As the decade comes to a close, it’s time to say goodbye to all the high and low moments. Before the decade concludes, here are the 30 most defining moments.
WWE Network Launches
TV has changed dramatically over the past 10 years thanks to streaming services and WWE also jumped on-board. Now, the WWE Network gives fans more wrestling than ever before for only $9.99 a month. And, that includes pay per views.
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Debuts
There were rumblings of a new alternative to WWE was coming and it turned out to be true. All Elite Wrestling are finally giving WWE some actual competition, which is what fans wanted.
CM Punk’s Pipebomb
There are many classic promos in pro wrestling, but few compare to CM Punk’s pipebomb. With his contract expiring, Punk took a live microphone and shared his brutally honest thoughts about WWE.
Becky Lynch Becomes “The Man”
Becky Lynch was always the odd person out, so WWE decided to turn her heel. Instead, fans embraced her like Steve Austin back in the day and she became “The Man.”
Women’s Revolution
After a social media push, female superstars were finally given the respect that was long overdue. They have accomplished so much in five years; like main eventing pay per views, having their own pay per view called Evolution and even headlining WrestleMania 35.
End Of An Era Match
Shawn Michaels, Triple H and The Undertaker are part of an older generation of wrestlers that are basically all gone. In one match, fans witnessed the End of an Era Match; concluding with all three embracing atop the ramp.
Seth Rollins Money In The Bank Cash-In At WrestleMania 31
Money in the Bank has been around for all almost 15 years, so most of the cash-in ideas have already been played out. Then, Seth Rollins became the first and only person to cash-in during the main event of WrestleMania.
The Shield Debuts
There have been some unforgettable wrestling stables and The Shield ranks up there. Their debut at Survivor Series seemed like a cool spot, but fans had no idea how dominant the three would become.
Kofi Kingston Fulfills A Dream By Becoming WWE Champion
Kofi Kingston always had the skills and charisma to be WWE Champion, but he never got the opportunity. Eventually, WWE listened to their fans and Kofi realized a dream in a defining WrestleMania moment.
Brock Lesnar Ends Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak
I do not think anyone thought that Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak would come to an end. So, when Brock Lesnar broke the streak, an entire stadium fell silent. For me, that was greatest and most shocking moment of the past decade.
Daniel Bryan’s Yes Movement Culminates At WrestleMania XXX
Daniel Bryan was not supposed to be in the main event of WrestleMania XXX. After the fans rallied behind Bryan’s Yes Movement, he did the impossible at the grandest stage by defeating Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista in one night.
CM Punk Appears On WWE Backstage
Once CM Punk walked out of WWE, it seemed like he would never return. While he is still not under contract with WWE, his surprise appearance on WWE Backstage had fans going nuts.
Dean Ambrose Leaves WWE, Ending The Shield
Dean Ambrose had enough of the lame storylines from WWE creative and decided to not re-sign, thus ending The Shield. He would later shock the world by signing with All Elite Wrestling.
CM Punk Quits WWE
CM Punk was not happy with WWE and many figured he would leave once his contract expired. Instead, he walked out of WWE while at the peak of his career.
CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, New Day And Pete Dunne Lengthy Title Reigns
WWE loves to have title changes; so much, that it dilutes the belts. Lately, we have seen the likes of CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, New Day and Pete Dunne hold their title for around one to two years. It brings more meaning to the gold.
NXT And NXT UK Steal The Spotlight
WWE’s main shows were always RAW and SmackDown. Then, they started putting focus on NXT and NXT UK, which have produced some of the best matches from the last 10 years.
Women Compete In Saudi Arabia
The entire Saudi Arabia – WWE deal has been controversial from the start. A positive to come from this is Natalya and Lacey Evans being the first women to compete in Saudi Arabia.
AJ Styles Finally Joins WWE
AJ Styles was the face and workhorse of Impact Wrestling. So his departure to eventually join WWE felt long overdue. Since then, Styles has become a huge star.
The Rock Returns Home To WWE
When The Rock left WWE for Hollywood, he would make a few pre-taped appearances. But, he still loves the business and even returned a few times to wrestle.
Roman Reigns Is In Remission
Roman Reigns stunned the WWE Universe when he revealed that his leukemia returned. Only a few people knew of his battle and it was gut-wrenching to learn. Thankfully, he is now in remission.
Downfall Of Impact Wrestling
There was a time when people thought Impact Wrestling was a real threat to WWE. Many foolish mistakes and the company nearly went under. They are still around, but a shell of what they once were.
Sting Joins WWE, Only To Be Severely Injured
Sting was the last major attraction from WCW to finally join WWE. Sadly, we only got a few matches as Sting was injured in a match with Seth Rollins and will likely never wrestle again.
UFC Stars Transition To WWE
We have seen a major influx of UFC fighters make the jump to WWE. Some have found major success such as Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey, while the likes of Matt Riddle and Shayna Baszler are starting to find their way towards the top.
Daniel Bryan Forced To Retire, Later Cleared To Return
Daniel Bryan accomplished an unthinkable dream by becoming champion at WrestleMania. He would retire less than two years later due to injuries, but thankfully he was eventually cleared to return. The Yes Movement cannot be stopped.
John Cena Ties Ric Flair’s Record For 16 World Title Reigns
Ric Flair has the honor of being a 16 time World Champion, which seemed like an unbeatable feat. Now, John Cena has tied the record and will likely reach number 17 before he retires.
Edge Forced Into Retirement
When booking a retirement match, many superstars like to go out at WrestleMania. That’s what happened with Edge, but he didn’t know at the time he competing in his final match. But, there are rumors of a potential return.
Hulk Hogan Fired Over Racist Remarks
Hulk Hogan is one of the biggest stars in all of pro wrestling and he was famously fired after a sex taped was leaked; which contained racist remarks. Eventually, WWE forgave Hogan and he returned.
NXT Vs. AEW
20 years ago, we had the Monday Night Wars with WWE taking on WCW. Now, it’s NXT (a brand of WWE) taking on the newbies known as All Elite Wrestling.
Superstars Have Private Moments Leaked
With the internet comes dangers and many WWE superstars found this out the hard way. Nobody has it worse then Paige, who had lots of private videos leaked online.
Ultimate Warrior Passes Away Days After HOF Induction
Many greats passed away in the last 10 years and the most shocking might be the Ultimate Warrior. He had recently made peace with WWE and was inducted into their Hall of Fame days before his sudden passing.
