Thursday, March 28, 2024
Editorial19 WWE Moments I'll Always Remember

19 WWE Moments I’ll Always Remember

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Well, today is my 19th birthday, and I must say that I have experienced quite a lot. I have learned to appreciate history and those who paved the way for future generations. With that said, I would like to share with you 19 moments of my lifetime as a wrestling fan that I will never forget.

Honorable Mention(s):

No Mercy 2002 – Edge/Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle/Chris Benoit

I maintain that this is the best standard tag team match in WWE history. THe drama, near falls and high spots in this match were incredible. These 4 of the prominent leaders of the Smackdown moment, paired with Los Guererros. It was simply amazing. Just when you thought that the match would end, someone interferes or someone reverses. The final sequence with Edge and Kurt Angle trading Ankle locks was just the icing on the cake. If you want 20 minutes to burn, watch this match. Matter fact, I dare you not to.

Chris Jericho smashes HBK’s Head into the Jeritron

Jericho’s heel run in 2008 is some of the best work from a heel I’ve ever seen. His cunning, devious nature topped by his convincing promos made for one of the best feuds of all time featuring Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels. After Shawn Shawn Michaels was involved in recent controversy by faking injuries and cheapshotting, Jericho called him out on it. Once he insulted his manlihood, he low blowed him and sent his face right into the screen. As you heard the glass brake, and you heard Jericho say “The worst is yet to come” right before, it was th ebeginning of something special for Y2J.

19. Rey Mysterio wins World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22

I remember that the very first wrestler I loved watching was Rey Mysterio. My first exposure to wrestling was Smackdown vs. RAW 2007, and I just loved how Rey Mysterio was able to just fly around the ring with seemingly the greatest of ease. In real life, he was the same way. In 2006, Rey’s road to WrestleMania started at the Royal Rumble, where he set the record for the longest time spent inside the Rumble without being eliminated, eliminating the likes of Triple H and Randy Orton in the process and surviving with the likes of Shawn Michaels, Kane and The Big Show being in the Rumble as well. Randy Orton then goaded Rey to put his title shot on the line at No Way Out in which Orton won by cheating. However, Rey’s loss wouldn’t matter because Teddy Long inserted him back in the match just as fast. They all vied for Kurt Angle’s World Heavyweight Championship. The match was short and not really that memorable, but the 619 was one of my favorite moves to watch as a child, and when Rey hit that 619 on Orton and pinned him to win, I went beserk. Rey wasn’t a particularly good WHC, but just seeing him hold the same belt Shawn Michaels and Triple H held was something I’ll never forget.

18. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit’s Technical Classic at Royal Rumble 2003

I’m a glutton for technical wrestling in WWE, and you don’t really get a lot of that today. However, in 2003, you probably won’t find another hotly-contested classic than what these two put on. I just loved the chemistry between the two. Crossface vs. Ankle lock. It was like an I Quit match without someone saying the words. It was a matter of who could take the most pain and Kurt Angle came out victorious. I was truly astonished and the work these two put on. It is no wonder that these two were prominent leaders of the Smackdown revolution during the early 2000s.


17. Rob Van Dam wins WWE Championship at ECW One Night Stand

Another one of my favorite wrestlers was Rob Van Dam, the embodiment of ECW. He was a mid-carder for most of his career, but he ascended to a brief main-event status when he won the MITB ladder match at WrestleMania 22. Then he became the first and only person other than John Cena to announce his MITB cash-in prior to the event. Now, it is a known fact that most of the IWC hates Cena’s guts. ECW One Night Stand was that. From chants of “F— you Cena” to “Cena sucks c—“, you could barely hear yourself speak over the expletives that was being hurled his way. Now I respect Cena’s worth ethic and his humanitarian work outside of the ring, but I also do despise him. I wanted Rob to win the title so badly like no one’s business. When Edge came and speared Cena, and Rob Van Dam climbed to the top rope to hit his impressive Five Star Frog Splash and win the title, a legend was born. For a night, anyways.


16. Steve Austin refuses to tap against Bret Hart

This is something most wrestling historians would never forget. This was probably the event that jumpstarted Austin’s journey to becoming one of the top icons in WWE history. Coming into the match, Bret was the babyface and Stone Cold was the heel, and in a submission match, it appeared that Bret would have the advantage. However, Hart would find himself in quite a bind as Austin had a brawler’s like attitude and brought more fight than he expected. From Sharpshooters to Boston Crabs and plenty of blood, I believe the WrestleMania 13 was spoiled. No one will forget, however, Austin’s face with blood smeared all over refusing to tap until the referee called the bell. This, in turn, earned the fans’ respect and turned him into a good guy and the undisputed face of the Attitude Era.


15. Randy Orton RKO’s Evan Bourne in mid-air

You may see more of Orton on this list. For those of you who don’t know, I am an absolutely insane Orton mark. I kid you not. Back in 2010, when he was an effective tweener and had a bald head, he literally had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand every time he stepped in the ring, even though he couldn’t cut a decent promo to save his career. Evan Bourne didn’t amount to much during his tenure in WWE, but he was an astute high-flyer in WWE. One night on RAW, Evan Bourne wanted some revenge for an RKO he recieved the previous week. While Orton was on the floor, Evan set up for Air Bourne, but then Orton popped up for a beautifully executed RKO right on target. The RKO by itself is a difficult move to execute, but to see it done when someone is mid-air? Poetry in motion.


14. The Rock defeats John Cena at WrestleMania

Sure, this match was billed as Once in A Lifetime, even though it eventually became Twice In A Lifetime, but nonetheless, whether you loved or hated both men, you couldn’t dispute that the battle of the icons of both generations was something worth seeing. The Rock up to that point hadn’t wrestled a bout since 2004. That made his return all the more memorable. Meanwhile Cena had a horrible feud with Kane leading up to that match. When both men made their entrances to the ring and stood on opposite sides, the crowd was in an absolute frenzy because they were witnessing history first-hand. WWE will hype up a lot of things that eventually amount to nothing in the long-run, but this was a match I desperately wanted to see. It was pretty clear to me that after Cena couldn’t finish off The Rock with a second AA that The Rock was going over, but seeing The Rock pin Cena in the middle of the ring and the crowd popping loudly for it was great to see.


13. John Cena and Shawn Michaels go 40+ minutes on RAW

Shawn Michaels and John Cena had quite the back and forth in 2007. Before the fatal four way WWE Championship match involving Edge and Randy Orton at Backlash, on RAW in England, the back and forth between the two was nothing short of spectacular. It turned into a battle of attrition as they were sure to feel the suffering of going over 40 minutes. By my count, it’s the longest match in RAW history and it was a damn well great one. The ending came when Shawn Michaels did the typical AA reversal by landing on his feet and landed Sweet Side Face Music (he didn’t get his chin) and got the clean pin. Cena back in 2007 was the face of the company, but Shawn showed Cena that he still had some tricks up his sleeve.


12. Edge returns at Royal Rumble 2010

The sad thing about Edge’s career is that injuries robbed of him of many great matches that he could have had. Despite that he was able to press on. In 2009, during his tag team reign with Chris Jericho, he suffered an Achilles (I think it was) injury that left him out for approximately 5-6 months. At the Royal Rumble, as number 29 was announced, the words “You Think You Know Me” appeared with Alter Bridge’s guitar, and it could only be one man coming through the curtain. Sporting a thick beard looking like he came during the time of the apemen, Edge came and speared HBK, Cena and Jericho. He eliminated the latter 2 to win the Royal Rumble. I thought that was a gaping hole in his career. Normally, top legends have at least one Royal Rumble victory, and considering that he retired the following year, it was great to see him have another blaze of glory.


11. The Shield’s Debut Match at TLC 2012

When The Shield, just three men in black clothing interrupted the main event at Survivor Series, this led to lots of speculation and what their future would be. Would they be just another flash in the pan or a poorly booked faction like Nexus? Well, in their first match, at the TLC PPV they were in the first ever Tables, Ladders and Chairs six man tag match. They were facing Ryback, who had a monster babyface push, and the dominant tag team of that year, Daniel Bryan and Kane. This match was incredible. What I was astonished was the sheer teamwork of these three. It was impeccable. JBL emphasized the point in his commentary against Michael Cole during the match, stressing how despite that it was an even 3 on 3 match, they were able to gain the upper hand. From the triple powerbomb to Ryback on the Table, to a Curb Stomp the chair, it was absolute chaos. This was truly the start of something special and it was as they would go on to become one of the greatest factions in WWE history. Bar none.


10. Randy Orton becomes youngest World Heavyweight Champion

Benoit was on the hottest streak of his career. Coming off defeating Triple H and Shawn Michaels on consecutive PPV’s, and then conquering then monster heel Kane, it would take an insurmountable effort to defeat Benoit. That moment came in Summerslam when Orton became the number 1 contender to Benoit’s title. Under the radar, Orton was having himself quite the year as well as he defeated Mick Foley on 2 straight ocassions (WrestleMania and Backlash) as well and was enjoying a long Intercontinental Title reign. After dropping the belt to Edge, he moved on to Benoit. In a solid outing, Orton reversed Benoit’s crossface to an RKO and he then become history. The young, arrogant man was starting to back up his big talk, and this was the moment that would propel Orton’s promising career. Being the Orton mark that I am, you can imagine how excited I was when this happened.


9. Tie: Daniel Bryan and CM Punk defeat John Cena (Summerslam 2013 and Money In The Bank 2011)

One one hand, you have the corporate proxy of the WWE, John Cena. On the other hand, you have to small ROH alumni. I don’t think many envisioned them defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship, but they did. In Punk’s case, it was a five star classic. In Daniel’s case, it was a near 5 star classic, though I guess I can’t really say anything that prevented it from being a 5. CM Punk just blew up the world with a pipebomb promo, and his WWE contract was set to expire after Money In The Bank. With it being held in Chicago, it was about as anti-Cena as it could get. The two put on a spectacular match which ended in Punk putting Cena to sleep. In Daniel’s case, he was chosen by Cena. Daniel then called Cena out and said that he isn’t in it for the wrestling, something almost every IWC member would agree with. They proceeded to have a great bout, and though I could have done without the post match respect thingy, it was great to see these small technical wrestlers get the better of one of WWE’s higher ups.


8. Brock Lesnar nearly kills himself

See, Brock Lesnar is a super-athlete. His dominance in speed, power, ability and amateur wrestling experience gave him a clear advantage over the rest of the roster. In his WrestleMania 19 main event classic against Kurt Angle, Lesnar was looking to perpetuate that point by attempting the Shooting Star Press, a manuever usually reserved for cruiserweights and more nimble wrestlers. Lesnar doesn’t exactly fit the bill when it came to those two categories, but that didn’t prevent him from trying. Just seeing him climb to the top rope was a marvel in of itself. He then tried to gain his footing by lightly jumping on the ropes a couple of times. Then he leaps into the air upside down and gets some hang time in the air. However, he tucks his knees in far too late and he doesn’t land laterally until he is just above neck level. He looked visibly distorted. The fact that he was able to finish the match was amazing. He says he couldn’t remember that happening. It was that bad. Moral? If that can’t stop Lesnar from finishing a match, nothing can.


7. CM Punk’s Pipebomb

CM Punk was always a gifted speaker. I was reading his promos from his ROH days. By the way, if you didn’t read his promo regarding the old man and the snake, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Anyways, CM Punk’s career was in flux. Through failed world title reigns and feeling like his talents was being wasted, he took matters into his own hands and demanded that he get an open mic to say anything that was on his mind. Anything. One RAW night in June of 2011, Punk cost Cena a tables match against R-Truth (yes, Truth actually won a match against Cena. Seems so long ago right?). He then walked to the stage, took a seat and began speaking. The fourth wall proceeded to break and the sanctuary of kayfabe was eviscerated. He talked about how The Rock was main eventing WrestleMania despite him not being there full time. He called out Cena and Hogan for being a**-kissers. He also acknowledged that, GASP, ROH and NJPW actually exist! He even gave Colt Cabana a shout out. We all know wrestling is fake, but in case you didn’t think wrestling could get real, listen to this.


6. Edge spears Jeff Hardy at WrestleMania 17

Everyone knows that the tag team division revolution in the late 90s snd early 2000s was facilitated by three teams. The Dudley Boyz, Edge and Christian and the Hardy Boyz. These three teams had three TLC matches, but the best one was the one at WrestleMania 17. It is known for one specific moment however. Daredevil Jeff Hardy was reaching for the belts but the ladder was removed from under him. While dangling on the title for dear life, Edge started to climb his own ladder and he did the improbable. He speared him mid air and like a missile from mid-air both men fell hard to the ground. This is a testament to the risk they took to their bodies for the sake of entertainment. Edge would have to retire due to neck injuries and this certainly didn’t help matters, but when you love what you do, you throw caution to the wind.


5. Randy Orton beats John Cena at TLC 2013

Remember when I said I’m a huge Orton mark? Well, better believe that this moment was coming. Now I know that most of you probably couldn’t care less that this match took place or that Orton won, but for me, as an Orton fan, it was a joy to watch. Orton and and Cena have been rivals since 2007, Up to that point they hadn’t feuded since 2009. However, this match was one with the most on the line. Randy Orton was WWE Champion and John Cena was World Heavyweight Champion. With both titles on the line, Orton and Cena put on a rather pedestrian match for a TLC match, but seeing Orton beat Cena without any interference, one on one straight up for both titles brought joy to my heart. If you were an Orton fan you would understand.


4. Undertaker’s Kick Out at WrestleMania 28

The reason why I won’t forget this specefic moment is because this was the moment where I thought Undertaker’s streak would end, before Lesnar officially ended it two years later. Undertaker had already defeated Triple H at WrestleMania the year before, but Undertaker couldn’t leave on his own power, so his ego provoked him into asking for a rematch against him inside Hell In A Cell. To make the match fair, Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee. Because, you know, he was never controversial as a referee anyways. Towards the end of the match, Triple H reversed a Tombstone Piledriver and walked into Sweet Chin Music followed by a Pedigree. It’s hard to get up from one singular finisher, but I’ve rarely seen someone kick out of two finishers in succession. Triple H also didn’t lay down for a couple of seconds and slowly pin him. It was directly after. I thought I had a stroke when that happened. When Undertaker kicked out, that’s when I knew that no one could defeat the streak. But I forgot Brock Lesnar has always owned The Undertaker.


3. Seth Rollins cashes in at WrestleMania 31

Being the most recent of these events, Seth Rollins has increasingly become a favorite of mine. Rollins held the MITB briefcase since he won it, and while he teased cashing it in it never came to fruition. In the highly criticized main event of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, people were wondering whether or not Seth Rollins was going to cash in. Most didn’t want Roman to walk out with the title, and Lesnar’s part time status with the company wouldn’t bode well for the WWE Title. Roman and Lesnar had a tremendous back and forth, with plenty of blood and nearfalls. When both men were on the ground towards the end, Seth Rollins’ generic rock instrumental played and the ROH alumni was sprinting down the WrestleMania aisle. He had Curb Stomps for everyone and he made history becoming the first person to cash in MITB at WrestleMania. It is a moment that I won’t soon forget.

2. Chris Jericho wins the Undisputed Championship at Vengeance

Many doubted Chris Jericho would amount to much when he made his debut in WWE. I know a lot of people thought he would just succumb to a comedy relief character or a permanent jobber. However, at Vengeance 2001, those predictions were proven wrong to say the least. In a mini tournament to decide who would hold the WWE Title and the WCW Title, Jericho had to go through The Rock first. Of course The Rock couldn’t lose cleanly, so with the help of Stephanie McMahon, Jericho rock bottomed The Rock to his second WCW Title. Following that, he needed to go another round against Stone Cold, and again with interference, this time from Booker T, Stone Cold would also lose to Chris Jericho, thereby giving him both world titles. I am a huge Y2J fan as well, so seeing this former WCW cruiserweight defeating two pillars of the Attitude Era in one night leaves a permanent mark in my memory banks. There is just one more moment for me that really cements my experience as a wrestling fan.


1. Edge cashes in on John Cena

The concept of MITB was ingenious to say the least, and Edge was the first person to take advantage of this new concept. After a grueling Elimination Chamber match, John Cena conquered Kane, Shawn Michaels, Carlito, Chris Masters and Kurt Angle. With blood all over his face, he was pronounced the winner. Vince McMahon then came out and announced that Edge would cash in his MITB title shot. Edge was like a rabid dog as soon as he saw Cena, seething at the chance to pin him as quickly as he can. Two solid spears and a decisive pin gave Edge, the future Hall of Famer his first WWE title and my best memory. Edge had been in the company for appoximately 8 years up to that point, and he could always be counted on for a great match. However, he never broke through that mold to become a main event talent. This was the beginning of one of the most remarkable singles careers in WWE history. Thank you, Edge.


Well, those are some of my favorite moments. What are yours? Let me know. Until next time.

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