10 Epic Moments in WWE History

Seeing Bret Hart on Raw a few weeks ago made me think back to some of the greatest and most shocking moments I’ve witnessed over the years as a fan. I’m going to share my all time favourite moments with you…

10 – Kurt Angle’s milk truck vs The Alliance

Every WWE fan remembers this. If you weren’t old enough to remember watching it, you’ve sure as hell looked it up and watched it! Austin named this night “Austin appreciation night”. He and The Alliance were in the ring celebrating Austin’s “victory” against Angle at Summerslam 2001. Kurt interrupted the celebrations by entering the arena driving a milk truck! No, I wasn’t seeing things; he was driving a milk truck! Angle threw some cartons of milk at Alliance members before grabbing a hose and dousing everyone in the ring with milk. He made sure Austin got more than his fair share! Whilst having a couple of glasses of the white stuff, JR passed comment on Stephanie McMahon and told us that “the billion dollar princess has become the dairy queen”. It’s an image I’ll never forget. Television GOLD!

9 – Raw is Jericho

1999 saw the debut of Chris Jericho. For weeks, the WWF had been counting down to the Millennium and the countdown ended in August with the debut of Chris Jericho. He interrupted The Rock cutting his usual promo full of insults on an episode of Raw. The countdown hit zero, the lights went out, his music hit and Jericho emerged on stage to a massive pop. Jericho’s debut was, and remains, one of the best, if not THE best, I’ve seen. He was, and still is, one of the greatest heels and wrestlers in the industry and I can’t wait for his return!

8 – The first ‘Rock’ concert

2003 saw The Rock in full heel swing. After challenging Stone Cold Steve Austin to a match at WrestleMania 19, he stated he wanted to beat “that bald candy ass” and a great back and forth war was waged. On Raw, Rock held his first of many “Rock Concerts”. He sat in the ring and played his much loved (and signed) Willie Nelson guitar, singing hilarious lyrics that slated pretty much everyone. Stone Cold was forced to listen from the car park and was kept out of the arena (for now). After one too many insults, Austin hit the ring to fight with The Rock. The Rock didn’t waste much time in retreating and forgot his guitar in his hurry to escape the Rattlesnake. Austin subsequently destroyed The Rock’s prized possession. Although their match at WrestleMania was crap, but the build up to it was something to watch!

7 – Stone Cold Steve Austin giving Mr McMahon some TLC

In 1998, we saw the feud between Stone Cold and Vince reach fever pitch. After Kane and Undertaker hospitalised Mr McMahon, WWE cameras followed Vince’s recovery. Feeling somewhat sorry for McMahon, Mankind paid him a visit at the hospital to cheer him up. Vince couldn’t have been less pleased to see Foley standing over his bed! Unable to escape he was forced to endure the dulcet tones of Yurpel (Foley’s favourite party clown). Mankind also brought along, for the first time ever… MR SOCKO! Socko’s debut saw him kissing McMahon’s injured leg! As the show went on, we watched Vince become more and more tetchy and aggravated. A doctor announced “I’ll take it from here nurse” and, of course, that doctor turned out to be Austin, who beat the living daylights out of McMahon. The sound the bedpan made bouncing off Vince’s head was utterly priceless! This has to be one of the most watched, loved and famous moments in WWE history!

6 – Mick Foley wins the WWF Championship

That famous night on the first Raw of 1999, Mankind was scheduled to compete for the WWF Title against The Rock. Entering the match as the underdog, thanks to connections The Rock had with the Corporation; it seemed Foley didn’t stand a chance. That was before DX came out to even the odds a little. WCW was live that night and WWF were airing a pre-recorded show. It was on this night that the famous “switch over” took place. Trying to steal the limelight from WWF, as he always did, WCW announcer Tony Schiavone revealed the results from Raw. What he (and the WCW staff) failed to realise was just how loyal Mick Foley’s fans were. More than 600,000 people immediately changed the channel to watch the underdog, Foley, win the big one. Foley stood victorious, enjoying the biggest win of his career. DX hoisted him up on to their shoulders, before Foley gave a heart warming speech dedicating his win to his children. His emotion was clear for all to see and it was a fantastic moment for wrestling fans, for Foley and a pivotal moment for the WWF during the Monday Night Wars.

5 – Eddie Guerrero’s tribute night

The untimely death of one of the greatest wrestlers that we have ever seen was a monumental blow to the professional wrestling industry. In November 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room after suffering heart failure. The following night on Raw, WWE wrestlers and fans paid tribute to this great man by dedicating the entire show to his memory. Videos were played. Matches were dedicated to him. We heard speeches from friends and colleagues and the show started with a ten bell salute as pure emotion filled the arena. No superstar was forced to compete that night, but many stepped forward to dedicate their matches to the late, great Eddie Guerrero. It was an emotional night, but a great way to bid farewell to one of wrestling’s heroes. I certainly won’t forget it.

4 – Edge and Rey Mysterio vs Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit at No Mercy 2002

If it’s not the best, then it’s definitely one of the best tag team matches of all time! Before the No Mercy PPV, the first two rounds of a tournament to crown the first ever WWE Tag Team Champions were held, and the grand finale came in the form of these four men battling it out. Angle and Benoit, two of the most talented technical wrestlers to ever step foot in the squared circle, took on two of WWE’s biggest rising stars and the match did not disappoint. Angle and Benoit famously did not get along, however on this night they were able to overcome their differences to ultimately be crowned the first ever WWE Tag Team Champions. We don’t see alliances like this often enough these days and I can say with confidence that the tag team division will quite possibly never be as strong as it once was. Its matches like this that I remind me why I became a fan in the first place.

3 – The Montreal Screwjob

One of the most talked-about and controversial moments in WWE history unfolded in November 1997 and the fact that it’s still talked about almost 15 years later, shows that it remains a moment that wrestling fans will never forget. It was the birth of the “Mr McMahon” character and the end of an epic WWF run for Hart. Vince McMahon famously double crossed the defending WWF Champion, Bret Hart, during the main event of Survivor Series 1997. McMahon had decided Shawn Michaels would win the WWF Championship from Hart no matter what and under any circumstance necessary. This match defined McMahon as the biggest heel in WWE history. After discussing the finish with Michaels and match referee, Earl Hebner, they devised a scheme to rob Hart of the championship. The plan was executed by Hebner when he called for the bell and ended the match with Michaels holding Hart in Hart’s signature submission hold, The Sharpshooter. Hart didn’t tap out, but Michaels was crowed the victor and the new WWF Champion. To this day, we don’t know if it was a ‘work’ or not, and I guess we never will. Hart was ostracized from the WWF and the whole incident caused angry responses from fans for years to come. Hart and Michaels had one of the greatest rivalries of all time. Again, these days, we struggle to find true greats like Hart and Michaels: my two favourite wrestlers of all time and two of the best wrestlers of all time.

2 – Undertaker vs Mankind Hell in a Cell

The most brutal match I’ve ever seen. Foley was always hardcore, but that night, he went above and beyond everyone’s expectations. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! “Good God almighty, it killed him! With God as my witness, he’s broken in half!” The famous words of Jim Ross as Mankind plunged 16 feet off the roof of the cell, through an announce table below. The match started with Mankind on top of the cell, armed with a steel chair. Taker climbed up to face him and, after exchanging several brutal blows and chair shots, The Undertaker (seemingly out of nowhere) launched Mankind off the top of the cell and through the Spanish announce table 16 feet below. Medical personnel rushed to Foley’s aid and the cell was removed so they could carry him off. That familiar King of Hardcore, almost sadistic, smile crept across Foleys face and the medical personnel looked on in horror as he again began to climb the steel structure. With the crowd behind him, he continued to fight on before eventually getting choke-slammed through the roof and onto the canvas below. Jerry Lawler exclaimed “that’s it, he’s dead”, but Foley was having none of it, so the Deadman kept at it, beating the living daylights out of Foley. With a bizarre shift of domination, Mankind went on to give Taker several piledrivers before finding a bag of thumbtacks under the ring. Mankind got The Phenom in the mandible claw sleeper hold, but Taker was able to get free and after a massive slam into the thumbtacks, a chokeslam and the infamous Tombstone, The Undertaker was victorious. Looking back, I can’t believe it was allowed to continue. We’ll never witness something that dangerous and brutal again. Quite simply, it’s one of the moments in history that defines the Mick Foley and WWE as a franchise.

1 – Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13

It’s quite easily one of the most memorable matches in WrestleMania history. I’ve watched this so many times over the years, but it’s still as exciting now as if I’m watching for the first time! It was the meeting of the biggest heel and biggest face of WWE at the time. No one could have predicted a match of such epic proportions. I remember looking on in disbelief as Austin bled all over the ring and seemed to be fading right before my eyes. Blood in wrestling was a more uncommon sight at the time and made it seem all the more real. I know wrestling is scripted and choreographed, but this match to me, at the time, was as real as the nose on my face. The image of Austin bleeding at the hands of Hart in a brilliantly executed Sharp Shooter was an iconic moment that defined his character and opened up the beginnings of the Attitude Era we all love so much. This is a prime example of two greats going toe-to-toe and I doubt it’ll ever be matched! Most great matches now are defined by the build up of endless promos and tiresome run-ins, but this match was all about the wrestling. It told its own story and will always be my favourite WrestleMania match.

Hopefully you enjoyed this look back at 10 epic moments in WWE history and, as ever, you can follow me on Twitter @helenrobinson82