Brian Kendrick is a former WWE wrestler who was released by the company in 2022. He had many memorable moments in the company and was a record-breaking WWE Tag Team Champion alongside Paul London.
Kendrick was trained by Shawn Michaels and came up through the rank with Daniel Bryan, forming a close friendship that can still be felt today.
He was one of the brightest young stars of the mid 2000s with his tag team partner Paul London. Known as The Hooligans and then simply London & Kendrick, the duo were the top tag team on Smackdown.
With their innovative high-flying offence and striking blue matching gear they were a big hit with children and hardcore wrestling fans alike.
Brian Kendrick also seemed like he could win the WWE Championship at some point in his career.
This was because he was a great wrestler, just like Daniel Bryan, who would later go on to become a world champion in the WWE. Kendrick was also great at playing a character which was evident when he turned heel and became The Brian Kendrick in 2008.
He actually became a world champion (sort of) in 2008 during a match that many people will not remember.
Brian Kendrick won the WWE Championship at Unforgiven 2008 as part of the Champion Scramble match. His stint as WWE Champion was only temporary however.
The match rules made it so you would only become temporary champion if you pinned your opponent. If you still held this title by the end a twenty minute time limit, you walked away as the WWE Champion.
- You can read about the rules of the history of the Championship Scramble match by clicking this link
Brian Kendrick was 29 when he became temporary WWE Champion. He pinned Jeff Hardy to take the lead in the match and tried his best to hold onto his victory. Sadly, his reign is not counted in the official record books.
Triple H won the match and retained his WWE Championship on that day. However, the image of Brian Kendrick being promoted as WWE Champion is one that fans of professional wrestling will never forget.
Brian Kendrick’s appearance in the Championship Scramble would be his last. The match type was retired by the WWE after Unforgiven 2008. Despite being popular with fans and putting three of them on the pay per view, it has not been brought back since.
Brian Kendrick On Being WWE Champion
During a live signing on “Captain’s Corner,” Brian Kendrick talked about briefly becoming WWE Champion and what the match meant to him.
He revealed that it was a high point of his career but that he does not like to dwell on the past – revealing he’s only watched the match back twice in the past 15 years. He cited a match against Rich Swann as a more memorable moment in his career compared to when he momentarily became a World Champion.
“It was fun [becoming WWE Champion at Unforgiven 2008]. It was a great moment for me, a real high point. It was cool, it was thrilling, the match itself felt like a lot of fun. I might’ve watched it back twice, but that would be at the most. I might’ve watched it back once whereas the match with Rich Swann, where I lost the ‘205 Live’ belt — which was more recent — I’ve watched it back more. It was a great moment, but it wasn’t necessarily my favorite match.”
Brian Kendrick was released by the WWE in 2022. He then signed for AEW, who fired him the same day after offensive comments of his were unearthed from him Twitter account and various interviews from the past.
Has Brian Kendrick Ever Won The WWE Championship
Brian Kendrick won the Interim WWE Championship during the Championship Scramble match at Unforgiven 2008. He pinned Jeff Hardy after hitting him with his finishing move “The Kendrick”. This was Brian Kendrick’s first WWE Championship victory and sadly his last.
His reign would last only a few minutes as he was soon pinned by defending Champion Triple H. The Game hit “The” Brian Kendrick with a pedigree before pinning him to win the WWE Championship. As he was not the holder of the title by the end of the match, Brian Kendrick was never officially acknowledged as the WWE Champion in the record books.