This week in WWE history: (Dec 6-12) Chris Jericho, Trish Stratus and Lita make history; Iconic WWE debut 

This week's WWE news has been split between Jeff Hardy being released from the company and Liv Morgan main eventing Monday Night RAW.

The latter came up short in her quest to become women's champion this past Monday night. But it appears that she has done enough to secure a second shot at the title on WWE Day 1.

Jeff Hardy, on the other hand, has had a tough week after being sent home from the WWE tour before he was then released from the company on Thursday night. WWE are yet to officially announce Hardy's release and wish him luck in his future endeavors.

The month of December has always been a slow one for WWE as the festive season approaches, but this week still has several highlights from the past.

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#5. Trish Stratus and Lita main event WWE Monday Night RAW - December 6th, 2004

Trish Stratus and Lita are now WWE Hall of Famers and retired from the company in 2006 mere months apart. Just two years before that, the two women walked down the ramp as full-time stars for the first time as they made history.

Stratus and Lita were two of the hottest prospects in the division at the time and when their feud was able to gain the attention of the WWE Universe, the two women were handed the rare opportunity to main event RAW.

Lita came out on top when she won the Women's Championship from Stratus but famously injured her neck as part of the match. The suicide dive to the outside almost cost Lita her career, but she was able to finish the match and avoid serious injury.

Just weeks later, Lita injured her ACL in their rematch at New Year's Revolution which led to a rushed finish that saw Stratus reclaim the title.

In honor of the two WWE Hall of Famers, Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch were able to main event this week's episode of RAW, which marked 17 years since Stratus and Lita tore it up in Charlotte, North Carolina.

#4. Former WWE Champion Dean Ambrose was born - December 7th, 1985

Dean Ambrose became one of the biggest names in WWE up until 2019 when he made the move over to AEW and became Jon Moxley. He has since gone on to become one of the biggest names in professional wrestling.

Moxley was born Jonathan Good on December 7th, 1985. The former champion grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has noted several times that his childhood was somewhat deprived. As a youngster, he was forced to shoplift to get by and used wrestling as a way to escape his rough upbringing.

Ambrose made his WWE debut alongside Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns in The Shield at Survivor Series back in 2012. From there, the trio went on to become one of the most popular stables in WWE history, before their split in June 2014.

The Lunatic Fringe was then able to lift the company's biggest title and become the focus on SmackDown in 2016, before making the decision to leave the company in 2019.

Following his departure, Ambrose returned to the name he previously used on the independent circuit of Jon Moxley and has since become AEW World Champion.

#3. Stone Cold Steve Austin forfeits The Intercontinental Championship on WWE RAW - December 8th, 1997

Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock had one of the greatest feuds in WWE history. Their issues eclipsed the Attitude Era and made both men household names.

It's hard to believe that it's been 24 years since The Rock and Stone Cold were set to clash for the Intercontinental Championship. Austin had already beaten The Great One the night before at D-Generation X: In Your House and believed that he had nothing to prove by beating him again.

The Rattlesnake decided to forfeit the title over to The Rock in one of the strangest segments on RAW, before then delivering a stunner and taking it back. Interestingly, Austin then walked out of the arena with the title only to throw it into a river in New Hampshire the following night.

It's worth noting that after losing the Championship, Austin went on to pursue the WWE/F Championship instead. He went on to lift the top prize just four months later at WrestleMania.

#2. Chris Jericho defeats The Rock and Steve Austin in one night to become the first WWE/F Undisputed Champion - December 9th, 2001

Chris Jericho is one of the biggest stars in the history of the wrestling business. He regularly reminds the WWE Universe that he was also the first-ever Undisputed WWF Champion.

Whilst The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were the two men at the helm of the company in 2001, it was Y2J who was able to defeat both men in one night to win the newly unified title.

The current AEW star first defeated The Rock to win the World Heavyweight Championship. He then went on to defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWE/F Championship and unify the two titles for the first time. This unification was the main hook of the event since it was advertised as a one-night tournament between the three men.

Vengeance 2001 also saw The Undertaker defeat Rob Van Dam to become WWE's Hardcore Champion. Jeff Hardy was able to defeat his brother Matt Hardy with Lita as the special guest referee on that night.

#1. Kevin Steen Officially becomes Kevin Owens - WWE NXT Takeover: R Evolution - December 11th, 2014

Ironically, Kevin Owens has been in the news this week because his WWE contract is set to expire next month. The former WWE Universal Champion made his official debut this week, back in 2014.

Kevin Owens, who was known as Kevin Steen on the Independent Circuit, officially changed his name and attacked his former friend Sami Zayn at NXT Takeover: R Evolution.

Owens was able to defeat CJ Parker in his first NXT match earlier in the night, where he also sustained a broken nose. Despite his injury, Owens still made his way out to congratulate his friend Sami Zayn following his NXT Championship win, before turning heel and powerbombing him on the ring apron.

Zayn and Owens have since been both friends and rivals throughout their entire WWE career. It's poetic that both men are now in a position where they are counting down the clock until the end of their WWE contracts in the spring of 2022.