- 6 months ago
From shocking returns to unbelievable betrayals, wrestling has delivered moments that left fans speechless and sent the internet into a frenzy. In this countdown, we rank the Top 20 Wrestling Moments That Broke The Internet — the jaw-dropping, history-making events that still have fans talking today.
Expect legendary comebacks, insane match endings, and viral moments that changed the wrestling world forever.
💥 LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more epic wrestling countdowns and highlights!
Expect legendary comebacks, insane match endings, and viral moments that changed the wrestling world forever.
💥 LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more epic wrestling countdowns and highlights!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we'll be looking at the biggest moments that made the wrestling
00:12world stand still.
00:1820.
00:22Broadbreaker – Spears I Show Speed When it comes to the WWE, this social media star
00:27doesn't know when to quit.
00:29Despite a brutal RKO through the announce table at WrestleMania XL, Speed was all too pleased
00:35to join the 2025 Royal Rumble match.
00:42Though he managed one elimination, that's where his moment of glory ended.
00:47Getting a little too comfortable, Speed turned a blind eye to Bron Breaker, who proceeded to
00:52destroy the former with a spear for the ages.
00:58The moment exploded on social media as soon as it happened.
01:04Breaker's spear looks so real, it's like watching a predator tear through its prey.
01:09Thanks to his incredible selling, Speed had millions believing he'd just survived a near-death
01:14experience.
01:1519.
01:16Goldberg Squashes Lesnar In 86 Seconds
01:29Fans hijacked Goldberg and Lesnar's WrestleMania 20 match, leaving it with a bitter legacy.
01:36Fast forward 12 years, and Lesnar was a former UFC champion, the one in 21-and-1, and the
01:43man who destroyed John Cena.
01:45Having been out of action since 2004, Goldberg seemed like another legend destined to fall
01:51before the beast.
01:52However, it turned out to be one of the most shocking squashes in wrestling history.
02:02Just one minute and 26 seconds in, the match was over.
02:07After years of dominance, the beast was finally humbled, and all the WWE Universe could do
02:12was watch in disbelief.
02:15WWE set the trap with a flawless bait-and-switch, and by the end, fans were forced to appreciate
02:23just how brilliantly they'd been misled.
02:29The WWE TNA partnership has opened doors that many once believed were impossible.
02:42No one's benefitted from this more than Joe Hendry.
02:45Sure, he is solid in the ring and on the mic, but the key to his rise is based entirely on
02:51one thing.
02:52His theme song,
02:53Sacked!
02:54When he appears, I believe in Joe Hendry, I believe in Joe Hendry.
03:05Catchy, upbeat, and with a feel-good charm, Hendry's entrance has captured millions of fans,
03:11springboarding him into mainstream popularity.
03:14Each time his name is spoken and he appears, arenas erupt to chant his song.
03:37The culmination of his meteoric rise was seen at WrestleMania 41, with more than 60,000 members
03:43of the WWE Universe cheering for him like a returning hometown hero.
03:48And just to be clear, we won't deny it, we believe in Joe Hendry.
03:56Number 17, The Nexus' debut.
04:06Raw had grown predictable during the PG era, and fans weren't used to surprises anymore.
04:13Meanwhile, the original NXT struggled with its pseudo-reality show formats, but all that
04:18changed the night the original group of NXT rookies stormed Raw.
04:26Led by Wade Barrett, the faction, soon to be called Nexus, interrupted what seemed like
04:32a routine main event, and unleashed unbridled chaos.
04:39From dismantling the entire ringside to attacking everyone in sight, the Nexus tore through the
04:44WWE like never before.
04:46Even lapsed fans found themselves tuning back in for the hottest angle in years.
04:52Although the Nexus never reached the same heights again, their debut unified fans both past and
04:58present for a moment that still stands with the same impact it did back then.
05:03Number 16, Bored at Work Drew McIntyre.
05:10Few superstars have connected with fans as creatively as Drew McIntyre.
05:15The Scottish warrior hijacked CM Punk's feud with Seth Rollins after the former's injury,
05:21earning a world championship at WrestleMania XL.
05:25During the match, McIntyre made a bold new move, posting a selfie with the caption, Bored
05:30at Work.
05:37Unprecedented and outrageous, the post bridged the gap between wrestlers and the audience,
05:42almost as if offering fans a front row seat to the grandest stage of them all.
05:47He would double down the following year at WrestleMania 41, sharing another cheeky selfie,
05:53this time at Damian Priest's expense.
06:00The enormous reception to these posts shows just how much fans cherish this window into
06:05the WWE world, making them truly feel like part of the action.
06:09Number 15, Hulk Hogan gets booed out of the arena.
06:13Once the unquestioned golden goose for the WWE, the Hulkster's stock has plummeted over
06:18the last decade.
06:19From a racism scandal to leaked private videos and to controversial political views, Hogan
06:26no longer commands the respect he once did.
06:29But while much of this criticism lived behind our screens, the audience's contempt was unmistakable
06:35during Raw's Netflix debut.
06:44Returning as part of the show's legacy, and let's face it, to promote his real American
06:48beer, the WWE Universe was far from kind to the immortal.
06:58The reaction felt like a collective statement, as if the internet wrestling community itself
07:03had filled the arena just to say, this doesn't work for us, brother.
07:07So whatcha gonna do when the WWE and Netflix rubs wild on you, maniacs?
07:20Number 14, John Cena turns heel.
07:23Much like Hulk Hogan's iconic WCW heel turn, this one sent ripples far beyond the squared
07:29circle.
07:35And considering he was the heroic face of the WWE since 2003, John Cena's turn was
07:41one for the history books.
07:43Many had long given up on it ever happening, so the fact that it arrived smack dab in the
07:47middle of his retirement tour hit like an attitude adjustment.
07:52With a single nod from former arch-nemesis The Rock, Cena sold out on two decades of hustle,
07:58loyalty and respect.
08:05In the blink of an eye, one of WWE's most beloved heroes became its most despicable villain.
08:12In the end, Cena lived up to his catchphrase, because we really did not see him or this coming.
08:18Number 13, CM Punk debuts in AEW.
08:30Any wrestling fan with their salt knows that a wrestling retirement is just another way of
08:36going.
08:37See you later.
08:38For seven years, CM Punk seemed to defy this rule.
08:41However, his return ignited the AEW crowd with such intensity that the entire wrestling
08:47world was forced to pay attention.
08:49Everyone knew it was coming, yet it still felt surreal in every way.
08:53His entrance wasn't just loud, it was seismic, as the thunderous crowd sent shockwaves through
08:59the arena and into our screens.
09:07The electricity was too good to miss, and even die-hard WWE loyalists tuned in to catch
09:13this once-in-a-lifetime reaction.
09:15Though Punk's AEW run ultimately crashed and burned, the magic of this night remains untouchable.
09:21Number 12, Edge comes out of retirement.
09:31For nine years, Edge's retirement felt like one of wrestling's greatest tragedies.
09:35A career cut short by injury, it seemed the Rated-R Superstar was gone for good.
09:42But at the 2020 Royal Rumble, one of the most feel-good comeback stories began
09:51its first chapter.
09:53All it took were the opening notes of his theme song, and fans, both home and in attendance,
09:58erupted.
10:01More so than anyone in the crowd, it was Edge who felt it the most, his face reflecting
10:06incredible gratitude and overwhelming emotion.
10:10Watching him share the ring with stars like AJ Styles and Roman Reigns was a surreal, dream-come-true
10:16moment that set the internet into a frenzy, much like the explosive pyro that marked Edge's
10:23return.
10:26Number 11, Seth Rollins betrays The Shield.
10:29Arguably the greatest betrayal in modern wrestling history, The Shield, still hot into their dominant
10:35run, was shattered beyond repair with a chair to the back.
10:42Despite firmly cementing themselves at the top of the WWE, the trio imploded in spectacular
10:47fashion.
10:48Seth Rollins, the architect of The Shield, became its executioner, aligning with Triple H and
10:54The Authority.
10:56Fans were left speechless, unable to comprehend the ruthlessness with which Rollins severed all
11:01ties with his former brothers.
11:07It marked permanent turning points in the WWE, propelling all three members into main event
11:12status.
11:13Still, for many fans, it remains just as heartbreaking today as it was on that night so long ago.
11:24Number 10, Montreal Screwjob.
11:27The Montreal Screwjob may have occurred in 1997, before the advent of modern social media, but
11:34its deeply conversational nature reverberated everywhere, including the internet.
11:46In fact, it's often regarded as the first wrestling event to ignite widespread outrage
11:51among online fans, lighting up plenty of chat rooms.
12:03The real-life act of betrayal unfolded during the 1997 Survivor Series, where Vince McMahon
12:09infamously screwed Bret Hart out of his championship in front of a stunned Montreal crowd.
12:15This to ensure Bret didn't bring the top title to rival WCW.
12:20Decades later, fans still scrutinized the event, fueling an online debate that remains
12:26as intense now as it was back then.
12:28Number 9, Cody Rhodes Returns to WWE.
12:36After helping build All Elite Wrestling from the ground up as a founding executive vice president,
12:41Cody Rhodes shocked the world by returning to the company he famously exited, WWE.
12:47This full-circle moment immediately ignited the internet, with fans and critics alike buzzing
13:01about the prodigal son's return and what it meant for both companies.
13:06His emotional entrance at WrestleMania 38, coupled with a high-profile match against Seth
13:10Rollins cemented Cody's comeback as one of the biggest wrestling stories of the year.
13:24The return also added plenty of fuel to the online rivalry between AEW and WWE fans.
13:31Number 8, The Final Deletion.
13:39This bizarre and over-the-top match between Matt and Jeff Hardy in TNA became nothing short
13:44of a viral sensation.
13:46Matt Hardy's glorious descent into his broken persona culminated in The Final Deletion, a
13:52match against his brother Jeff at the Hardy compound in Cameron, North Carolina.
13:58Unlike anything seen before in professional wrestling, the uniquely cinematic brawl featured
14:03everything from tree dives, to fireworks, to Senor Benjamin.
14:19It became an instant internet phenomenon, spawning countless memes and reactions, not to mention
14:25a sequel.
14:26The Final Deletion's unexpected virality proved the potential of alternative wrestling storytelling,
14:32opening the door for more cinematic matches.
14:37Number 7, Brock Lesnar's Night After WrestleMania comeback.
14:45Surprise appearances in professional wrestling are a thing of beauty.
14:49Like John Cena's unexpected entry in the 2008 Royal Rumble.
15:00Or imagine if Chris Jericho's 1999 WWE debut happened in the social media era.
15:06It would have trended instantly.
15:17Of course, few compared to Brock Lesnar's shocking comeback in 2012.
15:26After leaving for a high-profile UFC career, Lesnar stunned everyone the night after WrestleMania
15:3228.
15:34Marching to the ring, Brock Lesnar delivered a devastating F5 to Cena, igniting an intense
15:44frenzy online.
15:45Yep, everyone seemingly lost their minds as the dominating force of the UFC had returned
15:51to the WWE, blurring the lines between professional wrestling and mixed martial arts in the process.
15:58Rock Lesnar is back!
16:00Number 6, The Rock vs. John Cena.
16:03If social media had been as pervasive as it is today, The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania
16:0918 would have surely sent the internet into overdrive.
16:13However, that legendary dream match no doubt set the stage for another historic showdown years
16:29later.
16:36The Rock vs. John Cena's 2012 WrestleMania match was another battle of icons that transcended
16:42wrestling and captured widespread attention.
16:45Announced a year in advance, the bout generated immense hype, much of it fuelled online.
16:52Fans of varying generations flocked to social media to express their enthusiasm and opinions
16:58on The Rock vs. Cena's first encounter, demonstrating that wrestling could still engage the public
17:03on a massive scale.
17:09WWE Buys WCW
17:15To say that the wrestling industry changed forever when WWE purchased its biggest competitor,
17:20WCW, in 2001 would be a wee bit of an understatement.
17:25The once fierce Monday Night Wars had suddenly come to an end, with WWE standing tall as the
17:31victor.
17:41This monumental acquisition, not to mention the subsequent storyline revelations, sent shockwaves
17:48through the wrestling community.
18:00It also set online discussion into overdrive, with fans visiting forums and news sites to
18:06ponder the ramifications.
18:08This mainly dial-up, internet-shattering moment led to more jaw-dropping instances, as former
18:14WCW talent would appear on WWE programming in the future, breaking the internet all over
18:20again.
18:214.
18:23AEW Debut
18:30Sticking with industry-altering events, the launch of All Elite Wrestling was a groundbreaking
18:36moment, providing an alternative mainstream platform to WWE.
18:40Spearheaded by industry performers and backed by the wealthy Khan family, AEW's arrival sent
18:47shockwaves through the online wrestling community.
18:59The company's debut event, Double or Nothing, and the appearances of major stars, the likes
19:04of Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley instantly legitimized the new company.
19:10Online discussion about the new era of competition in pro wrestling grew to critical mass with
19:15the premiere of AEW's weekly TV show, Dynamite.
19:20With that, it's safe to say that the internet played a significant role in spreading AEW's vision.
19:26It's lights out for his opponent.
19:28We have just seen the destruction of all elite.
19:323.
19:33The Yes Movement
19:34Daniel Bryan's underdog rise to the top of WWE, fueled by the echoes of Yes chants, became
19:41a genuine phenomenon.
19:43It not only captivated audiences live in the arena, but dominated social media, even crossing
19:53over into mainstream pop culture.
19:55This organic groundswell of support, amplified by the internet fanbase, propelled Bryan to
20:01the main event of WrestleMania 30, culminating in one of the most emotionally charged and
20:06feel-good victories in wrestling history.
20:16The journey of the Yes Movement was a testament to the power of fan support and its ability
20:21to truly influence storylines in the digital age.
20:302.
20:31CM Punk's Pipe Bomb
20:39On a June 2011 episode of Monday Night Raw, CM Punk grabbed a microphone and delivered the
20:45most viral promo in all of professional wrestling.
20:57Referred to as the Pipe Bomb, Punk would go on to blur the lines of what was real and not
21:03by addressing real-life grievances in an unfiltered manner.
21:07All while sitting cross-legged on the stage.
21:24Punk managed to resonate with disenfranchised fans of the company, sparking immediate reactions
21:29online.
21:30The internet community dissected every word, speculating about how much of it was in fact
21:35unscripted.
21:37In the end, the promo transcended wrestling norms, giving jaded fans something to get excited
21:42about.
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22:101.
22:11The End Of The Streak
22:13For 21 years, The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania was considered a sacred
22:18cornerstone of WWE lore, with many believing it would never be broken.
22:36So when Brock Lesnar did the unthinkable and actually conquered The Undertaker's streak
22:40at WrestleMania 30, it generated widespread disbelief.
22:52Stunned reactions spread across the internet, becoming one of the most talked-about wrestling
22:57moments of all time.
22:59Social media exploded as outlets reported on the historic moment, one that wrestling fans
23:05thought they'd never see.
23:11The end of the streak not only crushed the hearts of Undertaker supporters, but broke the
23:15damn internet in the process.
23:24What pro wrestling moments sent you straight to social media?
23:27Share your personal pics in those comments below.
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