One of the great joys of being a professional wrestling fan is catching those WWE moments when a wrestler elevates their game to new heights. A lot of times, it may not be immediately apparent, but hindsight reveals them to be landmark events that set a wrestler off on a phenomenal path to success. Whether it be a promo, a match, or just an opportunity, here are 10 of the most memorable moments that sparked a huge run.
10. Cena Brings Ruthless Aggression
Yes, if we’re talking legendary runs in WWE, few were as long and decorated as John Cena’s. So why isn’t this moment ranked higher? Well, in Cena’s case, it wasn’t one moment in particular that triggered his rise. And as memorable as this moment was, it didn’t exactly shoot Cena to main event status.
He lumbered around the midcard scene for a while before eventually adopting his “Doctor of Thuganomics” persona that caught on and began his gradual ascension. Still, this moment warrants a spot on the list for opening the door to Cena’s main roster run and its place in history as one of the most iconic moments of the Ruthless Aggression era.
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9. Warrior Runs Through The Honky Tonk Man
Few things in wrestling can generate a massive crowd response like a good mystery opponent. Honky Tonk Man, smack-dab in the middle of a legendary IC title run of his own, gave in to his hubris and called for anyone in the back to challenge him at the inaugural SummerSlam.
The eruption when The Ultimate Warrior’s music hit was massive, and less than a minute later he had dethroned the champ and established himself as one of the company’s fastest rising stars. The momentum of this victory would help Warrior continue running his way up the ranks and within two years, he’d be on top of the world defeating Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship at Wrestlemania VI.
8. Becky Becomes The Man
In the summer of 2018, WWE had no idea of the storm that was brewing with Becky Lynch. An afterthought in the women’s division for a while, Becky had been set up as little more than a means of elevating Charlotte Flair on her eventual collision course with Ronda Rousey. This was a gross miscalculation that came to a head at SummerSlam 2018.
After losing to Charlotte and attacking her after the bell, the crowd swiftly made their voices and adoration for Becky heard. This carried over into the weeks that followed when the company tried its damndest to make Becky a hated figure and the crowd wasn’t having any of it. Becky capitalized on her newfound aggressiveness as “The Man” and would go on to make history the very next year as the first woman to win the main event of Wrestlemania.
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7. HBK At The Barber Shop
Here we have one of the most legendary heel turns of all time. Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty had been exhilarating audiences for years as the young upstart tag team, The Rockers. But as 1992 rolled around, large cracks had been forming in their partnership.
On a memorable edition of Brutus Beefcake’s Barber Shop, the duo had appeared to put their differences aside when Shawn suddenly kicked Marty in the face and threw him through the set’s glass window. Shawn left no doubt what his ambitions were: he intended to go straight to the top all on his own. What spawned from this moment was one of the most storied in-ring careers the WWE would ever see.
6. HHH Goes Corporate
Wrestlemania XV would prove to be a pivotal night in the career of one Hunter Hearst Helmsley. His match against Kane saw him reuniting with his former manager, Chyna, in what appeared to be her reuniting with D-Generation X after recently betraying them to join The Corporation.
This reunion was short-lived, however, as the true nature of their actions was revealed later that evening where HHH would cost his stablemate, X-Pac, his match against Shane McMahon. Chyna wasn’t rejoining DX, HHH was joining The Corporation. This move would ignite a new level of success for “The Cerebral Assassin”, as within a few months he would capture the first of his 14 world championships. It was just the tip of the iceberg for the man who now sits atop the WWE as the head of creative.
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5. Rollins Betrays The Shield
This moment is particularly important as it can be argued it triggered not one, but three legendary runs. The trio of Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns, collectively known as The Shield, had run roughshod over the WWE since they debuted and had become incredibly popular in the process. But as with any great stable, the speculation had begun as to who would be the member to go rogue and set out to make it on their own.
That man wound up being Rollins, as he took a chair to his fellow stablemates in a shocking turn of events. But there was a silver lining in this betrayal, as all three wrestlers would go on to enjoy enormous success as singles stars. With multiple world title reigns between them (including Reigns’ legendary run as The Tribal Chief), they remain three of the biggest stars in the industry and the cornerstones of a generation.
4. Punk’s Pipebomb
A top contender for the most infamous promo ever cut on WWE TV, CM Punk’s “Pipebomb” set the wrestling world on fire in 2011. Pulling back the curtain in ways that were rarely seen in the company at the time, the promo put everyone on notice and brought an immense level of intrigue leading into his WWE Championship match at that year’s Money in the Bank.
Even though his contract was up that night, he left victorious with the title and an undeniable status as the most talked-about name in the business. What followed was one of the hottest runs in modern WWE history, which included a 434-day reign as champion. As divisive a figure as he can be, there is no denying this moment’s impact on the modern wrestling landscape.
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3. The Rock Joins The Nation
“Die Rocky Die!” This was the phrase that would torment a young superstar named Rocky Maivia as the crowd would rain it down on him despite his best efforts to please them. Frustrated and fed up, Maivia seized the opportunity when coming back from an injury to change course and join up with the villainous Nation of Domination stable.
This turn of events would give rise to the most electrifying man in sports and entertainment, The Rock. Showcasing a newfound swagger and charisma, The Rock would become one of the most consistently entertaining talents the company would ever see. And, of course, he’d parlay that success into even more notoriety as one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
2. Austin 3:16 Is Born
Few people could have guessed just what a landmark event in wrestling history the 1996 King of the Ring would turn out to be. Up to this point, Stone Cold Steve Austin had yet to find his footing in the WWE, mostly relegated to being a good hand in the ring. That all changed when he went on to win the King of the Ring tournament and took the opportunity to address the crowd.
His declaration of “Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass” signaled the arrival of a new star that would kick down the door to a whole new era. Brash, edgy, and uncompromising, Austin was exactly the right man at exactly the right time to set off the most financially successful run the WWE had ever seen. And he was leading the charge with middle fingers firmly pointed to the sky.
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1. Hogan Ushers In A New Era
Professional wrestling was an entirely different beast before 1984. Still splintered into several different territories, Vince McMahon was looking to change all that and turn his company into an all-powerful juggernaut. He just needed the right centerpiece to bring it all together.
Enter Hulk Hogan.
Having just arrived in the company, Hogan was immediately thrust into the main event scene and challenged The Iron Shiek for the WWF Championship. In short order, he claimed the title and signaled the beginning of a complete overhaul of the industry. Hulkamania was born, the territory system would fall by the wayside, and professional wrestling would never be the same again.
