Clash of Champions 2019: 5 best title changes in the history of the pay-per-view

With the 2019 edition of Clash of Champions nearly upon us, it feels worth looking back to some of the best moments from the history of the show. When it comes to championship matches, everyone has opinions and feelings when a title changes. Some people get upset that an undeserving Superstar won an important title, or that an underdog lost to a perennial top guy without getting a chance to prove themselves. Sometimes, it's the opposite, with the excitement of a title changing hands being absolutely overwhelming. When it's done right, a title change is either a terrible moment of dismay (a heel cashing in Money in the Bank, for example) or a great moment of triumph (such as an underdog finally getting the shot they earned and making the most of their opportunity).

In an event designed to have every championship defended, titles changing hands is to be expected. Not a full slate of new champions, but at least one new champion is more than likely going to be crowned. From wrestlers getting revenge to shocking victories, and Superstars receiving comeuppance for past grievances, the entire spectrum has been visited and revisited.

WWE put the pay-per-view event on the backburner in 2018, but it's back in 2019 with a mammoth card of title matches. There are some seemingly obvious winners and losers, and a few matches where many people are likely really hoping that go differently than what the betting odds might suggest. Are there any matches, specifically ones in which titles will change hands, that might find themselves making a list like this one someday?

Let's first take a look into the history books and revisit some of the best matches that have gone down at WWE's annual championship carnival, where a new champion has been crowned to the delight (or dismay) of the fans all over the world.

Disclaimer: The article includes matches from both Clash of Champions and Night of Champions.

#5 Mark Henry defeats Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship (Night of Champions 2011)

Mark Henry made his WWE debut all the way back in 1996. He was generally regarded as a charismatic guy who did well in the background but couldn't put it together in the spotlight. He spent a great deal of his career as a comedy character or a big man who existed only to be toppled by smaller foes to show their strength and fighting spirit.

Cut to 2011. Mark Henry has a new look and a new personality. While he had played an angry and destructive character in the past (such as his run as ECW Champion in 2008), he was still largely thought of as a guy nearing the end of his career who would finish his run by making others look good. That was not the case, however, as Henry would go on a rampage from spring until the late summer, where he would earn the right to challenge Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship at the 2011 edition of Night of Champions.

It was a match that many people expected to go the obvious route. Henry runs over the smaller (well, everyone's smaller than him) champion, dominates the majority of the match, and then gets hit with an RKO outta nowhere (it was a thing long before it was a meme) and loses his bid at becoming World Champion.

Henry and Orton would have the expected match, with Mark Henry dominating and blocking just about every offensive move in Orton's playbook -- but then he won the match. Mark Henry beat Randy Orton, without cheating or cheap tactics, to win the World Heavyweight Title. It was a really good match, and the outcome was unexpected and frankly, pretty shocking.

Even more shockingly, a couple of weeks later, Henry would defend the belt at Hell in a Cell (in a Hell in a Cell match, of course) and beat Orton again to retain the championship in an even better match! Henry would lose the title at TLC 2011 when Daniel Bryan cashed in his Money in the Bank contract after a brutal Chairs Match between Henry and The Big Show. He never won another World Title but stayed near the top, and more importantly, was respected by all, for the rest of his in-ring career.

#4 Daniel Bryan regains the WWE Championship from Randy Orton (Night of Champions 2013)

In the summer of 2013, the fans had rallied behind Daniel Bryan to the point where every time he entered the building, you could feel the love from every human being in the audience. Therefore, when WWE Champion John Cena was given an open contract to choose his opponent for SummerSlam, the overwhelming fan favorite was the"Yes!" man, Daniel Bryan. Cena would pick his almost brother-in-law as his opponent. It felt like a fairytale ending could happen, but it didn't seem possible that Daniel Bryan was going to beat John Cena for the WWE Title at SummerSlam. But it happened!

Sadly, within just moments of capturing the gold in a fantastic match, Randy Orton's music hit. Special guest referee Triple H, at the time pretty much a good-guy character, kicked Bryan in the gut and hit the Pedigree. To the shock of the crowd, Randy Orton would cash in his Money in the Bank contract and end Bryan's glory in an instant.

Bryan got a shot to avenge his loss the next month at Night of Champions and he won the title back, even with the newly-adorned Authority against him. It was the storyline that frustrated fans across the world, as Bryan would be stripped of the title less than 24 hours later. He and Orton would go back and forth until Bryan appeared to be stifled forever, but it turned out that the second screwjob the night after Night of Champions was the beginning of the real push for Bryan to close WrestleMania 30 as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

#3 John Cena takes the US Title Back From Seth Rollins (Night of Champions 2015)

John Cena did a lot for the United States Championship. Even though he was beating young stars left and right to retain his prize, the fact that he was doing it in the middle of the card and making the young guys look really good, even in defeat, was fantastic. Seth Rollins was THE Guy in 2015 (until his unfortunate knee injury) and for a brief period of time held the US Title and WWE Title at the same time. He would be forced to defend the titles back-to-back at the 2015 edition of Night of Champions, first against John Cena, and then against Sting. He had stellar matches with both men, regardless of how you feel about what happened with Sting and the turnbuckle powerbomb that may have gone wrong.

Cena would wrestle the title away from Rollins in a classic that rivaled their match from SummerSlam the month before (in which Rollins defeated Cena to win the US Title). Seth's reign as double champion was brief, but it was great for his character and gave us, as fans, a number of really good matches. In the end, isn't that all we're really looking for?

#2 Daniel Bryan gets vindication and takes the US Title From The Miz (Night of Champions 2010)

The original iteration of NXT, WWE's Tuesday night experiment, wasn't exactly well-received. It had its ups and downs, and there were some fun and memorable moments, but most people would agree that the NXT we have now is much better for everyone. The biggest thing that came from that first season was not just the Nexus storyline, but the Daniel Bryan saga. From being looked down upon by Michael Cole and his "pro" The Miz from the beginning, to his losing streak, quitting the show, then finally being a founding member of The Nexus only to be fired immediately -- crazy times!

Bryan made his return in style as the surprise last member of Team WWE to take on his former NXT/Nexus teammates at SummerSlam in 2010. This would be followed by a renewal of his rivalry with The Miz (and to a lesser extent, Michael Cole, who was a Miz apologist and hated Bryan).

After weeks of fighting and attacks, and cheapshots from Alex Riley (The Miz's "rookie" in Season 2 of NXT), Bryan earned a shot at Miz's United States Championship. He was able to outsmart the Miz and Riley team and outwrestle The Miz himself, and forced Miz to tap out in the middle of the ring and earn his first championship in WWE. It was a big moment for Bryan, and maybe even bigger for a lot of his fans who had been following him long before he joined WWE.

#1 Jeff Hardy exorcises the demon known as CM Punk (Night of Champions 2009)

CM Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match two years in a row. He used it to defeat Edge in 2008, and the fans loved him for it. It was a short-lived reign before WWE was ready to embrace Punk as a true World Champion. Cut to a year later -- Punk is Mr. Money in the Bank again, and this time he's not a good guy. Jeff Hardy won a ladder match at Extreme Rules to win the World Heavyweight Championship from long-time rival Edge. CM Punk, however, not a fan of storybook endings, cut Hardy's party short by cashing in his MITB contract and taking the title from a bruised and battered Hardy just moments after a brutal ladder match.

Hardy would get his rematch the following month at The Bash, but CM Punk got himself disqualified, so it went one more round. Hardy took on CM Punk at Night of Champions, and this time, without the advantage of surprise (and a grueling match having already taken place), and being aware of Punk's ability to cheat to win, Jeff Hardy was ready. CM Punk was not up to the challenge, and he would lose the belt back to Hardy. This match is so important because it was the beginning of Hardy's swansong with WWE. The match was great and it was a feel-good moment for Hardy and all of the fans, but it was significant because it would be the last time he would win gold in WWE for a very long time.

Shortly after, at SummerSlam, CM Punk would win the belt back again from Hardy in a TLC match. Then, in a rematch on SmackDown inside of a steel cage, Jeff put his career on the line for one last shot. He was unsuccessful and left the company. He would resurface about 4 months later in TNA but didn't appear in a WWE ring again for almost 7 years, when he and his brother Matt returned at WrestleMania 33 in 2017.