WWE: Top 10 Most Shocking Moments of All-Time
4. Nexus Destroys Everything
There are still some times when WWE does kayfabe right. One of those moments was when the Nexus debuted on Raw in 2010. During a match between John Cena and CM Punk, NXT season one winner Wade Barrett made his way to ringside. He instantly got Cena’s attention, who asked if Barrett had an issue. Soon enough, he would learn Barrett’s issue.
The other superstars involved in the first season of the then-competition show emerged from the crowd. The men started by taking out Punk and Luke Gallows before tearing apart Cena like a pack of lions. Once the group tore apart Cena, they were far from being done. They started attacking everyone in sight.
The group beat up Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Matt Striker, Justin Roberts, and even the cameramen and the timekeeper. They tore apart the ring and the outside padding to the point that superstars in the back were even wondering if these guys had gone rogue. The crowd was almost in stunned silence by what they were witnessing.
As shocking moments go, this one had the fans questioning if what they were seeing was real. The group that would go on to be known as Nexus will always be remembered for their entrance even if their stay wasn’t as memorable. Ironically, the most controversial moment included Daniel Bryan choking Justin Roberts with his own tie.
Bryan was released for his part in the angle. He was eventually rehired by the company after fans demanded his return. Years later, most of Nexus is out of the company, and Bryan is the only one still competing. Barrett and David Otunga are still with the company in non-wrestling roles.
3. Chris Jericho Debuts
The build-up to the eventual arrival of Chris Jericho was a debut done right. The “Countdown to the New Millennium” started on July 1, 1999. The countdown would eventually tick all the way down during the Aug. 9 episode of Raw that same year. However, the countdown happened to come down to the last ten seconds during one of The Rock’s promos.
When the music began to play and the name “Jericho” appeared on the Titantron, the crowd went wild! After making a name for himself in WCW and ECW, Jericho was welcomed by everyone with open arms in WWE. Well, almost everyone. After being interrupted by Jericho’s debut, Rock didn’t seem too pleased by his arrival.
The first meeting of Jericho and Rock showed the potential that a program between the two men could have. Jericho showed from day one that he could hold his own on the microphone, even with the likes of The Rock. His very first promo in WWE was one of the best that he has ever done. On that night, we all witnessed the birth of “Y2J”.
While it took him a little while to skyrocket, Jericho would become one of the top talents in WWE and overall wrestling history. He would later defeat Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on the same night to become the first-ever Undisputed World Champion at Vengeance 2001. Jericho has become one of the greatest to ever step in a ring.
Jericho has reinvented himself time after time as his career has progressed. However, he will likely always be remembered for his early years in WWE. In many people’s eyes, Jericho will always be known as “Y2J”.