Since it's about six days a week, I decided to make my own list from my latest blog The Uncommon One: Reminiscing Classics
I might be doing this a bit early but I got a few more things in the future to talk about so I rather do it now while I'm talking mostly about wrestling. I'm going to recap the 1000th episode of Raw and look very much forward to watching it but right now I want to give out my favorite moments all time. I've watched it from 1998 to 2005 then late 2008 to now. I've missed a decent amount but I've seen a lot of wrestling as a fan. I'm only 19 years old so their might be a shortage of attitude era moments. That's because I was still a little kid at the time and my memory isn't that great. My memory is really good but some things I just forget. Of course I'll still have some old school picks because attitude era is still very much considered the golden age of wrestling. Remember when reading the list that these are my personal favorites and not the most important moments. I'll post clips then talk about them and it will be in numbered order. These are my selections so don't be too harsh if some picks are a bit odd. I'm sure the main writers like Dave Meltzer, Wade Keller, or my buddy John Canton will make far greater lists. Anyway here are the top ten picks for my Raw moments.
1. Stone Cold saves WWF from the Alliance
I'll never forget being a little kid growing up when it was still real to me. I'll never forget seeing the merger between ECW-WCW and I would hate them so much because they would destroy the WWE. Stone Cold at the time was at a crisis and WWF was in dire need of help. When Austin was taking out everyone, I'll never forget hopping around the television. Stone Cold was my favorite wrestler growing up and he was the perfect guy to save WWF. Now I'm not going to rate the whole Invasion angle because it ended up being a disappointment but this moment still makes me remember why I love wrestling so much. Also listen to Jim Ross in this video, that's why he's the best commentator ever in sports. I don't care if you want to call this a sport, nobody beats Jim Ross. The way he was yelling and showing so much passion still blows me away. It was cool to see Team WWF be true hall of famers in business with Austin, Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Kane, and even Kurt Angle. That was a dynamic team full of great performers.
2. CM Punk shoot promo
It's no surprise that this was going to be on the list. Nothing makes me happier in life than seeing hard working people in anything get what they deserve. CM Punk was easily the most underutilized performer from 2010 to June 2011. When he finally got the opportunity to speak his mind, it was an unforgettable moment. This led to a summer that was known as the Summer Of Punk where it was must see TV to see what he'll say next. It was also a blessing that Punk stayed because I couldn't imagine how awful Raw would have been without him. He was that great of a performer and for WWE to finally loosen up their PG rating and let something like this was brilliant. Punk will be in the Hall Of Fame first ballot one day and will at least go down as one of the top 25 wrestlers in history (just from a star perspective, not actual in ring and character). The main spotlight started on this day although it should have started far earlier. I've talked about this promo several times already so I'm not going to go on and on. This will always be a memorable moment in wrestling that will be talked about forever.
3. Chris Jericho heel turn
The moment that got me back into wrestling. This is a moment that many people will savor because it began a career change for Chris Jericho. It's no secret that Jericho has a huge fan base and that many people look at his heel run to be a huge success. It brought Jericho a few title reigns and some really entertaining feuds. When I heard Jericho returned, I didn't get back into wrestling right away because I was going through some personal problems in my life. Then when people were telling me that Jericho was going to feud with Michaels, it became must watch. I'll always love the Y2J character but it was great to see a character change. When Jericho started speaking slowly with the suits, it became fun to watch and my vocabulary would go up listening to him. Chris Jericho is my favorite wrestler of all time and Jericho has said in interviews that his 2008-2010 work was the best of his career. That says something and I can agree with him because at times in mid 2000s, he wasn't in the spotlight as much. Some may say its too high but this is what got me back into wrestling and if it wasn't for this feud then who knows if I would be making a list like this.
4. This Is Your Life
The highest rated segment in Raw's history will easily be on everyone's list. This was easily the funniest segment I've ever watched in wrestling history. Even though I'm more an Austin fan, The Rock is the funniest wrestler in history. I've been critical of The Rock's latest return to wrestling but there is no denying that Rock is one of the greatest ever if not the greatest. This segment was hilarious bringing back Rock's teacher, coach, and girlfriend and having The Rock own them. Mick Foley (Mankind) was a great host playing the co-star of the segment then delivering great presents. The Rock socko made me laugh so hard along with the jackets which were cool. It's amazing how they tried to do the same with John Cena in 2011 and it was a complete fail. This is 1999 and the segment was so entertaining that even as a six year old at the time, I really enjoyed it. Then watching it in 2012 now, it still doesn't fail to crack me up. The Rock hit all his punchlines and everything flowed perfectly. The ending was a bit lame with Triple H but overall you'll never get a comedy segment that good in wrestling like that again. This built up to a championship later that night between The Rock and Triple H which was a great match. 2000 was the golden age of wrestling with everyone performing at the top of their game. It still amazes me how Jericho, Edge, Christian, Angle, and Benoit were in the mid card. That says a lot looking back on it.
5. Chris Jericho Debut
This remains the best debut in wrestling history. If you watch the Chris Jericho DVD, he talks about how he thought of the idea. It was pure genius since the millennium drop was happening that year. It was the first of many great promos from Jericho who got a major pop. Eventually it took a few minutes to get the crowd booing after he ripped on everything that the WWF was doing. It was a classic segment with Jericho ranting then The Rock using his usual catch phrases. I'll never forget watching this live and making fun of Jericho's haircut. My brother was telling me that Jericho came from where he grew up which was Jericho, New York. That made me an instant fan supporting the home town guy even though The Rock was one of my favorites. It was a great clash with The Rock getting the advantage then Jericho's facial reactions which resembled an 8 year old crying. Despite the awful beginning of 1999, the end of 1999 really picked up into 2000 which everything started to get better in the wrestling world. I do wish I was older for these moments since I would have known Jericho from his great promos in WCW. Instead I watched and learned to see these guys go at it with each other. I'm hoping for a debut that comes anywhere close to this someday but it likely won't happen. The fact that they used Jericho against the hottest star in the WWF on the first night showed that Jericho was going to be a star.
6. Mick Foley wins first WWF title
I don't think I've ever met a wrestling fan that doesn't like Mick Foley. Other than Stone Cold and The Rock, I think Mick Foley is the most likable wrestler of all time. I usually don't like putting in matches because these are moments but Mick Foley winning was a special moment. The Monday Night wars were going on at the time and it was at a pivotal moment during it. WCW was winning in ratings and they would tell the results of what the WWF was doing. The beginning of their broadcast they immediately said that Mick Foley was going to win the title and they laughed about it. Even to this day that annoys me but luckily WCW got what they had coming along with that dirtbag Eric Bischoff. It shows how desperate WCW was on how they would spoil results of what the WWF was doing. At the time, The Rock was a major arrogant heel while Mick Foley was a great sympathetic baby face that fans got excited to see. If you were watching Raw a few weeks ago, they had Mick Foley talk about the event and it showed the statistics of what happened. When WCW announced what had happened, 600,000 people changed the channel to see Foley win his first title. The crowd was excited to see a guy that they can relate to which is Mick Foley. I've watched Foley's DVD how he never was jacked and wasn't really that strong but he would make up for it by doing the craziest spots and taking the most damage. That's what made him the legend that he is and why everyone loves Foley. The reason that this wasn't higher was because I didn't see it live at the time and didn't understand the importance. It means a lot now and it was great to see but this just misses my top five similar to Foley just missing my all time five favorite wrestlers list which is Jericho, Austin, Punk, Edge, and Kane. This is going to be really high on many lists and it should be because this was a great moment for all wrestling fans because like I said, you have to be insane not to at least respect Mick Foley.
7. Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart handshake
Even though I missed the Hart & Michaels era, this was still a special moment. Bret Hart isn't in my list of top ten favorites of all time but I still love the guy and is easily one of the greatest of all time. His matches against Owen Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, and the list goes on were all special. I've seen the Montreal Screwjob several times and I've seen the rivalries DVD how much heat was behind that. When they shook hands, I'm sure everyone got up and cheered as wrestling fans. I'm sure many people would rank this higher but I didn't grow up in the era so I can't see I felt the full emotion. Nevertheless I'm sure everyone will have this in their top ten because it was always a major question if Bret Hart would ever return to the WWE. He finally did and to see them actually hug was a great moment for the WWE as a whole. Another cool part was that it almost looked like Michaels was going to hit him with the sweet chin music but instead he gave him a hug. Now Bret Hart is on good terms with WWE and makes appearances through the past few years. He'll be there for the 1000th episode and I'd love to see him interact with HBK for sure. The hatchet was buried for sure and it was great to see two of the greatest workers of all time finally become friends once again.
8. The Rock Promo About Hell In A Cell
When it comes to individual backstage segments from The Rock, this is the first thing that comes up. Everyone remembers the first and only 6 man Hell In A Cell. That led to Rock cutting the funniest backstage promo I've ever seen. The Kurt Angle part was great since Kurt was playing the all American arrogant heel character. Then Rikishi was next and they were still remembering how Rikishi ran over Stone Cold to help The Rock keep the title. "Shut up you thong wearing fatty" will be a line I hopefully use someday if I get mad at a party or something and notice it. Undertaker was probably the weakest one but it was tough to rip on Undertaker at the time since he was doing the American badass character. Triple H part was another classic part making fun of his voice and ripping on Stephanie McMahon. Other than Jericho, nobody was better than The Rock at doing segments with Stephanie. They were always very derogative but that's what made the Attitude Era great. The last was Stone Cold and that was hilarious as well. The Backstreet Boys line then putting the hat on Kevin Kelly was so well done. I'll always think of this promo when it came to Rock insults because he did such a great job. I wish he got to do this more of this when he came back but who knows, possibly at 1000th Raw he'll get to rip on some of the main guys on the roster.
9. Kane Unmasked
When people hear one of my all time favorite wrestlers is Kane, they are shocked. When I talk about wrestling, I'm more of a fan of the wrestlers. That means guys like Jericho, Punk, Eddie Guerrero, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, and Dolph Ziggler (can't say Benoit, just can't anymore). I'm a fan of big men that can wrestle which is something I wish Vince McMahon can get. I'm not like Vince where I need every wrestler to be 6'5 and weight 240 pounds but I do like to see athletic big man wrestlers. Kane is one of the greatest big men that can wrestle of all time. He was one of my favorites growing up because he was so mysterious with the mask. When he was a baby face, I liked him even more with his funny personality with RVD & The Hurricane. Eventually Kane lost in a big match which at first I didn't see coming because I still didn't totally understand how story lines were built. I knew it was a work but I'm sure most wrestling smart fans knew that when Stone Cold told Kane he needs to get meaner, you knew the mask was coming off. I didn't know and when it happened, I was shocked to see his face. Then he choke slammed RVD and it was a "holy s***" moment. I loved every minute of it and I've never seen a Kane pyro explosion that big in my life. I wonder what the people in the front row was feeling after that happened. This led to a great monster heel run for Kane which led to some epic matches with Shane McMahon and RVD. It's highly unlikely that people would put this in their top ten, but I'm a huge Kane fan and this will always be memorable. Jim Ross once again shows why he's the best ever by saying the funniest line "Is that a human". Seriously Jim Ross should open up a school for radio broadcasters.
10. Randy Orton Becoming The Man
I'm sure most people find this a bit forgettable but this was a great moment. I'm not as high on him as I was a few years ago, but I'm a major Randy Orton fan. He's much better as a heel but regardless, he's one of the best wrestlers in the world. When Orton was coming up, you see that he was going to be a star in the making. You could see that he was going to main events for years to come although who would have predicted that he would turn into a psycho dark character. Personally I'll always like the Legend Killer character more but he is a much better wrestler now. This was a huge moment for Raw in 2004 because Shawn Michaels was injured and Chris Benoit ran his course as champion. Other than Benoit, Edge, and Jericho nobody was really a big time star as a baby face (I'm not counting Eugene, bad flashbacks). Orton stepped up and became the hot shot baby face that people were happy to see. Even though his face run was considered a failure and it didn't last long, this was an awesome moment and it was the coolest thing to happen on Raw all summer. Evolution is one of the greatest stables of all time and it did its job producing two major stars in Orton & Batista. I'm sure most people will be shocked by this pick but Triple H did a great job being a heel and making this even better with Orton spitting in his face. The crowd was also hot for it and that makes for an even better segment.
As usual, I'll give a few honorable mentions for some great moments on Raw that didn't make the list. The backstage segment between Chris Jericho & The Rock when they were stealing each other's lines was hilarious. I know people will give me grief for not putting Stone Cold's beer machine but I didn't see that live and seeing things live usually puts things over. I do think that people overhype the beer truck in being an amazing moment. It was funny and great but it was just spraying beer on McMahon. I'm shocked that Edge didn't get on the list but then I realize that most of his main event career was on Smackdown. His retirement speech on Raw was great though and it all summed up how great Edge was. Shawn Michaels retirement speech was another unforgettable moment that was close to making the list. One last moment was The Rock returning to Raw which was awesome. I like to keep my lists with variety with not too much of one guy. Obviously it was a special moment and it reminded us all that The Rock can still bring it. The list may be a bit strange but I'm sure most of you will agree with my picks. This is from a fan's perspective and it also helped that I saw it live. Regardless if I was six years old or sixteen years old, seeing things at first hand always brings back fond memories. Raw has been an incredible show and hopefully it can avoid having episodes like last Monday's so we can see moments that we won't forget ever again.
I might be doing this a bit early but I got a few more things in the future to talk about so I rather do it now while I'm talking mostly about wrestling. I'm going to recap the 1000th episode of Raw and look very much forward to watching it but right now I want to give out my favorite moments all time. I've watched it from 1998 to 2005 then late 2008 to now. I've missed a decent amount but I've seen a lot of wrestling as a fan. I'm only 19 years old so their might be a shortage of attitude era moments. That's because I was still a little kid at the time and my memory isn't that great. My memory is really good but some things I just forget. Of course I'll still have some old school picks because attitude era is still very much considered the golden age of wrestling. Remember when reading the list that these are my personal favorites and not the most important moments. I'll post clips then talk about them and it will be in numbered order. These are my selections so don't be too harsh if some picks are a bit odd. I'm sure the main writers like Dave Meltzer, Wade Keller, or my buddy John Canton will make far greater lists. Anyway here are the top ten picks for my Raw moments.
1. Stone Cold saves WWF from the Alliance
I'll never forget being a little kid growing up when it was still real to me. I'll never forget seeing the merger between ECW-WCW and I would hate them so much because they would destroy the WWE. Stone Cold at the time was at a crisis and WWF was in dire need of help. When Austin was taking out everyone, I'll never forget hopping around the television. Stone Cold was my favorite wrestler growing up and he was the perfect guy to save WWF. Now I'm not going to rate the whole Invasion angle because it ended up being a disappointment but this moment still makes me remember why I love wrestling so much. Also listen to Jim Ross in this video, that's why he's the best commentator ever in sports. I don't care if you want to call this a sport, nobody beats Jim Ross. The way he was yelling and showing so much passion still blows me away. It was cool to see Team WWF be true hall of famers in business with Austin, Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Kane, and even Kurt Angle. That was a dynamic team full of great performers.
2. CM Punk shoot promo
It's no surprise that this was going to be on the list. Nothing makes me happier in life than seeing hard working people in anything get what they deserve. CM Punk was easily the most underutilized performer from 2010 to June 2011. When he finally got the opportunity to speak his mind, it was an unforgettable moment. This led to a summer that was known as the Summer Of Punk where it was must see TV to see what he'll say next. It was also a blessing that Punk stayed because I couldn't imagine how awful Raw would have been without him. He was that great of a performer and for WWE to finally loosen up their PG rating and let something like this was brilliant. Punk will be in the Hall Of Fame first ballot one day and will at least go down as one of the top 25 wrestlers in history (just from a star perspective, not actual in ring and character). The main spotlight started on this day although it should have started far earlier. I've talked about this promo several times already so I'm not going to go on and on. This will always be a memorable moment in wrestling that will be talked about forever.
3. Chris Jericho heel turn
The moment that got me back into wrestling. This is a moment that many people will savor because it began a career change for Chris Jericho. It's no secret that Jericho has a huge fan base and that many people look at his heel run to be a huge success. It brought Jericho a few title reigns and some really entertaining feuds. When I heard Jericho returned, I didn't get back into wrestling right away because I was going through some personal problems in my life. Then when people were telling me that Jericho was going to feud with Michaels, it became must watch. I'll always love the Y2J character but it was great to see a character change. When Jericho started speaking slowly with the suits, it became fun to watch and my vocabulary would go up listening to him. Chris Jericho is my favorite wrestler of all time and Jericho has said in interviews that his 2008-2010 work was the best of his career. That says something and I can agree with him because at times in mid 2000s, he wasn't in the spotlight as much. Some may say its too high but this is what got me back into wrestling and if it wasn't for this feud then who knows if I would be making a list like this.
4. This Is Your Life
The highest rated segment in Raw's history will easily be on everyone's list. This was easily the funniest segment I've ever watched in wrestling history. Even though I'm more an Austin fan, The Rock is the funniest wrestler in history. I've been critical of The Rock's latest return to wrestling but there is no denying that Rock is one of the greatest ever if not the greatest. This segment was hilarious bringing back Rock's teacher, coach, and girlfriend and having The Rock own them. Mick Foley (Mankind) was a great host playing the co-star of the segment then delivering great presents. The Rock socko made me laugh so hard along with the jackets which were cool. It's amazing how they tried to do the same with John Cena in 2011 and it was a complete fail. This is 1999 and the segment was so entertaining that even as a six year old at the time, I really enjoyed it. Then watching it in 2012 now, it still doesn't fail to crack me up. The Rock hit all his punchlines and everything flowed perfectly. The ending was a bit lame with Triple H but overall you'll never get a comedy segment that good in wrestling like that again. This built up to a championship later that night between The Rock and Triple H which was a great match. 2000 was the golden age of wrestling with everyone performing at the top of their game. It still amazes me how Jericho, Edge, Christian, Angle, and Benoit were in the mid card. That says a lot looking back on it.
5. Chris Jericho Debut
This remains the best debut in wrestling history. If you watch the Chris Jericho DVD, he talks about how he thought of the idea. It was pure genius since the millennium drop was happening that year. It was the first of many great promos from Jericho who got a major pop. Eventually it took a few minutes to get the crowd booing after he ripped on everything that the WWF was doing. It was a classic segment with Jericho ranting then The Rock using his usual catch phrases. I'll never forget watching this live and making fun of Jericho's haircut. My brother was telling me that Jericho came from where he grew up which was Jericho, New York. That made me an instant fan supporting the home town guy even though The Rock was one of my favorites. It was a great clash with The Rock getting the advantage then Jericho's facial reactions which resembled an 8 year old crying. Despite the awful beginning of 1999, the end of 1999 really picked up into 2000 which everything started to get better in the wrestling world. I do wish I was older for these moments since I would have known Jericho from his great promos in WCW. Instead I watched and learned to see these guys go at it with each other. I'm hoping for a debut that comes anywhere close to this someday but it likely won't happen. The fact that they used Jericho against the hottest star in the WWF on the first night showed that Jericho was going to be a star.
6. Mick Foley wins first WWF title
I don't think I've ever met a wrestling fan that doesn't like Mick Foley. Other than Stone Cold and The Rock, I think Mick Foley is the most likable wrestler of all time. I usually don't like putting in matches because these are moments but Mick Foley winning was a special moment. The Monday Night wars were going on at the time and it was at a pivotal moment during it. WCW was winning in ratings and they would tell the results of what the WWF was doing. The beginning of their broadcast they immediately said that Mick Foley was going to win the title and they laughed about it. Even to this day that annoys me but luckily WCW got what they had coming along with that dirtbag Eric Bischoff. It shows how desperate WCW was on how they would spoil results of what the WWF was doing. At the time, The Rock was a major arrogant heel while Mick Foley was a great sympathetic baby face that fans got excited to see. If you were watching Raw a few weeks ago, they had Mick Foley talk about the event and it showed the statistics of what happened. When WCW announced what had happened, 600,000 people changed the channel to see Foley win his first title. The crowd was excited to see a guy that they can relate to which is Mick Foley. I've watched Foley's DVD how he never was jacked and wasn't really that strong but he would make up for it by doing the craziest spots and taking the most damage. That's what made him the legend that he is and why everyone loves Foley. The reason that this wasn't higher was because I didn't see it live at the time and didn't understand the importance. It means a lot now and it was great to see but this just misses my top five similar to Foley just missing my all time five favorite wrestlers list which is Jericho, Austin, Punk, Edge, and Kane. This is going to be really high on many lists and it should be because this was a great moment for all wrestling fans because like I said, you have to be insane not to at least respect Mick Foley.
7. Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart handshake
Even though I missed the Hart & Michaels era, this was still a special moment. Bret Hart isn't in my list of top ten favorites of all time but I still love the guy and is easily one of the greatest of all time. His matches against Owen Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, and the list goes on were all special. I've seen the Montreal Screwjob several times and I've seen the rivalries DVD how much heat was behind that. When they shook hands, I'm sure everyone got up and cheered as wrestling fans. I'm sure many people would rank this higher but I didn't grow up in the era so I can't see I felt the full emotion. Nevertheless I'm sure everyone will have this in their top ten because it was always a major question if Bret Hart would ever return to the WWE. He finally did and to see them actually hug was a great moment for the WWE as a whole. Another cool part was that it almost looked like Michaels was going to hit him with the sweet chin music but instead he gave him a hug. Now Bret Hart is on good terms with WWE and makes appearances through the past few years. He'll be there for the 1000th episode and I'd love to see him interact with HBK for sure. The hatchet was buried for sure and it was great to see two of the greatest workers of all time finally become friends once again.
8. The Rock Promo About Hell In A Cell
When it comes to individual backstage segments from The Rock, this is the first thing that comes up. Everyone remembers the first and only 6 man Hell In A Cell. That led to Rock cutting the funniest backstage promo I've ever seen. The Kurt Angle part was great since Kurt was playing the all American arrogant heel character. Then Rikishi was next and they were still remembering how Rikishi ran over Stone Cold to help The Rock keep the title. "Shut up you thong wearing fatty" will be a line I hopefully use someday if I get mad at a party or something and notice it. Undertaker was probably the weakest one but it was tough to rip on Undertaker at the time since he was doing the American badass character. Triple H part was another classic part making fun of his voice and ripping on Stephanie McMahon. Other than Jericho, nobody was better than The Rock at doing segments with Stephanie. They were always very derogative but that's what made the Attitude Era great. The last was Stone Cold and that was hilarious as well. The Backstreet Boys line then putting the hat on Kevin Kelly was so well done. I'll always think of this promo when it came to Rock insults because he did such a great job. I wish he got to do this more of this when he came back but who knows, possibly at 1000th Raw he'll get to rip on some of the main guys on the roster.
9. Kane Unmasked
When people hear one of my all time favorite wrestlers is Kane, they are shocked. When I talk about wrestling, I'm more of a fan of the wrestlers. That means guys like Jericho, Punk, Eddie Guerrero, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, and Dolph Ziggler (can't say Benoit, just can't anymore). I'm a fan of big men that can wrestle which is something I wish Vince McMahon can get. I'm not like Vince where I need every wrestler to be 6'5 and weight 240 pounds but I do like to see athletic big man wrestlers. Kane is one of the greatest big men that can wrestle of all time. He was one of my favorites growing up because he was so mysterious with the mask. When he was a baby face, I liked him even more with his funny personality with RVD & The Hurricane. Eventually Kane lost in a big match which at first I didn't see coming because I still didn't totally understand how story lines were built. I knew it was a work but I'm sure most wrestling smart fans knew that when Stone Cold told Kane he needs to get meaner, you knew the mask was coming off. I didn't know and when it happened, I was shocked to see his face. Then he choke slammed RVD and it was a "holy s***" moment. I loved every minute of it and I've never seen a Kane pyro explosion that big in my life. I wonder what the people in the front row was feeling after that happened. This led to a great monster heel run for Kane which led to some epic matches with Shane McMahon and RVD. It's highly unlikely that people would put this in their top ten, but I'm a huge Kane fan and this will always be memorable. Jim Ross once again shows why he's the best ever by saying the funniest line "Is that a human". Seriously Jim Ross should open up a school for radio broadcasters.
10. Randy Orton Becoming The Man
I'm sure most people find this a bit forgettable but this was a great moment. I'm not as high on him as I was a few years ago, but I'm a major Randy Orton fan. He's much better as a heel but regardless, he's one of the best wrestlers in the world. When Orton was coming up, you see that he was going to be a star in the making. You could see that he was going to main events for years to come although who would have predicted that he would turn into a psycho dark character. Personally I'll always like the Legend Killer character more but he is a much better wrestler now. This was a huge moment for Raw in 2004 because Shawn Michaels was injured and Chris Benoit ran his course as champion. Other than Benoit, Edge, and Jericho nobody was really a big time star as a baby face (I'm not counting Eugene, bad flashbacks). Orton stepped up and became the hot shot baby face that people were happy to see. Even though his face run was considered a failure and it didn't last long, this was an awesome moment and it was the coolest thing to happen on Raw all summer. Evolution is one of the greatest stables of all time and it did its job producing two major stars in Orton & Batista. I'm sure most people will be shocked by this pick but Triple H did a great job being a heel and making this even better with Orton spitting in his face. The crowd was also hot for it and that makes for an even better segment.
As usual, I'll give a few honorable mentions for some great moments on Raw that didn't make the list. The backstage segment between Chris Jericho & The Rock when they were stealing each other's lines was hilarious. I know people will give me grief for not putting Stone Cold's beer machine but I didn't see that live and seeing things live usually puts things over. I do think that people overhype the beer truck in being an amazing moment. It was funny and great but it was just spraying beer on McMahon. I'm shocked that Edge didn't get on the list but then I realize that most of his main event career was on Smackdown. His retirement speech on Raw was great though and it all summed up how great Edge was. Shawn Michaels retirement speech was another unforgettable moment that was close to making the list. One last moment was The Rock returning to Raw which was awesome. I like to keep my lists with variety with not too much of one guy. Obviously it was a special moment and it reminded us all that The Rock can still bring it. The list may be a bit strange but I'm sure most of you will agree with my picks. This is from a fan's perspective and it also helped that I saw it live. Regardless if I was six years old or sixteen years old, seeing things at first hand always brings back fond memories. Raw has been an incredible show and hopefully it can avoid having episodes like last Monday's so we can see moments that we won't forget ever again.
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