The Top Ten 3.20.07: WrestleMania Moments
Posted by Julian Williams on 03.20.2007
These are the moments that helped shape WrestleMania into the phenomenon it is today. Or at least the moments that weren't as bad as Fake Bill Clinton.
Greetings people and welcome back to another jam-packed edition of The Top Ten. And by jam-packed I mean extremely short and uninspiring. But hey, that's never stopped me before. And this makes three sentences in a row that I started with a conjunction. Screw proper English! Right up it's virginal butthole. This week, we're going to look at the Top Ten WrestleMania Moments of all-time. No reader feedback this week since quite frankly, I didn't receive that much feedback last week. I'm guessing it's either because the column was so horrible that nobody even wanted to bother sending any feedback or because it was so brilliant, that people couldn't disagree with me in the slightest. I like to lie to myself and think it's the latter. Ok, let's get into this week's list.
The Top Ten WrestleMania Moments
Honorable Mention: Hogan passes the torch to The Warrior (WM6)
The two biggest babyfaces in the company collided in the main event of Wrestlemania 6 as The Ultimate Warrior faced off against Hulk Hogan. This was monumental at the time as both men were just insanely over and it was the first time in the WWE that you saw a split crowd as half the people were going wild for Hogan and the other half for The Warrior. The ending saw Warrior get the clean victory over Hogan, which was absolutely unheard of in those days and signaled a major change of guard. Too bad Warrior became nothing more than a punchline because at the time, he seemed destined to become the next big phenomenon in the WWE.
Honorable Mention: Austin wins 1st WWE Title; Tyson knocks out HBK (WM14)
Stone Cold Steve Austin had quickly climbed up the ranks in the WWE and after his grueling submission match with Bret Hart at WM13, he became the most popular figure in the WWE. Yet, he didn't receive a shot at the WWE Title until next year's Wrestlemania and standing in his way was The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, and Mike Tyson, who was appointed special enforcer for the match and seemed to be in cahoots with DX. After a hectic battle and a courageous performance by HBK, Austin was able to hit Michaels with the Stunner and Tyson turned his back on his DX partner by counting three which gave Austin his first WWE Title. After the match, HBK got in the face of Tyson for counting the pin and Tyson proceeded to knock HBK on his ass with a vicious right hand. All in all, it was a terrific main event and signaled the beginning of an era.
Honorable Mention: Shelton climbs the ladder to success (WM21)
Wrestlemania 21 was a great event that featured many memorable moments including Kurt Angle making HBK tap out, John Cena and Batista's first title wins, and The Big Show in a thong (Ok, maybe not the last one). But perhaps the most memorable moment from that night came when Shelton Benjamin decided to show off his incredible athleticism by running up a propped ladder and knocking Chris Jericho off the top of another ladder with a clothesline. That one move instantly made Shelton incredibly over with the fans for the rest of the match and it's a shame that the ‘E didn't capitalize on it because Shelton really made a name for himself after his impressive showing in that match.
Honorable Mention: Brock nearly kills self attempting a SSP (WM19)
Many fans came into the Brock Lesnar/Kurt Angle match fearing for the safety of Kurt Angle, who was in really bad shape health-wise, but who knew that the life we should have been concerned about was Brock Lesnar's. Brock had an urban legend surrounding him that dated back to his OVW days that he could perform a killer Shooting Star Press. Brock had done it numerous times in OVW (and it did look quite awesome), but since his debut in the WWE, he had never even attempted it. That all changed at WM19, when he climbed up to the top rope to attempt the SSP, but the only problem was that Kurt Angle was more than halfway across the ring. Brock's crazy ass attempted it anyway and in the process, completely missed Kurt and landed right on his head. A Holy Shit moment indeed! Brock was able to shake off the cobwebs and deliver an F5 for the victory, but that match will always be remembered for Brock nearly breaking his neck in half and that's a shame because they had a damn good match before Brock almost took his own life.
Honorable Mention: Jeff Hardy + Swanton + Ladder = Awesome (WM16)
Jeff Hardy had quickly gained a reputation as a young daredevil who would risk anything to win a match, but he upped the ante in his Wrestlemania debut during the classic Triangle Ladder Match. Jeff was brawling in the aisle with Bubba Ray Dudley when Jeff was able to gain the upper hand and place Bubba on a table set up in the aisle. Jeff then set up a huge ladder and climbed to the top of it while Bubba still laid motionless on the table. Jeff then came off the top of the ladder with a swanton bomb and drove Bubba Ray through the table. That is one of the craziest moments ever seen at Wrestlemania and even though Jeff has done even crazier things since that moment, that swanton will perhaps always go down as his defining moment.
Honorable Mention: The Hulkster hulks up once again (WM18)
At Wrestlemania 18, The Rock faced off against Hollywood Hogan in a match that the crowd was in a fever pitch for. Hogan was suppose to be the heel in this match, yet he was getting cheered immensely while The Rock was getting soundly booed. It seemed that The Rock had the match won when he delivered The Rock Bottom, but Hogan kicked out and began hulking up! This moment was absolutely surreal and it made the crowd (and me) start marking out like little girls to see The Hulkster hulking up in a WWE ring again. The Rock eventually won the match, but the sight of Hulk Hogan hulking up once again that night has never left me and I doubt it ever will.
10) Edge spears Foley through fire FACE FIRST (WM22)
When you think of the most insane moment in Wrestlemania history, how can you not think of this moment immediately? Sure, the TLC and ladder matches had a ridiculous amount of brutality, but this one moment surpassed all those in terms of sheer insanity. When I saw Mick Foley standing on the apron and Lita light the table on fire underneath him, I thought that Edge was simply going to knock Mick off the apron and through the table of fire (which honestly, would have been insane enough). But no, that wasn't enough for these two crazy bastards, as Edge speared Mick through the ropes and went FACE FIRST into the fire. I've seen a lot of people go through enflamed tables, but I don't ever recall seeing someone dive FACE FIRST into the flames. This was a moment that made me jump out of my seat and mark out like a little kid again and that alone makes it warrant a spot on this list.
9) Edge kills Jeff Hardy with a spear 20 ft. in the air (WM17)
Speaking of insane moments at Wrestlemania, this one instantly pops in my mind and while it may not have been as insane as the Foley/Edge moment, I believe this one is more memorable just because it looked so damn cool. Jeff Hardy had climbed across a few set-up ladders to grab onto the title belts, but Bubba Ray Dudley took the ladder from underneath Jeff's feet which left him hanging aimlessly in the air. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Edge jumped off a 20 foot ladder that was set up in the corner and speared Jeff to the mat below which is one of the coolest and sickest things I've ever seen. The visual of Jeff flailing his legs all around to try and maintain his grip while Edge soars off the ladder and spears him down to the mat is one that I always think about whenever Wrestlemania nears. This was just a great, unforgettable moment that was 28 different levels of cool.
8) Shawn splashes Razor from the top of a ladder (WM10)
This moment may seem tame in comparison to all the crazy shit we're use to seeing nowadays, but at the time seeing HBK soar off the top of the ladder to deliver a splash to Razor Ramon was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. The ladder match in itself is an epic, groundbreaking contest that led to many of the insane ladder matches we'd see in later years. But this one moment is the most famous image from that bout and a moment that is constantly shown on any HBK highlight reel. Even today, it is cool to watch this match and see that sweet splash by Michaels because it is one of those moments that is absolutely timeless.
7) The Warrior returns to help out the Hulkster (WM8)
Hulk Hogan faced off against the deranged Sid Justice in the main event of Wrestlemania 8 and everything broke down when the match was thrown out and Papa Shango (who is a guilty pleasure of mine) ran down to the ring to assist Sid in beating down The Hulkster. All of a sudden familiar music started to play and The Ultimate Warrior, who had been MIA for months, ran down to the ring to assist Hogan in warding off the evildoers. This was a great surprise moment that the fans weren't expecting and ended Wrestlemania 8 on a high note.
6) Austin turns heel and aligns with Mr. McMahon (WM17)
When you talk about shocking moments, this one has to rank near the top of your list. It had been rumored for months that the WWE planned to turn Austin heel, but who the hell would have expected them to pull the trigger in Austin's hometown of Texas and have him align with Mr. McMahon of all people?! Austin and The Rock were in the midst of a brutal battle over the WWE Title when Mr. McMahon sauntered down to ringside. Nobody knew what the hell he was out there for, but it soon became apparent as he began aiding Austin in trying to defeat The Rock. The Rock fought back valiantly against both men, but it was too much as Austin wailed on The Rock with a barrage of chairshots that finally put The Great One down for the three count. The image of Austin sharing a beer with McMahon after the match is one that will live in infamy and was definitely one of the most shocking moments in ‘Mania's history.
5) Shawn ziplines to his first WWE Title (WM12)
Shawn Michaels had a chance to realize his boyhood dream when he entered Wrestlemania 12 as the challenger to Bret Hart's WWE Title. Shawn didn't just enter the biggest match of his career in a normal fashion, though. Being the Showstopper that he is, Michaels' music hit and out came…..Jose Lothario?!? It was all a ruse, though, as Jose would point to rafters and HBK would zipline from the top of The Pond and go all the way down into the crowd. It was an unbelievable and awesome sight and coupled with the fact that he would go on to win the first WWE Title that night, it makes the moment that much more memorable.
4) Macho Man and Elizabeth reunite (WM7)
After his crushing defeat at the hands of Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 5, The Macho Man blamed Liz for everything and soon left her and aligned himself with Sensational Sherri. Soon dubbing themselves The Macho King and Queen Sherri, the duo tore through the WWE and Elizabeth seemed like an afterthought. That all changed at WM7, when Macho faced off against The Ultimate Warrior in a retirement match. The two men had a war brewing between them since The Royal Rumble when Macho cost Warrior his WWE Title to Sgt. Slaughter. The only way to resolve the intense rivalry was to make one of them leave the WWE for good and the result was this classic match. Warrior was able to beat Macho and after the match, Sherri beatdown the helpless Macho Man until Elizabeth, who was viewing the match from the crowd, ran to the ring and threw Sherri off of Savage. When Savage got up and realized that Liz had saved him from Sherri's assault, the two embraced in a moment that had every woman (and some men) in the house in tears. It was a genuine, feel-good moment and it felt like something straight out of Hollywood.
3) Austin refuses to quit with blood pouring out his head (WM13)
The submission match between Bret "Hitman" Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania 13 was about as personal as it gets. The only way to resolve the hatred between these two men was to have a submission match where the loser would have to utter the words, "I Quit" and thus prove his adversary to be the better man. They had a brutal match, where Bret focused on Austin's knee, but Austin fought back valiantly and seemed to have The Hitman beaten when he began choking him out, but Hitman responded by knocking Austin in the head with the ring bell. Austin, who was already a bloody mess, got opened up even more and before he even had a chance to recover from the bell shot, Bret locked in the Sharpshooter. Austin fought with all his might to get out of the hold and even broke it at one point, but Bret cinched it in tighter and Austin mustered all the strength he could to try to get out of the hold. Austin powered himself up on his arms and then, in an image that is etched in the mind of all wrestling fans, blood poured down his forehead and through his teeth as he screamed out in agony. Eventually the pain became too much and Austin passed out, but he never quit. That moment showcased the guts of Austin and was instrumental in turning him into one of, if not the most, popular wrestlers to ever live.
2) Benoit wins the World Title and embraces Eddie (WM20)
Chris Benoit had always been regarded by many fans to be the best technical wrestler of this generation, yet it seemed that Benoit would never get his chance to shine as a World Champion. That all changed at Wrestlemania XX when Benoit faced off against Triple H and Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Title. After a classic, grueling match, Benoit was able to lock in the Crippler Crossface to HHH and make The Game tap out thus giving Benoit his first world title. The look on Benoit's face after winning was full of overwhelming happiness and when Eddie Guerrero joined Benoit in the ring to congratulate his longtime friend, it resulted in an emotional moment that is easy to get any true wrestling fan choked up. There are very few times that I get emotional about anything, but I'm not ashamed to say that the image of Eddie embracing Benoit as both men stood as World Champions on the biggest wrestling show of the year is one that brought a tear to my eye.
1) Hulk Hogan slams Andre The Giant (WM3)
When you think of one of the most memorable and constantly shown moments in Wrestlemania history, one of the first to jump in your mind is the image of Hulk Hogan bodyslamming Andre The Giant. That one move, in my opinion, propelled Hulk Hogan from a highly popular wrestler into a worldwide phenomenon. Even people who don't follow wrestling in any kind of way have either seen or heard about this moment. Andre was always looked upon as unbeatable and immovable so when The Hulkster slammed him and defeated him, it turned him from a superstar to an icon. In the long career of Hogan, that's probably the most famous image of him and that's saying something. It has become the ultimate WrestleMania moment that fans of all ages know about and it will live in wrestling lore forever.
The Sign-Off
We're done here people. Please leave your feedback with the ushers at the door and be sure to come back next week when we conclude WrestleMania month with a SUPER-SIZED edition featuring The Top Twenty-Three WrestleMania Matches. That's right, not 10, not 20, but 23!! I can smell the excitement in the air, Oooooo Yeah! Dig it.
