WWE Universal Championship
| WWE Universal Championship | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Promotion | WWE |
| Brand | Raw |
| Date established | July 25, 2016 |
| Current champion(s) | TBD |
The WWE Universal Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It will be one of two world titles in the promotion, and will be exclusive to the Raw brand. It was created to rival the WWE World Championship, which became exclusive to SmackDown following the reintroduction of the brand extension on July 19, 2016. The championship is named in honor of the WWE Universe, the WWE's fan base. The belt design has yet to be revealed.
History
With the reintroduction of the brand extension, a draft took place on the SmackDown Live premiere episode on July 19, 2016. WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose was drafted to SmackDown. At Battleground on July 24, 2016, he defended the title in a Triple threat match against Raw draftees Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. When Ambrose retained the title, Raw was left without a world title.[1][2] Subsequently, Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley created a new championship, the WWE Universal Championship, the following night on Raw to serve as the brand's top championship. According to Foley, the title was named in honor of the WWE Universe, the name WWE uses to refer to its fan base. The inaugural champion will be crowned at SummerSlam in a singles match; Seth Rollins was automatically set for that match, as he had not pinned at Battleground, while his opponent was determined by two Fatal 4-Way matches that night, with the winners wrestling each other in a singles match. Finn Bálor won the first Fatal 4-Way by defeating Cesaro, Kevin Owens and Rusev, while Reigns won the second by defeating Chris Jericho, Sami Zayn and Sheamus. Bálor then defeated Reigns and was added to the title match at SummerSlam.[3]
References
- ^ Caldwell, James (July 24, 2016). "7/24 WWE Battleground Results – CALDWELL'S Complete Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Melok, Bobby. "WWE Champion Dean Ambrose def. Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (Triple Threat Match)". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Tedesco, Mike (July 25, 2016). "WWE RAW Results – 7/25/16 (Live from Pittsburgh, fallout from Battleground, new era of RAW begins)". Wrestleview. Retrieved July 25, 2016.