Moment of the Year

[IrishCanadian25]

Hardy Finally Wins the Big One at Armageddon

Samoa Joe wins World Title

Undertaker goes 16-0

Flair's Farewell on Raw

CM Punk wins the World Heavyweight Title

Chris Jericho punches Shawn Michaels' Wife

Czena brings back 5 Movez to the Rozal Rumblez

Shawn Michaels joins JBL at Armageddon

Joey Styles knocks JBL out



​

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

Hardy winning the title was toned down so much seeing as how it could've been a WrestleMania moment. If it happened at Mania, I think it would've been much bigger and it would win.

But out of that list, my vote goes to Flair. Very rarely do we ever get to see things happen as a shoot. Typically its only when somebody dies or when someone gives a shoot interview. Seeing Flair bawling his eyes out with some of his best friends from over the years...seeing people like Edge break character...great moment.

 

[Danmen001]

I'm going to have to agree with NoFate on this one. Ric Flair, regardless of what you think if him, has managed to work 30 + years in the business. In any field of work, that's an acheivement, for a wrestling star it's all the more.

Also with what Fate said, breaking Kayfabe, and bringing in a 4.7 (I believe), rating. If you can draw that much with your retirement, good for you. People really caer about the man, and seeing people come down to thank the man (or, one of the men) that paved the way for the future, something different a moment that will stand out.

All the other moments are good, but I feel most of them are more fitted under the "surprise" category, and that's what they are there.

 

[jmt225]

I would love to pick Styles punching out JBL, but that's a shoot and there's no video of it.

So, I went with CM Punk winning the World Heavyweight Championship as my choice. I love Punk and never thought I'd see the day of him winning a World Championship in WWE, but it happened. And for it to happen in such an exciting and shocking way just made it that much better. Yeah, his reign ended up being somewhat of a disappointment, but that still doesn't take anything away from that awesome moment.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I dont think Hardy's win was toned down by it happening an Armageddon in the least. If anything, it was better, becuase I dont think ANYONE had the least bit of an idea that it was coming. The moment was epic. true, Cena at the rumble was as well, but this one added suprise and a HUGE amount of emotion as well. Seeing Jeff Hardy finally overcome, and rise above, standing at the top of the armageddon set was the moment of the year

 

[Tim]

I have to agree with NoFate and Dan on this one. Everyone knows Ric Flair, 30+ years in the wrasslin' business, 16 time world champion. It was great to see everybody so emotional, people honouring the legend Ric Flair and people breaking kayfabe to show their appreciation for all he's done. People may say he wasn't a good wrestler, wasn't a good entertainer, but he is still a legend in his own right.

And also, as Dan said, all of hte rest of the options are more surprises than moments.

 

[Rusty]

Man, now that I look book at 2008 and I must say it was a very good year for the WWE. Not in terms of match quality, but in terms of special moments such as these. The WWE did better in the one aspect that they haven't been so good at for the past few years, and that is called unpredictability.

Now with that said, I'm finding it very hard to choose the greatest moment of 2008. CM Punk winning the World Heavyweight Championship was special to me, mainly because I like Punk very much. It shocked the hell out of me. John Cena returning at the Royal Rumble was just fantastic. I'm a huge Cena fan, and the Royal Rumble is one of the very few pay per views that I order every year. So for me, it was a great moment.

But to be honest, the greatest moment of the year is a toss up between Ric Flair's farewell on Raw and Jeff Hardy finally winning the WWE Title. Flair's Raw farewell almost made me cry, and this is coming from a guy that has never once cried watching a wrestling program. I had shivers down my spine when Flair lost it in the ring and was in tears. Lets not forget though, Jeff Hardy finally won the WWE Title (and I fucking missed it!). This moment is special to me as I've always been a Hardy fan. But not only that, it's special to both of the Hardy Boyz. Matt & Jeff Hardy were a successful and possibly one of the greatest tag teams in history and BOTH managed to break-out as singles stars becoming respective World Champions. I just can't choose here on which moment was greater.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

This is a close one between Flair and Cena....The farewell was awesome and I would have liked if they would have shown Undertaker and McMahon paying their respects but I will have to go with Cena at the Rumble....When he got injured last October everybody thought he was going to be out for a while and when his music hit the crowd just exploded....He eliminated superstars left and right and threw HHH over the top rope to win....It surprised the hell out of me when I looked on WWE.com the day after to find out that he won.

 

[klunderbunker]

I'm going to go with Flair. Hardy and Cena are 2/3 in either order, but those weren't special moments as much as shocks. Hardy winning the title was huge and a special moment simply because it felt right. He had chased it so long and people feel good when they see someone they have connected with accomplishing their goals. Cena returning was just stunning all around. When that music hit, the cameras were perfect and everyone FREAKED. WWE did it perfectly to make us think he wouldn't be back for another two months. Great moment indeed.

However, I've been a wrestling fan for 20+ years, and I have cried one time because of it. that moment was March 31, 2008, when Ric Flair gave his retirement speech. The amount of talent in that ring will never be matched, ever. WWE even threw in a tiny bit of storyline that I didn't catch until a later viewing. When Shawn came into the ring, the camera went to Batista for all of a second and he looked upset. That was so tiny that it took nothign away, but set up a storyline later on. It was simply perfect all around, and Taker and Vince coming out later on made it all the better. Moment of all time possibly.

 

[RVDgurl]

I was leaning towards Flair's last appearance on RAW because I did cry like a baby, but holy shit....Joey Styles really gave JBL a thunderpunch right to his wretched face. Gold. Absolute gold. JBL already looks like he got hit in the face with a bag of hot nickels and then to add injury to insult, sweet, innocent Joey Styles bruises him up. It could not have happened to a better man. Joey Styles is the man. E-C-f'n-W

 

[Khalifa]

i didn't see the farewell for flare. so for me it's cena or hardy.

i mean cena at the rumble was the most unexpected comeback of all time. it was great comeback. and i loved how he did that entrance. it was amazing. he shouldn't of won but still amazing.

jeff hardy. well we never new this was gonna happen as well. he finally got it. every one on this site liked him getting his shots and chasing the gold. then most of us turned your backs and said that he is a druggy and shouldn't have won it. doesn't matter .still a great moment.

i think i voted cena. and well i should of voted him anyways

 

[dd23beatlesfan1]

There was quite a few great moments this year in wrestling. From particular matches, to promos, to enduring feuds, to wrestlers winning their first world titles, etc.

But the greatest moment of the year IMO was Ric Flair's farewell ceremony on Raw. I've noticed that its quite the "in" thing to do lately to bash Flair on here. And while some of it is founded, as I've noticed he's become quite egotistical lately (just watch the recent edition of the Legends Roundtable on WWE 24/7 to see what I mean), and perhaps he did wrestle for too long. But regardless of any current trends of hating on Ric Flair, there is no denying that he is one of pro wrestling's biggest legends of all-time, and as much as he gave to the business and the fans, he was deserving of a retirement run, and he got a great one. Especially with a big match with HBK at Wrestlemania, and then his farewell ceremony the following night on Raw. It was one of the most emotional moments of my nearly 20 years of watching pro wrestling. I grew up with Ric Flair, and while he wasn't ever one of my top favorites (especially considering I was always a bigger fan of the WWF than WCW), I come to always count on Ric Flair being on the show for so many years. Retirements in wrestling usually don't last, but this one was certainly being billed as something more serious and legitimate than any retirements in a long time. It was really emotional seeing so many wrestlers come together to pay tribute to one of the all-time legends of pro wrestling. Think about it. How many stars in wrestling history got the send-off that Ric Flair got? I can't think of any. Hogan didn't, Savage didn't, Hart didn't, Sammartino didn't, Stone Cold didn't, the Rock didn't. Only Ric Flair has. Not to say that he was the only one that deserved such a thing as that's not true at all. All of the guys I mentioned previously deserved better farewell runs than what they got without a doubt. I wish the industry would pay more respect to it's fallen legends and legends who move aside from the business. Pro wrestling is a business that too easily forgets the past and the wrestlers that gave their lives and everything they had to the business, and discards them once they have no use for them. Ric Flair got a one of a kind tribute that all legendary figures have deserved to have. I'm glad WWE finally did such a thing for once. It was emotional, it was great, it was well deserved.

I sincerely hope that this will have a positive effect and perhaps pave the way for similar farewell situations, for legends that will retire in the coming years (I'm thinking HBK and Taker here).


Flair's farewell ceremony gets my vote, with Punk winning the title probably in 2nd place.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

There are only three truly memorable moments. Punk winning the WHC, Jericho punching HBK's missus & Cena's Rumble return. For impact I'm undecided if Cena's return was better than Punk's title win. Neither weare worth much after those particular moments. Cena was made to look like shit for most of the year, and Punk was dreaded underdog champion.

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

I voted for Flair's Farewell on RAW. That was an amazing moment. Didn't that show draw a rating somewhere in the fours? According to Sly, that makes it the moment of the year. Just to see all those wrestlers to enter the ring and thank Ric, face or heel, and break kayfabe like that was very cool. I even cried a little bit. Just a little. That was the end of a 36 year career. Love the man or hate the man, you can't deny that he was the man.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Those wrestlers were told to go out there. Notice how Ric Flair thanked Big Show and bigged him up as the best big guy ever in his HOF speech. Yet when they had all the wrestlers greet Flair in the ring, he wasn't one of them. He had to settle for coming out with all the others who WWE didn't deem big enough to share a ring with Flair.

Love how Undertaker broke kayfabe too.

 

[OIL]

I voted for Hardy winning the title, but only just. It was unbelieveable with the timing of it. Even I expected it to happen at WrestleMania, so having him win the title at Armageddon of all places, was totally unexpected. No-one in the world expected him to win, everyone, including myself had Edge down to win, so it wins just for that.

 

[Kashagi]

After a hiatus from wrestling since early 2005, this is the year I have really started to follow it all again. I stopped watching the WWE because it became too boring for me, it seemed too predictable and I had better things to do with my time.

Flicking through channels one morning I saw the WWE was on and decided to just have a watch, maybe for 5 minutes or so. I happened to begin watching almost immediately before Flairs retirement speech. Being such a touching moment for me to watch, I have to choose this for the year. Not only because it was such an incredible moment, but also because it helped me remember just how great professional wrestling used to be for me, and after that I decided to give it all another chance.

 

[The Big Gunnzbowski]

While Hardy winning the title (finally!) was an awesome moment, you can't have it on a list with "Ric Flair's Farewell"... Ric Flair giving his farewell address far overshadows anything else that happened this year. It was the end of a 30+ year legacy...the end of an era. One that we all witnessed. One that we all were apart of at some point throughout it's span. One that is now over...

 

[Gutter Phenomenon]

Even though I don't like Cena that much, I had to go with him at the Rumble. WWE kept saying that he wouldn't even be back until after WM, then out of nowhere there he is. I don't think anyone saw that coming, except the people that HAD to know.

Flair, on the other hand, as emotional as it was, you knew it was going to happen right then. Anyone that thought he was going to beat HBK was clearly delusional at the time. Not to mention HBK saying "I'm sorry" before hitting Sweet Chin Music, took away all the reality of the match. It just wasn't surprising enough to be THE moment of '08.

 

[clamdiggerdanielson]

I dont think Hardy winning the titleis even close to Flairs farewell or many of the other moments. How do you compare someone who gave so much of life to the business and a world class professional saying goodbye to the business that he helped build to a guy that was suspended for drug abuse in this year? Hardy has been given so many chances so its not like hes using a second chance to prove something. This is maybe his 6th or 7th chance after a screwup in the wrestling biz. This guy has said on a WWE produced DVD that if they asked him to go to rehab, he would leave for TNA. I dont get how he is a role model with a feel good story.

I voted Flair, with CM Punk being the only moment close to me.

 

[CCS]

Ric Flair's retirement ceremony was definantly the moment of the year. It was one of the most emotional thing's i've ever witnessed. Flair is probably the greatest wrestler ever and he impacted every wrestler to ever step in the ring. You could see the emotion on almost all the wrestlers faces when they was saying goodbye to Flair. It was a truly amazing moment.