Top 10 Moments Of The 2010s
What made you remember why you fell in love with pro wrestling?
I still can’t get the bad taste out of my mouth from WWE Crown Jewel – and I didn’t even watch it.
WWE partnering with Saudi Arabia is disappointing for a longtime fan like myself. For the past couple years, I’ve reconsidered my support of the company: I didn’t buy WrestleMania tickets this year and haven’t had a WWE Network subscription since early summer. Pro wrestling is supposed to be our oasis from all the troubles of the real world, so when those troubles infringe upon our escape, it leaves us hopeless and in despair.
But when you look back on the decade, you remember all the action and drama that produced goosebumps. For every 10 lame comedy skits, there was an angle that brought you back to your youth, something so thrilling that you texted your friends or hopped on Twitter, eager to discuss, debate and speculate what’s to happen next.
These were the 10 incredible moments over the past 10 years that fueled our wrasslin’ addiction.
10. Festival of Friendship
All good things must come to an end – Chris Jericho found that out the hard way during the Festival of Friendship. In one of the greatest segments in Raw history, Y2J celebrated his relationship with Kevin Owens in over-the-top, glitz and glamorous Las Vegas fashion. With his ridiculous bedazzled outfit, hilarious dancing and absurd gifts (plus Gillberg and Friendship the Magician), Jericho annihilated the friendship bracelet market and demonstrated why he’s the most sincere, thoughtful and generous man alive. Unfortunately, Owens is the antithesis.
9. Seth Rollins Betrays The Shield
Easily the most significant heel turn of the decade. After less than two years, the most popular group in years split up as Seth Rollins sold out to The Authority and blasted his Shield brothers with a chair. It broke the fans’ hearts and launched singles careers for all three members – Rollins enjoying the most success at first.
8. Nexus Debuts
Nobody saw it coming. As John Cena faced CM Punk in the main event, NXT Season 1 winner Wade Barrett sauntered down the ramp. Suddenly, his fellow participants emerged at ringside, attacking everyone and everything in their path. It’s been edited out of the WWE Network, but Daniel Bryan choked out ring announcer Justin Roberts, prompting his two-month dismissal afterward. It’s a shame that such an exhilarating moment that elevated a bunch of rookies into the most talked about group in wrestling was squandered in two months.
7. Chris Jericho Invades NJPW
As if the Festival of Friendship wasn’t enough, Y2J shocked the wrestling world in November of 2017 by appearing on New Japan TV, challenging Kenny Omega to a dream match at Wrestle Kingdom 12. It would be Jericho’s first match outside WWE since 1999, and his first appearance in NJPW in more than 20 years. However, the surprises weren’t over – Jericho upped the ante by actually appearing in NJPW a month after, attacking Omega from behind and leaving the star a bloody mess. He followed that up at a press conference with a profanity-laced explosion, channeling the late Andy Kaufman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9XPm-BGO_E
6. Seth Rollins Cashes In
The heist of the century, as Michael Cole perfectly summed it up, was something most fans were hoping for, but doubted would actually happen. Cashing in during the main event of WrestleMania bucked tradition, and having a heel close the show as WWE Champion never really worked out. But Reigns was so hated at this point that the guy who screwed him almost a year prior was cheered for preventing the Big Dog from slaying The Beast.
5. AEW’s Inaugural Press Conference
For the first time in a decade, there was legitimate competition to WWE. When The Young Bucks and Cody declined to sign a new contract with Ring of Honor, there were rumblings that The Elite would launch their own promotion. The official announcement came at midnight on New Year’s Day 2019 as part of the “Being The Elite” YouTube series. Funded by Shahid and Tony Khan, a billionaire family that owns the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham F.C., it seemed that All Elite Wrestling had the leadership and financial backing to reach heights that other promotions such as Impact and ROH failed to in the past. On January 8, 2019, a press conference was held in Jacksonville, Florida, in which members of the roster were revealed, including SoCal Uncensored, Pac, Joey Janela, MJF and Britt Baker. Saving the best for last, Chris Jericho appeared as the biggest name signed, immediately lending credibility to the new venture.
4. Goldberg Squashes Lesnar
At almost 50 years old and after a dozen years away from WWE, it was highly unlikely that Goldberg would ever return to the company, even though he was featured in the WWE2K17 video game. However, never say never in pro wrestling – Goldberg returned to Raw in October of 2017, accepting Paul Heyman’s challenge to face Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. After their last match was the biggest blunder in WrestleMania history, nobody was expecting anything other than a short tussle and then an F-5. Well, it certainly was short…Goldberg speared Lesnar twice and then hit him with a Jackhammer to win in less than 90 seconds. Nobody had ever manhandled the Beast like that before!
3. Miracle on Bourbon Street
After being squashed by Sheamus in 18 seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII, Daniel Bryan immediately became the crowd’s beloved underdog, as “Yes!” chants ascended to the Miami sky. For the next year, Bryan built momentum as part of Team Hell No before defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2013. A few minutes later, he was screwed out of the title by Triple H and Randy Orton, kicking off The Authority. The screwjob only added more piss and vinegar to the Yes! Movement, who chanted for Bryan at every arena on every show.
While Triple H and Stephanie McMahon did everything in their power to hold the B+ Player down, Bryan proved that the cream always rises to the top, eventually beating Triple H and to earn a spot in the main event of WrestleMania XXX. Randy Orton and Batista tried to eliminate him by doing a combo Batista Bomb/RKO through the announce table, but the resilient warrior summoned the strength to get off the stretcher, return to the ring and force Batista to tap out to win the WWE Championship in one of the all-time classic WrestleMania moments.
2. The Pipe Bomb
Not since Austin 3:16 and Bash at the Beach 96 has a promo shook the wrestling world. CM Punk broke the fourth wall, tearing into sacred cows like the McMahon family and The Rock, echoing universal frustrations felt within the fan base. Even diehards weren’t sure if Punk’s monologue was scripted, adding to the gravity of the situation. Instantly, he skyrocketed to the top of the wrestling world, holding the world title more often than not for the rest of his run in WWE.
1. The Streak Ends
Forget Montreal, this is the most shocking ending to a pro wrestling match.
Undertaker losing at WrestleMania was unfathomable. It was an attraction as part of the annual spectacle, sometimes more important than the world title. There were times you thought it could end, like against the Legend Killer or in the End of an Era match. But after 21 years, there were three things you could guarantee in life: death, taxes and Undertaker’s hand being raised on the Grandest Stage.
And then there was Brock Lesnar. In 2014, The Beast was fresh off an incredible victory over CM Punk at SummerSlam and then mauling Big Show at Royal Rumble. Although he was regarded as one of the most dominant forces in WWE, he wasn’t expected to beat Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX. But that’s exactly what he did after a lengthy, dull match.
Hitting his third F-5 on the Deadman, Lesnar covered Undertaker and the ref’s hand hit the mat three times. Inside the Silverdome, the crowd gasped. (It felt like my eyes popped out of my head like in a cartoon.) There was a hushed silence throughout the arena for minutes, like we were all attending a funeral. And it really was a death – the end of the greatest record in wrestling history, the demise of a piece of our childhood.
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