The world of professional wrestling is built on shock factor. We as fans look forward to the twists and turns that take place on our television screens and this year has had an abundance of them.
This year is far from over but there have been quite a few shocking moments so far. Let’s take a look at the top 10.
#10 – Batista Returns
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We all knew he would be back eventually and this is the year that Batista made his return to WWE. Truth be told however, Batista’s return wasn’t half as shocking as the reception he got from the fans upon his return. When he initially returned to Raw he seemed to get a positive reaction but in the weeks that followed, this poor man was thrown to the wolves.
The WWE Batista left was not the same WWE he returned to, and the fans let him know it. Batista’s return was a matter of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Batista returned and received a main event push during a time where the fans were raging against The Authority in hopes to get Daniel Bryan in the top spot. Anyone who got in the way of Daniel Bryan’s ascent to the top of the WWE had to endure the wrath of angry crowds all over the world.
Did Batista deserve to be treated this way? No. But he adapted, made it work and took it all in stride.
#9 – Daniel Bryan Is Left Out Of The Royal Rumble
As was explained above, fans all over the world were angry in regards to how WWE was treating Daniel Bryan. The WWE fanbase had made it pretty clear for the better part of a year that he was the guy they wanted to see in the main event at WrestleMania and WWE did everything they could to try and put the fire out. Unfortunately for WWE, that fire was burning too strong and the fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
Fans in attendance at the Royal Rumble pretty much hijacked the entire show and chanted for Daniel Bryan for the better part of three hours. It was known before the event even started that Bryan wouldn’t be included in the Royal Rumble match but most fans assumed that was a lie and all part of a storyline.
When the #30 entrant, Rey Mysterio made his way into the match, the crowd let him have it and let the suits in the back know that they weren’t pleased. Why would WWE want to leave their most popular guy at the time out of the Royal Rumble? No one really knows for sure but if you reference the Daniel Bryan against The Authority storyline, it appears that it truly was art imitating life.
#8 – Nelson Frazier Jr. Passes Away
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When a wrestler passes away it’s always tragic. Nelson Frazier Jr. (better known as King Mabel/Viscera/Big Daddy V) gave many years of his life to the pro wrestling industry and he left behind a legacy that won’t soon be forgotten. In February of 2014, he passed away due to a heart attack at the young age of 43 years old. He may be gone but his legacy in the business will live on forever.
#7 – Spike TV Possibly Dropping Impact
At this point, this one is unconfirmed but still shocking to say the least. TNA has had a long history of bad luck and if this one comes true then surely it would be very detrimental to the company. It would seem that TNA needs a TV deal to stay alive at this point because live attendance doesn’t seem to be their strong point.
Will Spike TV drop Impact? Will TNA be able to find a new TV deal if they do? If TNA can’t secure a TV deal, what happens next? This story is still unfolding and although it’s shocking at the moment, it could end up being a whole lot more shocking before it’s all said and done.
#6 – Daniel Bryan Gets Injured
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We’ve mentioned a few times that Daniel Bryan had a long hard road to the top of WWE but no one could have predicted what would happen to him when he got there. After a career of fighting against the odds and finally winning the richest prize in all of pro wrestling, Daniel Bryan had his first title defense at Extreme Rules, and then it all went up in smoke.
Shortly after defending his title against Kane at Extreme Rules, Daniel Bryan announced that he had to have neck surgery due to injuries that had compounded over the course of his career. At the height of his popularity, and the height of his career, he had to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and walk away.
His status at this point is unknown, we hope that he will return, but nothing is guaranteed at this point.
#5 – Seth Rollins Turns On The Shield
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Ever since their debut The Shield had been not only one of the best things going in WWE, but all of professional wrestling. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose made up The Shield and The Shield was the best and strongest faction that the wrestling industry had seen in many years. The group was so good that the fans pretty much forced them to turn face because they were so popular.
The Shield had run through the entire WWE roster and finally went to war with Evolution. After defeating Evolution twice it seemed like The Shield was stronger than ever. While all three stood united in the ring, Triple H announced that he had a “plan b” and the world was shocked when they saw what happened next.
Seth Rollins grabbed a chair and everyone assumed it was a tool to help The Shield defend themselves against Evolution, but that was not the case. Seth Rollins used the chair to strike his brothers down and it sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling community. WWE wanted to get people talking, and they definitely got what they wanted by having Seth turn on his brothers.
#4 – The Ultimate Warrior Passes Away
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There was a time when no one ever thought they would see The Ultimate Warrior work with WWE again, but as any wrestling fan knows, you can never say never in the wrestling business. After many years WWE and The Ultimate Warrior finally put their differences aside and he accepted a Hall of Fame induction. He was inducted on Saturday, appeared at WrestleMania on Sunday, Raw on Monday and he was deceased by Tuesday morning.
The passing of The Ultimate Warrior is the definition of bittersweet. It’s absolutely tragic that he lost his life but also poetic that he was able to go out the way he did. He finally returned to WWE to clear the air in regards to his legacy and in an eerie twist, he sort of gave his own eulogy during his speech on Raw.
He is gone far too young, but the Warrior’s spirit left a mark on the pro wrestling industry that is eternal.
#3 – CM Punk Walks Out
Everything about CM Punk has always been controversial. Just when you thought there couldn’t be any more controversy surrounding CM Punk, he went and proved us all wrong. The night after the Royal Rumble, CM Punk disappeared from the WWE and he hasn’t been seen in a wrestling ring since.
What happened? Why did CM Punk leave? Will he be back? No one knows the answers to those questions besides CM Punk himself. It had been rumored that CM Punk would be leaving WWE once his contract expired, but no one expected him to just walk out. For the most part, Punk remained silent until his contract officially expired which only added to the mystery of why he left.
Even after his WWE departure, CM Punk is still one of the most talked about and enigmatic individuals in the pro wrestling industry and that doesn’t look like it will change any time soon.
#2 – Sting Works With WWE
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Everyone said that it would never happen. Sting will NEVER work with WWE. For the past few years Sting has only signed a one year contract with TNA which expired around the beginning of each year, which consequently spawned rumors that Sting would come to WWE every single year around WrestleMania season. After several years of this, fans got sick of it and just assumed that it would never happen, until now.
He has yet to wrestle in a WWE ring but he has openly said that he wants to. Sting still hasn’t signed an official deal with WWE but it looks to be inevitable at this point. He will be included in WWE 2K15, he appeared with WWE at Comic Con, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s an official member of the WWE roster.
#1 – The Streak Ends
The Undertaker’s streak was legendary, it was mythical, it was larger than life, and now, it’s all over. The Undertaker competed at 22 WrestleManias and went undefeated at all 21 of them, except one. Many fans assumed that The Undertaker would retire with his streak in tact and that would be his legacy. We all assumed the streak would never end but it didn’t stop us from sitting on the edge of our seats every year at WrestleMania.
When The Undertaker faced Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX, we just figured Brock would be another victim who gets added to the list of names that failed to conquer the streak. We were all wrong. When Brock Lesnar pinned The Undertaker and ended the streak, the world stopped spinning for just a moment. Every wrestling fan around the world contemplated getting their eyes checked because they weren’t sure if what they just saw was real, but it was.
The streak is over, and there’s no way to ever change that. Was it the right call? Was Brock the right guy to end it? The answers to those questions are debatable but there’s no denying that this was without a doubt the most shocking moment so far in 2014.
What do you think has been the most shocking moment of 2014?
cm punk should be last on this list