Best "First Time World Title Win" Of All Time

[TheTemp]

My favorites would have to be HBK beating Bret Hart at Wrestlemania, Mick Foley beating The Rock on RAW and Eddie beating Brock Lesnar at No Way Out. 3 Great moments from 3 different eras.

 

[ilapierre]

I'd say David Arquette winning the title was the best first time win of all time.

Seriously though, Benoit and Eddie the same night should be listed in the best first time world title wins of all time. Hogan's was obviously the most important for wrestling.
Savage's title win is unprecedented as he beat four different guys to win the world title. He was the first guy not named Hogan to win the main event at Wrestlemania. To me, Savage winning the title for the first time and the pomp and circumstance afterward was a bigger moment than Hogan slamming and pinning Andre in front of a record crowd. Warrior's win was just as big as Savage's as Hogan had never been pinned but, as one poster replied, Warrior didn't stick around long enough for that title win to mean as much as it would have had he had a more prolific career. Flair's first in WWF was really cool but he'd already won many world titles before. Hitman's first win wasn't even on TV but his second at Wrestlemania 10 was one of the best ever. Michaels first was amazing after an hour long match but I don't feel it was as big a moment because the match itself wasn't that amazing. It was long, but that doesn't translate to amazing although it's amazing they were able to go an hour and keep the audience on the edge of their seat. Stone Cold's title win is so underrated here in the polls, it was one of the defining moments in the history of wrestling. It was the 'real' moment that WWF started beating WCW. The Mick Foley title win is the most overrated of all time. Mick Foley really had no business winning the world title. All the revisionist history about how everyone supposedly remembers this turning around WWF's fortunes and hurting WCW is full of it. WCW was already falling, although (i believe) the night Foley won the title was one of my favourite Nitros in WCW history with the Fingerpoke of Doom swerve. The Rock's I actually can't remember but Benoit and Eddie's title wins are two of the most memorable of all time.
Goldberg's first title win, like Warrior, ranks as one of the best but it doesn't rank as high as it would had Goldberg stuck around longer.

So i'm going to go with Savage's first title win, followed by Austin, Warrior, Michaels, Goldberg, Eddie & Benoit, Jericho and Hogan. If Hitman's second title win at WM X had been his first, then, in my opinion, that would have been the best one.

 

[rob198807]

Eddie and Shawn don't win titles if it weren't for Bret Hart breaking the mold. Not the most epic win of all time because it wasn't a PPV (or on tv)...But I go with Bret over Flair.

 

[nightshifty]

I got to go with Orton at Summerslam '04. To me this came out of left field. I wouldn't think they would give it to someone that young. But it was an awesome match and really throw Orton in the main event picture. IMO they should have let Randy carried for at least until Survivor Series or New Years Resolution because one month or less title reigns just look too weak, but pulled it off well.

 

[itbewilly]

I refuse to vote until David Arquette is added!... I kid i kid... For a series answer now what are talking? First time heavy weight title win period or first time for said company because tho his name has been removed from the records of wrestling for obvious reasons Benoit winning the title at Mania and the celebration from him and Eddie had to be one of the best in recent years.

Everyone knows Benoit got the title in WCW but that was just their attempt at keeping Benoit and after he won and still told them he planned to leave he was stripped. in my book that sympathy title match didnt count as it was just a contract negotiation.

Goldberg's would have been much better personally following that story line while it happened if he got a clean win without a bunch of distractions happening. You had NWO trying to get involved. WCW guys fighting them off. Then we go to the ring in time to see a spear/jackhammer? Could have been done more legit but Hogan being the Heel i understand why the match was set up the way it was.

 

[CasualNinja]

My all-time favorite is Sting beating Ric Flair at the 1990 Great American Bash. I remember seeing this as a youngster and it was amazing. The feud they had through the previous couple years. The long draw at the Clash a couple years before might've been better, but this was a moment for the ages. He beat him by a small cradle out of a attempted figure four. Sting's first reign would end up being terribly mediocre because of the feuds with Vicious and the Black Scorpion, but that 1st title win will always remain memorable

 

[S.J. Maximus]

I have to go with Michaels at WM12. He was so charismatic he was getting such great reactions for about 2 years by that point and we all knew he just had to get the title at some point. I actually thought 1995 was his year but after all the teasing and then his eventual return back to the IC division I was afraid it'd never happen but WrestleMania 12 was perfect. The zipline entrance, the stellar match, the overtime finish, and then finally the boyhood dream was realized

 

[DJ Kyo]

As much as I know some want to count Chris Benoit's in WCW, it really wasn't a reign and wasn't all that special anyway.... but his World Heavyweight win in WWE is by far one of the biggest/emotional moments in wrestling history. That truly was his first win that mattered and one that will live on forever no matter what may have transpired after. Eddie coming out to the ring that night after wasn't as a wrestler, as a personality, it was as a true friend to say "hey, we've really finally made it." and that to me is unquestionable as the best First Time REAL win of all time.

If I had to pick an "other" it would definitely be Warrior vs. Hogan. That was another one full of emotion and it's one of the VERY FEW times in Hogan's career he put someone over. Now mind you after the fight, he made sure he was in the ring and that it was also about him, but the match was great and he did really well to let Warrior have that victory.

 

[XavierFirstClass]

You know many people forget about because HE WHO NEVER EXSISTED was in the match but I really hold Randy Orton winning the world championship at Summer Slam 2004 close to my heart. For years Triple H had always had something to do with the main event but suprisingly there was no interfernce it and was a great technical bout. Before he was RKOverated or bland, he was that cocky asshole that we loved.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

I'm picking Eddie Guerrero here. It's my favourite match of all time with him vs. Brock and with a little bit of help from a pissed Goldberg and a title belt, Eddie cheated his way into the history books as the first modern Hispanic world champion.

It was an electric atmosphere inside the Cow Palace in San Francisco regardless, so when Eddie nailed that Frog Splash and made the cover for three, it was amazing. The entire arena erupted as Eddie Guerrero finally achieved a dream that seemed so far away even a month prior. Eddie's ascent was quick and as a child, it was a surprise for me to see the smaller Guerrero defeat the monster that was Brock Lesnar.

I also want to give a special mention to Edge. It was another "Oh my God!" moment as I believed that he'd wait until Mania to cash-in, but how wrong I was. The moment was insane, and I was stunned. I wasn't Cena's biggest fan at the time, and I wasn't Edge's either, but the cash-in was such a surprise that I felt the need to stare with my my gaped open in surprise.

 

[Big Sexy]

This thread has done more to further my point that Eddie Guerrero is quite possibly the most overrated wrestler of all time right up there with Owen Hart. I don't see how a title win at No Way Out, with help from interference, over a guy who would be gone completely from wrestling one month later can be considered the best ever title win.

Honorable mention to Goldberg and Foley but to be the best World Title win I'd want it to be in the Main Event at the biggest show of the year, Wrestlemania. With that said it comes down to HBK and Warrior for me. They are two of my favorite superstars of all time and each delivered with a classic match in what had to be the defining moment in both of their careers.

In the end I'm going to give the nod to Warrior because his opponent was a bigger name. That isn't a knock against Bret Hart at all because the only names that can rival Hulk Hogan are Rock and Austin. Warrior came in as the IC Champ and left with the two top belts in the company after defeating the one guy who seemed unbeatable. Unless I'm forgetting something, it was the only clean pinfall loss that Hogan had during his "face" prime.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

I'm generally with Big Sexy on Eddie Guerrero. He's the young smarky choice. But I can certainly understand the fervor in Eddie's corner here.

Benoit winning his first was good, and was at Wrestlemania. Does it bug anyone that it was a Triple Threat match and Benoit couldn't just get the clean one on one win though?

I tinkered with adding Lesnar - he DOMINATED Rocky for a while, but in retrospect, there was a ton of interference from Heyman that match. Still, it was a big win.

Someone mentioned Jericho's first "real" title win over Rock and Austin at Vengeance, and that's true, though sadly the storyline of Jericho's win was slightly overshadowed by the arrival of the nWo and the Booker T thing. I'm probably one of the world's biggest Jericho fans, and I went batshit, so I'll concede that he's also a solid choice.

Someone also astutely pointed out how the nWo was starting to get stale and become a retirement home for old wrestlers with big guaranteed contracts, and that's true. Goldberg's win was such a breath of fresh air, I remember going nuts when that occured.

I'm surprised Edge's cash in isn't getting more love. His shocking swerve over Cena started one of the greatest rivalries of the '00s and opened the door for the Money in the Bank cash in being one of those "I can't believe that just happened / that I was there" moments of pro wrestling history. Do you think guys like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, The Miz, and Jack Swagger would have world titles to their names without the MITB clause? If nothing else, it helps midcarders break through, and Edge was the first. Now, he's going into the HoF. That win was HUGE!

 

[Mustang Sally]

Randy Savage's first title win at WM4.

I never saw such an exciting tournament, but it became so only after Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant eliminated each other. Before that, I presumed Hogan would win the whole thing, simply because that's the way the company was shaped in those days, with Hulk covercoming seemingly insurmountable odds to win the day (yawn). Even after he was eliminated, I wasn't positive they weren't going to find a way to get him back in the running.

After Hogan was no longer a factor in the tournament, I spent the rest of the evening rooting for Savage but truly believing he would lose out in the end. Macho Man was my favorite but I figured he'd spend the rest of his time in WWE being second-best to Hulk and never getting the title recognition he deserved.

The title victory was amazing, even more so because it was his first in WWF.

 

[The Brain]

Benoit winning his first was good, and was at Wrestlemania. Does it bug anyone that it was a Triple Threat match and Benoit couldn't just get the clean one on one win though?

It did bug me at the time but now I think the triple threat win may have been an even bigger accomplishment. He beat two of the biggest names, both in ring and backstage, in WWE history on the milestone 20th mania in WWE's home arena. That is pretty big. Besides Triple H did tap out clean in the middle of the ring so it's not like there was a bogus finish.

I'm surprised Edge's cash in isn't getting more love. His shocking swerve over Cena started one of the greatest rivalries of the '00s and opened the door for the Money in the Bank cash in being one of those "I can't believe that just happened / that I was there" moments of pro wrestling history. Do you think guys like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, The Miz, and Jack Swagger would have world titles to their names without the MITB clause? If nothing else, it helps midcarders break through, and Edge was the first. Now, he's going into the HoF. That win was HUGE!

That was an awesome moment. What made it even better was that Edge carried that briefcase around for nine months before cashing it in. It got to the point where I didn't even think about it anymore. When he finally cashed it in the way he did it was a huge moment. It's probably not getting much love because it was a quick squash on a vulnerable champion, but that's what the gimmick called for. You're right, the effects of this match are still being felt today.

Even though Edge and Benoit, among others, had big moments my vote went to Foley. I almost went with someone else just because of all the chaos that was going on during that match, but that's also what made it so memorable. It fit in with the WWF landscape of 1999. The Rock and Foley were so opposite they were perfect for each other. The rebels of DX trying to help the underdog stick it to the Corporation was a nice touch. The way that crowd errupted when the glass shattered upon Austin's entrance still gives me chills. It was definitely a magical moment.

 

[J.J.]

Really liked Edge's win. I remember years ago seeing him on Shotgun Saturday Night and figured he would go nowhere. Never imagined he would escalate beyond an average worker in The Brood or escape the tag team ranks. That world title reign for him was well earned as other competitors came in after him and won the title way before him. There was no social network to help give him a boost in popularity. Well earned victory despite how it came.