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Rating The Champ

WWE World Titles – 2009

Welcome to my blog. This is the start of a new series, where I’ll be looking back at the history of WWE World Titles (not counting ECW) and ranking all the World Title reigns since the “Modern Era”. The “Modern Era” goes all the way back to the birth of Hulkamania in 1984, and that’s where we’ll end. Today we look back at the year 2010, and we’ll continue to go back from here.

In front of my star ratings for the matches, you’ll either see “HR”, “R” or “RTA”. “HR” means the match is highly recommended ; “R” means the match is recommended ; “RTA” means recommendation to avoid. In case nothing appears, the match is watchable but nothing spectacular.

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP

Edge (January 25, 2009 – February 15, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 3
  • Record: 1-2

My match ratings:

  • Edge def. Jeff Hardy(c) in a No DQ Match – Royal Rumble 2009 (***1/2) *R*
  • Triple H def. Edge(c), The Undertaker, Jeff Hardy, Big Show and Vladimir Kozlov in an Elimination Chamber Match – No Way Out 2009 (****1/2) *HR*

The championships in WWE were a big hot potato at this point, changing hands on almost every PPV. That makes it impossible for anyone to stand out as champion, and this was one of those very brief reigns. Edge won Jeff Hardy’s title at the Royal Rumble in a No DQ Match thanks to Matt Hardy, and at the next PPV was the first eliminated in SmackDown’s Elimination Chamber Match. Triple H would defeat Undertaker in an exciting finale, and he’d take SmackDown’s belt to WrestleMania in a feud with RAW’s Randy Orton. What a weird time… Edge does have two recommended matches out of two in this reign, though, and that counts.

Rating: 3/10

Triple H (February 15, 2009 – April 26, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 10
  • Record: 5-3 (2 draws)

My match ratings:

  • Triple H def. Edge(c), The Undertaker, Jeff Hardy, Big Show and Vladimir Kozlov in an Elimination Chamber Match – No Way Out 2009 (****1/2) *HR*
  • Triple H(c) def. Randy Orton – WrestleMania XXV (**) *RTA*
  • Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase def. Triple H(c), Batista & Shane McMahon – Backlash 2009 (***)

Hunter won his last WWE World Title (well, until 2016) in the aforementioned Chamber Match at No Way Out and his feud with Randy Orton had potential, but from there it only went downhill. The WrestleMania match with Orton was anticlimactic and, in the most WWE thing ever, Triple H retained at the biggest show of the year only to then drop the gold to the same opponent (Orton) at the next PPV… in a tag match. Words can’t explain the logic, and neither can I.

Rating: 3/10

Randy Orton (April 26, 2009 – June 7, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 9
  • Record: 2-4 (3 draws)

My match ratings:

  • Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase def. Triple H(c), Batista & Shane McMahon – Backlash 2009 (***)
  • Batista def. Randy Orton(c) by DQ – Judgment Day 2009 (***)
  • Batista def. Randy Orton(c) in a Steel Cage Match – Extreme Rules 2009 (*1/2) *RTA*

Not only does that record look bad for a World Champion – two wins out of nine matches, with one of those being by DQ and the other in the Backlash tag match – but this reign ws a whole bunch of nothing. A feud with Batista would follow, where Orton would retain via DQ loss at Judgment Day before dropping the gold to Batista in one of the most average Cage Matches ever, which Batista won despite being injured anyway. Next.

Rating: 2/10

Batista (June 7, 2009 – June 9, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 1
  • Record: 1-0

My match ratings:

  • Batista def. Randy Orton(c) in a Steel Cage Match – Extreme Rules 2009 (*1/2) *RTA*

Batista won the title despite being injured, and then he was written off TV in an angle the next night on RAW which saw The Legacy break his arm. The company announced the next day on WWE.com that the title was now vacated. Nice way to make the top title more meaningless.

Rating: -/10

Randy Orton (June 15, 2009 – September 13, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 18
  • Record: 10-6 (2 draws)

My match ratings:

  • Randy Orton def. Triple H, John Cena and Big Show – RAW June 15 2009 (***1/4)
  • Randy Orton(c) def. Triple H in a 3 Stages Of Hell Match – The Bash 2009 (***)
  • Randy Orton(c) def. Triple H and John Cena – Night of Champions 2009 (***1/4)
  • Randy Orton(c) def. John Cena – SummerSlam 2009 (**) *RTA*
  • John Cena def. Randy Orton(c) in an I Quit Match – Breaking Point 2009 (***1/2) *R*

Just eight days after losing the title to Batista, Orton was the WWE Champion yet again. He won it in a four way match on RAW and went on to retain in a decent but not impressive Three Stages of Hell Match against Triple H. John Cena would soon be added and Orton would beat both at July’s Night of Champions PPV, and from there Orton feuded with Cena. A bad and ridiculously overbooked match at SummerSlam saw Orton retain after the match was restarted three times, and Orton lost to Cena in an I Quit Match a few weeks later. His matches were solid, apart from SummerSlam, and his reign was solid as well.

Rating: 5/10

John Cena (September 13, 2009 – October 4, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 7
  • Record: 4-2 (1 draw)

My math ratings:

  • John Cena def. Randy Orton(c) in an I Quit Match – Breaking Point 2009 (***1/2) *R*
  • Randy Orton def. John Cena(c) in a HIAC Match – Hell in a Cell 2009 (**3/4)

After one solid reign, back to the game of hot potato we went. Cena won the title in the I Quit Match at Breaking Point, only to lose it less than a month later inside Hell in a Cell. The I Quit Match was really good, though, so there’s that. Apart from it, way too short and quite meaningless reign.

Record: 2/10

Randy Orton (October 4, 2009 – October 25, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 4
  • Record: 2-2

My match ratings:

  • Randy Orton def. John Cena(c) in a HIAC Match – Hell in a Cell 2009 (**3/4)
  • John Cena def. Randy Orton(c) in an Iron Man Match – Bragging Rights 2009 (****) *HR*

What I said about Cena’s reign in the last entry can be said here too. Very short and meaningless reign as the hot potato goes, but at least there was one really good match. Next.

Rating: 2/10

John Cena (October 25, 2009 – December 13, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 8
  • Record: 6-2

My match ratings:

  • John Cena def. Randy Orton(c) in an Iron Man Match – Bragging Rights 2009 (****) *HR*
  • John Cena(c) def. Triple H and Shawn Michaels – Survivor Series 2009 (***3/4) *R*
  • Sheamus def. John Cena(c) in a Tables Match – TLC 2009 (***)

Cena came out of the endless Orton feud with the belt to end that game of hot potato, but a new one would begin shortly afterwards. The three way against DX was really fun and the match with Sheamus was solid, but it was yet another short reign from that year.

Rating: 3/10

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

John Cena (November 23, 2008 – February 15, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 15
  • Record: 12-3

My match ratings:

  • John Cena def. Chris Jericho(c) – Survivor Series 2008 (***)
  • John Cena(c) def. Chris Jericho – Armageddon 2008 (***1/4)
  • John Cena(c) def. JBL – Royal Rumble 2009 (**)
  • Edge def. John Cena(c), Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Kane and Mike Knox in an Elimination Chamber Match – No Way Out 2009 (****1/2) *HR*

John Cena won the World Title in his first match back from neck injury, ending Chris Jericho’s awesome heel run. Jericho really should’ve kept the title all the way to WrestleMania XXV and lose it to either Cena or Jeff Hardy, but instead Cena won it and Jericho went on to feud with multiple Legends. Cena went on to beat Jericho in a rematch before being the third wheel in the Shawn Michaels/JBL feud, and then lost it in the Elimination Chamber Match to Edge. Not bad, not good. This existed.

Rating: 3/10

Edge (February 15, 2009 – April 5, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 6
  • Record: 2-2 (2 draws)

My match ratings:

  • Edge def. John Cena(c), Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Kane and Mike Knox in an Elimination Chamber Match – No Way Out 2009 (****1/2) *HR*
  • John Cena def. Edge(c) and Big Show – WrestleMania XXV (***1/4)

Let the game of hot potato begin! SmackDown wrestler Edge won RAW’s World Title just a few hours after losing his WWE Championship, and he’d go on to WrestleMania in a three way against RAW’s John Cena and SmackDown’s Big Show. The way Show got involved? By kissing Vickie Guerrero on TV… let’s not even talk about that. The match at WrestleMania was fine, and that would be the end of Edge’s reign. A very confusing reign.

Rating: 2/10

John Cena (April 5, 2009 – April 26, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 5
  • Record: 4-1

My match ratings:

  • John Cena def. Edge(c) and Big Show – WrestleMania XXV (***1/4)
  • Edge def. John Cena(c) in a Last Man Standing Match – Backlash 2009 (****1/2) *HR*

Another really short reign, but a very memorable one at least to me. Cena won the belt at WrestleMania by pinning Big Show and continued the feud with Edge heading into the next PPV, which would see both guys go at it in a Last Man Standing match. During the build up to that match, Cena and Edge had that spectacular segment on ‘The Cutting Edge’ that saw Edge say he hated everything about Cena. Then, the two wrestled a spectacular match at the PPV that would be won by Edge thanks to The Big Show. Very good while it lasted, but ultimately way too short.

Rating: 3/10

Edge (April 26, 2009 – June 7, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 9
  • Record: 5-4

My match ratings:

  • Edge def. John Cena(c) in a Last Man Standing Match – Backlash 2009 (****1/2) *HR*
  • Edge(c) def. Jeff Hardy – Judgment Day 2009 (***1/2) *R*
  • Jeff Hardy def. Edge(c) in a Ladder Match – Extreme Rules 2009 (****1/2) *HR*

Immediately after winning the title from John Cena in that spectacular match at Backlash, Edge restarted his feud with Jeff Hardy from earlier that year. The two wrestled a good match at Judgment Day that saw Edge retain thanks to Matt Hardy, and then they’d go on to have a spectacular Ladder Match at Extreme Rules where Hardy would finally dethrone ‘The Rated R Superstar’. Apart from a number of unnecessary clean losses on TV to Money in the Bank holder CM Punk (who was about to turn heel anyway), Edge’s last World Championship reign as a heel was pretty solid.

Rating: 5/10

Jeff Hardy (June 7, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 2
  • Record: 1-1

My match ratings:

  • Jeff Hardy def. Edge(c) in a Ladder Match – Extreme Rules 2009 (****1/2) *HR*
  • CM Punk def. Jeff Hardy(c) in a MITB cash-in – Extreme Rules 2009 (N/R)

Jeff Hardy won his second World Championship from Edge in the Ladder Match at Extreme Rules. A few minutes later, CM Punk’s music played and he cashed in his Money in the Bank to win the title and start his slow heel turn. And that would be the start of their fantastic feud.

Rating: -/10

CM Punk (June 7, 2009 – July 26, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 12
  • Record: 4-7 (1 draw)

My match ratings:

  • CM Punk def. Jeff Hardy(c) in a MITB cash-in – Extreme Rules 2009 (N/R)
  • CM Punk(c) def. Jeff Hardy and Edge – RAW June 15 2009 (***1/2) *R*
  • Jeff Hardy def. CM Punk(c) by DQ – The Bash 2009 (**1/2)
  • Jeff Hardy def. CM Punk(c) – Night of Champions 2009 (***1/2) *R*

Now we’re talking! When he won the Money in the Bank for a second straight year at WrestleMania XXV, Punk was still the same exciting babyface but he lacked that little extra something. Once he cashed it in the second time on Jeff Hardy, just because it was Jeff and his popularity helped Punk big time. He started a slow heel turn, kick the referee “by mistake” instead of Jeff at The Bash due to an “eye injury” before finally turning heel. A really good rematch at Night of Champions would follow, won by Hardy so he could have one last World Title reign before leaving. This reign was very enjoyable and made CM Punk.

Rating: 6/10

Jeff Hardy (July 26, 2009 – August 23, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 7
  • Record: 4-2 (1 draw)

My match ratings:

  • Jeff Hardy def. CM Punk(c) – Night of Champions 2009 (***1/2) *R*
  • Jeff Hardy(c) def. John Morrison – SmackDown July 31 2009 (***3/4) *R*
  • CM Punk def. Jeff Hardy(c) in a TLC Match – SummerSlam 2009 (****1/2) *HR*

This was easily Jeff Hardy’s best World Championship reign of his three. Hardy was incredibly popular at this point, and he had really solid matches during his month as champion. The feud with CM Punk was obviously still going on, but he also had a spectacular match with John Morrison on an episode of SmackDown. He ultimately dropped the title to Punk in a fantastic TLC bout at SummerSlam, and just a number of days later he wrestled his final WWE match in almost eight years.

Rating: 5/10

CM Punk (August 23, 2009 – October 4, 2009)

  • Televised matches: 8
  • Record: 4-3 (1 draw)

My match ratings:

  • CM Punk def. Jeff Hardy(c) in a TLC Match – SummerSlam 2009 (****1/2) *HR*
  • CM Punk(c) def. Jeff Hardy in a Steel Cage Match – SmackDown Aug. 28 2009 (****1/4) *HR*
  • CM Punk(c) def. The Undertaker in a Submission Match – Breaking Point 2009 (**) *RTA*
  • The Undertaker def. CM Punk(c) in a HIAC Match – Hell in a Cell 2009 (**3/4)

Immediately after regaining the title from Jeff Hardy at SummerSlam, The Undertaker would make his return that very same night to start a new feud. He’d end his feud with Hardy on the next episode of SmackDown, ending Jeff Hardy’s career in a spectacular Steel Cage Match. Just like that, Punk had ended the career of the most popular wrestler at the time and he had all the heat in the world. Unfortunately, the feud with Undertaker turned out to be disappointing. Their Submission Match at Breaking Point was just another reason for WWE to shit all over the Montreal Screwjob for the 1,598th time, and their HIAC match was nothing more than an average normal match that just happened to be surrounded by a giant cage. Punk would lose the title to ‘The Deadman’ that night, and he’d create The Straight Edge Society in late 2009. The start of this reign was spectacular, but the feud with Undertaker was as meh as you can get.

Rating: 5/10

The Undertaker (October 4, 2009 – February 21, 2010)

  • Televised matches: 14
  • Record: 9-3 (2 draws)

My match ratings:

  • The Undertaker def. CM Punk(c) in a HIAC Match – Hell in a Cell 2009 (**3/4)
  • The Undertaker(c) def. Batista, Rey Mysterio and CM Punk – Bragging Rights 2009 (***1/4)
  • The Undertaker(c) def. Chris Jericho and Big Show – Survivor Series 2009 (***)
  • The Undertaker(c) def. Batista in a Chairs Match – TLC 2009 (**3/4)
  • The Undertaker(c) def. Rey Mysterio – Royal Rumble 2010 (***3/4) *R*
  • Chris Jericho def. The Undertaker(c), CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, John Morrison and R-Truth in an Elimination Chamber Match – Elimination Chamber 2010 (***3/4) *R*

Undertaker’s last title reign was really weird. I am not a fan of his feud with CM Punk, and he spent the next couple of months as the third wheel in a number of feuds. At Bragging Rights he retained the gold, but it was ultimately about the Batista/Rey Mysterio angle. Then, at Survivor Series he retained as well but the match was all about potential tension between JeriShow. He went on to have an overbooked Chairs match with a Dusty finish against Batista at TLC, but once the storyline with Shawn Michaels began it was on another level. He had a really good match at Royal Rumble 2010 against Rey Mysterio, before losing the belt to Chris Jericho at Elimination Chamber thanks to Shawn Michaels. Weak first few months to be honest, spectacular last couple of months.

Rating: 5/10

ALL-TIME CHAMPIONS RANKING

  1. CM Punk (WWE Championship, 20/11/2011 – 27/01/2013) 9
  2. Daniel Bryan (WWE Championship, 13/11/2018 – 07/04/2019) 9
  3. AJ Styles (WWE Championship, 11/09/2016 – 29/01/2017) 9
  4. Randy Orton (World Heavyweight Championship, 06/05/2011 – 17/07/2011) 8
  5. Batista (WWE Championship, 21/02/2010 – 28/03/2010) 8
  6. Brock Lesnar (WWE Championship, 17/08/2014 – 29/03/2015) 7
  7. John Cena (WWE Championship, 07/04/2013 – 18/08/2013) 7
  8. AJ Styles (WWE Championship, 07/11/2017 – 13/11/2018) 7
  9. CM Punk (World Heavyweight Championship, 07/06/2009 – 26/07/2009) 6
  10. John Cena (WWE Championship, 28/03/2010 – 20/06/2010) 6
  11. John Cena (WWE Championship, 01/05/2011 – 17/07/2011) 6
  12. Randy Orton (WWE Championship, 18/08/2013 – 15/09/2013) 6
  13. Kevin Owens (WWE Universal Championship, 29/08/2016- 05/03/2017) 6
  14. Chris Jericho (World Heavyweight Championship, 21/02/2010 – 02/04/2010) 6
  15. Alberto Del Rio (World Heavyweight Championship, 16/06/2013 – 27/10/2013) 6
  16. Seth Rollins (WWE Championship, 29/03/2015 – 04/11/2015) 6
  17. Roman Reigns (WWE Championship, 03/04/2016 – 19/06/2016) 6
  18. Edge (World Heavyweight Championship, 26/04/2009 – 07/06/2009) 5
  19. Edge (World Heavyweight Championship, 19/12/2010 – 18/02/2011) 5
  20. Jeff Hardy (World Heavyweight Championship, 26/0/2009 – 23/08/2009) 5
  21. The Rock (WWE Championship, 27/01/2013 – 07/04/2013) 5
  22. CM Punk (WWE Championship, 17/07/2011 – 14/08/2011) 5
  23. Edge (World Heavyweight Championship, 18/02/2011 – 15/04/2011) 5
  24. Brock Lesnar (Universal Championship, 02/11/2018 – 07/04/2019) 5
  25. Randy Orton (WWE Championship, 27/10/2013 – 06/04/2014) 5
  26. Daniel Bryan (WWE Championship, 06/04/2014 – 09/06/2014) 5
  27. Christian (World Heavyweight Championship, 17/07/2011 – 14/08/2011) 5
  28. Randy Orton (World Heavyweight Championship, 14/08/2011 – 18/09/2011) 5
  29. CM Punk (World Heavyweight Championship, 23/08/2009 – 04/10/2009) 5
  30. The Undertaker (World Heavyweight Championship, 04/10/2009 – 21/02/2010) 5
  31. Seth Rollins (Universal Championship, 11/08/2019 – 31/10/2019) 5
  32. Randy Orton (WWE Championship, 15/06/2009 – 13/09/2009) 5
  33. John Cena (WWE Championship, 29/01/2017 – 12/02/2017) 5
  34. Sheamus (World Heavyweight Championship, 01/04/2012 – 28/10/2012) 4
  35. Mark Henry (World Heavyweight Championship, 18/09/2011 – 18/12/2011) 4
  36. John Cena (WWE Championship, 29/06/2014 – 17/08/2014) 4
  37. Dean Ambrose (WWE Championship, 19/06/2016 – 11/09/2016) 4
  38. Alberto Del Rio (WWE Championship, 02/10/2011 – 20/11/2011) 4
  39. Kofi Kingston (WWE Championship, 07/04/2019 – 04/10/2019) 4
  40. Alberto Del Rio (World Heavyweight Championship, 11/01/2013 – 08/04/2013) 4
  41. Seth Rollins (Universal Championship, 07/04/2019 – 14/07/2019) 4
  42. John Cena (World Heavyweight Championship, 05/04/2009 – 26/04/2009) 3
  43. John Cena (WWE Championship, 25/10/2009 – 13/12/2009) 3
  44. Brock Lesnar (Universal Championship, 14/07/2019 – 11/08/2019) 3
  45. Brock Lesnar (Universal Championship, 02/04/2017 – 19/08/2018) 3
  46. Triple H (WWE Championship, 24/01/2016 – 03/04/2016) 3
  47. Christian (World Heavyweight Championship, 01/05/2011 – 06/05/2011) 3
  48. Alberto Del Rio (WWE Championship, 14/08/2011 – 18/09/2011) 3
  49. Kane (World Heavyweight Championship, 18/07/2010 – 19/12/2010) 3
  50. Rey Mysterio (World Heavyweight Championship, 20/06/2010 – 18/07/2010) 3
  51. John Cena (World Heavyweight Championship, 27/10/2013 – 15/12/2013) 3
  52. Triple H (WWE Championship, 15/02/2009 – 26/04/2009) 3
  53. Big Show (World Heavyweight Championship, 28/10/2012 – 11/01/2013) 3
  54. Edge (WWE Championship, 25/01/2009 – 15/02/2009) 3
  55. John Cena (WWE Championship, 25/07/2011 – 14/08/2011) 3
  56. John Cena (World Heavyweight Championship, 23/11/2008 – 15/02/2009) 3
  57. The Miz (WWE Championship, 22/11/2010 – 01/05/2011) 3
  58. Roman Reigns (Universal Championship, 19/08/2018 – 22/10/2018) 3
  59. Jinder Mahal (WWE Championship, 21/05/2017 – 07/11/2017) 3
  60. Bray Wyatt (WWE Championship, 12/02/2017 – 02/04/2017) 3
  61. Edge (World Heavyweight Championship, 15/02/2009 – 05/04/2009) 2
  62. John Cena (WWE Championship, 18/09/2011 – 02/10/2011) 2
  63. John Cena (WWE Championship, 13/09/2009 – 04/10/2009) 2
  64. Roman Reigns (WWE Championship, 14/12/2015 – 24/01/2016) 2
  65. Goldberg (Universal Championship, 05/03/2017 – 02/04/2017) 2
  66. Randy Orton (WWE Championship, 04/10/2009 – 25/10/2009) 2
  67. Dolph Ziggler (World Heavyweight Championship, 08/04/2013 – 16/06/2013) 2
  68. Randy Orton (WWE Championship, 26/04/2009 – 07/06/2009) 2
  69. Daniel Bryan (World Heavyweight Championship, 18/12/2011 – 01/04/2012) 2
  70. Sheamus (WWE Championship, 22/11/2015 – 14/12/2015) 2
  71. Randy Orton (WWE Championship, 19/09/2010 – 22/11/2010) 2
  72. Sheamus (WWE Championship, 20/06/2010 – 19/09/2010) 2
  73. Randy Orton (WWE Championship, 02/04/2017 – 21/05/2017) 1
  74. Sheamus (WWE Championship, 13/12/2009 – 21/02/2010) 1
  75. Jack Swagger (World Heavyweight Championship, 02/04/2010 – 20/06/2010) 1
  76. Jeff Hardy (World Heavyweight Championship, 07/06/2009) –
  77. Daniel Bryan (WWE Championship, 18/08/2013) –
  78. Seth Rollins (WWE Championship, 19/06/2016) –
  79. John Cena (WWE Championship, 21/02/2010) –
  80. Rey Mysterio (WWE Championship, 25/07/2011) –
  81. Roman Reigns (WWE Championship, 22/11/2015) –
  82. Randy Orton (World Heavyweight Championship, 15/12/2013) –
  83. Finn Bálor (WWE Universal Championship, 21/08/2016 – 22/08/2016) –
  84. Daniel Bryan (WWE Championship, 15/09/2013 – 16/09/2013) –
  85. Dolph Ziggler (World Heavyweight Championship, 18/02/2011) –
  86. Big Show (World Heavyweight Championship, 18/12/2011) –
  87. Batista (WWE Championship, 07/06/2009 – 09/06/2009) –