History Awesome / WWE

* CMPunk vs Elijah Burke at ''Judgement Day 2007''. Incredible match. Sadly, the audience was dead.

** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuWBt2_Y5e8&list=LLq9z32_CCBxg5erSh-_SmUA&lf=plpp_video This propaganda video]] promoting ''Money In The Bank 2011'', brought to you by CMPunk.

* '''Extreme Rules 2009:''' Wrestling/TommyDreamer becomes the ''only'' wrestler to have held hold both the original and revived versions of the ECW Championship when he defeated then-champion {{Christian}} and challenger Jack Swagger in a three-way match to win the belt. Dreamer was the last {{Wrestling/ECW}} Original still working for WWE, and was working an angle where if he didn't win the ECW Championship, [[LoserLeavesTown he would retire following his contract's expiration]] (the contract angle was actually legit, as Dreamer's contract really did expire in June of 2009). The build-up very strongly hinted that this would, in fact, be his last match and [[{{Kayfabe}} he even put up a note on his WWE blog saying that he had arranged to be allowed to keep blogging for a month if he lost, to round out his thoughts on this career]]. He even said that he got a one day extension on his contract just to compete in the match. So in the match, just after Jack Swagger was going for his Gutwrench Powerbomb finisher on Christian, Tommy (in true ECW fashion) blasted Swagger with a crutch and hit his signature DDT to pick up the victory and the title. (The next day, the dirtsheets reported that Dreamer had signed a new multi-year contract.)

* February 10 2009: Months of speculation from both TNA and an endless stream of smarks was paid off when {{Christian}} made his return to the WWE as a member of the [=ECW=] brand, [[HijackedByGanon stealing the entire goddamn episode]] of ''ECW on [=SyFy=]'' in the process.

* '''Over The Limit 2012''' had one of the best matches between CMPunk and DanielBryan that went on for nearly thirty minutes. Loud Yes chants, dueling Daniel Bryan and CM Punk chants all through out the match, as well as a "This is Awesome" chant. They did submissions holds that the commentators had not idea what to call! The only bad thing about the match is that it played second fiddle to Cena vs. Laurinaitis.

** For the entire rundown of Bryan's moments of awesome after his elimination from ''NXT'', [[BryanDanielson go see his page.]]

* '''Over The Limit 2011:''' After months of being subjected to Michael Cole, he finally got his comeuppance in a magnificent HumiliationConga. Eve Torres came out and performed a moonsault on him after he had disrespected the divas for weeks, interrupting their matches. Jim Ross who had been forced to job to Cole poured barbecue sauce all over him. BretHart made a special guest appearance and put Cole in the Sharpshooter while Jerry Lawler made Cole kiss his foot.

* ''Awesome/NoWayOut''

* ''Awesome/{{Armageddon}}''

* ''Awesome/{{Unforgiven}}''

** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eibPHIwLBoA This package]] hyping Shawn Michaels' last chance to end TheUndertaker's famous Streak at ''Wrestlemania 26''.

* October 1991: The "Funeral Parlor" segment where five of wrestling's top superstars ever -- HulkHogan, RoddyPiper, RandySavage, RicFlair and TheUndertaker -- appear in the same camera shot (briefly) at the same time. Said moment came when, while Paul Bearer was interviewing Hogan, Flair came onto the set, challenged Hogan to a match and helped Undertaker attack Hogan before Piper and Savage ran in for the save. Just seeing five iconic superstars of that caliber in one place at one time is something that has never been replicated. [[note]]The segment, incidentally, was taped the same day JakeRoberts infamously attacked Savage and allowed a snake to bite him.[[/note]]

* On the last ''ECW on [=SyFy=]'' of 2009, Tommy Dreamer got a Crowning Moment of both Awesome and Heartwarming with his farewell speech. It's one thing to see a multiple-time world champion and certified legend like RicFlair get a final farewell, but for somebody like Tommy Dreamer, who was never a huge draw or a great wrestler? [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqKBKYYXjpk WWE letting him leave like this was damned classy.]]

* The main event of ''Armageddon 2000'' was the six-man Hell in a Cell. Five of the six were The Rock, Stone Cold, Triple H, The Undertaker and Kurt Angle: all guys who would easily fit into the Top 10 of the Greatest Wrestlers in WWE History, and who an excellent case could be made for at least 3 (if not 4, or indeed, all 5) appearing in the Top 5. While previous [=HIACs=] had been pretty damn good, this match was full of so many jaw-droppingly awesome moments that it is still de-facto the greatest Hell in a Cell Match in history. It also featured [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Rikishi]], who played his role as the [[TheScrappy Scrappy]] (by being tossed off the top of the Cell onto a removal truck) excellently. This is proof that 2000 was the WWE's greatest year and a definitive [=CMOA=] in WWE history.

* The Hell In A Cell match between Randy Orton and The Undertaker at ''Armageddon 2005''.

* '''Armageddon 2006''': When Montel Vontavious Porter was first introduced into the WWE, the general consensus among the {{Smart Mark}}s was that he was a terrible wrestler, and his push (fittingly, as an overpaid, overrated, showboating {{Heel}}) would be better used on somebody with actual talent - the line of thinking apparently being, if (rapidly-decaying-at-this-point) smark darling Wrestling/ChrisBenoit couldn't drag a decent match out of him, there was no hope for him at all. Then came ''Armageddon 2006'' and the [[GimmickMatches Inferno Match]] between MVP and Kane - which ended with ''MVP's entire back consumed in flames''. Almost overnight, MVP became one of the most popular wrestlers among smarks, and while this eventually died down (as it always seems to), he remains an internet favorite to this day. If there's one thing wrestling fans, smark and mark alike, love to see, it's balls. [[DoubleEntendre Stop giggling]].
** Let's talk about the match after it. Originally, it was supposed to be London and Kendrick (then WWE Tag Team Champions) fighting against William Regal and Dave Taylor for the Tag Team Championship. Why is it on this page, though? Well, let's start off with Teddy Long. He's in the Christmas Spirit and decides to give the fans a ladder match.
** He doesn't stop there, he says that the two teams would be lonely and added TWO MORE teams. The teams? MNM and the Hardys were the extra opponents. What happened were 30 minutes of undiluted ladder match and fighting and LOTS of bumps.
** Once the ring clears off, the two teams face to face are the Hardyz and London and Kendrick. It's a [=CMoA=] because these were the high flying teams of their generation (the Hardys being the 90's and London and Kendrick the present)
** One important scene was Mercury's eye injury. A ladder smashed both Nitro and Mercury in the face, but Mercury took the brunt of the attack. Mercury was taken to the hospital (with his face stitched and stapled) while Nitro fought alone for victory. He didn't win, but it was awesome that Nitro fought alone.
** London and Kendrick deserve a lot more credit; Kendrick bruised himself giving Regal a Sliced Bread #2 from the top of a 20ft ladder and falling out of the ring--someone is heard screaming OH MY GOD! when that happens--and London fights off Matt Hardy to get the championship. It was when the team got JBL's respect--after months of him commentating that London and Kendrick were bizarre kids from Pluto--and propelled them to awesomeness.

* At ''Armageddon 2007'', Jeff Hardy defeated Triple H '''clean''' to win a shot at the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble in 2008 (managing to get Triple H to do a clean job could be a [=CMoA=] in and of itself, depending on who you ask). The following year would be one of controversy and heartbreak for both Jeff and his fans - he lost his match at the Royal Rumble; he blew his chance to be in the Money in the Bank match at ''[=WrestleMania=] 24'' thanks to a Wellness Policy violation (and during his suspension, his house burned down, destroying all of his personal possessions and killing his pet dog); and he lost three more shots at the WWE Championship after his return (and was written out of a fourth one). It looked like hope was lost for the "Charismatic Enigma"...until ''Armageddon 2008'', where JeffHardy competed against Triple H and WWE Champion [=Edge=] in a Triple Threat match for the title. After Triple H delivered a Pedigree to Edge, Jeff nailed a picture-perfect Swanton Bomb and covered Edge - and after one of the most tumultuous years of his life, Jeffrey Nero Hardy finally became the WWE Champion (and at the same time, he not only became a WWE Grand Slam Champion, but the only wrestler to win every single home-grown WWF/WWE title there ever was).

* The very first Hell in a Cell match at ''Bad Blood'', between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. While an excellent match in its own right, pushing the envelope and setting the template for Hell in the Cell matches to come, it is most famous for featuring the debut of {{Wrestling/Kane}}.

* '''Extreme Rules 2014''': The pre-show had a [=WeeLC=] match between Hornswoggle and El Torito, that was somehow both SoBadItsGood ''and'' SoCoolItsAwesome.

!!1999
* The ladder match between [[Wrestling/JeffHardy The]] [[Wrestling/MattHardy Hardys]] and Wrestling/{{Edge}} and Wrestling/{{Christian}} at No Mercy redefined fast-paced, high impact matches for the next decade.

* After his World Heavyweight Championship match with Eddie Guerrero at ''No Mercy 2005'', [=Batista=] led the crowd in singing Eddie a happy birthday. This took place after the event went off the air, but is still a Crowning Moment Of Heartwarming. And a bit of a {{Tearjerker}} when you consider that the event was Eddie's last PPV appearance.

!!2001
* Let us not forget Wrestling/ChrisJericho's biggest in-ring accomplishment - at ''Vengeance 2001'', after the end of the [=InVasion=] angle, Jericho defeated The Rock to win the World Heavyweight Championship (aka the WCW World Heavyweight Championship), then defeated Steve Austin directly afterwards to win the WWF Championship and unify the two titles into the WWF Undisputed Championship. To put that into perspective: Chris Jericho went from being a WCW midcarder to defeating the two biggest stars of the Attitude Era ''in the same night '''in consecutive matches''''' to unify two of the most prestigious world titles in professional wrestling history, all in the space of ''three years''.

!!2002
* The triple threat match at Vengeance between the Rock, Kurt Angle, and The Undertaker was a sight behold. This match was famous for all the combatants using each others' signature moves on each other. This was also the last time The Rock would win the WWE title (which was the Undisputed Championship at the time) until 10 and a half years later at the 2013 Royal Rumble.

* The original WWE brand split made [=PPVs=] brand-exclusive, and at the time, ''Raw'' had the bigger names on its roster. The first ''Raw''-exclusive PPV, ''Bad Blood 2003'', lived up to its name - by being bad; the show's main event was a [[GimmickMatches Hell in a Cell Match]] (a match which rarely disappoints) which was, at best, just okay. The next month, ''[=SmackDown=]'' held ''Vengeance 2003'', and the closest thing to a gimmick match on the card was a Triple Threat Match featuring [[TheGiant Big Show]], [[AllAmericanFace Kurt Angle]], and [[LightningBruiser Brock Lesnar]]. There were four great matches on this show: the aformentioned Triple Threat, [[BadassBiker The Undertaker]] vs. [[{{Delinquent|s}} John Cena]], Wrestling/ChrisBenoit vs. Wrestling/EddieGuerrero, and Wrestling/TheWorldsGreatestTagTeam (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) stealing the show against Wrestling/BillyKidman and Wrestling/ReyMysterioJr. This event was when people started figuring out that ''[=SmackDown=]'' was the '''wrestling''' show.
** Chris Benoit vs Eddie Guerrero in particular was one of the greatest matches for either wrestler, and included one of Eddie's FunnyMoments, hitting the ref with the newly remade United States Title and then trying to frame Benoit for it by playing possum.
** Also notable on the card was VinceMcMahon vs. Zach Gowen. For those who do not know who Zach Gowen is, he is a [[HandicappedBadass one-legged wrestler.]] Although Gowen would go down in defeat, he would split open [=McMahon=] by dropkicking a steel chair into Vince's head and only lost because he missed a ''Corkscrew Moonsault''.

* The Hell In A Cell match between Triple H and [=Batista=] at ''Vengeance 2005''. Four words: Barbed Wire Steel Chair

* '''Vengeance 2011''' had Mark Henry and The Big Show reenacting the big superplex that broke the ring way back in 2003. It ended [[spoiler: in both of them getting knocked out and the ref calling the match a double-countout]] What had happened afterwards was the Cena/Del Rio Last Man Standing match. And they proved that they don't need the ring to have a good match.
** At this PPV, five of the six Championships were on the line, and [[spoiler: each and every one of the champions retained their titles, which is rare sight to see.]]

* '''Elimination Chamber''': Wrestling/TheUndertaker got an unsung moment here. When Taker went to do his entrance, he got burned by his pyro and was seen immediately taking his ring jacket off as it was covered in flames. Despite this, he basically has the ref pour bottles of water over him off-camera and is passed more water while he's waiting in the Chamber pod. Aside from foregoing his ominous walk to the ring (because, you know, ''he's on fire''), he does not break {{kayfabe}} for a moment ''and'' still wrestled the match to its conclusion. That is what you call a BadAss. (Wrestling/MichaelCole, despite not knowing what happened, covered for Undertaker's break in character rather well by saying that he was ready for a fight and he didn't want to wait to get it started.)

* On the May 1st, 2007 edition of ''ECW on [=Sci-Fi=]'', Tommy Dreamer and RobVanDam [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfAfDozERMc&feature=related re-enact their famous piledriver]] from November To Remember '97. Tazz's "...oh no! PILEDRIVER!" and JoeyStyles' "OOOOWWWW!!" make it even better.

* '''Armageddon 2006''': When Montel Vontavious Porter was first introduced into the WWE, the general consensus among the {{Smart Mark}}s was that he was a terrible wrestler, and his push (fittingly, as an overpaid, overrated, showboating {{Heel}}) would be better used on somebody with actual talent - the line of thinking apparently being, if (rapidly-decaying-at-this-point) smark darling ChrisBenoit couldn't drag a decent match out of him, there was no hope for him at all. Then came ''Armageddon 2006'' and the [[GimmickMatches Inferno Match]] between MVP and Kane - which ended with ''MVP's entire back consumed in flames''. Almost overnight, MVP became one of the most popular wrestlers among smarks, and while this eventually died down (as it always seems to), he remains an internet favorite to this day. If there's one thing wrestling fans, smark and mark alike, love to see, it's balls. [[DoubleEntendre Stop giggling]].

* The main event of the final episode of ''ECW on [=SyFy=]'' on Feburary 16 2010. When Wrestling/ZackRyder and Rosa Mendes try to interfere with the Christian vs Ezekiel Jackson match, Tiffany comes out and gives Rosa an unbelievable spear. Christian's performance was pretty good, as well.

* The main event of the final episode of ''ECW on {{SyFy}}'' on Feburary 16 2010. When ZackRyder and Rosa Mendes try to interfere with the Christian vs Ezekiel Jackson match, Tiffany comes out and gives Rosa an unbelievable spear. Christian's performance was pretty good, as well.
* [[strike:Bryan Danielson]] DanielBryan got one on the April 6 2010 edition of ''NXT'', when he gets asked whether or not he deserved to be ranked #1 at the time. He procedes to verbally tear apart NXT and the WWE's weaker parts.

* [[DwayneJohnson The Rock]]. Just... The Rock.

** And of course, it lead to Wrestling/VinceMcMahon making one of the best-known calls from that period: