Blog: Greatest Professional Wrestling Moments

The Top 7 Greatest Moments in Professional Wrestling History

With the dust of Wrestlemania 35 still settling, it's the perfect time to look back on everything we love about professional wrestling. 

And make no mistake: pro wrestling has come a long way in the last few decades.

Since Vince MacMahon turned his father's regional wrestling promotion into a worldwide phenomenon, the WWE is now worth a stunning $8 billion, with a number of other wrestling companies scattered around the world.

In this article, we're counting down the seven greatest moments in professional wrestling history!

nWo vs. the Sting Army

Few wrestlers have the star power of the man called Sting. The Icon was considered by many to be the WCW counterpart to the legendary Hulk Hogan.

And then, Hogan joined WCW, where he joined forces with the treacherous New World Order. Sting, the Franchise of WCW, declared war. He stalked Hogan and the nWo from the rafters, repelling down to do battle with a baseball bat.

Throughout their feud, there are scores of iconic moments. But perhaps none were more iconic than the time dozens of Stings emerged from the crowd to attack the nWo.

These imitators were quickly struck down by Hogan and his crew. But then one Sting refused to go down. He removed his mask to reveal the real Stinger, who then unloaded on the entire nWo single-handedly. 

The Streak Comes to an End

You wouldn't consider most wrestlers to be artists. But the Undertaker is not most wrestlers.

With one of the most awe-inspiring entrances in the business and the moves to back it up, the Dead Man is rightly considered one of the greatest of all time.

His stunning undefeated streak at Wrestlemania proves this: he went 21 years at Wrestlemania without taking a loss.

But Brock Lesnar proved to be too much for Taker. And when the ref's hand hit that last three-count, the WWE Universe was stunned.

Finn Unleashes the Demon

Pro wrestling is known for over-the-top gimmicks, over-the-top moves, and over-the-top entrances. 

The Irish Finn Balor was already a popular character in NXT, but his star power received a huge boost in 2014 when he unleashed his dark counterpart: the Demon.

With stunning bodypaint and a beastly persona, the Demon stunned audiences with an entrance that needs to be seen to be appreciated.

Hogan Bodyslams Andre the Giant

Even outside of wrestling fans, Andre the Giant is a huge star—literally. 

Standing 7'4", at 520-pound, Andre the Giant was an absolutely dominant force. The 8th Wonder of the World went undefeated for fifteen years. 

Then came Wrestlemania 3, which pitted him against Hulk Hogan, who was then a rising star. Beating Andre the Giant wasn't the only unexpected thing Hulk did that night—he also hoisted up the giant and bodyslammed him onto the mat. 

That slam remains one of the most iconic wrestling moments ever, and if you want some momentoes to remember it by, shop this site.

Tables, Ladders, and Chairs

Professional wrestling is no stranger to peril. Wrestling matches are frequently augmented with cages, folding chairs, sledgehammers, and more. 

But in the late '90s, three tag teams became synonymous with tables, ladders, and chairs. 

The Dudley Boys rarely completed a match without the duo powerbombing someone through a table. 

The Hardy Boyz frequently threw themselves at their opponents from the tops of ladders.

Christian and Edge would use whatever they could grab as a weapon—usually a folding chair.

And at Wrestlemania 2000, the three teams competed in a triple threat ladder match. The tag team belt hung
above the ring—the first team to remove it won. 

The match became such a classic that it gave birth to the TLC match, or Tables, Ladders, and Chairs.

Spoiler: Kofimania

Eleven years. 

Eleven years is a long time to wait for anything—especially in such a fast-moving industry as professional wrestling.

But for the last eleven years, Kofi Kingston has been entertaining WWE audiences with high-flying, hard-hitting matches. For the last four years, he's been one-third of the five-time championship tag team, the New Day.

However, earlier this year, as if overnight, the entire WWE Universe decided that Kofi Kingston should be WWE Champion.

He was put into gruelling gauntlet matches, dragged around by Vince MacMahon, and even thrown into the Elimination Chamber. Yet Kofi overcame everything that came his way to earn a title shot at Wrestlemania 35.

And he didn't waste his chance. Through an absolutely gruelling match with Daniel Brian, Kofi overcame all the odds and expectations to win the gold, proving once and for all that he was one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step foot in the ring.

Hell In A Cell

Wrestling often gets a bad rap for being "fake." In fact, wrestling fans are often mocked by non-wrestling fans for liking a scripted and choreographed sport. They say wrestlers are closer to dancers than fighters.

But there are some things you can't fake. 

And nowhere is that more evident than the Hell In A Cell match against the Undertaker and Mankind.

From the opening moments, fans knew the match was going to be brutal. The ring was enclosed in a fifteen-foot, steel cell.

When Mankind entered, he quickly threw a folding chair on the top of the ring and climbed to the top. Undertaker entered the arena and quickly followed him.

The two 300+ pounders brawled on the top of the cell for a few minutes until disaster struck.

Undertaker threw Mankind off of the cell, and he fell over sixteen feet, crushing through the announce table.

Medics and WWE management rushed to the rubble to check his vitals. They hoisted him onto a stretcher and carried him out of the arena.

But Mankind refused to leave. On the ramp, he fought his way off the stretcher and climbed back onto the cell—with a dislocated shoulder.

And when he got there, Taker choke slammed him through the roof of the cell. 

When Mankind landed on the mat below, announcer Jim Ross legitimately thought he was dead. And it might have been better for him if he was—the match went on for fifteen more minutes, with Mankind enduring all sorts of punishment...

Including one more chokeslam onto a pile of thumbtacks.

Mick Foley, the man behind the Mankind character, left the match with a dislocated shoulder, a dislocated jaw, a broken tooth, and a concussion. 

What Are Your Favorite Wrestling Moments?
​
This list barely scratches the surface of the greatest moments in wrestling history.

And we probably missed yours. So why don't you tell us about it in the comments?