Anything can happen in WWE. Vince McMahon’s company loves that mantra and employs it every time something big goes down. It is cliché and overused to some, but for long-time fans, truer words have never been spoken.
The fact that WWE still has the ability to pull off even the smallest of surprises is actually quite shocking. In the information age, anyone that wants to know how the industry works is just one Google search away from learning everything.
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Indeed WWE has surely found it very difficult to hide various storylines, as well as twists and turns in recent years. Though to know the future ruins it for many, there are just as many that feel they have to be “in the know” all the time.
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But just because it’s tougher than it ever has been for WWE to provide those jaw-dropping moments, does not mean they don’t still happen. Those moments are important, because they readily remind fans of just how fun the business can be when it’s truly unpredictable.
Without surprises, the product becomes woefully dull and very boring. The occasional stunner and unexpected event keep fans hooked, and coming back for more. That’s the allure of pro wrestling, and no one does it better than WWE.
The company has had a lot of practice after all, and will surely continue to do so. WWE sets the bar and raises it every time.
#5 CM Punk drops the pipebomb: June 27, 2011
CM Punk was a talented performer that was never given his due in WWE. When the time came to re-sign a new contract, Punk instead decided to take his leave of the company and go on with his life. But at the last moment, Vince McMahon persuaded him to stay and what followed next made wrestling history.
Punk shocked the world when sat cross-legged on the Monday Night Raw stage and aired his grievances about WWE. He called out Vince’s “idiotic daughter” and “doofus son-in-law.” He criticised The Rock’s upcoming main event booking at WrestleMania and proclaimed himself to be the best in the world.
Then he criticised the cheering fans and said they were part of the reason why he was leaving. Punk was unhappy, he was frustrated, and he was ready to walk out the door. He was evidently shooting on the biggest pro wrestling company of all time, and he did it with the whole world watching.
It was the most shocking promo fans had seen in years and perhaps ever. Punk had tapped into something very visceral, and connected in a way that very few Superstars have ever managed to do successfully. He pulled the curtain back on a company that wasn’t rewarding hard work but instead choosing to pamper their established main event stars.
That notion became the fuel that drove WWE critics to rally behind Punk, and support him from that point on. Punk’s greatest attribute was his innate ability to stare into a camera and hit fans square in the face. He didn’t talk at them; he talked to them. He didn’t tell them how to feel; he made them feel it.
CM Punk made fans care about his cause and demand a new revolution in WWE. He wanted change, and that’s exactly what happened in the company. If not for Punk, Daniel Bryan would have never had his WrestleMania moment. Without Punk, The New Era would likely not exist today.
The pipebomb promo was a shocker that WWE allowed to happen, and it could not have come at a better time for Punk, or for wrestling fans.
#4 Triple H “fires” Vince McMahon: July 18, 2011
The Summer of Punk storyline not only propelled The Best in the World to the top of WWE, it also saw the owner lose his spot on TV. In what was a very surprising moment, Triple H came to the ring on Raw and relieved Vince McMahon of his duties.
McMahon’s erratic behaviour following Punk’s ascension to the WWE Championship brought on the change, as the company’s board of directors was backed into a corner. McMahon wanted John Cena fired because of the title loss, but The Game disagreed.
The two men were in tears as the spot took place, and fans went from shock to respect. They recognised just how good Vince and Triple H were, and how much they allowed themselves to be absorbed in the moment. For perhaps the first time, reality crept up on Vince as WWE was preparing for what was coming.
As Triple H becomes more immersed in the daily grind of running WWE, it’s becoming obvious that only a new vision will carry the company forward. The rise of NXT, the rebirth of the women’s division and the return of the cruiserweights, are all signs that progress is indeed being made.
Vince McMahon will surely always be attached to his company, but Hunter is the heir apparent. The tearful promo between them could be viewed as a symbolic passing of the torch, or at least a statement by WWE that change is the only constant in the company.
McMahon obviously did return and has been part of storylines since this promo, but the impact it had on fans at the time cannot be denied. It was much more than just a spot on Raw; it was a sign of things to come for WWE and for the fans that love it.
#3 Stone Cold Steve Austin Turns Heel: April 1, 2001
Stone Cold Steve Austin was known for three things; drinking beer, raising hell, and hating Vince McMahon. It was thanks to that simple philosophy that this star exploded, making him the most popular WWE Superstar of all time.
But when he decided to turn heel, he not only shocked the WWE faithful; he disappointed them as well. Of all the possible outcomes of his match with The Rock at WrestleMania 17, siding with Mister McMahon was not one of them.
However that’s exactly what happened, and it was one of the most surreal moments fans had ever seen. Austin shook the hand of the devil when he accepted McMahon’s help that night, and nothing would ever be the same after that.
Stone Cold became a shadow of his former self. Instead of running into battle as he’d always done, he backed down from the fight. Defying authority and living life on his terms was over, and he became nothing more than a protected puppet for his once hated enemy.
Fans still respected him, but the vibe was different. He was no longer there to make them happy; he was there to be the butt of the joke. He became a clown during the Invasion angle, singing and strumming the guitar in one cringe-worthy spot after another. He was having a blast, and fans understood it, but they hated every second of it.
Stone Cold took a big chance by turning heel, and WWE took an even bigger chance by allowing it to happen. Austin did eventually turn babyface again and returned to the Stone Cold of old, but fans that witnessed his shocking change will never forget it.
#2 Goldberg squashes Brock Lesnar: November 20, 2016
Brock Lesnar has been involved in two major shockers during his WWE career, and the most recent one took place at Survivor Series. It was on that night when Bill Goldberg put fans on their feet and turned the wrestling world upside down when he defeated Lesnar in just 86 seconds.
Of all the ways the match could have ended, and of every possible booking that was predicted by fans, a Goldberg squash match was never one of them. Lesnar not only looked unprepared, but he was also completely caught off guard.
He also looked very human, which is something that has perhaps never been said about him. Thanks to WWE, The Beast Incarnate lived up to his nickname more often than not. He was always brutal, he was always punishing, and he was practically indestructible.
He was the pro wrestling equivalent of The Incredible Hulk because no one around him knew how to stop him. He evidently had no weakness. He destroyed who he wanted when he wanted, and there was no way to even slow him down. It looked as though Brock would go his entire pro wrestling career without ever having been truly humbled.
But all of that changed when Goldberg took him down. Now the two have a reason to feud again, and that feud will likely take them to WrestleMania 33. Lesnar could very well win the match and overcome the man that was able to bring him crashing down to earth.
Or maybe he could actually lose one more time to Goldberg. While that seems doubtful to many fans, the fact is that no one predicted the shocker that happened at Survivor Series. When it comes to Lesnar versus Goldberg, who knows what could happen next?
#1 Brock Lesnar ends Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak: April 6, 2014
The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak was a career defining bit of history that many fans believed would never end. Much like the man, the streak became a fixture in WWE and transcended the business itself. When fans thought of Taker, they immediately thought of his undefeated record.
But when fans think of Brock Lesnar, they think of the man that ended that undefeated record. To this day, the shock still lingers among the WWE faithful that can’t even begin to comprehend why it had to happen in the first place.
The truth is that it didn’t have to happen. The Deadman could have taken The Streak all the way to his last match, and went out on his own terms. No one would ever be able to match it, and no one would ever be able to take it away from him. Of all the talents in WWE, Undertaker deserved it.
He’s always been a loyal soldier in Vince McMahon’s army. He was the standard bearer for the company.
But for fans that will never forget The Streak coming to an end, Undertaker’s future Hall of Fame career will always come with an asterisk. For them, the shock was too much. The surprise was more than they could handle. Unpredictability may equal excitement, but in this case, it equalled nothing but disappointment.
However, Undertaker’s lasting legacy will not be negatively impacted in the long term by his loss to Lesnar. The Undertaker has accomplished too much and has meant too much to WWE, for his career to be considered anything less than phenomenal.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Sportskeeda. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here
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