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EditorialMy 20 Favorite WWE Moments

My 20 Favorite WWE Moments

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For those of you unaware, today I celebrate my 20th birthday. That’s right, two decades. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of experiencing much, but as of recently, wrestling has become a huge part of my life, and I must say that it has been an immense honor to work here for the site. Considering that I as exiled from the site two years ago because of some bad articles, I’m glad to see that I’ve come this far. Anyways, this piece is just to commemorate my birthday, and I thought I’d share with you the 20 favorite moments of my years watching WWE. Originally this was going to be a piece on my twenty favorite matches in WWE history, but because my laptop randomly shut down on me, I decided just to add it at the end. With that said, here they are.

20. Randy Orton wins the WWE World Championship at TLC 2013

For those who don’t know, I am a huge Orton fan, so this moment had to be up there. Orton had turned heel in 2013 and had won the WWE Championship, while John Cena, one of Orton’s greatest rivals, held the World Heavyweight Championship after taking time off after Summerslam. WWE decided to unify the titles yet again for some reason because they couldn’t make up their mind. While the concept of two world titles seemed silly to some, the indecisiveness of WWE started to get on everyone’s nerves. Nonetheless, I had great pleasure in watching one of my favorite superstars climb a ladder and hold two world titles in his hand. I’m sure this moment may not be on any of your lists, but because of personal preference, this moment had to be here for me.

19. AJ Styles debuts at the Royal Rumble

There are many things in wrestling that is perceived to be a dream and highly unlikely. One of those was the prospect of AJ Styles, one of the most highly renowned wrestlers to never work for WWE would make any sort of appearance in WWE. He had become an icon in TNA wrestling, and after traveling and making appearances for different promotions, the week before the Royal Rumble in 2016, at a RevPro show, the crowd chanted “Royal Rumble” to AJ Styles in the middle of the ring. He then told the crowd that if there was room for him in the Royal Rumble, he’d make an appearance. Superstars make teases a lot, and it’s safe to say not a lot actually expected him to appear, as fans had become used to disappointment in the Royal Rumble in recent years. The Royal Rumble began with WWE World Champion Roman Reigns tossing out Rusev with ease. Then, the number 3 entrant came, and in what was sort of a gospel tune, the crowd saw the word “phenomenal”, and thus, became unglued. AJ Styles was in WWE. An incredible moment.

18. Triple H returns form injury in 2002

Triple H isn’t exactly well-liked by a lot, but he’s damn well respected. In 2001, in one of the greatest matches in the history of Monday Night RAW, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit defeated the team of Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin to win the WWF Tag Team Champions. Not only did Triple H lose the tag title though, he also tore his quad fresh off the bone. Triple H tried to neutralize Jericho’s submission attempt on Stone Cold, but instead it left him hobbled and weak. The most incredible thing about this, however, is the fact that Triple H, despite having a bone completely broken in his body, managed to finish the match. According to an entry in one of Chris Jericho’s books, the moment that he realized Triple H was injured, he didn’t want to apply the Walls of Jericho on him, as it was surely exacerbate the pain, but Triple H insisted that he follow through with the match. And so, Triple H, with whatever little strength he had managed to hop the announcers table, attempt a Pedigree on Jericho, and have Jericho reverse it into the Walls of Jericho in what Jericho also described as the “loosest Walls of Jericho ever” all in an effort to put the tag team duo over. Triple H would have to miss action for the rest of the year, but returned just in time for the Royal Rumble the following year. Madison Square Garden is as impactful an arena as any to make his return, and when Triple H’s music hit, the crowd went nuts. This was a special moment, especially for Triple H, because this established him as an elite superstar and a future Hall of Famer. He had won the respect from the crowd, and after winning the Royal Rumble, he’d go on to win the Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania 18 in the main event.

17. Paul Heyman lets loose on Vince McMahon

Many regard the rivalry between the WWF and The Alliance as an unmitigated failure in many ways, but one thing that remains incomparable is the mic work and aura of one Paul Heyman. The brain trust of ECW himself, Paul Heyman had the chance to tell Vince McMahon his true feelings on an episode of Smackdown back in 2001 before Survivor Series. Sometimes in WWE, there’s a delicate border between what fans perceive to be as scripted and what is reality. Here, whether it was scripted or not, what couldn’t be denied was the emotions behind Heyman’s words. He absolutely let Vince have it. Just read these words:

“And I’ve waited so long to tell you to your face that I hate your stinking guts. And it’s not just me, it’s your children that hate your stinking guts, Vince, and at Survivor Series, your children are going to do to you what I’ve waited my whole life to see someone do to you, Vince. You are, so help me God, the most disgusting, vile, son of a bitch I’ve ever seen in my life. You took Hulk Hogan’s blood and you built Titan Towers. You stole Bret Hart’s dream, and with that money, bought yourself an airplane with WWF all over it. You did that and you know it, you son of a bitch! You stole Shawn Michaels’ smile, took your company public and made yourself a billionaire. But not a self-made billionaire, like you like to tell everybody you are. Oh no…see, you’re a billionaire on other people’s hard work.” Ouch.

16. Miss Elizabeth and Randy Savage reunite

I’m not one for romance in pro wrestling, but it could be something special if done right. Sometimes, wrestling can be a lot like Shakespeare. In one of most bittersweet moments in wrestling, Macho Man and Elizabeth reunited at WrestleMania 7 after years of being a part. To me, it’s some of the best booking in all of pro wrestling. Just for the moment but the overall package that the feud gave us.

You had Macho Man bitter because Warrior denied his shot for the WWF Championship. Running in during Warrior’s match with Slaughter and costing him his Championship belt. That alone made the match personal and apparently the WWF wasn’t big enough for the both of them. Together both men decided to end their differences in Career vs Career match. It may just be Ultimate Warrior’s best match of all time. Both men went into war and in some of the best story telling, Warrior talks to his Gods to provide from force to debunk the Macho King Randy Savage. Macho Man goes all out and drops 5 ELBOW DROPS OFF THE TURNBUCKLE but to no avail. Finally, after 20 grueling minutes of exhaustion, the Ultimate Warrior dethrones the Macho King.
Sherri, aware that she’s out of a job, lets out her frustrations on a helpless Savage. The crowd doesn’t like it one bit but change their tune as they see Elizabeth running to the ring to protect her ex-husband. Then in a moment that brought tears to people in attendance, Savage wakes up, realizes what happened, and reconciles with Elizabeth after 2 years. It’s a tear-jerker, made all the more somber that both have since passed away.

15. The Undertaker returns at Judgement Day 2000

Some say the timing of The Undertaker’s return in 2000 was off, but in the moment, watching the match, a burst of adrenaline just rushed through my body because of the intensity and the capacity with which he returned with. The Rock and Triple H were immersed in a sixty minute Iron Man match which went down to the wire with both men tied at five falls a piece. With D-X blindsiding The Rock and Shawn Michaels knocked out on the outside, this allowed interference from one of the most legendary icons in the history of the sport, The Undertaker to return, but this time, sporting his American Badass gimmick. I also remember Jim Ross’ commentary getting the heat of the moment down. “THE UNDERTAKER IS WHIPPING ASS! MY GOD IT’S CARNAGE”. I don’t think this return gets enough love, and while you may not exactly remember it, it was an incredible moment for me.

14. Eddie Guererro wins WWE Championship at No Way Out

Eddie Guererro was a talent that fans genuinely loved, and Guererro was a man who had a great love for the business. Eddie was one of the most charismatic performers in WWE history who can entertain the crowd, dazzle with his in-ring prowess and showcase his skills in an efficient way. At No Way Out, dominant champion Brock Lesnar was set to defend his title against Eddie Guererro at No Way Out, and on paper, Eddie seemingly was at a massive disadvantage, but thanks to Goldberg’s interference, Eddie reached the mountaintop, won the WWE Championship and proceeded to jump into the front row and celebrate with an adoring crowd. Eddie, you’ll be missed.

13. Brock Lesnar attempts Shooting Star Press at WrestleMania

It will never cease to amaze me what Brock Lesnar is capable of. He’s still a freak of nature to this day, but he’s not nearly as nimble as he once was, as exhibited by his match against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 19. It was an athletic and fast paced contest, but a moment that nearly killed Brock Lesnar is something that sticks out to me to this day. It happened when Brock Lesnar climbed to the top turnbuckle mysteriously, moved up and down a little, pondering what he was going to do, and then he leaped into the air to perform the Shooting Star press, a move that is usually reserved for smaller wrestlers and cruiserweights. It looked good at first, but Brock tucked his knees in too late, not giving him enough time to land back on his belly in time, and he landed flat on his neck with a sickening thud. Even more incredible was that he was still able to remain conscious enough to finish the match. Brock got away with his life on that, and the dazed look on his face after winning the match displayed all you needed to know.

12. Edge spears Jeff Hardy off a ladder at WrestleMania

WrestleMania 17 is probably the best show in WWE history, featuring wildy stacked card with consistent entertainment throughout the night. On a card that featured matches such as The Rock going up against Steve Austin and Triple H taking on the Undertaker, the tag triple threat TLC match had their work cut out for them, but they ended up having arguably the best match of the night. However, in a match that featured spots galore, the moment that everyone will remember, and people still talk about to this day was Jeff Hardy, dangling from a title belt after a ladder was removed from under him, and Edge climbed the ladder opposite to him and spears him in mid-air, sending both men crashing down back to Earth with an audible thud. This just showed what lengths all the teams were willing to go to bring relevancy to the tag team division, and show how committed they are to the art of TLC.

11. WrestleMania 21

Okay, this wasn’t so much of a moment so much as it is a compilation of moments. WrestleMania 21 is one of my favorite shows because it built up future stars in WWE, and also featured arguably the greatest WrestleMania match in WWE history, being Kurt Angle going up against Shawn Michaels. Edge won Money In The Bank, and introduced the concept brilliantly cashing in on John Cena at New Year’s Revolution next year after a gruesome Elimination Chamber. Randy Orton faced The Undertaker and nearly got a win with an incredible RKO. It was also rumored that Undertaker was behind Orton being the one to end the streak. Then, of course, you had Batista and John Cena win world titles against veterans in the industry in JBL and Triple H, thus signaling the changing of the guard. Overall, it wasn’t one of the best WrestleManias, but I think WrestleMania 21 had the concept down of what a WrestleMania is supposed to be like down better than any other WrestleMania I can remember.

10. Sasha Banks and Charlotte step inside Satan’s Structure

Stephanie McMahon was talking about some sort of Women’s revolution last year before WrestleMania 31 when AJ Lee called out the company on the lack of time given to women as well as other inequalities that are noted backstage which would be otherwise oblivious to the casual fan. This year, however, women’s wrestling has taken a massive turn. Sasha Banks and Bayley tore down the house at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn last year, and effectively raised the bar for the quality of women’s wrestling since then. Then, at WrestleMania 32, the new WWE Women’s Championship was introduced in lieu of that god-awful butterfly belt. Charlotte won the match and became the standard bearer for the women’s division, but she needed a foil, and that perfect foil was Sasha Banks. While there has been six different reigns with the championship since WrestleMania, the quality of matches between Sasha and Charlotte (who are basically the modern day Lita and Trish) have been astounding. However, history was made when Sasha suggested that raise the ante, and face each other inside Hell In A Cell. There had been no other Hell In A Cell match featuring women, much less matches that featured weapons to be used at their disposal. Charlotte was victorious in Sasha’s hometown, and while the HIAC match wasn’t of the quality the likes of The Undertaker or Triple H set before, this match was a huge sign of approval from WWE that women were ready to take the next step, and we are already seeing the fruits of that aftermath as we are getting a tables match and a No DQ match featuring women at TLC this Sunday.

9. CM Punk breaks the fourth wall

Remember what I said about shoots? About how some border on the reality of scripted wrestling and real words? Well, when done right, there’s also the worked shoot, a promo that convinces fans that what is being said is actually real and unscripted. One one night in June of 2011, CM Punk cost John Cena a tables match against R-Truth. He then proceeded to go to the top of the stage, take a seat, and lit the wrestling world ablaze with just one microphone. He expressed his frustrations at the company, from overlooking him and not giving him the mainstream media coverage he thought he deserved, to already booking The Rock, who had last wrestled for WWE at WrestleMania 20, was already booked in the main event of Wrestlemania 28 against John Cena. He also took shots at the McMahon family, citing the “idiotic daughter” and “doofus son-in-law” which would eventually inherit control of the company after Vince McMahon is dead, which Punk suggested might be a good thing for WWE. He also mentioned that once he wins the WWE Championship against John Cena at Money In The Bank, he might go to New Japan Pro Wrestling or Ring of Honor, two companies which are rarely, if ever mentioned, on WWE television. Media outlets, wrestling sites and fans alike were all perplexed at how Punk was able to say all of this with a live microphone, and it left everyone wondering if what they had just heard come out of this straight edge wrestler’s mouth had been said.


8. Undertaker kicks out of Superkick/Pedigree Combo at WrestleMania 28

The Undertaker had a series of matches against the D-Generation X combo of Shawn Michaels and Triple H ranging from WrestleMania 25 to WrestleMania 28. While The Undertaker won all of those matches, there certainly were more than a few close calls, the biggest one coming in the final match between Undertaker and Triple H inside Hell In A Cell. This match was booked as the end of an era, with Shawn Michaels serving as special guest referee (because he’s always impartial). The Undertaker wasn’t able to get to the back on his own power after his match with Triple H at WrestleMania 27, and that hurt is pride in a way he felt that he lost the match. So he had to make it up, redeem himself, and do so inside Hell In A Cell. After a brutal back and forth, Shawn Michaels from out of nowhere superkicked Undertaker right into Triple H’s clutches for a Pedigree. Then, Triple H went for the pin, and while Florida crowd surely thought that was it, I damn well thought it was it, The Undertaker kicked out to the shock of everyone watching. My heart rate had to be at least double watching that. Triple H then retreated to the corner, noting the futility of his efforts, The Undertaker finished the match, and all three men carried each other to the back with one last look at the crowd with the realization that this truly was the end of an era in WWE, and it was a damn good one.

7. Edge spears Mick Foley though a burning table

Two men who weren’t afraid to risk their bodies for the business were Edge and Mick Foley and they showed it with their hardcore match at WrestleMania 22. The match featured barbed wire bats, thumb tacks and all the weapons one could think of in an extreme rules match. However, when Lita set the table sitting behind him on fire, Edge’s eyes lit up and while only Edge knows what was in his mind before he did that move, he went full throttle, spearing himself and Mick Foley through a fiery table. Edge twitched immediately out of pain with his body having been just through fire, literally, and gingerly covered Mick on the outside of the ring. Who could forget Joey Styles’ outburst, “OHH MAHH GODDDDDD”.

6. “HE’S SHAKING HANDS WITH SATAN HIMSELF”

The Rock and Stone Cold are no doubt two legendary icons in the history of the business, and they had their best one on one encounter at WrestleMania 17 as winner of the 2001 Royal Rumble, Stone Cold Steve Austin would take on the WWF Champion, The Rock in a No DQ match. These two went back and forth, all across the ring, and featured many incredible near-falls and memorable moments, but the shocker came when Vince McMahon came down and actually assisted Stone Cold in beating The Rock by handing him a steel chair and watching in him getting brutalized and demolished by Stone Cold. Stone Cold, who had butted heads with Vince McMahon since the late 90s, then proceeded to share a cold one with him after the match and the two rivals ended up celebrating after the match. A lot saw the heel turn coming, and while many didn’t like Austin’s heel run in 2001, it’s still an iconic moment regardless.

5. Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit share an embrace after Wrestlemania 20

Benoit and Guerrero were two men who traveled the world together and had experienced much with each other, dating back to their time shared together in WCW. A lot of people questioned both men and whether or not they could achieve true success. Well on wrestling’s biggest stage, WrestleMania, each men were in prime position to hold a World Title. Eddie Guerrero defeated Kurt Angle to retain his already won WWE Championship, and in the best match of the night, Chris Benoit made Triple H tap out in the middle of the ring and defeated Shawn Michaels in the process to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. As an overjoyed and tearful Chris Benoit stood in the middle of the ring, holding the Big Gold Belt high and proud in a sea of confetti, his best friend, Eddie Guerrero, with the WWE Championship in hand confronted his best friend, the two shared a hug and celebrated with the rest of the crowd. Two wrestlers who didn’t have the typical wrestling look overcame obstacles, defied odds, silenced critics and walked out WrestleMania fulfilling the destiny they set out for each other before the night began. It’s sad both men are now no longer here, but it still gets me every time.

4. Seth Rollins cashes in at WrestleMania 31

Edge introduced the concept of the Money In The Bank cash in by cashing in a title shot when someone is very vulnerable to do so. However, this had never been done at WrestleMania. Many thought Dolph Ziggler would be the first to do so at WrestleMania 29, but he ended up cashing in the night after. A great MITB cash-in is when it’s completely unexpected. Most cash-ins occur after a match is over, and the predictable post match beat down or so is then committed, leaving a perfect opportunity for someone to take advantage. Seth came in mid-match, however, ran down the isle and saw two monsters just tear each other up for about 20 minutes. He then curb stomped everyone in sight and stole the WWE World Championship. It had been the first time that Money In The Bank had been cashed in at WrestleMania. For me, I was marking out of my bed it happened and I was immensely happy for Rollins because he deserved the moment. He was so overcome with emotion, that he actually ended up thanking Roman for taking the pin and helping him get this moment.

3. Chris Jericho beats The Rock and Stone Cold on the same night

Jericho is a future Hall of Famer without argument, as he is one of the greatest talents to ever bless the industry of pro wrestling. He’s had many memorable moments in his illustrious career, but none greater than the night of Vengeance in 2001. In a series of matches that would determine who would wake out as the undisputed WWF Champion, Chris Jericho first had to get through a man who he had an intense rivalry with in late 2001, The Rock. Of course he had to cheat and use cheap means to do so, but in an impressive affair, he defeated The Rock to win back the WCW Championship. He then had to get through Stone Cold Steve Austin, who had defeated Kurt Angle earlier that evening to retain his WWF Championship. When Booker T came in to strike Stone Cold from behind and rob him of sure victory, Jericho gingerly climbed for the cover and won the WWF Championship. Jericho was received to one of the loudest pops in WWF history on the night of his debut, and he had a lot of trouble fitting out of the gate. Soon enough, however, he earned his way into the main event title scene, and was the first and remains the only man to claim that he beat The Rock and Stone Cold, the men who main evented WrestleMania 17 that year, on the same night.

2. THEY KILLED HIM!

Mick Foley, as we all know was one tough customer and refused to give up under any circumstances. It was like if you wanted to beat him, you had to kill him, and The Undertaker damn may have done that on first glance. At King of the Ring, The Undertaker was set to face Mankind, an alter ego of Mick Foley. They didn’t even bother going inside the ring as they automatically began the action at the top of the cell. Both men eventually found themselves dangling towards the end of the ring and then abruptly, Undertaker shoved Mankind from the top of the cell and sent his body crashing through the announcer’s table with a sickening thud to boot. Undertaker thought that he had actually killed Mankind when he first shoved him, but seeing as how Mankind was made of something surely not of this world, he somehow found the energy to get back up. He wanted more. So he got back up, and then The Undertaker viciously chokeslammed Mankind right through the top of the cell right to the bottom of the ring. Mankind gained the respect of so many for giving up his body, and literally putting his life on the line for the business he loved, and while many spots such as his are being attempted to be replicated to this day, such as Shane McMahon’s elbow to the Undertaker at WrestleMania this year, but none will match the original. And only Jim Ross’ commentary could suffice to capture the gravity of the moment.

1. Edge cashes in Money In The Bank on John Cena

Edge is my favorite superstar, for those of who don’t know, so there was no question that this was going to be number 1. Edge had basically done everything he could have before he won his first WWE Championship. He had won all the mid-card titles, and countless tag team title reigns prior. But he hadn’t won the big one. When he was drafted to RAW back to 2004, he was endeavoring to win the World Heavyweight Championship, but failed. His next opportunity would come at WrestleMania 21, when he would have the opportunity to win a contract that would guarantee him a world title match at any time of his choosing. He eventually one, but he was the most patient with the briefcase. He waited until the Elimination Chamber match at New Year’s Revolution to claim his destiny. Earlier that night, he failed to win the Intercontinental Title off of Ric Flair, he headed backstage, bided his time, and then out came Vince McMahon. He would inform a bloodied and battered John Cena that he would have to defend the WWE Championship against the man who had won the briefcase at WrestleMania last year. Edge proclaimed “It’s Mine” as he approached the ring, proceeded to spear John Cena twice, and with his head going down in unison with the referee’s count, he finally won the big one and held the WWE Championship high above his head. While he would only hold the title until the Royal Rumble, it would be the first of 11 World Championships, and he would join only Ric Flair, John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H and The Rock as the only men to have at least 10 world title reigns.


Well that’s it folks. Those are the 20 moments that I enjoy the most. Couldn’t fit them all (REALLY wanted to have The Rock and Hogan at WrestleMania 18 there). What were some of yours? Let me know. Until next time.


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