10 Reversed WWE Title Changes
Not every WWE title change is permanent
8. Chris Benoit - WWE Championship (2000)
Chris Benoit was thrust into a pay-per-view headline feud with WWE Champion The Rock not too long after he and the rest of The Radicalz jumped from the sinking ship that was WCW.
The Crippler was presented as a threat heading into their showdown at Fully Loaded 2000, but few felt he would upset The Great One and bag the belt – even though he was being helped in his pursuit by temporary manager Shane McMahon.
Incredibly, it appeared that the Rabid Wolverine had won the title on the night thanks to a technicality. It initially looked as though referee Earl Hebner awoke from one of his naps and called for the bell, with everyone assuming Benoit had submitted to his very own Crossface. However, the official shockingly awarded the bout to the challenger because he believed The Rock had attacked him from behind with a chair earlier (when it was really Shane).
As The Brahma Bull could lose the title via disqualification due to the pre-match stipulations, this made the Canadian the new champ. For about 90 seconds, until Commissioner Foley sauntered out, reversed the decision and restarted the match.
WWE booked a similar scenario for Benoit in the main event of Unforgiven two months later.
