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Grand Slam (professional wrestling)

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Grand Slam (professional wrestling)

The Grand Slam is an accomplishment in professional wrestling. It is a distinction given to a professional wrestler who has won four specific championships within a promotion throughout the course of their career. National promotions that recognize this include WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Notable independent promotions include Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). The four titles typically feature three levels of singles championships and a tag team championship. These singles championships include a primary, secondary, and tertiary championship.

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WWE

In WWE (formerly WWF), the term "Grand Slam" was originally used by Shawn Michaels to describe himself upon winning the European Championship on September 20, 1997. Michaels previously held the WWF Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and the Tag Team Championship with Diesel.

In May 2001, WWF.com indicated that the Hardcore Championship was an acceptable substitute for the European Championship in the Grand Slam. Kane, who had defeated Triple H for the Intercontinental Championship at Judgment Day on May 20, 2001, was acknowledged as a Grand Slam winner as he had "become the only superstar in World Wrestling Federation history that has held the Intercontinental title as well as the Hardcore, Tag Team and WWF titles".

In April 2006, Kurt Angle was noted as being a former Grand Slam winner on WWE.com, having won the WWE, WWE Tag Team, Intercontinental, and European Championship, indicating that WWE considers the WWE Tag Team Championship to be an acceptable substitute for the World Tag Team Championship. In August 2007, WWE.com published an article listing Shawn Michaels' championship reigns that completed the Grand Slam. They included the WWE, World Heavyweight, World Tag Team, Intercontinental, and European Championship. The inclusion of the World Heavyweight Championship indicated that WWE considered the title to be an acceptable substitute for the WWE Championship in completing the Grand Slam.

At ECW One Night Stand in June 2006, Rob Van Dam became the first superstar acquired by WWE after the purchase of World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling in 2001 to complete the Grand Slam when he defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship. Booker T became the second star acquired by the purchase to complete the Grand Slam when he defeated Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship at The Great American Bash in July 2006. Booker has held the World Tag Team, Intercontinental, and Hardcore titles.

Following WrestleMania 31 in 2015, WWE established an updated version of the Grand Slam consisting of the four then-active men's titles in WWE: the WWE, Intercontinental, United States, and WWE Tag Team Championships. Seven wrestlers have been recognized as Grand Slam winners under these new parameters (including four who were already recognized as Grand Slam winners under the original guidelines). With the brand extension re-established, WWE indicated in 2017 that the WWE Universal Championship and the SmackDown Tag Team Championship are acceptable substitutes for their counterpart titles as part of the Grand Slam.

As of March 18, 2017, 15 wrestlers have been recognized as WWE Grand Slam winners under its various incarnations.

FCW Grand Slam

In Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE's former developmental territory, a Grand Slam winner was a wrestler who had won every championship that was available in FCW. All FCW titles were retired when FCW changed its name to NXT.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

The first Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) Grand Slam winner was crowned on March 15, 2009 at TNA's Destination X pay-per-view event. At said event, then three-time TNA Triple Crown champion A.J. Styles defeated Booker T for the TNA Legends Championship. On the March 19 episode of TNA's primary television program, TNA Impact!, announcer Mike Tenay stated that Styles had become the first TNA Grand Slam winner by capturing the World Heavyweight (NWA or TNA), World Tag Team (NWA or TNA), TNA X Division, and TNA Legends Championships (The Legends Championship has subsequently been renamed the Global, Television, and King of the Mountain Championship).

The following is a list of TNA Grand Slam winners with dates indicating when the wrestler first won the respective championship. Under TNA's definition of the Grand Slam, wrestlers are eligible to be a multiple Grand Slam winner each time they complete a new circuit. Thus far, only A.J. Styles has won the Grand Slam on more than one occasion, as well as being the only one to have held every eligible championship to qualify for the Grand Slam.

On August 15, 2016, the TNA King of the Mountain Championship was once again retired when Lashley unified the title into his TNA World Heavyweight Championship. As a result of which, once again, the number of potential Grand Slam Champions in TNA is limited to former Legends/Global/Television/King of the Mountain Champions.

It is unknown at this time if the Impact Grand Championship is considered as an acceptable tertiary championship for the Grand Slam.

IWA Puerto Rico

In IWA, a Grand Slam winner is a wrestler who has won the IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship, IWA Intercontinental Championship, IWA World Tag Team Championship, IWA Hardcore Championship and IWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.

References

Grand Slam (professional wrestling) Wikipedia