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New WWE champions, massive returns, shocking defeats, and much more defined the sports entertainment juggernaut in 2023. The biggest wrestling promotion in the world delivered a massive shock outside of the ring, as it merged with UFC to form TKO Group Holdings earlier this year.
Throughout the year, fans continued to witness surprises in the ring and past records were broken. We saw old faces come back and factions implode.
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For these four WWE stars, 2023 brought them their first title wins:
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
#4. Dragon Lee won his first gold at NXT Deadline
Dragon Lee is one of the fastest-rising stars on the roster today. The second-generation superstar made waves this year with his incredible in-ring work. Lee also got a warm reaction on social with his incredible treatment of younger fans.
His biggest accomplishment, by far, was winning the NXT North American Championship. After failing to beat Dominik Mysterio on multiple occasions, Lee finally dethroned The Judgment Day star at NXT Deadline on December 9.
#3. Lyra Valkyria reached new heights in 2023
A lot of NXT Superstars made a huge impact in 2023, and Lyra Valkyria was one of them.
The former NXT UK star got Rhea Ripley’s endorsement with her impressive performance on the developmental brand. She challenged Becky Lynch for the brand’s women’s title.
The two women tore the house down with their match at NXT Halloween Havoc on October 24, 2023. Lyra even kicked out of the Manhandle Slam, to the shock of Lynch and everyone watching. She remarkably ended the title reign of the woman she looked up to in the industry.
#2. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville won their first titles in WWE
Chelsea Green returned to WWE at the 2023 Royal Rumble. She also broke the record for the quickest elimination in a Women’s Rumble match after being eliminated by Rhea Ripley in just nine seconds.
The former IMPACT star allied with Sonya Deville shortly afterward on RAW.
The pair captured the Women’s Tag Team Championship on the July 17 episode of RAW. This marked the first time both women had captured a title in the company. Unfortunately, Sonya suffered an ACL injury in August, forcing the creative team to replace her with Piper Niven.
#1. Logan Paul did the unthinkable at Crown Jewel 2023
Logan Paul gave fans a great moment to capture at the 2023 Royal Rumble. The Maverick collided with Ricochet mid-air to a huge pop from the crowd. He then went on to have a great match with Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 39.
Months after surviving a botch that could’ve ended his career at Money in the Bank 2023, Paul met Rey Mysterio for his United States Championship at WWE Crown Jewel 2023. The Social Media megastar did the unthinkable by defeating the Hall of Famer for the coveted title.
Click here to see the list of current champions in WWE.
