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It’s a month after Wrestlemania and people are still talking about The Undertaker’s streak coming to an end. I have been a WWE fan for over 20 years and it is one of the most shocking moments I have ever witnessed. It got me thinking about some of the most shocking moments that have stood out to me over the years.
Montreal Screwjob – Survivor Series 1997
At the time I was only 10 years old so it didn’t really sink in just how big this moment was. For me personally, it was shocking that my favourite wrestler of all time had just lost the championship in Canada without tapping out. I didn’t fully realise that Bret Hart was leaving for WCW.
It became clearer as the weeks went on and I realised what had really happened. It’s probably the most shocking moment in wrestling history and even though Bret was – and still is – my favourite of all time, I believe Vince McMahon made the right decision to protect his championship and his company.
At a time when the WWF was fighting for its life against the giant WCW which seemed to have an unlimited amount of money, Vince had no option to screw Bret to avoid his championship belt being shown on WCW Nitro.
It was a huge and truly memorable moment.
Sable – Fully Loaded 1998
With the Attitude Era in full swing, anything could happen in the WWF/E and Sable proved just why she became must-watch TV. The leading lady in the company at the time, Sable was able to generate bigger reactions from the crowd than most of the roster. She was not the best wrestler but she was fiery, sexy and she had attitude.
She became popular when her husband Marc Mero was out of action through injury. The jealousy storyline helped increase Sable’s popularity as Mero continuously tried to make Sable cover up – something the fans really didn’t want.
When Jacqueline came into the storyline to play Mero’s new partner, it made for some interesting segments on Raw. It was when they competed in a bikini contest that the most shocking moment occurred.
Sable uttered the lines ‘and there ain’t a damn thing Vince can do about this’ and took off her top. The hand prints, Jerry Lawler’s expression and the shock of the crowd made for a great moment. We will never see something like that whilst the WWE is PG!
Chyna – Raw/Royal Rumble 1999
The Corporation, Degeneration X and Stone Cold Steve Austin were all involved in some of the greatest moments during the Attitude Era. Leading up to the Royal Rumble in 1999, DX and The Corporation had a mini Royal Rumble match on Raw to determine who would be the number 30 entrant into the Rumble.
It came down to Triple H and Big Boss Man until Vince McMahon appeared and entered the match. He eliminated them both and it seemed as if he won until Chyna came out. After a distraction by Stone Cold, Chyna eliminated Vince and won the match. She became the first ever female to enter a Royal Rumble in its history.
The Big Show/Brock Lesnar – Smackdown 2003
It is very rare that I will sit down and watch an episode of Smackdown these days, so rare I can’t remember the last time I did watch it. In 2003, we witnessed one of the most memorable matches ever seen in the WWE, simply because of one spot.
Everyone knows Brock Lesnar is unbelievable strong, but no-one expected him to be able to superplex the 500lb Big Show over his head off the top rope. Least of all did anyone ever expect to see the ring explode from the impact.
The reaction from the crowd and the commentators helped make this a shocking moment that the WWE have tried to replicate with The Big Show and Mark Henry. It was still an impressive sight but nothing could compare to the original.
Edge – New Year’s Revolution 2006
Eight years ago John Cena was the top guy in the WWE and many people were already bored of the champ. After an elimination chamber match, Cena prevailed as champion only for Vince McMahon come out and announce that Edge was cashing in his Money in the Bank win from the previous Wrestlemania.
It was the first time the winner of the Money in the Bank ladder match had cashed in and Edge went on to pin Cena after two spears. It was a shocking moment as John Cena was/is the poster boy of the company but it was a great surprise for those fans in attendance as they witnessed history.
This shocking moment worked as Raw went on to gain higher ratings than usual for a few weeks with Edge as WWE Champion.
Again, these are just a few of the moments that have stuck out in my mind over the years and they are the moments that keep me a fan of the WWE.
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