lived up to the hype as both men left it all in the ring in a wrestling masterclass. When Rollins hit his signature Curb Stomp to win the matchup, fans felt as though balance was restored to WWE, knowing they would finally get to watch a full-time, fighting World Champion once again.
3. Asuka Wins the Raw Women’s Championship (WWE Night of Champions 2023)
Heading into this matchup, Bianca Belair was seen as an indestructible force, riding a historic, record-setting 420-day reign as Raw Women’s Champion. Meanwhile, her opponent, Asuka, was widely viewed as a massive underdog, with most believing that Belair would walk out with the title still around her waist.
The two battled in a high-stakes rematch from their clash at WrestleMania 39, with Asuka bringing a much more aggressive edge following her recent heel turn. The closing sequence of the contest showcased an incredibly clever strategy from the challenger that stole the show.
While the referee was distracted, Asuka attempted to spray her blue mist into Belair’s face, but missed when the champion managed to duck out of the way at the last second.
Asuka, however, had another strategy up her sleeve. While out of sight from Belair and the referee, she secretly spat the mist directly into her own hand. Just as Belair was about to deliver her finisher, Asuka managed to rub her mist-covered fingers directly into the champion’s eyes, completely blinding her. Asuka then delivered two devastating kicks to the back of the head, scoring the pinfall to pull off the upset.
