January marks the beginning of WrestleMania season as we head toward the Royal Rumble (Jan. 31 on ESPN Unlimited). Some rivalries will continue and new ones will be formed as the plans for WrestleMania 42 in Vegas (Apr. 18/19 on ESPN Unlimited) begin to take shape.
Join us as we take a look at some memorable WWE PLE matches that have occurred in the month of January.
Triple H vs. Cactus Jack, 1/23/00 (Royal Rumble)
Triple H had a lot of success heading into January of 2000. He was a former Intercontinental champion, a 3-time WWE champion and part of the legendary D-Generation X. However, it was this match versus Cactus Jack that truly took him to that next level.
The match was a street fight inside Madison Square Garden with the WWE championship on the line against arguably the most iconic extreme wrestlers in pro wrestling history. To this point, it was the biggest match in Triple H's career.
They delivered a classic full of memorable spots leading to a thrilling conclusion that saw Triple H retain his championship following a pedigree onto a pile of thumbtacks.
John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle vs. Kane vs. Carlito vs. Chris Masters, 1/8/06 (New Year's Revolution)
Only two (of 36) Elimination Chamber matches have taken place in January. This was one of them -- an excellent main event at the New Year's Revolution PLE. The exciting match saw Cena score the final pinfall on Carlito to retain his WWE championship.
But his celebration didn't last long as history was made on this night.
One of Cena's greatest rivals, Edge, emerged with the Money in the Bank briefcase he won back at WrestleMania 21 and cashed it in. This wasn't just any cash-in, though. It was the first-ever Money in the Bank cash-in and it was successful. Edge defeated a worn down Cena and became the WWE champion for the first time in his career. He also set the precedent for the 27 successful cash-ins that followed.
Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena, 1/25/15 (Royal Rumble)
This was as entertaining a triple-threat match as you'll ever see. Lesnar, the WWE champion at the time, put his title on the line against two of the biggest names in the company.
Triple-threat matches are high octane by nature. As one competitor attempts a pinfall or submission on another competitor, the third is often there to break it up leading to a variety of close calls and entertaining sequences.
This thriller's conclusion saw Rollins attempt his signature stomp onto Lesnar, who was positioned right above the Money in the Bank briefcase (which Rollins was in possession of) -- however, Lesnar quickly bounced up and connected with an F-5 for the win.
Despite the loss on this night, it was Rollins who would have the last laugh. About two months later at WrestleMania 31, he cashed in that same Money in the Bank briefcase in the main event between Lesnar and Roman Reigns to capture the WWE championship -- a result that Michael Cole famously dubbed the "heist of the century" on commentary.
Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens, 1/24/16 (Royal Rumble)
Outside of being the main event, the most important match on a show is the opener. The goal is to amp the crowd up and get the show off to a good start. Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose kicked off the 2016 Royal Rumble PLE in a big way.
It was a last man standing match with the Intercontinental Championship on the line. The only way to win the match is by keeping your opponent down for a 10-count. The stipulation allows for boundless creativity as one superstar tries to one-up the other to keep them down for the count.
This match had a lot of innovation -- a back body drop onto standing chairs, an awesome fisherman's suplex by Owens to Ambrose through a table, but the culminating moment topped them all. As Owens ascended to the top turnbuckle, Ambrose pushed him out of the ring through two stacked tables -- a satisfying ending to a great match.
John Cena vs. AJ Styles, 1/29/17 (Royal Rumble)
Throughout the back half of 2016 and into 2017, the premier rivalry in the WWE was Cena vs. Styles. They had parallel careers as the top names of their respective brands -- Cena with the WWE and Styles with TNA. When Styles signed with the WWE in early 2016, this was the rivalry fans wanted to see and it didn't disappoint.
They faced off one-on-one at two PLEs prior to this match -- Money in the Bank and SummerSlam. Styles won both of those matches.
This particular match had added intrigue with the WWE championship on the line. Styles was the champ and Cena was seeking his 16th WWE/World championship reign, which would tie Ric Flair for most all-time.
After another incredible performance, Cena defeated Styles and tied Flair.
A little over eight years later, Cena would break that record and become a 17-time WWE/World Champion at WrestleMania 41.
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