If only you were there

[WWEvsJosh]

There are many great moments that have happened in wrestling. Great matches, great promos, great returns, great betrayals, and other moments. If you could choose to be there live during 5 of any great moments in wrestling what ones would you choose?

You did not have to be alive when it happened, so if you were born in 1990 and said you wanted to be there live when Hogan beat Andre at WM 3 that works.

 

[zhaff2004]

At the SkyDome for Rock/Hogan. I was a kid and a massive Rock fan, seeing him go toe-to-toe with Hogan was a moment I'll never forget and it was for me, the biggest moment of my childhood, in terms of wrestling.

2. I would have loved to have been there to see the screwjob. Iconic moment in wrestling history that changed the business.

3. Attending WM III. Hogan/Andre is talked about often enough, but imagine getting to see Hogan slam Andre + Seeing Savage and Steamboat? Great stuff

4. Attended WM X7. My all time favourite Mania. Rock/Austin II, Taker/HHH and TLC II. Amazing stuff. Add to that the Vince/Shane streetfight and the masterpiece that Benoit and Angle put on... Amazing.

5. Hogan joining Hall and Nash at bash at the beach. Nothing more needs to be said about this.

Honourable mention goes out to: Seeing Bruno Samartino defend the strap and the garden. His legend speaks for itself. To actually witness him in action, at his peak would have truly been something else.

Also, To see Hogan beat Slaughter at mania for the belt. The American hero beats the Iraqi sympathiser to win the belt? Come on! The reaction of the live crowd would have been off the chart.

 

[wrestler36]

In no particular order:

1) I was at the Allstate Arena in Chicago 2002 when Rock and Hogan had their staredown on Raw after No Way Out. I don't know how anything can top this. The energy in the arena and the alternating Hogan/Rock chants felt surreal. Each of them gave incredible promos too.

2) Would have loved to have been in attendance at the 1990 Royal Rumble when it was Hogan/Warrior alone in the ring. The world champion and the IC champ going at it was awesome

3)Believe it or not, John Cena vs C.M. Punk at Money in the Bank. I know I'm biased because it's Chicago, but I don't know if I've ever heard such a polarizing crowd in my life. I wish I was there. The feeling definitely resonated through the TV/computer screen

4) Andre the Giant/Hogan at WM III. Granted, the actual match wasn't much to watch, but you can't deny 93K or whatever in the Pontiac Silverdome.

5) Tossup for this one. I'll go either Tyson/Austin at Monday night Raw. This was the moment that permanently stalled WCW's momentum. I would have never expected a physical altercation between these too as well. The anticipation of both of them in the ring was awesome. I also would have loved to have been in attendance at Summerslam 92 to watch Bret vs Bulldog in Wembley Stadium. I can only imagine the energy there for the Davey Boy in the main event in his home country.

Wow, Hogan gets so much shit nowadays (deservedly) for his ego and selfishness, but to his credit, he made 3 of my top 5.

 

[Jerichoholic8894]

1) Chris Benoit wins World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania 20

2) Undertaker goes 20-0 at WrestleMania (I know it hasn't happened, and may not. But we can probably take it to the bank)

3) Hogan-Rock-WM17

4) Benoit wins Royal Rumble as #1 entrant.

I can say I WAS live when Austin stunned all 4 McMahons back in Dallas at the 15th reunion show. Which would have been my 5th moment had I not been there.

 

[Kliq69]

1) Bash at the Beach 96... Wow, how could you beat that. Hall/Nash's first match in WCW, Hogan's heel turn, and had I been in the audience I wouldn't have heard Bobby blowing the surprise... "but who's side is he on?" (They should have fired him that night)

2) Hogan/Andre: I've always said if Vince ever gets his real HOF, Hogan and Andre in their iconic lockup pose should be standing in front of the front doors. Had to place it #2 though because i believe the nWo forming and the trash throwing was a once in a lifetime occurrence.

3) Super J Cup 93: Not a moment, but the entire show. Top to bottom the best event for "wrestling" ever. If you want great matches and none of the entertainment, you can't beat this event.

4) Flair's return to Nitro... My favorite wrestler returning, being apart of the ovation, would have been nice to be apart of that moment.

5) This was the hardest one to pick because it's the last spot and there are so many great moments I would have loved to have been at. If I had to pick one... WM 14 HBK vs Austin. HBK's last match for 4 years (at the time no one knew how long or if he'd ever return), Austin being officially handed the reigns, would have been amazing.

 

[TheHorndogSays]

2) Undertaker goes 20-0 at WrestleMania (I know it hasn't happened, and may not. But we can probably take it to the bank)

Ummm... Taker went 20-0 at last years Mania... This post makes me sad.

As for my top 5.

1. Punk wins title at Money in the Bank. Definitely the HOTTEST crowd I have ever seen

2. Wrestlemania 10. This was the best card top to bottom in my opinion and I was a HUGE Bret fan back in the day so it would have been cool to see.

3. Lesnar super-suplex onto Big Show on Smackdown causing the ring to collapse.

4. Goldberg beats Hogan for the WCW title at Nitro. This was Nitro's best moment in my opinion

5. First Nitro at Mall of America. I've always wanted to go to the mall of America ever since it was featured in the local news paper. It would have been awesome to see a high profile wrestling event there.

 

[King of the Words]

My top 5 wrestling moments I would have liked to have been at are as follows:

Number 5. Wrestlemania 3. It was the first great Mania, in my opinion. Would love to have witnessed the slam heard around the world and Macho Man and Steamboat`s classic.To be a part of 90 plus thousand wrestling fans in the golden era would have been awesome.

Number 4. Wrestlemania 12. I would have loved to have been ringside to see the classic Iron Man Match between Bret and HBK. Bret and Hbk are my 2 favorite wrestlers of all time, besides Taker. This was a dream come true match for me. It was one of the best matches ever plus the boyhood dream of HBK coming true. Would have loved to have been there.

Number 3. Wrestlemania 9. I know this Mania gets a bad wrap, but I just loved the atmosphere of the whole event. A sunny day at Ceasar's Palace in Vegas, with the circus animals there and seeing Giant Gonzalez and Yokozuna live would have been amazing, not to mention Hogan, Hart and Taker.

Number 2. Wrestlemania 17. Simply because it was my favorite Wrestlemania. So much action with Austin turning heel would have been great to see live.

Number 1. Wrestlemania 8. There were rumors where I lived that Warrior had died. So, when he had his surprise return at Mania 8 I marked out like never before. I was young and this surprise return, to know he was still alive, made my year, and was a great childhood memory. The only way for it to have been better would have been to be there live. To see Hogan and Warrior in a pose down at the end was a great moment in WWE history.(IMO)

Those would have to be my top 5 wrestling moments that I wish I was there at the time to see live.

 

[Chopper]

5- Hogan turning heel and forming the NWO. I was just getting into wrestling at this point and I would of flipped out. It was WCW's biggest moment by far and put them on the map for the next few years.
4- Living just outside of Toronto, it kills me I did not get to attend Wrestlemania X8. It was a very underrrated event with Flair/Undertaker tearing down the house in a street fight. HHH winning the WWE title after his long rehab and Steph's heel turn. And of course, Hogan vs Rock. I feel it is overlooked, seeing how WMX7 the previous year is hailed as the greatest (which I agree with). The only thing that bothered me was handling the hometown Edge's Wrestlemania moment. A shampoo commercial on a pole match. Really?!
3- Austin vs McMahon. The feud that won the Monday Night Wars. No elaboration needed.
2- King of the Ring 1998- Seeing Foley get tossed off of the cell would of been scary as hell to see live. Heck, I probably would of closed my eyes!
1- Hogan vs Andre- Now I was only 3 when this happened, so if I were to put this in a "wish I was there" list, I'd be metaphorically older. The slam heard around the world in front of 93,000 was easily one of the greatest moments in WWE history. If I were there, I'd be marking out like everyone else.

An honourable mention goes to Goldberg vs Hogan in Atlanta. Goldberg was the hottest commodity in all of WCW going for the title against the Immortal One. We all knew he would win. Seeing him cream Hulk in front of his hometown would of been incredible! I never saw a WCW title match with such heat and buzz from the crowd. And we never did again.

 

[Elchicano15]

1. Superfly vs Don Muraco at the Garden. Where he does that classic splash from 15ft

2. Wrestlemania 20 after the World Heavyweight Title match where Eddie celebrates with Benoit.

3. ECW One Night Stand 2005. A small venue like that surrounded by a bunch of passionate fans would have been a fun experience.

4. Wrestlemania 3 at the Pontiac Silverdome, biggest crowd at a WWE event I believe. To see Steamboat vs Savage, and Hogan slam Andre would've been awesome..

5. Summerslam 92 in Wembly British Bulldog vs Bret Hart. Hell that whole damn card was pretty good.

 

[Swarles Barkley]

I was at WrestleMania X-8, so I won't name that, though if I didn't go to that show it would be in my top five. By far the best show I've ever attended.

5. ECW One Night Stand 2006: to see RVD finally win the title
4. WrestleMania X-7: maybe the greatest event in wrestling history
3. Survivor Series 1997: do I need to give a reason?
2. Raw on December 29, 1998: to see Mick Foley win his first WWF title
1. Bash at the Beach 1996: do I need to give the reason?

There are lots of others, but those are the top five off the top of my head.

 

[Pedigree1]

1. Aug 31st 1992! SummerSlam. In arguably the best IC match of all time. Bret Hart Vs Bulldog. This is the match IMO that should be required viewing of what a IC match should be. Hands down IMO the best of all time. Even better than WM3 contest!

2. Nov 9th 1997! Survivor Series. This is the one event i would have loved to attend. This totally changed the careers of both Bret hart and Shawn Michales! IMO this event,the screwjob screwed bret in more ways than one. This really ended brets career he was never ever the same again! The event was just so shocking and left the crowd just stunned!

3. Jan 25th 2004 Royal Rumble! One of my favorite Royal Rumbles of all time. This rumble had it all. An incredible battle between Shawn Michaels and HHH! A last man standing match,an incredible fight and lasted 25 minutes of just brutal chaos. Both men bleeding could barely stand and their bodies just gave out. Plus not to mention Chris Benoit going the distance in perhaps IMO the greatest RR ever! Entered no1 and out-lasted every man that came out! Truly an incredible event.

4. April 5th 2009 WM25! This WM IMO gets severly underrted! The only knock on it i have is Rey pinned JBL in like 20 seconds. But who in their right mind would not wanna see Shawn vs Undertaker in that 30 minute gem 5 star of a match. God what an incredible battle and that match alone made the PPV worth the price. Imagine being there live. Truly the first time i thought Takers streak was gonna end. Plus Cena hosting both edge and Big Show on his shoulders. Wow that would have been worth the price of admission. That is over 700 pounds just unreal! Plus CM Punk winning MITB for the 2nd time in a row! A great PPV and i wish i would have been there.

Nov 17th 2002 Survivor Series. Again the best Survivor Series of all time. The first ever Elimination Chamber Match ever. And probably the most violent EC match still to this day. Just a knock out drag out brawl. RVD 5-star splashing HHH and injuring him for real. Plus Brock giving then 500 pounds plus Big Show a f-5 wow what a sight taht would have been. God Brock is strong and everyone mouths just fell open when he easily gave show the F-5!

 

[PaulEnglish]

Wow...great question! Let's see...I've been fortunate enough to be at a few memorable events (I grew up in Southern Ontario, so I was able to go to most of the events in both Toronto and Detroit, including Wrestlemanias 6, 18, 23 and 3, otherwise 3 would definitely be on this list. I was also at the Raw with the Zamboni attack, and a few other noteworthy events)...so outside of those I would have to say:

5). The night where Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko and Saturn jumped ship from WCW and arrived on Raw. I remember watching that and beforehand having ZERO idea that they had left WCW. Just stunned when it happened.

4). Hogan joining the NWO. People have mentioned why on other posts.

3). Chris Jericho's WWF debut. That was so built up, and when it finally happened, it seemed as if the arena exploded.

2). The night of the Ric Flair retirement. Sure, he's spoiled it somewhat by coming back to wrestle since then, but that was such a one off thing that won't ever happen again (even Edge's retirement celebration(s) weren't to that level.

1). SummerSlam at Wembley. 'nough said

 

[Leveller]

Wrestlemania 16 - its the first one I ever saw so I would love to watch in person

Taker vs Jeff Hardy Ladder Match on RAW - Some of the best story telling on RAW

Survivor Series 2003 - The beginning of Cena's face run and Taker "buried alive" by Kane

Wrestlemania 17 - I shouldnt need a reason for this

Royal Rumble 2000 - Hardyz vs Dudleyz tables match, HHH vs Cactus Jack street fight

 

[HBsam31]

Great thread, here are my top 5.

5. ECW ONS 2005, would have loved to have been apart of that crowd. Loved the small space, and would have been cool to see that reunion live.

4. MITB 2011, A great main event with a great build. Again to be apart of the crowd would have been amazing.

3. Wrestlemania 3, This was the event that got me hooked on wrestling. TO see Hogan slam Andre live would have had me hitting the roof as a kid.

2. Bash at the Beach 1996, As everyone has said. There is nothing else to say about this one.

1. Wrestlemania 6, Hogan/Warrior is my most memorable match from childhood. It broke my heart when Hogan lost, but to be apart of that night. Just wow.

 

[The Eighties]

1) Shawn Michaels wins the WWF title for the first time at WrestleMania 12 in the first ever Iron Man match.

2) Hulk Hogan turns heel at Bash & the Beach 1996 and kick-start's the next wrestling boom period.

3) Macho Man Randy Savage wins the WWF title at WrestleMania IV, there was magic in the air that night and it unveiled the best title belt ever.

4) Shawn Michaels final match at WrestleMania 26.

5) Macho and Elizabeth reunite after the epic career match with Warrior at WrestleMania 7.

 

[Mr. HD]

1) WrestleMania X-7 - I would give anything to attend the greatest WrestleMania of all time. HHH vs Taker, TLC 2, McMahon vs McMahon, and more importantly, Austin vs Rock. To be a part of an event that great would've been special.

2) Kane returns in February 2000 - Go back and watch that clip. When Paul Bearer comes out and Kane's pyro hit, the fans went absolutely BONKERS. I would've loved to be there going crazy right along with the rest of them.

3) WrestleMania 20 - Undertaker returns, Rock & Sock returns, Eddie vs Angle, and the amazing main event that was Benoit vs HHH vs HBK. Seeing Benoit win the World Title for the first time is great, but being there Live when it happened would've been better.

4) Y2J Debuts - The countdown, the "JERICHO", the pose and the promo. The energy in the arena was quite huge.

5) Mick Foley wins the WWF Title - Mick Foley with DX in his corner, and Rock with the Corporation in his corner, and to be in that arena when Austin's music hit would've been something else and then counting along when the ref counted down the Rock and Foley won the WWF Championship would've been quite the experience.

 

[TheBottomLine]

Hmm this is a toughie!.

In no order...

1) Probably Survivor Series 2002, the first ever Elimination Chamber match, Heyman screwing Lesnar over for the Big Show, Shawn winning the WHC after being laid off for 4 years.

2) Wrestlemania XIX, the last match between Austin and The Rock, Y2J and HBK had a great match, Angle vs Lesnar too plus the Hogan McMahon street fight.

3) Wrestlemania X-7 TLC 2, Austin vs Rock, the McMahon street fight, HHH vs Taker ang there was a good Hardcore maatch too, Raven Kane and Big Show.

4) Royal Rumble 2007, Taker finally wins the rumble, that was a great Rumble too! the fact it came down to HBK and Taker as the last two was amazing, in HBK's backyard too! Cena and Umaga's last man standing match was enjoyable, and Kennedy vs Batista wasn't too shabby, there was good promos in between matches too!

5) Survivor Series 2003, great tag matches in this, Austin's farewell speech, Taker vs Vince in a buried alive match, Shane vs Kane in an ambulance match and then Goldberg vs HHH was good too.

 

[HBKperfect23]

5) Rumble 1995. Shawn goes coast to coast and makes history.

4) RAW July 9, 2001. The invasion starts. My favorite RAW ever.

3) MITB 2011, I still re watch Punks entrance every once in awhile. The best crowd ever.

2) WrestleMania 8. My first WM and favorite WM ever. Taker/Jake, HBK singles push starts, Bret/Roddy, Hogan retirement tease/Warrior return, and Flair/Savage. Besides, every real wrestling fan needs to attend a WM. I went to WM15....That almost doesn't count.

1) Easily choosing Summerslam 1992. The greatest ppv of all time. The crowd was amazing, the atmosphere couldn't have been better. Bret/Bulldog is the greatest match in history.