5 December championship trials that took WWE fans by surprise

5) Mankind — WWE Raw, December 1998 (one month trial)

Creative experimentation during the Attitude Era was a standard, but overt championship hot-shotting was traditionally reserved for the mid-card titles. Up until the No Disqualification bout pitting Mankind against The Rock on December 29th, the year 1998 had only seen four WWF Championship switches.

It should be noted that WWE technically recognizes the commencement of Mankind's reign as of January 4, 1999, the night the episode aired on tape delay. The match was filled with interference. Ultimately, Stone Cold Steve Austin stormed to the ring and delivered a vicious chair shot to The Rock. He then dragged Mankind’s body over the Great One for the three count.

Mankind on WWE RAW

The ensuing ovation was euphoric, so it stands out as one of the great moments in Monday Night Raw history. But Mankind's title reign lasted less than one month. In a prolonged year of championship pivots, the WWF title changed hands a startling eleven times over the course of 1999.

Mankind's shocking title win remains one of the most surprising of its kind. As with other trial champions, he didn't hold the title for a long time, but the fans were still pleased to see one of their favorites win the gold.