That crushing sound you heard? Those were millions of jaws hitting the floor during these unforgettable WWE moments. From shocking betrayals to death-defying stunts, these are the moments that changed wrestling forever.
15. Mankind’s Hell in a Cell Plunge (1998)
The image is burned into every wrestling fan’s memory – Mankind plummeting 22 feet from the top of the Hell in a Cell through the announce table below. Jim Ross’s legendary call “As God as my witness, he is broken in half!” perfectly captured the horror of this moment. Mick Foley later revealed in his autobiography “Have A Nice Day” that he was knocked unconscious and suffered multiple injuries, including a dislocated shoulder and multiple contusions.
14. The Montreal Screwjob (1997)
The most controversial moment in wrestling history wasn’t even scripted. When Vince McMahon rang the bell early during Bret Hart’s match with Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series 1997, it sparked real-life drama that would shape WWE for decades. The fallout was captured in the documentary “Wrestling with Shadows” and confirmed by multiple sources including Hart’s autobiography “Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling.”
13. The Streak Ends (2014)
21-1. Those numbers sent shockwaves through the wrestling world when Brock Lesnar conquered The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak. The silence in the Superdome was deafening. According to WWE’s documentary “The Last Ride,” even the cameramen thought there had been a mistake with the count.
12. CM Punk’s Pipe Bomb (2011)
When CM Punk sat cross-legged on the entrance ramp and dropped his now-famous “pipe bomb” promo, the line between reality and fiction blurred completely. The unscripted nature of many of his comments was later confirmed in Punk’s documentary “Best in the World.”
11. Seth Rollins Betrays The Shield (2014)
The chair shot heard around the world. Seth Rollins turning on his Shield brothers remains one of the most shocking betrayals in WWE history. In the WWE 24 documentary about The Shield, Roman Reigns revealed they only learned about the turn hours before the show.
10. Edge’s Retirement Speech (2011)
Nobody saw it coming. Edge, forced to retire at his peak due to cervical spinal stenosis, delivered one of the most genuine and heartbreaking speeches in Raw history. His medical condition and the severity were detailed in WWE’s medical report and later discussed in his Hall of Fame speech.
9. Daniel Bryan’s WrestleMania XXX Moment (2014)
The ultimate underdog story culminated with 75,167 fans chanting “YES!” as Daniel Bryan captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The WWE documentary “Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes!” revealed this wasn’t the original plan for WrestleMania XXX until fan reaction forced WWE’s hand.
8. The Formation of the nWo (1996)
When Hulk Hogan dropped the leg on Randy Savage and joined the Outsiders, wrestling changed forever. The moment sparked the Monday Night Wars and revolutionized the industry. Eric Bischoff detailed the planning of this moment in his book “Controversy Creates Cash.”
7. Stone Cold’s Beer Truck (1999)
The Rock and The Corporation got more than they bargained for when Stone Cold Steve Austin drove a beer truck to the ring and soaked everyone in sight. In his podcast, Austin revealed they used over 500 gallons of beer that night.
6. Eddie Guerrero Wins the WWE Championship (2004)
No moment better epitomized the underdog spirit than Eddie Guerrero defeating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. His autobiography “Cheating Death, Stealing Life” detailed his incredible journey to that career-defining victory.
5. Shawn Michaels’ “I’m Sorry, I Love You” (2008)
Before superkicking Ric Flair into retirement, Shawn Michaels delivered three words that still give fans chills. This emotional moment was extensively covered in WWE’s “Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection.”
4. The Rock vs. Hogan at WrestleMania X8 (2002)
The electrifying staredown between The Rock and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8 remains one of wrestling’s most iconic moments. The WWE documentary “The Rock: The Epic Journey of Dwayne Johnson” revealed both men knew they were creating history during that entrance.
3. Jeff Hardy’s Swanton Off the Titantron (2009)
In a moment of pure insanity, Jeff Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb off the RAW titantron onto Randy Orton. The 30-foot drop was confirmed by WWE’s production team and discussed in Hardy’s DVD “My Life, My Rules.”
2. The Return of The Hardy Boyz (WrestleMania 33, 2017)
The roof nearly came off the Camping World Stadium when The Hardy Boyz made their surprise return. The WWE 24 special about WrestleMania 33 showed this was kept secret from almost everyone backstage.
1. Mankind Wins His First WWE Championship (1999)
On January 4, 1999, Mankind achieved the impossible by defeating The Rock for the WWE Championship. This moment, which also featured Stone Cold Steve Austin’s assistance, was rated by WWE.com as one of the greatest Raw moments ever and detailed in Foley’s second book “Foley Is Good: And the Real World Is Faker than Wrestling.”
Honorable Mentions That Almost Made The Cut
Kane’s Debut (1997)
When the Big Red Machine tore off the Hell in a Cell door to confront his brother The Undertaker, wrestling got its next great monster. Paul Bearer’s shriek of “That’s gotta be Kane!” became instantly iconic. In Glenn Jacobs’ autobiography “Mayor Kane,” he revealed he had to practice ripping off the door multiple times to get it perfect.
The Festival of Friendship (2017)
Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens’ bromance came to a brutal end in one of WWE’s most brilliantly executed segments. The contrast between Jericho’s goofy celebration and Owens’ savage betrayal made this moment unforgettable. On his podcast, Jericho later revealed that most of the segment was his own idea, crafted to maximize emotional impact.
Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship Victory (2019)
KofiMania reached its peak when the 11-year veteran finally captured the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35. The New Day’s WWE 24 documentary revealed this wasn’t originally planned for WrestleMania until fan support made it impossible to ignore.
The Shield’s WWE Debut (2012)
When three men in tactical gear stormed through the crowd at Survivor Series 2012, nobody could have predicted their impact. Roman Reigns revealed in the WWE 365 documentary that they chose to enter through the crowd to be different from everyone else, creating their signature entrance style.
The Legacy Lives On
These moments remind us why we fell in love with professional wrestling. They’re not just spots or angles – they’re pieces of history that still give us goosebumps years later.
What makes these moments truly special isn’t just what happened in the ring – it’s how they made us feel. Whether you watched them live or caught them years later on the WWE Network, they represent professional wrestling at its absolute best: where athletic ability, storytelling, and raw emotion combine to create magic that keeps us coming back for more.
