He wrestling fan. Since we’re at the end of the year, I wanted to throw out a little entertaining
editorial on here talking about the top moments of 2014 in wrestling. This will
include both WWE and TNA. As much as I would love to grab video clips of all
the moments I listed, some of the clips are way too long, and there were a few
I couldn’t find, probably due to laziness on my part. These moments are going
to include everything from shocking returns, holy $hit moments, crowd reactions,
and anything else that would otherwise be considered unexpected. Anyway, here’s
my top ten, counting down. I hope you enjoy.
As a quick disclaimer, I
hate Brock Lesnar and pretty much stopped watching WWE back in October. I did
check out a few things here and there when I heard about them but if I’m
missing something, you know why.
#10 – Royal Rumble – The Crowd Hijacks the Show
I personally wasn’t a fan
of this happening. I understand everyone wanted to see Daniel Bryan in the
Rumble and win it, but it wasn’t meant to be on that night. It turned out to be
the turning point in Daniel Bryan’s career, however, as WWE made the decision
to add Daniel Bryan to the Main Event at Wrestlemania and give him the title.
The #30 entrant was Rey Mysterio, who came to a chorus of boos. From there, the
crowd chanted “Daniel Bryan” throughout the rest of the match. They chanted “No”
to guys like Batista and Sheamus while they were getting ready to perform some
signature moves. Batista wins and I don’t think a single soul cheered. Batista’s
return was the ultimate backfire in this case. I’m not sure the WWE could’ve
handled things any other way. The fans wanted Daniel Bryan to win the Royal
Rumble and he wasn’t even in it. I don’t know if anything, outside of CM Punk
winning, could’ve saved that match.
#9 – Sanada Turns on The
Great Muta – TNA Impact
This was one of those
moments I didn’t see coming when it went down. My thought was, Sanada would
feud with James Storm, with Muta being involved somehow in a way to put Sanada
over and continue the legacy or something along those lines. It turned out to
be a great move all around because Sanada wasn’t really getting over as X
Division Champion and it put James Storm in a position to be one of the great
heels going in wrestling today. He started his “Revolution” and since then.
Manik and Abyss have joined. Now Sanada can battle for the X Division and be over
as a heel and also James Storm can find himself involved in more meaningful feuds.
#8 – Slammiversary – Kevin Von Erich Use The Claw
Slammiversary overall,
was the start of a run of really great shows put on by TNA for the rest of the
year. They had a showcase match featuring the next generation of Von Erichs in
a tag team match. The Von Erichs have a great legacy in the industry. The crowd
in Dallas went nuts when Kevin got into the ring post match and popped even
louder when he put the claw on DJZ. If there was anything down or negative
about this moment, it was that Mike Tenay and Taz were the announcers. What I
wouldn’t give for a Jim Ross call on this one. This definitely ranks in my Top
10 moments in wrestling for 2014.
#7 – Seth Rollins Turns on The Shield
In what turned out to be
Plan B for HHH and The Authority, Seth Rollins made the turn. We knew they were
going to break up eventually, as there wasn’t much left for them to do, but a
Shield split up was supposed to be due to Dean Ambrose turning. But, in a shock
to us all, it turned out to be Seth Rollins and he beat the living hell out of
his Shield brothers. The heat from the crowd was just the icing on the cake for
this one. It was a shame they had to split up but things have gone great for
all three members since they did. So this double-cross turned out to be a major
turning point in all three of their careers as they are a huge part of the
future of the WWE.
#6 – The Children’s Choir – Wyatt vs Cena Build Up to Steel Cage
Match
There’s not too many
moments that happen in wrestling these days that are truly eerie. Wyatt is an
eerie character and the family’s entrance with the sheep mask on Rowan in the
background was chilling every time, but this went to a new level. While I
always found the singing of the song to be as annoying as hell, the kids
wearing the Sheep Masks was just ridiculous. Everything about this moment was
well-played. Cena’s reaction was well done. The commentators kept their mouths
shut because the scene told the whole story and they played into the John Cena’s
appeal to little kids angle with greatness.
#5 – Rusev defeats Swagger in the Flag Match
When it comes to moments
and the direction that I am going with this count down, I have to include this
because this was one of those moments that had me shaking my head while I
watched. Seeing Swagger and Zeb laid out and large Russian Flag hanging over
while the Russian National Anthem played gave me that sinking feeling. This
feud played out great. It was also one of the very few times I felt JBL did a
good job on commentary. It was a feel sorry moment for Jack and Zeb since Zeb
has always been the outspoken true American character and Swagger never
actually tapped out, but just passed out. During the match, I was actually
vocal about wanting Rusev to tap and at the end, when Rusev and Lana were
standing in the ring, I felt disappointment. This has to be in my Top Ten
because of how it stands out to me.
#4 – Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, & The Rock – Wrestlemania XXX
In what can only be
described as once in a lifetime moment, we got to see three of the very best
ever, in the ring at the same time. As someone who has watched WWF/E for close
to 30 years, I’ve grown up with them. I was a Hulkamaniac as a kid. Stone Cold
was legendary in the Attitude Era. I wasn’t much of a fan of The Rock except I
don’t know too many that have worked the mic like him. He may not have been the
best wrestler ever, but he was, and still is, a mega star. But this isn’t an
ode to The Rock. Seeing the three of them in the ring together brought back so
many great memories. There is just something special when you have three major
cornerstones of a product and a company with such a rich history.
#3 – Bully Ray Puts Dixie Through A Table
This could very well have
been the crowning moment for TNA for 2014. I remember posting after this
episode and seeing what TNA could possibly do to top this moment. While they
did continue to put on great shows and their episodes were full of really good
matches, this was their top moment. The TNA chant afterward was something
special. NYC crowds will always get a thumbs up from me for this one. After
months of escaping and getting the upper hand, Dixie Carter got what she
deserved and went through the table. And we haven’t heard from her on TNA
Television since. It was very reminiscent to some of the beatings McMahon took
for the sake of putting on the better show during the Monday Night Wars. Dixie
took the bump, and she had to very proud to hear that crowd. The TNA Chant at
the 6:00 mark is epic.
#2 – Survivor Series – It Finally Happened
Everyone knows exactly
what I’m talking about. At Survivor Series, for the first time EVER, Sting was
live at a WWE event. He walked out in front of a WWE crowd. And stepped foot
inside a WWE ring. What a phenomenal moment this was. I hadn’t watched a single
Raw leading up Survivor Series but I wanted to stream it because Survivor
Series has always been one of my favorite PPV’s. I have to say that, while I do
sometimes expect major things to happen, and I can even call them correctly
sometimes, this was something I wouldn’t have guessed in a million years. And
when I saw him come out I was completely speechless. I still am a little bit,
even though it’s been like 3 weeks. And we haven’t seen him since so who knows
what his next epic moment in WWE will be. Surely, it’ll happen in 2015, and I
can’t wait.
AND THE NUMBER ONE MOMENT OF 2014 – Brock Lesnar Ends The Undertaker’s
Wrestlemania Streak
I’m sure this comes to no
surprise to anyone. This moment had it all. I didn’t see it coming at all. The
crowd reaction was the most epic and legendary reaction I’ve ever witnessed. No
amount of pops or boos can compare to the just stillness and silence when the
ref counted to 3. Everyone, including me, was expecting Undertaker to kick out
of the F5, and eventually get Brock with a Tombstone and a win. That wasn’t to
be. Instead, Brock puts an end to a streak I never thought I’d see end. And the
crowd’s silence spoke volumes to what I’m sure everyone was feeling at that
moment. Not a single person in the Superdome believed what they saw. I was at
Buffalo Wild Wings and you could hear a pin drop in that crowded restaurant.
This moment is #1 on this list and could possibly be the #1 WOW moment of all
time. One of those moments that will stick with me forever.
There’s my list. It’s my
Top Ten. I know there are probably many others that could’ve been listed on
here. I’m sure there’s 100’s of YES chant moments, and probably some really
great match moments that I didn’t list. But like I said, this list was motivated
by what stuck out to me the most. I’d love to hear the ones you guys have in
your Top Ten.
Thanks for reading. Be Safe and Have a Wonderful
Christmas Holiday.
