Reader Feedback: Your Favorite Moments in Wrestling History

These are just a sampling of the emails I’ve received for “My 29 Favorite Moments in Wrestling History” column from last week. I got nearly 100 emails about it, plus all the comments on this blog and on Facebook, so I appreciate all of you that took the time to send me feedback. The reader comments will appear in blue while mine will follow. I don’t think I’ll be posting too many comments. It’s more like something where I just want these people to have a forum to talk about the moments that meant something to them. It’s not about me. It’s about us as fans.

On another note, I’ll be posting some news & notes from the most recent issues from the Wrestling Observer and Figure Four Weekly newsletters later tonight as well as the next series of polls in the 2009 WWE Johnny Awards. Enjoy.

John,
I’ve been reading your columns pretty regularly for a while now, and I’ve got to say that I’m a big fan. I just got done reading your 29 Favorite Moments column, and I really enjoyed it. What I’m wondering is, how could Triple H’s return in 2002 at MSG not even make the honorable mentions? I still get goosebumps when I hear the crowd pop when his music hits, and then gets even louder when he walks through the curtain. I’m nowhere near as big a fan of his as I was from late ’97 to ’01 for a multitude of reasons, but seeing the clip of his return from quad surgery really takes me back.

Rick from NC

It was a very good moment. Maybe it would make my top 50, but not higher than that. I guess the reason why I frown on it a bit is that what followed was a time period with him as the top face that didn’t really work well. The feud with Jericho was more about him and his girlfriend at the time (Stephanie), which hurt Mania in my eyes. The stuff that followed wasn’t very good either. To his credit, he realized it and turned heel in the summer. I guess I’ve just never thought of him in the same way I do my true favorite. Not like I dislike the guy. I just don’t think of his moments in terms of the best. My favorite HHH moment would probably be the 2000 Royal Rumble match against Cactus Jack. I thought it was ***** and made me realize that he was indeed ready to be a main eventer. Best match of his career.

Hello! Your top 29 list column was great. I enjoy reading pieces like that because it’s always nice to reminisce about what wrestling use to be when it was huge. I’m 28 and I caught onto wrestling when I was about 14, mostly from the Shawn Michael vs Razor Ramon Summerslam ladder match. And I have to admit that I got chills reading some of your moments because I clearly remember watching them on TV when my fandom was really growing: the DX/Nation skit (which you know I must have loved based on my email address), Austin doing a stunner to Vince (especially because of the way Vince sold it), and the Hardys/E&C ladder match (watching this on DVD is crazy because the crowd is so silent during their entrances, and they have NO IDEA what they’re about to see).

The strongest feeling I got out of your list, though, was frustration. I remember being so amped to watch Raw every single Monday, and eventually Smackdown every Thursday. I was able to get some very pessimistic friends really into WWF at the time because it truly was THAT GOOD. But for the past few years, my patience with the product has dwindled so much that I’ll remember that Raw was on when I go to Rajah.com on a Tuesday morning and someone posted the results! I don’t even remember to watch anymore! And like you said in your column’s opening, I’m a die-hard in the same way in that there’s no way I can (or want to) let go. I still follow what’s going on, but taking 5 hours out of my week to sit down and watch feels like a chore instead of fun.

I’m a huge Chikara fan right now, and I get excited for every show they have (luckily, I’m from the Philadelphia area). So my quota for wrestling love gets filled every month with solid storylines and an extremely fun, fan-friendly product. And sometimes I feel bad that I’m not following WWE because I don’t want to seem like a bandwagon jumper when they finally hit their stride again. You KNOW they will at some point, because we know that wrestling, just like your favorite sports teams, work in cycles (except for the Pittsburgh Pirates, that is). While reading your column, frustration really set in after the DX skit recap, because that’s what really made me remember how much I, and so many other fans, truly cared. It’s almost a shame to see their ratings barely scraping by on 3’s when they used to be getting 4’s and even 5’s in the late 90’s.

I kinda lost my train of thought there, but I just want to say thank you for writing that and making me remember why I really do love wrestling after all these years. I pretty much said I was done with WWE after the Undertaker/HBK match at Wrestlemania 25. But when WWE dangles the likes of CM Punk title pushes and the chances of Bryan Danielson being brought up soon, coupled with an article like yours, they get me to the brink of making me a fan again. And then they throw Hornswoggle on my TV for 30 minutes on Raw, and decide that they need to change the formulas for Smackdown and ECW even though they’re the most wrestling-based shows of the 3 right now. An article like yours is definitely keeping some fans in check right now to make sure that they stick around for the next big thing that comes along.

Thanks,
Michael

Good stuff. I agree with a lot of that. It’s hard to stay into the business as we did say ten years ago when there was a better product, but through my writing I get to interact with a lot of good wrestling fans like you. It makes it worthwhile.

John,
It’s funny, as I read your top 29 moments I had a few that popped into my head. A few of those you ended up mentioning in your post script.

Shane McMahon on WCW. Despite the fact that they screwed up the Invasion, horribly, that was a really defining moment. Yes WCW had already lost by that point, but the fact that they sold out to Vince and not to another company seeking to continue the challenge was amazing. It’s like the Yankees buying the Red Sox after the Sox just give up. It may have been blown in the long run, but that night was a defining moment (partially because it was really the start of WWFs downward spiral into blandness). If I remember correctly another little note from that night was that WWE let Flair and Sting have one last match. The match wasn’t too memorable, but the WWE being respectful is.

Hogan v Rock at Mania. What can you say? We’re lucky we got to see it.

I tried to think of something Trish related too, but nothing really stood out. She is THE WWE Diva and should have a defining moment though.

One thing that wasn’t on your list is something semi personal to me. It would be nice if you recapped the event sometime in a column. Survivor Series 1998. The Rock wins his first World Title. It’s not so much that the matches were good or that this lead to a great set of stories (actually I think they missed out on some really good chances by growing the “Corporation” so big). But the Rock was one of the defining wrestlers from that era – with Stone Cold and HHH. He had moved into face territory and became one of the few guys fans wanted to root for, outside of Austin and Mankind. And then he swiftly turned heel again. Yes it was a rehash of the Screwjob, with Shane counting in favor of the Rock. But it brought back memories of Mania 4 and that tournament, especially that the names we expected weren’t in the final. And of course it was very important to me because I was 18 at the time, right in the core of the WWE “Attitude” demo and I was there – with great seats. It’s a night I will never forget. I was a big Rock honk since he started as Rocky Maivia. I thought he had a great look and had huge potential then. And he kept getting better. I only wish he had stayed with wrestling.

I’ve been very fortunate. I was at that match, and then at two other “greatest moments” on your list. Well, one of them I wouldn’t call fortunate. It was heartbreaking to be at the OH tribute the night after his death. I have a friend who was at the show where he died. That whole thing was just surreal. The other moment was the Bad Blood HIAC. Oddly enough that was one of the first dates I had with my now wife. Great match, and interesting debut of Kane – who I just learned somewhat hails from my area. Anyway, good read.

RCJ

I loved the Rock heel turn at Survivor Series 1998. I totally didn’t see it coming. It was one of those, “wow I’m fucking shocked” moments and also one that I loved. Two months earlier I saw him live at the Breakdown PPV and we were going nuts with him. He was getting over as a face. Then they turned him, but it really only lasted about six months. Great moment. I do need to get to reviewing those 1998 PPVs. There are some goodies there.

As for Trish related moments, I’d go with the heel turn at WM20 and basically the whole feud with Mickie as her best stuff. I’d say the dog parking segment is most memorable.

Hi John,
I just wanted to thank you on your 29 favourite moments column. it brought up a lot of memories for me and i teared up several times reading it. I just want you to know that your journalistic efforts are not going undetected and a lot of us wrestling fans appreciate the hard work and time you put into your columns. When reading your 29 column i was constantly welled up, and i wish that more people could write about pro wrestling in such a personal way. Growing up the same age as you i appreciate and infinitely respect your opinions as a wrestling columnist and fan, and cant wait to read your future articles.

Anonymous

He asked to be listed as anonymous. It was Vince McMahon. He tears up reading my stuff. Thanks Vince. I love you, big guy.

Hi John,
I just thought I would drop you a line about your latest column “My 29 Favorite Moments in Wrestling History”. I have been reading your stuff at Rajah for quite a while now and really enjoy your takes on the business. I share many of your views of pro wrestling and your analysis of the business is right on. We have a lot in common when it comes to pro wrestling…I’m slightly older than you are (34) but am a good ol’ canadian kid who grew up watching wrestling and fell in love from an early age. I being from Edmonton grew up with the greats from Stampede and later on WWF/E. My all time favorites are Stone Cold, Bret and Owen Hart, Mick Foley, Chris Benoit and although I was a Jannetty fan when the Rockers were together I agree that Shawn Michaels may go down as the best in ring performer of all time (at least in our generation) so we also have that in common. The only thing I have never liked about Michaels is his backstage politics and his refusals early in his career to lay down when required. That said though, there is no denying the in ring performances of HBK and his contributions to the business. I thought the whole list was worthy and most of those moments also stick out to me as well. My list would be strikingly similar to yours if I ever was to take the time to write it.

When I read number one I had to write this because it is also my number one favorite moment in wrestling. Your explanation of that match was bang on, it was a match where everything that we love about wrestling was incorporated. I still mark out every time I see the clip of Austin screaming with the blood pouring out of his head. That was the match where Stone Cold really became “the man” to me. Man, I sure wish he was still wrestling…I would also have some personal ones such as sitting/standing row 2 for a Raw in Calgary where Austin and McMahon were both tapping to Jericho and Benoit at the end of the show. After Raw went off the air both Jericho and Benoit gave kudos and thanks to Stu Hart (sitting at the other end of row 2). Once the crowd started filing out my buddy and I went to the other end of the row and got to meet Stu Hart and get his autograph on our ticket stubs. Definite moment for me. The other great moment I had was in 2004 also in Calgary where after Raw my friend and I went to a bar to watch Jericho’s band Fozzy play. The bar was empty that night as the Flames were in Game 7 with Vancouver on their improbable run to the Cup that year. My buddy and I spent the rest of the night partying with the likes of Stacy Kiebler, Nidia, Shelton Benjamin, Christian, Edge, Matt Hardy, Lita, Lance Storm, Johnny Nitro/Morrison, Brian Christopher/Lawler, and Jericho. Awesome night, I ending up having a shooter with Stacy Kiebler and ended up drunker than I care to remember but I will never forget that night. Very similar to your Andre moment but with booze…I was also at WMX8 in Toronto although my seats were not great and made for not seeing the matches too well but the atmosphere was unbelievable. Anyway, to close out I just want to say keep up the great work, your columns are one of the things I never miss at Rajah. I especially like your historical columns as you bring out the “fan in yourself” in your columns and it shows. That is the reason why I enjoyed this column so much, you are just a true fan of wrestling who writes with the passion of a true fan.

On a side note, I understand where you are coming from with Chris Benoit and I can’t blame anyone for feeling the way they do about such a horrible incident. My take however was that Benoit was severely brain damaged and probably was not in the greatest of minds when he did what he did. I prefer however to remember all of the great things he did in his wrestling career and not the events of one day in that life. I am biased of course being from Edmonton and having met Chris at WMX8 (I have a picture of me with the belt on my shoulder next to Benoit) and even though I hate what he did I do not want to see history forgotten and his contributions stricken from memory banks and records. I feel as if the entire wrestling community has forgotten what he did in the business and is trying to pretend that he never existed and that to me is a shame.

Thanks
Ryan B

Awesome email. Regarding Benoit, I won’t forget him. I can’t. However, those moments like Jericho/Benoit beating Austin/HHH, Benoit/Austin in Edmonton on Smackdown, the 2004 Rumble or WrestleMania 20 don’t resonate with me like they once did. They just don’t. I can’t be emotionally invested when I watch them like I did in their original airing because that man committed a heinous murder on two innocent people. He may have been sick. He probably was. Doesn’t erase what happened or what I feel about it. Maybe I’m stubborn about the whole thing. Not sure. That’s just how I feel.

The greatest 3 minutes or less was rock/hogan at wm18. I am 31 years old, and I have been watching wrestling for 24 years, and I have never heard a crowd “POP” the way they did. I was at that event live, in the upperdeck, but I did not realize how powerful it was till I saw the dvd. It gives me goosebumps watching it, the part where hogan throws the rock down twice to start the match. I have always been a huge mark for the heel who can “kill hulkamania”, but that one night changed my perception. Thanks.

Saddicks

I know I omitted that one. I probably should have included it. It was pretty special, even I can admit that as somebody that never loved Hogan. No comment on the name. Please.

I would have to say one of my favorite moments was the first time The Rock and Hulk Hogan had a stare down. I had just started watching wrestling because I had heard of Stone Cold and I saw this. Hulk Hogan was the most prominent wrestler to me which made me think wrestling would still be gimmick-based. This showed me the difference between the old (Hogan) and the new (Rock) and got me more interested in wrestling. Been hooked ever since.

Matt Daugherty

That’s a good one, yeah. A lot of people remember WrestleMania obviously, but the moment on Raw is forgotten. It was pretty special. They are both very skilled in the art of staring.

John,
I would like to thank you personally for writing “My 29 Favorite Moments In Wrestling History”. It was an absolutely fantastic read with great insight from somebody who has obviously put a lot of time in front of an illegal cable box!

I have watched wrestling my entire life…I’m only three years younger than you so we got to experience things in comparably the same mindset. I still remember my late father getting his buddy from work to tape WWF PPVs and giving my brother and I the tape on Monday after school. No matter how disenchanted I have become with the recent product, wrestling has always been a big part of my life and has always been something I’ve gotten a lot of happiness from.

I pretty much agree with your favorite moments every step of the way…I remember all of them vividly in my head. The only moment not on the list that I remember like it was yesterday was the debut of “The Radicalz” in January 2000. It actually happened on my birthday and I missed it because I was at a local Nitro show! When I watched the replay, I remember getting goosebumps when Benoit, Guerrero, Saturn and Malenko all hit finishers on the New Age Outlaws. I still get them when I re-watch it, even though it wasn’t very monumental and (like you) my memories of Chris Benoit have been gravely affected.

Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to your future blogs!

Eric Munley
Owner/Webmaster
MMAMoneyLine

The Radicals debut was great and a huge moment in the WWF/WCW battle. Kind of like the nail in the coffin for WCW because once they lost those four good workers they became really thin and you knew as fans that they were headed in the wrong direction.

I miss my illegal cable box a lot. I hate having to actually pay for stuff now. It sickens me! And as I’ve told Eric personally, MMAMoneyline’s a site I use to help place my MMA bets. It’s pretty cool that he randomly emailed me like this considering I’m a frequent visitor of that site.

Howdy John,
Tremendous list! I’ve been a wrestling fan for almost 30 years and I can honestly say that I have no disagreements with you on your list. I would have picked those moments as well if I were to compile my own list. I do agree with you on WM 17 as the best PPV the WWE has ever put on. For the #1 match, you really could have picked any of either a) Rock/Austin or b) Austin/Bret matches. But, like you said, it’s your list. You wouldn’t get much argument from me on the match you picked.

It was nice to see a couple Nitro moments put in there. I watched both Raw and Nitro during the glory days of the 90’s and it was nice to see the ultimate swerve put on your list (hogan turning heel) and Flair’s rant against Bischoff. I still have that rant on tape and watch it now and again.

There are just a couple of moments that I would have added to the list…With only 29 to pick from, it would be difficult and good moments had to be left off.

1) Austin giving Vince and the corporation the beer bath — I could watch that over and over again. Maybe a possible future list could be the top 29 Austin moments.

2) I know you aren’t much of a HHH fan (Hell, I’m not much either anymore) but one of the lasting moments to me of his is the pop he got when he came back from his first quad injury. To hear his entrance music at the time playing and the crowd going absolutely nuts for him still gives me chills.

3) I did go to WM 3 at the Silverdome so the following 2 matches I would add to my own personal list.

First one is obviously Andre/Hogan. As has been said by others, it was a passing of the torch that night. I wasn’t much of a Hogan fan growing up either and really didn’t care for his matches. However, without him being the ultimate face back in the 80’s (along with Rock/Austin in the 90’s), I don’t think the WWF/E would still be around. The match itself I wouldn’t give a very high score (probably a 6 out of 10) but the moment itself of seeing Andre and Hogan eyeing each other down is what I remember. Oh, that and the supposed “2” count that saved Hogan.

The other match is the Steamboat/Savage IC match…With all due respect to the numerous IC matches I have seen throughout the years, this one is the greatest IC I have ever seen. I was a huge Savage fan during this time and their match was absolutely phenomenal. 30 minutes + of wrestling with countless near falls, non-stop action, etc. The two of them told a great story in the ring that night and that match, to me, gets a 10 out of 10.

Lastly, I have been a big fan of your columns and make sure to read each and every one of them. I love the divas…you can have Mickie, I’ll take Trish for my own.

Thank you for making this list and for bringing back memories for me from the good ole days of the WWF/E and Nitro from the 90’s.

Steve

For those that are under 20, “tape” refers to a VCR. Google or Wikipedia it you young clowns. You’re welcome. Thanks Steve.

John,
It’s Tyson. I just wanted to write you to commend you on a job well done. The “29 Favorite Moments in Wrestling” column is some of your best work (and this is coming from someone who’s been reading your columns for the past 6-7 years). It was great to remember all of the moments that really struck a chord with me as a wrestling fan. I wasn’t too enthused with the card for No Way Out in 2004 but, I bought the PPV simply because nothing better was on that night. I thought Eddie would put up a valiant effort against Lesnar but fall short of the win. Three hours later, I was so happy for the guy who had overcome so much adversity to finally win the world title. That probably ranks as my favorite moment from this decade. Also, I live about an hour outside of Pittsburgh and I attended King of the Ring 1998 with my dad and one of my friends. I remember Taker and Mankind duking it out on top of the cage. My friend turned to me and asked how they were going to get down. I jokingly replied, “Taker’s just going to toss him off” never dreaming it would actually happen…until it did. I remember hearing a loud scream around me. Then, for a few seconds you could hear a pin drop as everyone was kind of in shock. Then came the roar of approval. It’s something I’ll never forget.

Your column made me think of a lot of different things so I’m going to go ahead and apologize now if this response turns out pretty long. I think it’s great that the Flair tribute won’t be tarnished to you even if Flair goes to TNA. Unfortunately, I can’t feel the same way. It’s not about Flair wrestling again. I understand Flair lives very extravagantly and we all have to pay the mortgage (or alimony, as the case may be). He’s one of the greatest of all-time and I don’t believe the tribute would be tarnished significantly if he were to wrestle again against a younger opponent in WWE or even ROH. Yet, I remember Flair talking in his book about how he could never forgive Hogan for mercilessly whipping his son David (far more severely than what was agreed upon) when David was still a novice in the ring. Also, for the better part of the past five years, Ric has been talking about how his self-esteem was destroyed by Eric Bischoff. If the “Nature Boy” were to go work under these two individuals after WWE took the time to grant him such an extravagant send-off, I would lose a great deal of respect for Flair and I know I would not be able to view his moment with the same fondness that I can today. Again, I don’t mean to quibble or be argumentative but, I had to point out why the Flair tribute would be ruined for me.

It’s kind of sad when you think of the great moments the wrestling industry gave us that really inspired genuine reactions from the viewer only to be subsequently tarnished not too long after. If someone had asked me three years ago what my favorite moment from the past decade was, I would have quickly said Benoit winning the title at WrestleMania XX and embracing Eddie in the ring. I was 17 at the time and I invited about fifteen to twenty of my friends over to my house because..well, it was WrestleMania. I was really pulling for Benoit to win his match. Apart from my admiration for Benoit was the fact that 2003 wasn’t a banner year for Triple H fans and I think everyone wanted someone other than Hunter at the top of the pecking order. When Benoit locked Triple H in the crossface, a good half dozen of my friends and I literally got out of our seats and just yelled at the TV screen. “Tap you son of a bitch! Just tap you bastard, I hate you!” When Hunter’s hand hit the mat, my whole house erupted. Even my dad (who tolerated wrestling because I liked it but never was really invested in it) was really happy about the victory. Now, I can’t view it the same way again and, with every passing year, I forget more and more how special that moment was to me. Another (albeit not as extreme) example was the “I lost my smile” speech from Shawn Michaels. This was the first time that something on WWE programming really hit me hard. I was ten years old and I was in no way “smart” to the business. I didn’t follow the political goings-on on the internet and I had no idea what a “dirtsheet” was. All I knew was that my favorite wrestler might retire and I could never see him in the ring again. I remember Shawn crying and people in the crowd crying. I remember sincerely wanting to punch all the people that were chanting “Sid!” square in the face. Now, with all the speculation about the knee injury and Shawn’s motives for dropping the belt, it seems ridiculous to remember how I reacted and how heartfelt that moment was to me. But, at the time, it was so real.

On a more celebratory note, there were quite a few moments that went unmentioned that caused me to reminisce and may define me as a wrestling fan:

1. Bret’s redemption at WrestleMania X- After Bret Hart dropped the title the previous year and Hogan swooped in to steal his thunder because “the fans demanded it, brother”, he was kept out of the title picture. Luger wasn’t going to be THE top guy as his whole push just seemed so forced and manipulative. Finally, after it became clear that Bret’s supporters swamped Luger’s fan base at the Royal Rumble, Hart was finally given the ball again. The picture that remains in my mind when I think of that year’s Mania isn’t Michaels diving off the ladder or Owen’s victory promo. The most iconic moment to me from that night is the entire babyface locker room hoisting Bret on their shoulders as the WWF champion. Knowing McMahon orchestrated it to thank Bret for his hard work and possibly to apologize for not having more faith in him only adds to its impact. Owen’s seething look of jealousy from the aisle also contributes something. I can understand why Owen defeating Bret and the ladder match supersede that moment for you (because the match with Yokozuna was hardly a 5-star affair), but I think it’s a worthy moment all the same.

2. “Barry Horowitz won?”- Probably not a moment that will stand the test of time but, this was the first “Holy shit!” moment for me as a wrestling fan (I began watching in 1995). I don’t think Horowitz had ever won a match at that point. I barely even knew the guy’s name. Skip (Chris Candido) got too cocky in his match against the jobber and began doing push-ups to impress Sunny. Horowitz swooped him into a half nelson pinfall mid-pushup and cradled him for the victory. I was like “seriously?” I remember calling to my dad from the other room “Hey Dad, that one guy actually won!”

3. Booker T. wins the WCW title at Bash at the Beach 2000- I had all but given up on WCW at this point. I still wasn’t privy to the internet wrestling community yet but, I was starting to get a bit wiser about the industry. I thought Booker T. would be a very deserving champion but I didn’t think he would get that recognition. Then, I read the spoilers on WCW.com that declared that on the previous night’s PPV Booker T. had won the title after Hogan (never a favorite of mine) was fired. I ordered the replay on Tuesday and watched with glee as Russo verbally bitch-slapped Hogan and Booker defeated Jarrett.

4. Jericho finally wins the big one- I’ve got to say I was shocked this one didn’t even make an honorable mention on your list. I watched the episode of Smackdown before the No Mercy PPV and Jericho gained the upper hand on the Rock. Given WWE’s style of booking, usually whoever had the pre-PPV advantage usually lost when all was said and done. After an awesome encounter, Jericho defeated the Rock. Even when Jericho first won the match, I was waiting for the referee to reverse the decision due to Jericho’s use of the steel chair. I thought they would continue the whole “Jericho comes close but never wins the big one” storyline. Only after Rock handed Jericho the chair and Jericho proudly brandished it did I realize that Jericho had finally won the big one. Him losing the title two weeks later does take some of the luster off but, I think the moment (and the match) are still among my favorites.

Those were just a few moments I thought of. Actually, last night I re-watched WrestleMania IV (based on your recommendation of the Savage moment) and, while the event is still tedious, the Macho Man’s moment is still glorious. Keep up the great work, man. I look forward to your end-of-the-year/ end-of-the decade postings in the future.

Sincerely,
Tyson

I definitely remember Jericho’s WCW title win over Rock at No Mercy 2001 and I should have put it in honorable mentions for sure. I marked out huge for it live and to this day it’s one of my favorite matches. Nice job remembering that one. Good stuff with the rest too. Your emails are always excellent.

Hey John, I have been reading your reviews ever since 2007 but this is the first time I have sent you an email. I think you have a great mind for the wrestling biz(now its starting to sound like I’m kissing your ass). For the most part I agree with most of your opinions on Talking Smack and The Raw Deal(now I totally sound like a kiss-ass). Anyway I voted for Top 29 Moments and was very excited for it. I am a very inclusive person when it comes down to talking to people i don’t know, but after reading your Top 29 I had to send an email. I’m only 17, but i have devoured and scavenged for every scrap of professional wrestling ever made. I have been watching ever since I was 6. I have decided to say one or two moments from each of my favorite wrestlers.

John Cena vs Edge, TLC Match at Unforgiven 2006

Now my preferred style of wrestling is technical with some sprinkles of other styles. This match may not be the most technical of matches but I am irresistibly drawn to it. John Cena and Edge are both in my top 5 favorite wrestlers. Cena is obviously not in league with Angle or Bret when it comes to technical wrestling but I think he holds his own. I find his promo style and matches incredibly entertaining. Edge on the other hand is rather obvious why I like him. He is a great on the mic (second only to Jericho), a great wrestler and a nice guy backstage.

The first thing I love about this rivalry is the build-up. This was probably near the height of the Anti-Cena popularity so making him feud with edge was a rather questionable decision. I thought his character was awesome although anytime he did the Marine salute it was cringe-worthy. He was built as this man who got up from any beating, licked his wounds and trudged along which worked really well with this rivalry. Edge would win dirty and Cena got back up every time ready for more. The hatred you felt between the two was great. From Cena throwing Edge into the river to Edge bitch-smacking Cena’s father. You just knew the were going to blow up at Unforgiven. Edge obviously had the advantage going into the match with experience in TLC and Lita at his side, but Cena was not going to let Edge get the last laugh by kicking him off Raw. The finish was obvious as there was no way in hell they were moving Cena off Raw but it did not dim the match for me.

My brother, his friend and I all piled in the living room ready for the PPV. The card was decent with Orton-Carlito with the that huge RKO which I marked out for as he was my favorite at the time. The Hell in a cell between the McMahons and Big Show vs DX was alright. Finally the main event came around and Edge came out to a huge pop as expected. Cena came out to his usually chorus of boos at the time and the match was ready to go. Cena had some great spots with the five knuckle shuffle off the ladder and the STF on the ladder. While Edge countered with spearing Cena off the ladder and the Edge-O-Matic on both the chairs. As expected Lita came out to screw over Cena but ended up costing edge the belt. The huge finish came when Cena and edge both dragged their tired, broken bodies up to the top of the ladder to reach for the most important thing in their life. In that split moment, that title meant life or death for both of them. Cena ended up holstering Edge on his shoulders and FUing Edge all the way into despair, pain and most of all defeat. This match did and still means a lot to me as I always smile when thinking about that match. I am curious as to what you think about this match.

Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho, Singles Match at Wrestlemania 19

Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho are also in my Top 5 mostly due to their similarity between the two. Michaels is IMO the second greatest wrestler ever, second only to Bret Hart. He has a laundry list of great matches against any opponent in multiple types of matches. Jericho is well known for being a huge mark for HBK so I would assume this match was a dream for him. The rivalry was simple yet so very effective. Jericho won an over the top rope battle royal and decided to be number 2 in the rumble after HBK. During the rumble Jericho eliminated HBK, but was later screwed over by HBK which allowed Test to eliminate Jericho. Jericho thought he had surpassed Michaels and he thought he needed to prove to the fans, himself and most importantly Shawn. Shawn told Jericho not to underestimate him because he was older or had a bad back because this was were Mr. Wrestlemania built his career. The feeling in the build-up was that the closer Mania came, the more desperate Jericho got. It was as if Jericho was ready to tear off Michaels head very time he saw him.

The match started off with very technical wrestling and a lot of counters. They set a slow pace which played up to both of their styles. Eventually HBK started increasing the pace with more fast paced spots. Jericho started to take control with a very nice spinning wheel kick. The match sprawled to the outside with Jericho reversing a dropkick into the Walls of Jericho. Back into the ring Jericho taunting HBK by performing Michaels’ flex taunt which warranted Michaels to start to fight back. Michaels hits a nice back body drop counter into a DDT and then a huge moonsault on Jericho. Eventually Jericho calms HBK down with a Lionsault. Another Walls attempt by Jericho which held until a rope break. Jericho continued his dominance until HBK hit one of the bigger spots of the match with a reversal on a super back body suplex. The match continued on until Shawn hit his top rope elbow drop…Vintage HBK! (had to say it). Tuning up the band Michaels looked to end it until Jericho countered with another Walls attempt which at the time was sure was the end. I could not believe Shawn climbed to the ropes again. This made Jericho angry to which he walked right into Sweet Chin Music. I completely marked out when Jericho kicked out. HBK countered Jericho’s back body suplex into a roll up for the three. After the match saw the two embrace which was a heart whelming moment, until Jericho low blowed Michaels. This match is probably my first or second favorite match which has provided me with plenty of memories.

Shawn Michaels, “Lost my Smile” Promo

Shawn Michaels once again was forced to vacate his title due to a knee injury. Regardless if you believe his injury or not, the moment was special to me. He came out that night and looked out into the crowd saddened. The shots from the camera really captured the moment. In the beginning the crowd was chanting for Sid, but as Shawn started to get personal they stopped. He told the fans he had a knee injury and was not sure if he would be back. He said all he ever wanted was for the fans to be happy. That they could see if name on the card and be happy because they know they would get a show. He said he can never go half ass and to come back he would have to be able to “romp and stomp and i have to get tossed around and toss people around.” The next paragraph he says is extremely special to me.

“I know that over the last several months I have lost a lot of things, one of them has been my smile. I know it does not mean a whole lot to everybody else, but it means a lot to me.So I have to go back to fix myself, and take care of myself and I have to go back and i have to find my smile. Because somewhere along the line I lost it and I don’t care really; I don’t care if it’s unpopular, I don’t care if people want to make fun of me for being an emotional guy. This is all i ever wanted to do and uh…over the last year i got to do it. If you like me or not i just wanted to tell you the last year of my life has been the most wonderful year of my life: And if i never get to do it again, it will be okay because I got to live one full year as being the number one guy in the business and it was the single, most greatest year of my life and I got everybody here to thank and it means a lot to me and I’m gonna go home now k.”

I love this promo and everything it stands for, the raw emotional side of this promo instantly draws me in and never lets go. The tears running down his face show the passion and respect Shawn has for this business.

That’s 3 of my top moments in pro wrestling and in my life. There is two moments i want to say without going into much detail. The first is Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair which is just an emotional roller coaster. As you can see i really like matches with a lot of emotional investment. The other moment being the rivalry of Triple H and Shawn Michaels. The storyline had me salivating for more and fully delivered every week. Hopefully you enjoyed my moments. Always a fan of your reviews.

Aaron W.

Awesome stuff. Well written and from the heart. I appreciate you sharing this.

That’s everything. I could have put in way more, but it’s long enough as it is. Thanks to everybody for writing. Part of the reason why I wanted to start up the blog was to post more of your emails with my responses. I’ll try to make it more of a habit as I try to find the time to update things.

Thanks for reading, as always.