I Was There...

[Low_Ki]

I figured that this would be a great way to get people talking.

Think about a moment in professional wrestling that you were actually present in the crowd for. A moment that you will remember. It doesn't have to even be a 'defining' moment in the annuals of pro wrestling, just something personal to you, and tell us why it left a mark on you.

For example, mine will always be at Wrestlemania 28, watching CM Punk defeat Chris Jericho for the WWE Title. The moment he got the three count, I truly felt like a torch had been passed and I was thrilled to be a part of such an amazing match and atmosphere.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[joejoe]

Cool idea... But I'm not sure you were there for Wrestlemania 28. Punk didn't get a 3 count. He made Jericho Tap to the Vice.


It was cool for me to be there for HBK/Taker at Wrestlemania 25. That was the start of the "Kick out of the tombstone" tradition at Wrestlemania but this being the first time it was a pretty sweet moment as the whole crowd was going nuts.


Also being there for Lesnar/Taker at Mania 30 was great. People were legit furious over Undertaker losing. An exact quote from a guy as we were leaving the arena. "WWE JUST TOOK A BIG SHIT IN MY MOUTH AND RUINED MY CHILDHOOD!"

That was hilarious.

 

[Soulblazed]

I was at The Cow Palace when Eddy Guerrero won the WWE Title from Lesnar..The entire Cow Palace crowd was cheering for Eddy..Fans were crying and the Guerrero family in attendance was damn proud of Eddy..It was an 100% standing ovation showing absolute respect for Guerrero after all the shit he went through both personally and through storylines in order to become the WWE Champion..That was definitely an unforgettable moment..

I went to Wrestlemanias 22-26 and the most memorable moment from those PPVs to me was Taker beating Shawn at Wrestlemania 25. It was different from Guerrero's WWE Title win, though at the same time it was surreal..It was a rematch that was years in the making and it delivered beyond anyone's expectations..In the Houston newspaper after Wrestlemania 25, one of the articles on the front page was of Wrestlemania 25. They had a picture of Shawn hitting the Diving Elbowdrop onto Taker.

 

[TheHellmouth]

I was at the Royal Rumble this year, so I was lucky enough to see CM Punk's (presumably) final match. As well as getting to see Batista's off the air shenanigans like his special middle finger to the crowd version of the Yes chant.

 

[NtwrestlingMaster]

I got to see Extreme rules 2012, and one of the coolest things was getting to see Brock Lesnars first wwe match in 8 year. Also, watching Cm Punk's insane hometown entrance was crazy.

 

[suleman09]

Well Summerslam 2005 was a special day for me. It was the night of Eddie vs Rey for custody of Dominic, Benoit vs MAP (I think) US title, and HBO vs Hulk Hogan.

3 things made this night special to me,
1. I got to see ICON VS ICON
2. I met Chris Benoit
3. I met Eddie Guerrero all in the same night

Chris was great to me and Eddie was a jerk, as he was playing up his heel character lol but I loved every moment of it because I knew why he was doing that

 

[Slash-LN]

Not as big as some of the ones posted above but I was in attendance for a WCW Thunder show and for some reason one of my brothers was the one who took me. He wanted to leave a few minutes early to beat the crowd and The Giant was in the ring and Goldberg came out. I remember my brother stopping dead in his tracks and saying something about how this was going to be cool and then we stood there and watched Goldberg hit The Giant with a Jackhammer. Rather than the event itself it was just a cool moment for me being there with my brother and him actually getting excited about something going on in the ring as he wasn't really a fan of wrestling. He just kind of watched if it was on wherever he was.

I got to see Randy Orton at a house show before he ever appeared on television. I never thought he'd go on to be such a big name in the company.

Another cool personal moment was the one time I went to Raw and Snitsky was in the ring and I held up a sign that I made. I drew a picture of a baby and it had Lita's tattoo and Kane's mask and it said "Baby Crusher" on it. Snitsky was in the ring waiting for whoever he was facing to come out and he turned around and gave me this total death stare.
That was the same night Tajiri came out dressed as Triple H.

 

[jbwphoto1]

We were at the Clash of the Champions VIII Fall Brawl '89 at the Carolina Coliseum in Columbia, SC, when Terry Funk put the plastic bag over Ric Flair's head to suffocate him.

We were also in Columbia, SC, at the Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2008, for Ric Flair's last RAW show as an active competitor for WWE. Naitch got a bigger standing ovation than the national anthem. As the show went off, Naitch stood on the stage continuing to Whoo. He then went backstage, came back out with a mic and started again. Very heartwarming moment considering all the events Columbia has seen from the Nature Boy.

 

[Low_Ki]

Cool idea... But I'm not sure you were there for Wrestlemania 28. Punk didn't get a 3 count. He made Jericho Tap to the Vice.

Jesus your absolutely right.

And then straight after the cute rub of the head for a job well done.

I'm losing my memory in my old age. Rest assured I was there.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Being from the UK I haven't ever been able to see any of these events in person, I've caught the WWE a few times when they've toured but nothing major.

One show I am glad I was at was a TNA Maximum Impact tours a couple of years ago, when Hulk Hogan had just joined the company. I was fortunate enough to see Hogan actually compete in the ring that night. It was a Tag Team main event with Sting and James Storm vs Kurt Angle and someone else (Bully Ray I think), and before the match started Bobby Roode (the World Champion) came out after competing earlier in the night and demanded to be added to the match, making it a 3 v 2 Handicap match..

Sting then got on the mic saying "that's funny....we have a 3rd partner too!!" and Survivor's "Eye of The Tiger" started playing as HULKAMANIA lit up the big screen, and Hogan came out to join the match, the crowd went absolutely crazy. Sure. he didn't do much, just the punches, Hulk Up and Big Boot I think but it was still a great moment seeing the Hulkster in the flesh actually being involved in a match.

 

[wrestler36]

Aw, man. Every generation has the 'best ever' moment, but I truly believe that I was at the best show of all time. This is the 2002 Raw, the day after No Way Out. This is the day after the nWo reformed. The Hogan return was deafening at the Allstate Arena in Chicago and the staredown with the Rock was unbelievable. Austin and Angle were going at it at the time. I saw Mr. Perfect make fun of Brian Urlacher for not having a perfect season. Undertaker and RVD fighting. Feeling Booker T's fireworks was quite the experience. There were many other moments, but man, with that roster and the action, is show was unreal

 

[spaldoni]

Oct.25th 1991, Oakland Coliseum. I was there for Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair. I had been a huge wrestling fan in the 80s and this was the dream match everybody wanted. I couldn't believe they booked the match so quickly at a house show. The moment it was announced I went out and purchased the tickets. It was a great night and watching the match was so surreal. I just couldn't believe this match was actually happening and I was watching it live. Great memory!

 

[capnwillie]

I was at Wrestlemania this year, and out of all the live events I've seen over the years including WM17 and a handful of other WWE and WCW PPVs and Kerry Von Erich beating Ric Flair at Texas Stadium, watching Lesnar beat the streak and Bryan win the championship are going to be hard to top. Ever.

 

[Kidpolean]

O man...i can go on forever with this thread lol

my first live event was No Way Out 2001...watching hhh vs Austin 3 stages of hell was awesome.

WM28...seeing HHH vs Taker live was by far the most emotional match for a crowd that I have ever been in and I will never forget the three of them standing together on the stage. Cena vs Rock was awesome as well. Honestly I was pretty hammered and for some reason I don't remember Punk vs Y2J that well, maybe that was my blackout period lol.

I got to see Rock vs Punk at the RR which was pretty cool. Brock vs HHH at Summerslam was good as well.

I've been to so many events and have so many great memories. However, for some reason the event that is the absolute worst I have ever been to is the one I remember the most. Judgement Day 2006...OMG, I almost fell asleep in a live WWE crowd. After Khali beat Taker I wanted to go home. The card was just terrible. Only good thing was that I got to meet Angle and Henry after the show.

 

[BLeonard]

Well, I've never been to a PPV before, but still have seen some pretty cool moments live: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1...rst-helmsley-wwf-intercontinental-title_sport

This would be HHH's first WWF title win of any kind.

I'm sure some will remember this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_2sZIvrb0Y

Was at RAW for this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQKVytB4XHY

And at the SmackDown taping the next night for this: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1zwuc_austin-throws-angles-medals-in-rive_fun

And, the one I'm asked about the most: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNckBELEBmo

Just a couple of the cool moments I've been in attendance for.

-Bill

 

[Aeon Mathix]

I was at Wrestlemania XXX. Seeing the streak end was the most surreal out of body experience I have ever had in my life. Not watching wrestling but life. Brock hit that 3rd F-5 and I was actually annoyed because I knew Taker would kick out again and i told my wife I was going to get some food for us after Brock hit it. He went for the cover as I stood up, the 3 count hit and I stood there completely motionless for 5 minutes. I have NEVER seen a crowd go that silent for a wrestling show. Incredible moment and I will never forget it.

Another one involving Brock was the shooting star botch at Mania XIX. That was my first live show ever and I had gone with the sole excitement of wanting to see Brock win the title. Back then I was only 12 years old so it wasn't until recently that I figured out why the crowd wasnt excited for the Angle/Brock match and that was due to how overstacked the second half of the card was so people were dead by the time that match came.

Onto the point of it, it may not seem like it on camera but that place went from a stadium of zombies to chaos after Brock botched that shooting star. Like everyone screamed and jumped and thought he was dead.

 

[OYDK]

Great thread, I've got a few.

My first ever live event was about 15 years ago and I don't remember much because I was only 6 or 7 years old at the time. It was a house show in Toronto and like I said, I don't remember much, but the one thing I do remember was The Undertaker vs The Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match. I still remember UT chokeslammking Big Show through the mat. That moment singlehandedly made me a lifelong WWE fan.

More recently I was at RR 2005 which was actually a pretty awesome card. I'll admit when Batista eliminated Cena to win the RR i marked out.

 

[southrnbygrace]

I was at the very first Great American Bash in 1985. Paid $25.00 for my ticket and thought it was outrageous!! Had front row seats though.

 

[jmt225]

I was at Slamboree 1996, where Diamond Dallas Page's first real push begin.

The show was built around the Lethal Lottery and Battlebowl battle royal. I barely knew anything about Page at the time outside of the fact that The Booty Man stole his girlfriend. That's literally all he was to me at the time. So for him to win the whole thing when guys like Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Lex Luger, the Road Warrios, Steiner Brothers, etc. were all involved was really surprising, and also quite disappointing if I'm being honest. But in hindsight, I'm proud that I was there to witness that, considering DDP went on to become one of the most popular wrestlers WCW ever had, a guy who in real life would inspire hundreds of thousands of people to turn their lives around, and a definite future WWE Hall of Famer.

 

[spaldoni]

I was at the very first Great American Bash in 1985. Paid $25.00 for my ticket and thought it was outrageous!! Had front row seats though.

Wow! You were there?!?! How crazy was that crowd during the Flair/Koloff match? That was awesome

 

[The Dragon Saga]

I was there when Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness unified the ROH World and Pure Championships. It was August in 2006, I was 12-years-old and had never been to an ROH event before. I bugged my parents about going to a Liverpool game and they told me no, not until the start of the new Premier League season, but when I kept badgering them about the ROH show they finally caved, so me, one of my brothers and my dad went over and stayed there there the night. Awesome show, awesome moment and at that time I was completely fixated by ROH so it was cool. Even my dad, who hates wrestling, loved it. Great night, great memory.

I was also at No Mercy 2008 for Shawn vs. Jericho in the ladder match for the World Heavyweight Championship. It still isn't the best match I've seen live. Bryan vs. Nigel is embedded in my brain tissue.

 

[ocekit]

One's more an event than a specific moment. I was at the first WCW Monday Night Nitro at the Mall of America in 1995. It's a big deal to me because it's the first live wrestling event I really remember going to. I was on the second floor in that rotunda. My brother and I sat on the floor, faces pressed against the glass. Seeing all these big names like Hogan, Savage, Sting, and Luger was just mind-blowing. It was interesting watching the spectacle while others who had no idea what was going on went around so they could continue shopping or whatever. That part of the mall looked nothing like it does now.

Summerslam 1999 also left a huge impression on me because seeing the governor of my state boss around the McMahons and call Shane a bastard is still surreal. Plus, there's something about that moment when Jesse asked the audience questions during the match to help him referee that has always stuck with me. I've always appreciated that kind of direct crowd interaction where you feel like you're actually influencing the match (even though you know you aren't really). And yelling along with my brother and the rest of the crowd against the heel HHH is something I've always treasured.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Despite having been a fan for 20+ years, I have only attended a grand total of two wrestling shows in person: Wrestlemania 25 and Summerslam 2010.


Wrestlemania 25
Say what you will about this show, attending this event was one of the best days of my life. I spent hundreds of dollars on seats that were only a few rows away from the ring. Worth every penny. I got to see John Cena's cool entrance with all the fake Cena's walking out during his old entrance theme, then he won yet another World Heavyweight Championship against Edge (who I'm also a big fan of) and Big Show. Then there's the HBK VS Taker match. I can happily say that I was there to see that in person. It was the best match I have ever seen and I'll never forget it. I disagreed with some of what took place (Orton should have won, Trips/Orton shouldn't have been last, Santino should not have been in let alone won the Divas match, Kid Rock should not have even been part of the show, the Tag Team Unification match should have been on the main card, etc) but it was an amazing night.

Summerslam 2010
Another great night. I loved the Nexus angle (up until CM Punk's version of the group ruined it, but that's for another thread) so seeing the newcomers in Nexus take on a team of WWE's Past (Hart), Present (Cena/Edge/Jericho/Morrison/Truth), and Future (Bryan) was something I'll also never forget. Taker's return was pretty cool, and I liked getting to see Orton VS Sheamus for the WWE Championship. I'll admit most of the of the card other than the main event was forgettable in the grand scheme of things, but I attended the 2nd biggest show of the year and had a blast. That's really all that should matter at the end of the day.

 

[smizzy]

I attended Raw 1000. Highlight of the night for me was seeing all the DX guys reform. I left feeling bummed about the glaring the absence of Steve Austin though. I anticipated the glass shatter all night. Still yet, I was spoiled with legend after legend and the Raw itself was just kickass in general.

 

[klunderbunker]

Wrestlemania XXX.

I had wanted to go to the biggest show of the year for a long time and on the day of Wrestlemania XXIX, I started thinking that I could go to the show the next year, and that's exactly what I did. I drove down to New Orleans, took in the Ring of Honor show on Friday and Axxess on Saturday before the big one on Sunday. I got to the stadium, met resident G-Mod The Brain, and sat down for the most amazing five hours of my life.

I was there to see Daniel Bryan's double shot, a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion being crowned, John Cena beating Bray Wyatt for reasons that I'm still not clear on and the Shield destroying the New Age Outlaws and Kane. All of those were fun, but two moments stood out above anything else.

First was the opening. Looking at Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and The Rock in the same ring was absolutely mind blowing and the sound of the glass shattering absolutely blew my mind.

Then it happened. Brock Lesnar put the Undertaker on his shoulders, threw him into the air and let him crash down to the mat. The referee counted three and for the first time ever, the Undertaker had lost at Wrestlemania. People actually ran out of the building in tears and didn't come back. It truly was the end of something that we've seen last since 1991, which is longer than a lot of us have been watching wrestling. I don't often say this, but it gave me a feeling that I couldn't quite describe. It still makes me shake my head when I think of it.