Every few years, wrestling goes through a lull where it essentially becomes boring and unwatchable. Horrible storylines, horrible writing, ultimately leading to horrible in-ring work. 1983 was one of those years (just before Hogan came to WWF and Vince Jr. took over his father’s business), 1993 was another (before ECW got extreme and WWF had cartoon characters instead of sports-entertainers), and 2004 (one word: Eugene). It looks like 2010 is going to be one of those years as well and possibly 2011.
So I needed a reminder of why I am a wrestling fan for going on 25 years now.
With so many moments in wrestling etched into my memory, it was tough to choose only 10. Hence, I chose 40. These are the most memorable moments in wrestling history to me. Some were good, some were bad, but they all were shocking to me. So here are the Most Shocking Moments In Wrestling according to me.
PART 1
#40. THE STREAK
Undefeated streaks in pro wrestling don’t mean a whole hell of a lot. How many choreographed matches with predetermined outcomes you can win in a row, isn’t really much to brag about. Yes, Goldberg had a memorable undefeated streak, but then again, so did Tatanka.
There is only one streak that matters in sports-entertainment and that belongs to the legendary Undertaker. The Deadman’s Wrestlemania undefeated streak is worth noting because it is a testament to how great a performer he is. Beginning in 1991 when he defeated “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, he has been carrying an 18-0 record on the grandest stage of them all with no end in sight. Interesting to note that before that match at Wrestlemania VII, Gorilla Monsoon called Snuka: “The Phenom”. His first few wins (Snuka, Jake The Snake, & King Kong Bundy), were against veterans who needed to pass the torch and get ‘Taker over. As the streak continued he got victories over everyone from rising stars (Randy Orton, Batista) to legends (Ric Flair), giants (Kane, Big Show, Mark Henry) and the biggest stars in the biz (Triple H, Edge, Shawn Michaels).
The Undertaker is one of the all time greats in this business and The Streak is a legacy that will never be repeated. No wrestler in history or in the future will ever receive such an honor, an honor that Mark Calloway has earned. As Undertaker enters most likely the end of his career the question looms, will anyone end the streak? Losing to a veteran or legend doesn’t make sense. Losing to a young star to elevate them is more likely, but you never really know what road lies ahead for them.
#39. JEFF HARDY GETS BUSTED
Jeff Hardy has always been a free spirit. Like many performers in the industry, he has had his “demons” which he dealt with substance abuse.
In 2003, he had a Wellness Policy violation which got him suspended. WWE ordered him to rehab and he refused. Because of his refusal, Jeff Hardy was then released by WWE and shortly thereafter, arrived in TNA. A few years later in 2006, he returned to Raw. Eventually, he had another violation and was suspended yet again. If he was suspended a third time, he would forever join the “future endeavors club”.
At the end of 2008, he finally got the big push and defeated Triple H & Edge and became WWE Champion. In 2009, after a few more reigns as World Heavyweight Champion, he began feuding with CM Punk. Punk had just turned heel and was preaching his Straight Edge message and condemned Hardy on camera for his off camera problems with addiction. Eventually, Hardy lost to Punk as his contract expired. He left WWE to “take a break” and focus on life outside of wrestling.
A month into his break from wrestling, police raided Hardy’s house and found hundreds of prescription pills like Vicodin & Soma, anabolic steroids, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on possession & charges of drug trafficking.
Hardy has not returned to WWE since the incident and currently is working for TNA (despite his negative comments about the company in the past). His case is still pending in court.
#38. LOVE TRIANGLE
Matt Hardy & Lita were a real couple both on screen and off. They were immensely popular together. Things seemed to be happy for the couple.
In 2004, Matt tore the ACL in his right knee and was going to be out of action for nearly a year. During his recovery time, he was released from the company. Lita was still working for WWE during his absence. So in addition to being injured, losing his job, he also can’t see the woman he loves. It turns out, Lita was keeping her time occupied with another in Hardy’s absence; his close friend and in ring rival Edge.
News broke on the internet about the story. Edge had just turned heel so the timing actually worked in his favor. During an episode of Byte This on WWE.com, Matt Hardy (who was still not a part of the company), called in and berated Edge and kept asking Lita why she did what she did. Hardy kept calling them Amy and Adam (Lita & Edge's real names) during the broadcast. It was a very intense and personal moment. The internet was going crazy over the story.
Matt Hardy eventually was brought back to the company after reconciling with both Edge & Lita, and even worked the situation into a very personal on camera angle. Fans were into it because it was real. Reality storylines are definitely more interesting, but I always wondered how Hardy could actually go through with the angle.
In the end, Edge became a big star and the company’s top heel, Lita quit wrestling after her and Edge broke up, and WWE has no idea what to do with Matt Hardy while he remains stuck in mid-card hell.
#37. A 800 POUND SUPER-PLEX
Brock Lesnar was a beast. Like any beast, it’s almost a rite of passage to see if you can take down the biggest animal in the jungle. In WWE, that would be The Big Show.
They had a heated rivalry in 2004. Lesnar could pick up Show and even deliver his finisher, the F5, to him. But on an episode of Smackdown, something happened NO ONE was expecting.
For some reason, Big Show ended up on the top rope. Lesnar stopped him and climbed up with him. The crowd quickly rose to their feet. What was he going to do? He’s not…NO…he can’t super-plex Big Show! Lesnar was near 300 lbs with Show being well over 500 lbs. Lesnar picks up the World’s Largest Athlete in a super-plex, as the fall to the ring, the flashbulbs go off in the crowd. Then they crash to the mat, and the ring EXPLODES! The ring collapses, the ropes topple over, and the ref falls on his ass. Even Tazz dropped a “Holy shit” on TV from the shock.
Today, Brock has left his WWE days long behind him and is currently the UFC heavyweight champion. He did have a very successful career in sports-entertainment as a multi-time champion and leaving one very iconic moment.
#36. THE TAIPEI DEATH MATCH
Some match ideas should never be repeated…this is one of them.
In 1995 at ECW Hardcore Heaven, Paul Heyman threw together the idea to have a match with brothers Axl & Ian Rotten that would go down as one of the most violent matches of all time. In a Taipei Death Match, the participants first tape their fists with athletic tape. Generally in a Taped Fist Match, punches are thrown with a little more velocity to add to the “realism”. Well once the Rottens’ fists were taped, they were then dipped in glue and covered with pieces of broken glass.
Of course, you can cut yourself or someone with broken glass. But when random pieces of random shapes, sizes, and sharpness are glued to parts of your hands, there really is no way to control where or how badly you will make your opponent bleed.
Axl & Ian looked like a couple of used tampons on Day 2 of a period when the match was over. This was the bloodiest match I’ve ever seen. Even during the most hardcore days of hardcore wrestling, there was never another Taipei Death Match. I think this is a good thing.
#35. DAM THE CENATION
In 2006, Rob Van Dam won the Money In The Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 22. This was also the same year that it was announced that not only would there be another ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view, but the organization would be coming back full time. RVD announced on Raw that he was going to cash in his championship opportunity at ECW’s re-launch pay-per-view against WWE champion and golden boy, John Cena.
There was a big difference between 2005’s ECW One Night Stand and 2006’s. ‘05’s was intended to be a one-off reunion show so Vince gave Paul Heyman full creative control of the show; and you can totally tell. ’06 was a different story. Paul was running the show, but Vince had the final say; and it shows. The matches were a lot more tame than the previous year; with the exception of the Dreamer/Funk/Beulah Vs Edge/Foley/Lita match.
But there was one thing Vince could not control: the ECW fans.
The tone of the night was set with one poster that was draped from the first row in the balcony seats. The sign read, “If Cena Wins, We Riot”. I believe 100%, that if he did win, violence would erupt. This was not a WWE friendly crowd. This was the diehard, hardcore, cult-like fans of ECW. RVD was their savior and Cena was the Anti-Christ. But when the biggest star in WWE came to the ring (Cena), he received more than just an aggressive round of boos.
He took off his shirt and threw it into the crowd. For the first time ever, and since, they through it back…several times. There was lots of “you suck” chants from the always vocal crowd. Then they got worse. Fans chanted “you can’t wrestle”, if he hit one of his signature moves you heard “same old shit”, and of course “fuck you Cena”.
Eventually, RVD won the title and the crowd exploded with cheers. For years, he was considered the greatest wrestler to never be world champion. On this night, he reached the top of the mountain.
This was hands down the scariest wrestling crowd ever.
#34. SHANE DOUGLAS DISSES THE NWA
Before it was Extreme Championship Wrestling, NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling was a regional promotion in Philadelphia. Paul Heyman wanted to break away from the NWA and have ECW stand on its own.
The NWA World Heavyweight Championship has a long history which can be traced back to the early 1900s. It was last seen in what eventually became WCW where guys like Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham & Ric Flair held the belt.
A tournament was set to crown a new NWA champion. In the finals, Shane Douglas defeated 2 Cold Scorpio. Douglas took the belt in hand; he also took the microphone. He delivered a promo that shook the wrestling world. He praised the NWA for its rich history and acknowledged those who came before him. Then he threw the belt down and said he would not carry on that lineage and told those former champions and the organization, “to all kiss…my…ass!”
He stated that the NWA was a dead promotion and that ECW was the future of wrestling. Instead of being crowned the NWA world heavyweight champion, he declared himself the new ECW champion. The shocked crowd broke into erupting applause and began chanting “E-C-W…E-C-W…E-C-W…”
Paul Heyman broke ties with the National Wrestling Alliance after this night and the hardcore revolution of ECW began!
#33. CACTUS JACK LOSES AN EAR
Almost a decade before he got thrown off a cage, Mick Foley was cementing his legacy as a hardcore legend wherever he could get booked.
One night during a WCW tour of Germany, Foley wrestling as Cactus Jack, had a match with the 450 lb Vader. Foley used to do a spot where someone would throw him into the ropes, when he hit, he would fling himself over in a way that he would end up hanging himself in the ropes by his neck (safely). Earlier in the night, a wrestler complained that the ropes were too loose and the ring crew had come down to tighten them in between matches. Apparently, they tightened them a little too much.
As Foley was in the ropes, they began to legitimately choke him. Foley struggled to free himself, but they got stuck under his left ear. He was able to free himself, but two-thirds of his ear was ripped off. Fans gasped as he bled profusely out of what used to be his ear.
After the match, Foley had the detached part of his ear reattached. To this day, his ear remains deformed from the incident.
#32. MADUSA TRASHES WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
In 1993, the WWF reinstated the Women’s Championship and crowned Debra Miceli as champion. In WCW, she wrestled as Madusa and in WWF she went under the name Alundra Blayze. She was a very talented wrestler, but unfortunately, had no one as talented to work with in WWF. In 1995, when her contract with WWF was up, she returned to WCW…with her former company’s belt.
On a live episode of WCW Monday Nitro, she walked up to the announce booth with Steve McMichael, Bobby Heenan, and Eric Bischoff. In one hand was a small trash bucket, in the other was the WWF Women’s Championship. On live TV, she threw the belt in the trash declaring that the belt was “garbage”. A few years earlier, Ric Flair came to WWF with the WCW Championship belt and carried it around. Flair believed that he “owned” the belt, which technically, he did. But he never disrespected it on TV. Bischoff claimed that by convincing Madusa (against her will) to throw the WWF Women’s Championship in the garbage was payback of some sort for Flair and to make a statement in the Monday night war.
Madusa didn’t do a whole heck of a lot in WCW after that. She has openly admitted that she regretted the infamous act.
Today, the WWE Women’s Championship, metaphorically speaking, is still in the garbage and has been for years.
#31. SID VICIOUS SNAPS
"Psycho" Sid Vicious has always been a little on edge. One night on WCW Nitro, part of him just snapped.
Sid bounced back and forth between WWF & WCW during the 1990s winning each company's heavyweight championship on more than one occasion.
In 2001, WCW was getting killed in the Monday night war with WWF and was months away from going out of business. At the Sin pay-per-view in January, the main event featured a 4-way match between Vicious, Scott Steiner, Jeff Jarrett & Road Warrior Animal for the WCW Championship.
The rumor was that backstage, a few WCW officials told Sid to "expand his arsenal" and try some new moves in the ring. Sid was perched on the second rope when Steiner turned around. Sid leaped off the rope and kicked Steiner in the face with his right foot and landed on his left. Sid quickly fell to the ground. Many thought Sid just slipped and fell upon landing. However that was not the case.
On impact, Sid Vicious fractured his lower leg by breaking his tibia and fibula bones in half. One of the bones even poked through the skin. I had never known about the injury because I was mostly watching WWF Monday Night Raw. For some reason I tuned into the Nitro right after the Sin pay-per-view and the aired the injury.
This was hands down, the worst injury I have ever seen in wrestling. It was reminiscent of when Lawerence Taylor broke Joe Theisman's leg on Monday Night Football.
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