I'm doubling/tripling/quadrupling up posts now since we're into the moments that got more than 1 vote. There will be far fewer ties going forward.

7. Shawn kicks Jannetty through Barber Shop Window

As a young fan I was a huge Rockers fan. These guys were doing stuff not yet common place. Of course time came for Shawn to be the star and Jannetty went through the Barber Shop window. Looking back you could see it coming a mile away, but at the time it was jaw dropping.


And on my honorable mentions list:

John Cena returns at WrestleMania 35 as the Doctor of Thuganomics and humiliates Elias. (jTjohncenaGOAT’s word)

I enjoyed this immensely. Added it to my honorable mentions list after jTjohncenaGOAT posted his Cena love list to count 🤯's Brock love list.

Posted a few more because it looks like I will have a busy day tomorrow and my weekends are hit and miss. Also because why not?

Nothing from my list but Undertaker's return at Judgment Day was in my honourable mentions (so was Mark Henry's fake retirement, I forgot to mention that). I watched Undertaker's return at a friend's house who was a huge Taker fan. We knew it was coming but we didn't expect how awesome it was. The pop when he grabbed Stephanie by the throat was legendary. We both were off the couch yelling "DO IT!! DO IT!!"

Undertaker's return at Judgment Day was one of mine.

I started watching wrestling late 99 so that was the first time I saw Undertaker. I thought the girls were just used to promote the ppv and didn't know someone was coming back.

I totally missed one for #29

My #1 favorite moment:

1. Sexy Kurt

I think I laughed until I cried and every time I see it now I still enjoy it as much as I did the first time.

Some heavy hitters dropped today.

3. Andre beats Hogan to win the WWF Championship- Thrilled to see a 2nd voter for this. PW is overflowing with good taste tonight. Who was this other tasteful wrestling scholar? My guess is Strobe

I was one of the whopping 33 million(!) people who watched this live. That's a record which will likely never even be approached, let alone broken. WWF understood it would take something massive and memorable to end Hogan's 4 year reign. And boy did they deliver. This is my choice for the greatest angle in wrestling history. The whole shebang with Andre ending Hogan's reign via the help of an evil twin ref, to Dibiase buying the belt, ultimately setting up the huge Wrestlemania IV tournament for the title was utterly brilliant. 

Being an insufferable young heel fan, this was my biggest markout moment as a child, with only Slaughter beating Warrior even being in the same ballpark. I remember running around the house doing the 1988 equivalent of "Yessing." Just filled with joy over the hated Hulkster finally losing the belt I thought he would literally hold forever. I also totally bought into the whole "Ted Dibiase paid for the evil ref to have plastic surgery" story hook, line, and sinker. That's exactly what the Million Dollar Man character would do. 

This was my all time favorite match for over 8 years, and my all time favorite moment for nearly 11. 

I only owned 2 wrestling tapes from Birth-1994ish. One was a commercially released AWA tape featuring tag matches from the mid 80s. The other was an even weirder tape with random NWA/Crockett matches (mostly squashes) from like 1984. The number of tapes I owned finally rose to a whopping 3 when I acquired via trade (or borrowed) a tape (and wrestling book) from my friend Matt The IRS Fan circa 1994ish. If I remember correctly this tape included the complete 1988 Royal Rumble show + The Main Event episode where Andre beat Hogan. I watched the hell out of Andre/Hogan (and the Dino Bravo bench press angle!). Meaning in addition to being my favorite match, and favorite moment, Hogan/Andre was also my most watched match for years, if not my most watched match of all time.
================
18. Undertaker returns at Judgment Day 2000- I felt almost obligated to include at least one Undertaker return/"death." I considered 3 different 'Taker returns (his return to confront Kane during the RTWM 14 actually made my rough draft list over this one) and one "death" before ultimately settling on this one. I feel like this is the biggest and most memorable of Taker's many, many returns.

Like RT , I saw it coming from a mile away. Unlike RT, I wasn't lucky enough to see this show live. Forget why I missed it, but I had to watch it on a tape I borrowed from one of my friends (either Will or Lauren) a day or two later. Meaning I already knew Taker was returning. And you know what? I STILL marked out! Fists were definitely pumped. The rewind button got quite a workout that day. Because Taker's return was awesome. Listen to that pop! I was so happy to have Taker back I didn't even notice they screwed up the timing, and didn't even care that Taker's interference cost The Rock the title, meaning it would go back to the hated HHH. Taker was back, baby! And all was once again right in WWF Land.
=================
19. Ric Flair returns to Nitro- shoots on Bischoff- Covered earlier.
=================
I'm probably the low vote when it comes to HBK turning on Marty simply because I don't remember it AT ALL in real time. It's undoubtedly an iconic moment. Yet I somehow have no memory of seeing it play out. I've often wondered why this is....

Did I simply miss a few weeks of WWF programming during the 1991 holiday season? It's possible. It's also possible that I saw it and just didn't care. The Rockers were merely another midcard good guy tag team in my eyes. It would be like B. Brian Blair turning on "Jumping" Jim Brunzell, or Paul Roma turning on Jim Powers. A part of me thinks it only became famous because it launched the legendary career of Shawn Michaels. I don't recall even knowing this angle existed until it started getting hyped on WWF tv and the magazines in 95-96. I mean, that HAS to be wrong, right? Surely it got some play during the Michaels/Jannetty feud(s) in '93? 

I'm not trying to poo poo this moment or anybody who voted for it. I mean, I had Ludvig Borga and Quebecers moments in my Top 10. I'm just saying it never resonated with me personally. 

I also think Heenan's commentary during this angle is some of the worst ever. I'm fine with Heenan's oft criticized commentary during Hogan's big heel turn. But Heenan playing for yuks during this serious angle is exactly the sort of jokey nonsense that caused Cactus Jack to quit WCW a few years later. 

1. Kawada pins Misawa (Misawa/Kobashi vs. Kawada/Taue - AJPW 6/9/95)
2.
3.
4. Matsumoto cuts Nagayo's hair (Nagayo vs. Matsumoto - AJW 8/28/85)
5.
6.
7.
8. Funk piledriving Flair on table (Flair vs. Steamboat III - WCW WrestleWar 5/7/89)
9.
10. Hart Foundation entrances (Hart Foundation vs. Austin/Shamrock/Goldust/LOD - WWF King of the Ring 7/6/97)
11.
12. Hokuto and Kandori slap hands (Hokuto/Kandori vs. Aja/Bull AJW 3/27/94)
13.
14. Flair returns to WCW (WCW Nitro 9/14/98)
15. Hashimoto brainbusters and submits Takada (Hashimoto vs. Takada - NJPW 4/29/96)
16. Magnum stabs Tully in the head and makes him quit (Magnum vs. Tully - NWA Starrcade 11/28/85)
17. Davey pins Bret at Wembley (Bret vs. Davey - WWF SummerSlam 8/29/92)
18. Misawa pins Jumbo (Misawa vs. Jumbo - AJPW 6/8/90)
19. Goldberg pins Hogan (Hogan vs. Goldberg - WCW Monday Nitro 7/6/98)
20. Terry Funk's first retirement (Funk Brothers vs. Hansen/Gordy - AJPW 8/31/83)
21. Duggan punches DiBiase (Mid-South 3/22/85)
22.
23. Andre wins title from Hogan (WWF The Main Event 2/5/88)
24.
25. Cobra bites Savage (WWF Superstars 11/23/91)

Time to catch up and comment on some of mine that have appeared.

#1: The finish to the greatest wrestling match of all time. The peak of wrestling psychology and storytelling. Some of those same wrestlers came close to it after, but it has never been topped. Kawada was a year younger than Misawa and attended the same high school. He became a national high school amateur champion in 1981, one year after Misawa had done so. He debuted in All Japan in 1982, one year after Misawa. Misawa was the chosen one, picked to don the Tiger Mask gimmick in 1984. Misawa was the one who would team with Baba and Jumbo. Kawada was the partner who removed Misawa's mask in 1990 so that he could rise to the main event to challenge Jumbo. While Kawada was his #2. They were tag champions together in 1991 and 1992, while Misawa became the Triple Crown champion. Misawa's first defence was against his friend, but how much longer could Kawada stay happy in Misawa's shadow?

In Spring 1993, Kawada formed an alliance with Jumbo's former partner Taue and they went after Misawa. Throughout the course of 1993 and 1994, Kawada would try and fail to defeat Misawa in singles matches. Since a June 1993 tag victory where Kawada pinned Kobashi, Kawada/Taue would fail to defeat Misawa/Kobashi in tag matches. When Misawa's Ace-establishing 23-month Triple Crown reign came to an end in July 1994, it was Kawada who conquered the conqueror to win his first Triple Crown. But he had still not beaten Misawa. In the Champion Carnival in Spring 1995, Kawada legit broke Misawa's face in the first minute, yet it still went to a 30-minute draw. During that tournament, Taue had risen and established himself as a bigger threat and that leads into the match.

It is the climax of Kawada/Taue's 2-year struggle to beat Misawa/Kobashi. It is the climax of Kawada's 2-year struggle to pin Misawa. But it is the climax of a 15-year struggle to try to surpass Misawa, The Man, the protege of Jumbo, who was the protege of Baba, who was the protege of Rikidozan. Watched on its own, cold, with no knowledge of the backstory, it is still an incredible wrestling match. Great action and great character work that would allow you to pick up the story. The match builds and builds, with a great crowd that gets more and more rabid as it goes on. If you know the story, it ascends to a level that nothing before or since has managed to touch.

#4: The real goal of pro wrestling is to manipulate your audience into an emotional investment and there has never been a greater example than when Chigusa Nagayo had her hair cut by Dump Matsumoto and her crew. The video RT shared in the countdown thread was from the hair vs. hair rematch where Nagayo gets her revenge. The original is tough to find, but here it is below. I've timestamped it to start at the hair cutting. Watch those 6 mins and tell me that isn't as emotionally-charged as pro wrestling gets.



From my review (full here: pwcom.proboards.com/post/121614/thread), I concluded with: "There is nothing like this in wrestling history. This is the ultimate in audience manipulation. I've seen it described as a snuff match. With the power dynamics, the violence, the stabbing, the forcible nature, the panic - as like a rape. It is too uncomfortable for some to revisit and I can understand why. It is pro wrestling at its most emotional, its most dramatic."

#12: This might seem like nothing on the surface, but is such a great moment, befitting their characters. Hokuto/Kandori I was the first big interpromotional singles match in the Joshi interpromotional era and Hokuto won a brutal match. When they rematched, this time in Kandori's fed, she won. Joshi fans voted on a match they wanted to see a few months later and picked Hokuto and Kandori teaming up against the ultimate monster heel combo of Aja Kong and Bull Nakano. Hokuto and Kandori still hate each other and tag each other in with slaps to the face early on. Throughout the match, they realise that they will need to start teaming in order to just survive. Hokuto's character epitomises her company's slogan of "Victory Through Guts" and even Kandori, the legit judoka who shits on wrestlers, is won over by the end and with a slight smirk gives a little hand slap to an exhausted, beaten-down, but victorious Hokuto.

#19: If ever there was a moment to show how much WCW needed a Pat Patterson in terms of layout and the WWF's production, it is this. The crowd was so amped and ready for their boy Goldberg to win the title that even a horrendously constructed finish could not hurt it.



Hogan hits a slam and a leg drop while Schiavone nonchalantly goes "comes a time in every great athlete's career where you gotta dig down deep". Hogan hits another leg drop and then Hennig walks out for no reason, followed by DDP and Malone. We don't even see the third leg drop in the ring because of this, just hear it. Goldberg then kicks out of three consecutive leg drops (they weren't Hulk Up, punch, punch, punch, big boot, leg drops, but still) and the crowd barely reacts to it. They are focused on the entrance way and the entire way it was delivered, it was clearly not the finish. Tenay goes "he kicked out of the Hogan leg drop, that has Hollywood stunned" without sounding shocked himself or making mention that it was three. Malone hits Hennig, who wasn't even doing anything, with the Diamond Cutter on the outside, Hogan is distracted, Goldberg has popped up, Spear, Jackhammer, pin.

The crowd goes absolutely ballistic anyway, but my God, that was terribly constructed. I'm sure Hogan bigged himself up after that ("I let him kick out of three, brother"), when that specific part meant nothing.

Let's see: Goldberg is killing Hogan and hey maybe you need a ref bump, Hennig comes out to help and actively distracts/interferes, which brings out DDP/Malone. DDP pulls Hennig out the ring and Malone hits the Cutter. But now Hogan has the advantage thanks to Hennig. He hits the three consecutive leg drops, with all of the focus and attention on that, and plays to the crowd more, makes it seem like a big deal. Goldberg kicks out and pops up. Hogan is shitting himself. He turns to run away but sees DDP/Malone in the entrance, blocking his escape. Goldberg is primed behind him. Hogan turns around into a Spear. Jackhammer. Pin. Much better.

#23: Baker is correct, I was one of the other voters. Hogan's 4-year reign ends with a clear ref screwjob and then Andre sells the title to DiBiase. What a moment. "How much money did they spend on the plastic surgery, man?!"

Sept 30, 2020 20:18:17 GMT 🤯 said:

The Japanese style of self-inflicting career-ending brain injuries?

It is an interesting choice as a top spot. I've got the poster child of unsafe wresting style in my #1, so maybe I don't have a leg to stand on, but I don't have his in-ring death on here. I may be wrong, but I guess Emperor is viewing this list of "most significant", which I can see.

One thing is for sure. The brief eye close followed by the look to the side as the blood trickles down is one of the coolest visuals you will see in wrestling.

#1 The MegaPowers Explode

The Brock Lesnar and John Cena meme lists are cute but you could put together a Top 25 Hulk Hogan related moments and I wouldn't bat an eyelid. Hogan was Pro Wrestling and the entire Pro Wrestling world revolved around him. For my money, there was no better angle than the MegaPowers and how they built they up from the controversial Andre the Giant finish to the finish at Wrestlemania V. The angle peaked with that backstage segment which is about as raw a segment you were going to get between the two.

That title shot Savage does to Hogan, may as well be a gun-shot to the chest. Hogan sells it like a part of him is dying and Elizabeth is fantastic rushing to Hogan's aid before being yanked away. Above all else, this was Savage going full throttle. I never saw Savage manhandle Elizabeth like he did in that segment, it was something that was always inferred but never brought to life and it just sent that angle over the edge.

It led to one of the biggest Wrestlemania box-offices of all-time, to the point where the Ultimate Challenge was disappointing by comparison and with all the biggest stars involved it had to be my #1.

Wow, I'm really behind so let's get to this.


1.
2. Drew McIntyre claymore kicking Brock Lesnar over the top rope at the Rumble, January 26th, 2020
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Eddie Guerrero defeats Kurt Angle Wrestlemania XX, March 14th, 2004
9.
10. Tommaso Ciampa Air Raid Crash off the top of the cage, NXT War Games November 23rd, 2019
11. Steve Austin returns from injury, Backlash April 30th, 2000
12. Eddie Guerrero wins his first WWE championship from Brock Lesnar, No Way Out, February 15th, 2004
13. Edge cashes in his MITB on John Cena to win WWE Championship, New Year’s Revolution January 8th, 2006
14. Adam Cole wins the first NXT North American Championship at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, April 7th, 2018
15. CM Punk wins second MITB at Wrestlemania 25, April 5th, 2009
16. Edge returns at the Royal Rumble, January 26th, 2020
17.
18. Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano NXT TakeOver: Chicago, May 20th, 2017
19. John Cena returns as the Doctor of Thuganomics and humiliates Elias, Wrestlemania 35, April 7th, 2019
20. Balor the Ripper entrance, NXT TakeOver London, December 15th, 2015
21.
22.
23.
24. Eddie Guerrero gets Mr Kennedy disqualified, Smackdown, 11th November, 2005
25. Drew McIntyre appears in the audience at NXT TakeOver: Orlando, April 1st, 2017

Bolded are the new additions from last time I checked.  RT, stellar work on the list so far, there are so many great moments there that I didn't consider when making my list, I'd like to give an honourable mention to Sexy Kurt, can't believe I forgot that, it's hilarious.

I just want to go through a few of these, won't bore you with them all (or I might, depending how I feel later on  :lol:
Starting from the top of my list:

2. Drew McIntyre claymore kicking Brock Lesnar over the top rope at the Rumble, January 26th, 2020

I've talked about this Rumble before and I recently re-watched it, it's gone pretty high on my list of favourite Rumble matches (and not just because of the winner )  This Rumble was a masterclass in writing (by Heyman I'm assuming), and masterful execution by Brock Lesnar.  It really was a tale of two Rumbles, Brock's absolute dominance in the first half just made me hate him more - which is exactly what they set out to do - and set up McIntyre's entry perfectly.  By the time Drew came in at number 16 the entire arena as well as the fans at home were salivating to see Brock get what was coming.  Ricochet's involvement was the icing on the storyline cake.  Perfectly executed by both Brock and Drew, sold to perfection by Heyman whose reaction was everything, and then sold again by both Drew and Brock, the former eliminating one superstar after another and continuing to bore a hole through Lesnar, and Lesnar perfectly selling being eliminated.  I'm by no means a Brock fan but credit where it's due, he deserves it for this.  I may have watched this moment over and over, and will never get tired of it.  





8. Eddie Guerrero defeats Kurt Angle Wrestlemania XX, March 14th, 2004

Great match, great reaction.  I bloody loved Eddie and he fully deserved this big moment on the grand stage.  

10. Tommaso Ciampa Air Raid Crash off the top of the cage, NXT War Games November 23rd, 2019

I was convinced that both Cole and Ciampa were dead after this, it was a real "Holy Shit' moment.  Made even more so because if I remember right, Cole was back out the next night in the ring.  How neither of them ended their career in this moment is a testament to both.  



11. Steve Austin returns from injury, Backlash April 30th, 2000

Austin has had many memorable returns during his tenure in WWF/E.  I picked this one mostly because of Vince's reaction, that made it for me.  I will still mark out every damn time I hear that glass shatter.  It will never get old for me.  

Enough for now, more later. 

13. ‘I’m Sorry. I love you.’ HBK Retires Ric Flair WM XXIV

Rogue and I were on hand for this. Great build up, great match and amazing story telling. You actually felt like it was breaking Shawn Michael's heart to deliver Sweet chin Music to Flair. Very poignant.

This countdown is fair to Flair. Good job, PW.
===================
"I'm sorry, I love you" made my increasingly bloated big list. Twas an emotional moment, and a fitting end to the legendary career of Ric Flair.
Jealous of iron maiden and Rogue for seeing it live. This was the only Wrestlemania I seriously considered attending. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have been able to go even if I had gotten tickets due to starting my "career" the very next day.
Spoiler Alert: it didn't work out.
===================
12. Ric Flair wins the 1992 Royal Rumble- This moment was already great to begin with, and it aged like fine wine as I progressed through the various stages of wrestling fandom. Storytime....

Going into the '92 Rumble I expected Hogan to win. Face it. I always expected Hogan to win. That's because he usually did.

My friend Vogel watched the PPV live at his older sister's boyfriend's house. 

Vogel looked so sad when I saw him the next day. It was as if his dog (Shep) had just died. But he had info I needed to know. So I immediately asked him who won the Rumble. He softly muttered what sounded like "ricflair" but it was honestly hard to hear. So I asked again. "Look, Ric Flair won the Rumble and I don't want to talk about it" Snapped back my Hogan/Warrior-loving friend. 

I was THRILLED by the news. Yet I would not be 100% convinced until the next episode of Superstars. See, Vogel got me good with a prank once before when he told me Undertaker had seen the light and become a white-clad warrior known as "Heaven Above." I wouldn't be fooled again. His sad face and surliness could always just be a stellar acting job....

Then Superstars confirmed Vogel's tale. Hooray! 

I loved this from the perspective of a know nothing, anti-Hogan mark who (mostly) rooted for the heels. I was already a Flair fan, but never in a million years did I expect him to actually win a Royal Rumble for the WWF Championship. See, I viewed him as more of an "annoying" troll heel along the lines of Honkytonk Man, with his so-called "Real World Championship" being a "phony" vanity title not unlike Ted Dibiase's Million Dollar Belt.  I had no idea he genuinely was the Real (NWA) Champ when he came to WWF because I didn't know NWA/WCW still existed due to not getting their tv in my area for a long period of time. I also had no idea Hogan vs. Flair was this big time dream match. Even though I liked Flair infinitely more than The Hulkster, I thought NWA/WCW (and Flair by proxy) were minor league compared to Hogan/WWF. Until the Rumble, I just assumed Flair was destined to be the latest in a long line of big mouths who wouldn't be able to back it up when it came time to go one on one with the almighty Hulk Hogan. And then Flair won! The new WWF Champ was Not Hogan! Yay!

I finally saw the show/match in late 95-96. Now I enjoyed it from a slightly smarkier perspective. By this point I understood the Legend of Ric Flair and had a pretty good idea of what this meant in terms of his legacy. I was also all in on the Great Hogan vs. Flair Debate where I naturally sided with my hero, Slick Ric...

See, until late 95-96 the idea of anybody other than Hogan being the GOAT was laughable. It was an argument only a troll (raises hand) would ironically make. But now the Apter Mags I was devouring were unironically making that argument! And the stats in my trusty PWI Almanac lent some credence to the theory. That's all I needed. Now I was unironically arguing for Flair > Hogan. Watching all those Flair classics on tape also helped. 

Where was I? Oh yeah, Flair had ruled NWA/WCW for years and now he now he had conquered the big time. He had defeated Hulk Hogan! It was actually a ballsy move by WWF to have Flair win it over Hogan. They never, ever would have had a WCW Guy go over that strong during the MNW and beyond. I also enjoyed Flair's performance going from #3 to the end. His post-match promo with Perfect & Heenan may have been even better than his Rumble performance.

A few years later (2000-2001ish) I managed to enjoy it on yet an even deeper level when I realized a large part of the story was Ric Flair going through so many of his old enemies from back in the territory days. Brilliant booking. Brilliant performance. 

There are actually a good number of Flair matches I like more, but for a WWF kid like me, this just might be the most important, because it's Flair going into The House That Hogan Built and walking out as The Champ. It proved Flair was more than just another blowhard. It proved he really was The Real World Champ. It established him as The Man. This is also where Flair first became a serious contender for my all time favorite wrestler. 

*Yikes! That post was rambling and repetitive even by my standards. I did have a point to make. Hopefully it came across somewhere in that wall of text.

1.
2. Drew McIntyre claymore kicking Brock Lesnar over the top rope at the Rumble, January 26th, 2020
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Eddie Guerrero defeats Kurt Angle Wrestlemania XX, March 14th, 2004
9.
10. Tommaso Ciampa Air Raid Crash off the top of the cage, NXT War Games November 23rd, 2019
11. Steve Austin returns from injury, Backlash April 30th, 2000
12. Eddie Guerrero wins his first WWE championship from Brock Lesnar, No Way Out, February 15th, 2004
13. Edge cashes in his MITB on John Cena to win WWE Championship, New Year’s Revolution January 8th, 2006
14. Adam Cole wins the first NXT North American Championship at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, April 7th, 2018
15. CM Punk wins second MITB at Wrestlemania 25, April 5th, 2009
16. Edge returns at the Royal Rumble, January 26th, 2020
17.
18. Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano NXT TakeOver: Chicago, May 20th, 2017
19. John Cena returns as the Doctor of Thuganomics and humiliates Elias, Wrestlemania 35, April 7th, 2019
20. Balor the Ripper entrance, NXT TakeOver London, December 15th, 2015
21.
22. HBK superkicks Ric Flair to end his career, Wrestlemania 24, March 30th, 2008
23.
24. Eddie Guerrero gets Mr Kennedy disqualified, Smackdown, 11th November, 2005
25. Drew McIntyre appears in the audience at NXT TakeOver: Orlando, April 1st, 2017

12. Eddie Guerrero wins his first WWE championship from Brock Lesnar, No Way Out, February 15th, 2004

I watched any number of Eddie moments while I was preparing this list, I couldn't pick them all but this had to be there.  Not going to wax too lyrical about it, but it's a great moment from one of the greatest ever.  


13. Edge cashes in his MITB on John Cena to win WWE Championship, New Year’s Revolution January 8th, 2006

The 'surprise' cash in has been used many, many times since this.  Edge won the first MITB match and this was a genius stroke by the ultimate opportunist to cash in and win the title from Cena.  


14. Adam Cole wins the first NXT North American Championship at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, April 7th, 2018

This was a great match, and absolutely the right choice for the first North American champion.   Also served to show that Cole didn't need the UE to win titles, he was and is more than capable of doing it on his own if necessary.   Honestly surprised someone else picked this too, I thought I'd be alone.  (Now I know it was iron maiden, that makes sense)

18. Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano NXT TakeOver: Chicago, May 20th, 2017

I hadn't been watching NXT for all that long at this point, so I missed a lot of the #DIY stuff.  All I knew was that Ciampa and Gargano were a hell of a tag team and should have won the titles that night, or at some point before that.  They were a great team, as well as best friends and that's what made this so shocking.  Ciampa is a great heel, and the ensuing feud still simmers on to this day.  


19. John Cena returns as the Doctor of Thuganomics and humiliates Elias, Wrestlemania 35, April 7th, 2019

NOBODY saw this coming.  What a great throwback, I just loved it.  Thanks to jTjohncenaGOAT for reminding me of it.  I marked out when I heard that music again.  

22. HBK superkicks Ric Flair to end his career, Wrestlemania 24, March 30th, 2008

Yep, as iron maiden said we were there.  It was the first Wrestlemania I attended in person, it had been a long held dream of mine to go and we picked a good one.  The match was great, but I will never forget this moment.  I will never forget my friend Jeanette turning to me when Shawn said this and repeating it to me, it was just one of the most emotional moments in all of pro wrestling.  I know how lucky I was to be there.

4. Bret Hart wins his first WWF Championship- Again a huge bias since I was there in person. Just a memorable set of TV tapings all around with both Yokozuna and Doink debuting as well. Bret beating Flair was a huge shock even though Bret had been built up pretty well over the past year. Also an honor for my friend Mark who got called a fat boy (which he was) by Ric Flair. Everyone was high fiving strangers in the aftermath. Just one of the best live events I've ever attended sports, music or otherwise.

7. Ric Flair wins the Royal Rumble- Baker laid it out pretty well. Flair conquering the most star studded Royal Rumble in history is still probably the match I've watched the most as it was a frequent companion on long bus trips and at the hockey tournaments that those buses took me too. One of Pat Patterson's finest moments as a booker with many of Flair's old rivals and at one point the three major champions of the 80's (Flair, Hogan, Martel) in the ring at the same time vying for the WWF title.

8. Owen Hart pins Stone Cold- A fitting conclusion to the best multi-man match in wrestling history. Owen gets his leg destroyed by the nefarious Rattlesnake only to comeback as the triumphant hero in this classic piece of wrestling booking. The Hart family pouring in after the match is just icing on the cake, this match and the aftermath is just Stampede wrestling 101 and a tremendous tribute to the territory that got me into wrestling.

16. Terry Funk wins the ECW title at Barely Legal- I was hyped for ECW's first PPV and although I didn't see it live I was ecstatic to find out the result online. It was a great reward for time served and for being one of the first big stars to endorse the company. Watching the build up and the match on VHS a few months later didn't take the luster off this moment. An old vet conquered the dominant Raven and ECW firmly entrenched itself as a apart of a new big 3.

Stone Cold vs Mike Tyson on Raw- The segment that really turned the tide for the WWF. This should have been a top 10 moment on my list but my dumb self was in a rush and forgot about it. Mike Tyson should be in the Hall Of Fame for this alone.

Sting Attacks The nWo- I could have gone with this moment from his Crow run as well but decided to go with something a little different with his moment on Nitro with Savage and dropping from the ceiling. I kind of wished they held off even longer in the reveal of Sting's true colors. He could have prevented the atrocious Curt Hennig turn at War Games '97 and help the Horsemen win in kind of a full circle thing since he was the goat of the previous year's War Games.

Yokozuna crushes Hulkamania- I really didn't think anything of it at the time. I figured Hogan would get his win back as always and try another passing of the torch with Bret. Alas Hogan didn't want to go that route and went with making a bad TV show instead. A real inauspicious send off to the best run company history.

Nash debuts on Nitro- I didn't have this on my list for variety sake but another huge shot across the bow to the WWF. Scooping up the guy who was WWF champ for a year gave the nWo even more solid ground to stand on and furthered the WWF invasion storyline as originally intended.

Goldberg beats Hulk Hogan- This was a late cut but the atmosphere and the spectacle that was shown on free TV was amazing. I'll stand by Eazy E on this decision and not saving it for PPV. Raw was gaining steam so a Nitro attended by 40,000 people with a title change was just another way to keep Nitro big time and spontaneous.

Sandman returns to ECW- Pure drama and theatrics with the lights going off and then the Sandman's distinctive silhouette appearing in the crowd. I always enjoy reading Baker 's account of what it was like in person for perhaps the biggest pop in the history of the ECW Arena.

DX Invades WCW- It was captivating television and I got a sense that things could really come to ahead in the MNW. Too bad it became anticlimactic as WCW shut out the WWF invaders. A huge missed opportunity on WCW's part to let them in. DX could legit be in the conversation with the nWo when it comes to factions had this happened.

Chris Jericho Wins the Undisputed Championship- I rarely see this as an important point in the steady decline in pro wrestling. Here you had the long build nearly 40 years in the making to unify both major titles with Rock and Austin at the peak of their powers and you give it to Jericho? Blah.

Kawada pins Misawa- This is storytelling on another level which hearkens back to matches that took place in the previous decade. Kawada not only overcoming his rival Misawa but doing it while having his albatross of a bad left knee come into play that cost him so many matches before just adds to the drama.

Marty Jannetty Jumps Through The Barbershop Window- I chuckled at how this was worded on the list and unlike Baker I thought Heenan didn't miss a beat with his comedic timing and was on point. It was totally in character for Heenan and added levity to a serious situation that even had the rare occurrence of blood. Late 1991 early 1992 Superstars was sure a great run as the WWF pushed the envelope with this and the Savage snake bite incident.

Andre The Giant Beats Hulk Hogan- I thought this was a rather convoluted way for Hogan to lose and I still find it kind of silly. Plus Andre just giving the title to DiBiase just took away from the moment. This should have been a Yokozuna like moment (minus the fireball) with a more emphatic win for Andre.

The Mega Powers Explode- Another one that should have made my list. It was actually pretty intense for the time with Hogan being thrown into all the paraphernalia in the training room and Liz in harm's way. This was also the first time I clearly rooted against Hogan, he was clearly the "Luster" Jesse Ventura was always crowing about.

Savage and Liz get married- It's the before and after that's memorable to me with the reunion at 'Mania and the after party with Jake. Still apart of the best soap opera storyline the WWF had to offer.

5. Owen pins Austin at Canadian Stampede- Props to Shootist for including this as well. I've rambled on about this one a lot in the past so I'll try keeping it (relatively) short and sweet.

Owen pinning Austin was the perfect conclusion to my all time favorite match. This was Owen's redemption story. The Prodigal Son came home, gutted through an injury, and ultimately pinned his family's greatest rival. It was beautiful.

It worked just as well on a more personal level. If you take the entire stretch of 94-97 into account, Owen was my favorite wrestler during that span, never falling out of my Top 3, while the hated Steve Austin was one of the two biggest jerks in the entire WWF (along with Michaels). So it also worked on a good, old-fashioned "good guy beating a bad guy" level. Glorious match. Glorious moment.

*My biggest regret for this countdown was not including the Hart Foundation's Canadian Stampede entrances on my list. That's my 2nd most watched wrestling video of at least the last 8 years (behind only Sandman's return). I left it off because I didn't want to include two moments from the same match. That was a stupid mistake. In hindsight, I should have included it over "Lawler Invades The ECW Arena," or even "Dude Love Debuts." 
===================
11. Triple H returns from injury- January 2002- No amount of words I write will be able to adequately describe the greatest return in WWF history. So just watch the video like I did 3 times the other day. What a pop! What a moment!  But of course I still need to get my Storytime in...

I had a whole new group of friends in the early 2000s. The main members of my new clique were myself and four other guys. The 5 of us were inseparable. We went to school together. Then we'd go eat at Arby's together. We all worked together at one job. Then we all (eventually) worked together at another job. And every single night for 5-6 years at least two of us would hang out together somewhere.

3 members of the group (counting me) were lifelong wrestling fans. The other 2 had been lifelong wrestling haters. Neither the Hogan Era nor the Attitude Era managed to capture their attention. They thought wrestling was "fake, trashy, and stupid..."

I can only assume the other two lifelong fans and I must have been awfully persistent, and awfully persuasive, because we managed to turn those two lifelong wrestling hating weirdos into wrestling fans during the waning days of the Invasion angle! Weird! But they were hooked by No Mercy 2001.

To their credit, the two newbie fans jumped right in. They picked it up quickly. They enjoyed most of what they saw. They also asked a lot of questions. One of those questions was something like "Is this the best wrestling has ever been?" 

"Quite the contrary!" I answered, explaining that wrestling had actually been going downhill for the first time in years during these past few months. But then explained how I wasn't really worried about this temporary decline because Triple H would be back soon. "Who's Triple H?" one of the noobs asked. And now we are off to the races...

Triple H took on an almost mythical status during the next few months as the hype for his return grew and grew. We 3 lifelong fans* unironically hyped him to the noobs as the be all and end all of professional wrestling. He was the best bad guy. He had the best matches. He was the biggest badass. He had the coolest theme and the coolest entrance. And business would damn sure pick up once The Game returned.

*The other 2 lifelong fans were massive Triple H enthusiasts. Their HHH fandom predated mine by at least a year. Those two were all in on Trips when I was still a Rock fanboy. In fact, I get the impression they slowly corrupted me into joining them on Team Trips when I was still rooting against that jerk in a "boo the heel" kind of way. In 99, I thought Trips was overpushed, overrated, boring, and bad. During the first half of 2000 I respected him as the best in the business, but still rooted against him in a “guy you love to hate” kind of way. Anyway, from January 2000-May 2001 I thought HHH was the best wrestler in the business. His 2000 was the only calendar year I would put on par with Ric Flair's 1989. At some point us 3 lifelong fans were fond of doing the patented HHH water spit.

Before long, HHH became this Taz-meets-Chuck Norris style meme wrestler to my little gang. I have little doubt the two noobs thought HHH was the undisputed GOAT after all the praise we gave that man. The hype for his return was off the charts. I can honestly say I have NEVER been more excited for a WWF return. And that return was right around the corner....Pretty soon HHH would make WWF great again....

Vengeance 2001- The big night was here at last. Sure, HHH's big return technically hadn't been announced on tv. But HHH was on the promotional poster! Surely he had to return here! My little gang was beyond hyped. We waited....and waited....and waited....and all we got was stupid Jericho winning the Undisputed Title. Worst. Pay Per View. Ever.

Jericho winning the Undisputed Title was, of course, gross. But even if my latest wrestling hero Kurt Angle simultaneously made Austin & Rock tap to win the Undisputed Title, I STILL would have been disappointed because no Triple H return. In hindsight, I'm a little surprised the two noobs didn't swear off wrestling right then and there.

But we all soon forgot about that debacle when the big return was finally made official- Raw January 7, 2002- The King of Kings would return to reclaim his throne...

This was An Event of Wrestlemania-like proportions. No. I will go a step further. The hype for HHH's return EXCEEDED all but a very few Wrestlemanias. Those of us working our new job (nights at a restaurant) actually requested off that night. (I think it was just me and the former wrestling haters working the restaurant job at that point) Which reminds me....

I had to wear a badge/nametag at my pre-restaurant job.  I was always writing little messages on my badge, putting stickers and pins (the Barenjager Bear!) on it, to amuse my friends. Inside jokes and the like. And I wrote "HHH" on my badge when Trips first got injured. I finally left that job (after nearly 4 years) the following month. So chances are "HHH" was still written on my badge when I turned it in.

Anyway, we had a huge crowd on the big night. It was the 5 main members of my clique, one of their girlfriends, her cousin, and likely 2 or 3 of the rotating periphery members of our clique. So 7 to 10 people overall. I don't remember anything else about the show. But we popped HUGE for Triple H's return. High Fives. Fist Pumping. Yessing. The whole nine yards. Great moment. Great night. I can't imagine ever forgetting the night we all got together to see HHH return wearing the denim & leather like an absolute boss to one of the biggest pops in WWF history. 

Fun Fact: This is the most recent moment on my list. It happened 18 years ago. lol. 

Oct 6, 2020 4:13:27 GMT Baker said:

*The other 2 lifelong fans were massive Triple H enthusiasts. Their HHH fandom predated mine by at least a year. Those two were all in on Trips when I was still a Rock fanboy. In fact, I get the impression they slowly corrupted me into joining them on Team Trips when I was still rooting against that jerk in a "boo the heel" kind of way. From January 2000-May 2001 I thought HHH was the best wrestler in the business. His 2000 was the only calendar year I would put on par with Ric Flair's 1989.

That was a great moment.

I was the Triple H supporter in my group, one was for the Rock, and the other was Stone Cold. And now I am the Seth Rollins fan. The Rock fan is now the Roman Reigns fan even before the heel turn. And the Stone Cold fan likes De...mon Finn Balor. Well just Finn Balor in general.

1.
2.
3. Rob Van Dam wins the WWE Championship
4.
5. Jon Moxley debuts in AEW
6.
7. The Dudley Boyz turn on Right To Censor
8.
9.
10.
11. Katsuyori Shibata attacks KENTA after he joins Bullet Club
12. Finn Balor attacks Johnny Gargano
13. The Hardy Boyz return at Wrestlemania 33
14. CM Punk signs his WWE contract on the ROH World title
15. The Milk Truck
16.
17.
18. Shane McMahon is the owner of WCW
21. Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano
22.
21. Paul Heyman confronts Mr. McMahon before Survivor Series 2001
22. Chris Jericho enters the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 12
23. Hiromu Takahashi returns from injury; confronts Will Ospreay
24. The Dudley Boyz return after Summerslam 2015
25. Seth Rollins cashes in at Wrestlemania 31

I counted KENTA joining Bullet Club and Shibata attacking him as the same moment, since they pretty much happened one after another in the segment I posted. For those confused, Tomohiro Ishii (the guy KENTA hits the GTS on) was his tag team partner in that match. KENTA attacked him to finalize his heel turn. Then you saw the rest. Emperor can give a better rundown on why Shibata attacking KENTA was such a massive moment for us NJPW fans.

...

I was surprised that people voted for Owen's death, but you can't argue against it being a huge moment in pro wrestling history. I didn't watch that PPV but I heard the news the next morning when my mom told me. I was devastated. Owen wasn't my favourite or anything, but being Bret's brother and a prominent member of the Hart family made it hit pretty hard.

...

I had Scott Hall joining WCW and the Montreal Screwjob in my honourable mentions. I didn't experience either one as they happened, but they got honourable mentions from me for being incredibly huge moments in wrestling history that literally changed everything when they happened.

Oct 6, 2020 22:28:18 GMT RT said:

Emperor can give a better rundown on why Shibata attacking KENTA was such a massive moment for us NJPW fans.

This was the first time Shibata performed any kind of action in a NJPW ring since his injury in the match against Okada. Nobody thought he would wrestle a match or even fight anyone ever again, so this was monumental.

Not only was it huge to see Shibata fighting again, even briefly, but it sold the angle as absolutely massive. For Shibata to resort to physical violence would take a hell of a lot considering the risk he would put on himself. Shibata and KENTA are real life besties, and Shibata was responsible for bringing KENTA into NJPW. Shibata took KENTA joining Bullet Club as a spit in the face and wanted revenge.

Of course you can see they were very careful to beat up Shibata convincingly without coming close to bumping him. KENTA even held back on the Penalty Kick. Shibata amusingly mocked KENTA's soft kick in a backstage interview after the show.

That moment convinced me that Shibata might, just might, return to the ring for a match against KENTA, but there has been no hint of it since. Probably not gonna happen, but if Shibata is ever cleared, the seeds have been planted.

Owen's death... a TOP moment!? 😕

To me this isn't favourite moments, it's most important/significant moments. The ones that got the biggest reaction, whether good or bad. Bad moments can be hugely significant.

Oct 6, 2020 22:58:06 GMT 🤯 said:

Owen's death... a TOP moment!? 😕

Well, the criteria did include moments that angered and upset you as well, read on.

1. Owen Hart falls to his death- I had to be honest with myself. This obviously generated the most emotion out of me and is one of the most terrible moments I've experienced, wrestling or otherwise. I didn't see it live but I'll never forget the phone call I got from my cousin as he was watching it live. I was just numb afterward and stared at the computer screen confirming the reports for what seemed like hours.

3. Scott Hall invades Nitro- I did see this on the night as it happened to be the premier episode of Nitro on TSN. I legit thought Razor was coming in to lay waste to WCW and figured Vince had had enough of his brains being beat out in the ratings. Schiavone and Larry Legend on commentary sold it perfectly as well.

5. Vince McMahon calls for the bell- Vince made sure the cat was out of the bag with regards to kayfabe during this moment. I didn't catch it live but the Raw afterword was something to behold. Anything involving the curtain being pulled back equals big money and Vince would reap the benefits for years to come. For me it just added nitroglycerin to my hatred for the kliq and Vince in general. Just 6 months ago finding out Corny came up with the plan almost made the whole thing like a badge of honor, Bret being outworked by a equally savy collegue. Yes I'm that much of a hyprocrite. I can't believe some observers think this is a work, clearly a case of being too far into the forrest to see the trees.

Ultimate Warrior Beats Hulk Hogan- Another massive whiff on my list, really a top 10 contender. We put wagers on this at school and sadly I lost my 5 bucks to my Warrior backing friends. It's Hulk Hogan, he never loses at Wrestlemania, or so I thought. Seeing a bare faced Warrior holding up both belts as the fireworks went off was one of the most epic conclusions to one of the most epic matches ever. Hogan was great in his part too of passing the torch.

Nothing from this batch made the list I sent RT and that's entirely my fault. The list I turned was strictly a Favorites List so I left off heinous stuff like Owen's Death and the Montreal Screwjob. Owen's Death probably would have been my #1 and the Screwjob Top 5 if I had been honest with myself. Emperor and Shootist (who has been on fire in this thread) are right. Bad moments are just as memorable as good ones.

Warrior beating Hogan and Hall debuting on Nitro aren't too shabby either.

1.
2. Kenny Omega wins the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
3. Rob Van Dam wins the WWE Championship
4.
5. Jon Moxley debuts in AEW
6. The Beer Truck
7. The Dudley Boyz turn on Right To Censor
8.
9.
10.
11. Katsuyori Shibata attacks KENTA after he joins Bullet Club
12. Finn Balor attacks Johnny Gargano
13. The Hardy Boyz return at Wrestlemania 33
14. CM Punk signs his WWE contract on the ROH World title
15. The Milk Truck
16.
17.
18. Shane McMahon is the owner of WCW
21. Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano
22.
21. Paul Heyman confronts Mr. McMahon before Survivor Series 2001
22. Chris Jericho enters the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 12
23. Hiromu Takahashi returns from injury; confronts Will Ospreay
24. The Dudley Boyz return after Summerslam 2015
25. Seth Rollins cashes in at Wrestlemania 31

Two more from my list. The Beer Truck is self-explanatory for any fan that watched the Austin/Rock feud.

My #2, which I strongly considered for my new #1, is Kenny Omega finally overcoming Kazuchika Okada and becoming the IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Very few times have I managed to become a fan of a wrestler and watch them climb through the ranks to claim the ultimate prize, but Kenny Omega is one of those wrestlers. How excited was I to find out that this uber-talented goofball in DDT is from Winnipeg (you idiot)? This guy was over in Japan pulling off insane moves for his size and quickly becoming one of the most talented wrestlers on the planet, and he grew up in a city the rest of Canada makes fun of.

Then he jumps to NJPW and immediately becomes one of the coolest heels I've ever seen. The Cleaner shows up, joins Bullet Club, pisses off the NJPW faithful, then backs up his loud mouth by walking through the Lightheavyweight division and becoming champion.

Blah blah blah he continues to improve in and out of the ring, continues to dominate, forms The Elite, becomes the first ever NJPW United States Champion, and everything is in place for him to become the next golden boy for the company. But there's a problem: Kazuchika Okada exists.

This guy just spent the last half-decade trying to become the new Ace of New Japan, having incredible feuds with Hiroshi Tanahashi, AJ Styles and Tetsuya Naito. During that time whenever he managed to win the Heavyweight title, he held onto it for dear life. Now he's on his 4th reign as champ, and he's held the title for six months when he and G1 Climax Winner Kenny Omega (first gaijin and first Canadian to win the tournament) meet at Wrestle Kingdom 11 in their first of three epic matches.

If you remember this match, it's because Dave Meltzer infamously gave it 6 stars, calling it the best match he had ever seen. Wrestlers around the world praised the match. Perhaps the only people not surprised by this performance were people like me, who had watched Omega grow, and knew that he and Okada were going to do something special together. Okada won, but Omega looked incredible in defeat and you knew this was only the beginning and that he'd be back.

Okada then spent the next six months defending the title in various mini-feuds, and every time he defended it felt inevitable that he was going to win. Okada knew that there was only one man in NJPW that was worthy of providing him with a challenge, and after his fifth title defence, Okada nominated Kenny Omega as #1 Contender and the two met at Dominion in June of 2017.

Somehow, they put on an even better match. It was the first 60-minute time limit draw in a title match in 12 years, and Meltzer awarded the match 6-1/4 stars. It was incredible, but once again Kenny Omega had fallen short.

They met again later that year during the G1 Climax, where Kenny Omega got his first win over Okada. It was a bittersweet win, proving he could do it, but without the title on the line it really didn't matter, did it? Time went on, Okada became the longest-reigning champion, and also broke the record for most successful defences (and did so by beating his former nemesis and former Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi). He was invincible. Nobody could beat him when the title was on the line.

Okada once again nominated Omega as challenger when he ran out of people to face. Okada was frustrated that his record against Omega was 1-1-1, and wanted to have one final bout with everything on the line. They met at Dominion 2018, 1 year after their time-limit draw, in a no time limit best 2 of 3 falls match.

I watched the match alone in my apartment, having just re-located a month prior for work. My family was preparing to move out and join me, and I was excited but also lonely, having not seen them in nearly a month. I decided to watch the PPV to take my mind off things, so I grabbed a six pack and cranked the volume.

It was a great show (Chris Jericho also won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at this show, resulting in an iconic picture of two gaijins from Winnipeg, Canada holding the top two singles titles in NJPW), but the entire time the anticipation was killing me. Then the main event, one of the most exciting and epic matches I've ever watched live, and he did it. HE FUCKING DID IT. KENNY FUCKING OMEGA DID IT WOOOOO

I was overcome with emotion with everything going on in my life and finally seeing someone I had been a fan of for so long to achieve that level of success. I had tears in my eyes as I sat there half drunk, excited, happy, sad, relieved...all that stuff. It was an incredible moment to witness, and it didn't hurt that it was the end of one of the best feuds in wrestling history.

1.
2. Drew McIntyre claymore kicking Brock Lesnar over the top rope at the Rumble, January 26th, 2020
3.
4.
5.
6. Stone Cold Beer Truck, Smackdown March 22nd 1999
7.
8. Eddie Guerrero defeats Kurt Angle Wrestlemania XX, March 14th, 2004
9. Edge spears Jeff Hardy from the top of a ladder, Money in the Bank match Wrestlemania X-7 April 1st, 2001
10. Tommaso Ciampa Air Raid Crash off the top of the cage, NXT War Games November 23rd, 2019
11. Steve Austin returns from injury, Backlash April 30th, 2000
12. Eddie Guerrero wins his first WWE championship from Brock Lesnar, No Way Out, February 15th, 2004
13. Edge cashes in his MITB on John Cena to win WWE Championship, New Year’s Revolution January 8th, 2006
14. Adam Cole wins the first NXT North American Championship at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, April 7th, 2018
15. CM Punk wins second MITB at Wrestlemania 25, April 5th, 2009
16. Edge returns at the Royal Rumble, January 26th, 2020
17.
18. Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano NXT TakeOver: Chicago, May 20th, 2017
19. John Cena returns as the Doctor of Thuganomics and humiliates Elias, Wrestlemania 35, April 7th, 2019
20. Balor the Ripper entrance, NXT TakeOver London, December 15th, 2015
21.
22. HBK superkicks Ric Flair to end his career, Wrestlemania 24, March 30th, 2008
23.
24. Eddie Guerrero gets Mr Kennedy disqualified, Smackdown, 11th November, 2005
25. Drew McIntyre appears in the audience at NXT TakeOver: Orlando, April 1st, 2017

Only a couple of mine from the last lot or so.  I also didn't add the Montreal Screwjob or Owen's death to my list.  I considered the screwjob although at the time I wasn't watching wrestling much, we didn't get anything here other than an hourly WCW show so it's only with hindsight that I've appreciated the impact of what happened and how it's rippled through the years.  

Owen's death I did also consider (along with Eddie's death) as it was a truly shocking moment in wrestling history and I remember it happening.  As others have said in the thread it is Wrestling moments, not 'Good' moments necessarily and I stand chastised rightly for not including these things that affected me.  

Moving on, to ones that I did include.

9. Edge spears Jeff Hardy from the top of a ladder, Money in the Bank match Wrestlemania X-7 April 1st, 2001

Quite possibly one of the most 'holy shit how did they not die' moments of all time.  I'm sure that it didn't help lengthening Edge's career in any way, and I have no idea how Jeff Hardy is still able to pull shit like this to this day still.  These two teams were well known for putting on classic TLC matches and this one is possibly one of the best, mostly due to this moment.  

6. Stone Cold Beer Truck, Smackdown March 22nd 1999

As a huge Stone Cold mark there was no way I wasn't including this.  I will forever have the image of Vince swimming in the middle of the ring ingrained in my head  :lol:

SUPERPLEX HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD!!!

Oh man am I ever kicking my ass missing HHH’s return in 2002. That was a great moment indeed and they did it right. It should have been on my list.

And Austin & Booker in the supermarket!!! That was awesome. It should have at least been on my Honorable Mentions list.

I tried to stay in the realm of kayfabe with my list and out of the ugly side of it.

I don’t think any of us will forget Owen’s death or Eddie’s, Benoit’s or the Screwjob. These all show the ugly side of wrestling where our beloved wrestlers die early (usually due to years of substance abuse - even if they are clean when they die), kill their wives and child because they’ve been hit in the head too many times and knocked some screws loose, screw each other over for money and fame and do what’s asked of them even if they don’t feel comfortable doing it because they have a family to support and love what they do. I watch wrestling to escape reality so I went with moments that amused me, shocked me (in a good way) or made me happy.

I have a few Macho Man/Elizabeth moments on my list. I had the wedding but removed it in favor of them reuniting @ WMVII and when he proposed to her 7-6-1991. I adored them together. It’s unfortunate their relationship wasn’t as happy behind the scenes and how things ended up for them.

4. Edge spears Jeff Hardy from top of ladder TLC 2 WM X7

One of the biggest OMG moments I’ve even had in all my years as a fan. I don’t think there’s much more to say. You can watch it a million times and still be shocked that they both walked away.

22. SD June 2003 Brock and Big Show collapse the ring

Far be it for me to mention Brock in a favorite anything but seriously, planned or not, it was an OMG moment and on SD nonetheless. Not even a PPV

#2 Honorable Mention List

Austin Beer Truck

Nothing to expand upon. Awesome.

Nothing from this batch made my list.

My favorite of the bunch is the Grocery Store Brawl between Austin & Booker. That was a lot of fun. Real sports entertainment gold. Didn't even consider it for my list though.

CM Punk stealing the WWE Championship was gold (no pun intended) and should have been on my list, but alas, it wasn't.

However, DB winning at WMXXX was:

11. DB wins title WM XXX

I had been a Bryan Danielson fan for years prior. I got to meet him at WM XXVII which as Rogue can attest to was strange as there was no line up. He was very magnanimous. Ironic that a year or two later had we tried, the line would have been insane or we would have had to pay a crazy amount. Him winning was the culmination of a slow burning and changing storyline and his hard work. No current wrestler got the reaction DB did. The fans were behind him 100%. For him to go out and wrestle not one but two grueling matches and come out victorious had fans worldwide celebrating. The underdog overcoming the odds is a classic story that WWE executed perfectly at WM XXX. I think the last time the crowd was as feeling as strongly was when Benoit and Eddie won.

1.
2. Drew McIntyre claymore kicking Brock Lesnar over the top rope at the Rumble, January 26th, 2020
3.
4.
5.
6. Stone Cold Beer Truck, Smackdown March 22nd 1999
7. CM Punk kisses goodbye to WWE with the title, Money in the Bank July 17th, 2011
8. Eddie Guerrero defeats Kurt Angle Wrestlemania XX, March 14th, 2004
9. Edge spears Jeff Hardy from the top of a ladder, Money in the Bank match Wrestlemania X-7 April 1st, 2001
10. Tommaso Ciampa Air Raid Crash off the top of the cage, NXT War Games November 23rd, 2019
11. Steve Austin returns from injury, Backlash April 30th, 2000
12. Eddie Guerrero wins his first WWE championship from Brock Lesnar, No Way Out, February 15th, 2004
13. Edge cashes in his MITB on John Cena to win WWE Championship, New Year’s Revolution January 8th, 2006
14. Adam Cole wins the first NXT North American Championship at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, April 7th, 2018
15. CM Punk wins second MITB at Wrestlemania 25, April 5th, 2009
16. Edge returns at the Royal Rumble, January 26th, 2020
17.
18. Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano NXT TakeOver: Chicago, May 20th, 2017
19. John Cena returns as the Doctor of Thuganomics and humiliates Elias, Wrestlemania 35, April 7th, 2019
20. Balor the Ripper entrance, NXT TakeOver London, December 15th, 2015
21.
22. HBK superkicks Ric Flair to end his career, Wrestlemania 24, March 30th, 2008
23.
24. Eddie Guerrero gets Mr Kennedy disqualified, Smackdown, 11th November, 2005
25. Drew McIntyre appears in the audience at NXT TakeOver: Orlando, April 1st, 2017

I so should have put the Austin/Booker Supermarket brawl in my honourable mentions, I did think about it but eventually it did get cut.  

7. CM Punk kisses goodbye to WWE with the title, Money in the Bank July 17th, 2011

I've said this before (and likely will each time I talk about CM Punk moment).  Phil Brooks is a complete arsehole, can't stand the guy.  He's so far up his own bum he can see his own teeth.  However, I bloody love CM Punk.  For a good while there this storyline and CM Punk were the hottest things going in all of wrestling, and rightfully so.  At the time nobody was really sure if this was a work or not (we all kind of thought it was, but nobody could really be sure), but even as a work, it was brilliantly done.  I rewatched this match and this moment when I was prepping this list and I forgot just how great it was.  I'd love it if CM Punk were to come back, but I know that's about as likely as me stepping into a WWE ring. 

Daniel Bryan winning everything at Wrestlemania XXX was the last time I truly loved a big WWE moment. A month after that Bryan got injured and I stopped watching because at that point Bryan was the only reason I was sticking around.

Curb Stomp counter into the RKO
2. ?
Undertaker returns as Biker
Mark Henry "Retirement" speech
Booker T gets attack at a grocery store.
6. ?
New Day vs. Uso Rap Battle
Golden Rolemodels celebrating with all the main roster women's titles
Dolph Ziggler's cash in
Jay Lethal's Flair impression
Steiner Math
Jericho's code breaker return
Becky lead Smackdown assault on Raw
Rosemary Debut
Christian and AJ running from Abyss
Rosemary looking for Matt's baby in Delete or Decay
Lashley winning all the male single title in TNA
Jeff turns heel and joins Immortal
Aleister Black saying Dreams name.
Fiend reveal
Breezango Emporium entrance
AJ Lee's Pipe Bomb
The Kat/Miss Kitty nude on PPV
Joe coming down the ring holding 5 titles

25. ?

Unless I am missing a reveal I only got three unknowns left.