Published: Aug 11, 2026 by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: Aug 11, 2026 by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
WWE
A former WWE star has addressed a potential reason why a championship ended its run by being thrown into the trash.
November 22, 2022 marked the final date that the WWE 24/7 Championship was seen on screen, being unceremoniously disposed of by Nikki Cross after she won it for the eleventh time.
Bringing an end to a title introduced in May 2019 and garnering 202 title reigns across 57 stars, Cross would be the final champion, discussing what happened during a recent appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
Now back on the independent wrestling scene as Nikki Storm, the former WWE star would reveal what happened on the night, saying:
“Yeah, I missed (the trash can). So we did a take right before it, and it was perfect, nailed it, landed inside the trash can. A rehearsal, but we taped it.”
The taped version wouldn’t be the one that aired, with Storm suggesting that technical issues meant the segment had to be run live, leading to the botched moment, saying:
“We had to go live, but I don’t know what it was. I think there was an audio [issue]. There was something that meant we couldn’t use that tape. So we had to go live. Then in the moment, I was so into the character.
“I was looking at the ceiling. I was envisioning emptiness and nothingness. I was so focused on being in the daze. I was just so into it that I just threw it. I just threw it, and it missed the trash can. I just kept going with it. Because in those scenarios, there is nothing you can do. You cannot, unless you’re actually a superhero like Doctor Strange, you can’t change time. I didn’t have a time stone on me, so I couldn’t change time.
“So I was like, I know I’ve missed this, do not, whatever you do, break character- the cardinal sin. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. So I honestly think the reason I missed that was to leave the door open down the line for someone else to be the 24/7 Champion.
“It was a funny moment. It was still the idea of that character was just about the chaos and the championship. In that moment, her focus was the chaos, so she didn’t really mind what happened at the championship. That’s how I can twist it in my head. But also, I do think that everything happens for a reason. And at the end of the day, maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
“We’ve had a moment in wrestling history where there’s been a title thrown in a trash can, so this is the new moment. The title being almost in the trash can for almost a superhero. So to me, we’ve left the door open for someone else to be the 24/7 Champion.
“Because what I do want to say about the 24/7 championship is, you know, people like R-Truth, Tozawa, Dana Brooke, Tamina, Reggie. We had the 24/7 wedding. I had the Blue Fascinator. People worked really hard on making the 24/7 championship the most entertaining thing it could be on TV.”
As for the reason for the unceremonious end to the 24/7 Championship, Storm would suggest:
“I think they wanted to move away from that championship. So this was their way of doing it.”
Having been released from her contract along with all the other members of Wyatt Sicks in April, Storm would also open up about leaving the company after ten years.
Not For The First Time
Storm is obviously right in that dumping the 24/7 Championship into the trash wasn’t the first time such a moment had happened.
Back in December 1985, the former Alundra Blayze would appear on WCW Monday Nitro with the WWF Women’s Championship, dropping it into a trash can in an affront to her former employer.
The moment would be referenced by Blayze during her 2015 WWE Hall of Fame speech, where she would return the title “back home, where it belongs.” It was a scene that would be referenced over in NXT in 2022, with the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship belt being returned to Roxanne Perez after Cora Jade dumped it.
Very much a product of its time, it’s unlikely that the 24/7 Championship will be looked upon in the same way as the WWF Women’s Champion and, arguably, nor should it be. The likelihood of it making a return is probably slim, too, outside of a gimmick match of some description, perhaps for an anniversary show.
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