3. The Festival of Friendship – February 13, 2017
Give Chris Jericho the freedom to create magic and he won’t disappoint you. During his run in 2016-2017, Jericho ended up in a team with Universal Champion Kevin Owens. The two were supposedly best friends and to celebrate that union, Jericho planned the ‘Festival of Friendship’.
The festival saw Jericho drop the ball with lame gifts and subpar guests, compounded with the feeling that Owens never wanted to be there. Finally, the two had a heart-to-heart where they said how much they loved the other. Owens presented Jericho with a gift of his own and this is where everything hit the fan.
Jericho opened the gift and exclaimed, “it’s perfect… a new list!” to a big pop from the crowd but he then asked “why is my name on this?” pulling the list from the box to reveal the back, reading ‘The List of KO’. Owens then attacked Jericho, Powerbombing him on the apron and throwing his head through the monitor.
It was a brilliant piece of storytelling and you want to know a detail that foreshadowed everything? The magician’s name that Jericho kicked out and put on The List? Friendship the Magician. The last thing Jericho put on the list, was Friendship.
2. Daniel Bryan Retires – February 8, 2016
It is easier to write about this now given how Daniel Bryan’s career has gone since but for a moment, Bryan had one of the most touching retirement speeches in history. Forced to walk away from WWE due to severe concussion problems, Bryan officially announced his retirement on Raw in February of 2016.
Bryan balanced his speech with heartbreak and gratitude. Emotions ran high as not only did Bryan discuss his career being over but he also mentioned how the last time he was in that building it was the last time he ever saw his father in person. The speech was not all sad, however, as Bryan ensured the theme of the moment was gratitude. He thanked the company, his friends and his family, in a truly incredible moment.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter compared Bryan’s speech to Lou Gehrig’s legendary “I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth” speech from 1939, and called Bryan’s speech “the single greatest segment in the history of modern televised pro wrestling.” That about sums it up.
1. The Pipebomb – June 27, 2011
Had Bryan not come out of retirement, his speech would have taken the top spot. As it stands, another equally iconic moment sits atop our list. On June 27, 2011, CM Punk changed the business of wrestling with his “pipebomb” promo. Frustrated with how his WWE career had gone, Punk was told to go out and air his grievances live on Raw.
Punk, always one to speak his mind, did just that. With John Cena lying in the wreckage of a broken table, Punk sat atop the stage with a microphone. From there he went off on Cena, the fans, The Rock, Triple H, John Laurinaitis, Stephanie McMahon, and finally, Vince McMahon. This was a very rare moment in modern wrestling that felt completely authentic.
Punk was upset and a lot of fans who had become disenchanted with the product felt his pain. For a time, he truly was the Voice of the Voiceless. This promo began a new era of WWE with Punk as the focus and it is our best Raw moment of the 2010s.
What is your best WWE Raw moment of the 2010s? Let us know on Twitter!
4 years ago by Tempest
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