Unquestionably, the WWE Championship is the most prestigious world title in WWE. The title has been in circulation for over six decades, with many of the all-time greats holding the gold. The likes of Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena, among others, have stamped down their authority, holding the WWE Championship.
However, whilst WWE Championship title changes are generally reserved for major PPVs, several instances of world title changes have featured on free TV.
RELATED:
5 Times a WWE World Championship Changed Hands on the Road to the Royal Rumble
SmackDown debuted on April 29, 1999, as a pilot episode. However, four months later, on August 26, 1999, SmackDown became a permanent fixture. The WWE Championship has been defended numerous times on the blue brand over the years.
Surprisingly, the WWE Championship has only changed hands six times on SmackDown during the show’s nearly 27-year history. Some of the title changes were brilliant, and others that WWE pulled off were underwhelming.
6. Brock Lesnar Defeats Kofi Kingston – SmackDown (10/4/19)
Kofi Kingston defeated Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 to become the first African-born WWE Champion in history. Kingston rode a wave of momentum in his maiden WWE Championship reign. However, on the 20th Anniversary of SmackDown, Kingston defended the WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar. For sure, the Beast Incarnate was Kingston’s toughest challenger to date.
On SmackDown’s Fox premiere episode, Lesnar had his game face on. As soon as the bell rang, trouble came Kingston’s way as Lesnar nailed Kingston with an F-5. The Beast Incarnate captured his fifth WWE Championship reign in just seven seconds. Fans were in shock, and WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry was at ringside. He was in disbelief at what he was witnessing unfold right before him.
