In the lead up to WrestleMania 41, WWE announced yesterday that it would be adding a brand-new section to its Hall of Fame by introducing a new "WWE Immortal Moments" category, designed to feature moments and matches that are considered touchstones and milestones in WWE and beyond. The first match, Bret Hart and Steve Austin's epic showdown at WrestleMania 13 in 1997, is considered one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history and the catalyst for the Attitude Era.
As this category will expand in perpetuity, here are ten moments we'd like to see enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame as the next "Immortal Moments" inductees.
For this list, we've included matches from all territories that WWE maintains, including WCW, ECW, NWA, among others, as WWE has included figures from all territories in their Hall of Fame. Additionally, these matches are listed in no particular order, as all are worthy induction moments in and of themselves.
10 Hulk Hogan s The nWo
1996's Bash at the Beach
This one should be an obvious entry for every reason imaginable in professional wrestling. The iconic heel turn that saw Hulk Hogan leg drop Randy Savage at 1996's Bash at the Beach saw the beginning of the New World Order, as well as the beginning of the fight for the soul of WCW. In a business full of "betrayal" moments, this remains perhaps the most iconic one.
Hogan's heel turn sent shock waves through WCW and professional wrestling, allowed WCW to take over WWE in the Monday Night Wars for 83 consecutive weeks, and gave Vince McMahon his very first taste of possible defeat in a world where he was so dominant. Many heel turns have tried to come close to its impact, but Hulk Hogan's remains the greatest (at least for now).
9 Mankind Goes Off The Top Of Hell In A Cell
1997's King of the Ring
The most shocking and outrageous moment at that time in wrestling. No performer had done something so literally death-defying the way Mankind did at 1998's King of the Ring. A spot no one saw coming, The Undertaker launched Mankind off the top of the Hell in a Cell cage, catapulting him onto the Spanish announce table and into wrestling history.
The spot, and the following one where Undertaker inadvertently chokeslammed Mankind through the top of the cage, crashing down into the ring violently, almost killed Mick Foley and forever altered wrestling, paving the way for an ever-increasing game of chicken in wrestling for violent and over-the-top spots. If any spot is both "Immortal" and "Holy S***!" in wrestling, this is the one.
8 Edge Spears Jeff Hardy
WrestleMania X-Seven
The concept of a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match was still in its infancy when WrestleMania X-Seven took place. Featuring Edge & Christian competing against the Hardy Boyz and the WWE Tag Team Champions, The Dudley Boyz, the match has a host of wild and iconic spots, but the most famous of these is Edge delivering a spear to Jeff Hardy, who is hanging from the attached Tag Team championships after Bubba Ray Dudley pulls the ladder from underneath him.
The best of the series of three matches featuring these performers, it's also considered the best TLC match ever, and Edge's spear to Hardy remains one of the most often replayed and discussed moments both in WWE and all participants' careers. For that reason, this moment undoubtedly should be listed as an "Immortal Moment."
7 Daniel Bryan's "Yes Movement"
WrestleMania XXX
Few times in wrestling does fan movement and unwavering alter the direction of a planned storyline, and the idea of it changing plans for a WrestleMania main event seemed virtually impossible. During the 2014 Royal Rumble, Daniel Bryan became front and center for WWE, and began the Yes Movement, ultimately landing him in the main event of WrestleMania XXX against Batista and Randy Orton.
Batista's tap out to Bryan's "Yes Lock" made Bryan the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and gave fans a chance to feel like they had not only been a part of this movement, but also that they stuck it to the seemingly out-of-touch authority who pushed Orton and Batista instead of who they saw as the worthy competitor. The Yes Movement proved that the fans still had a say in what they saw and what they wanted to see, and it's a worthy entry in this category.
6 Dusty Rhodes Beats Ric Flair
1986's The Great American Bash
The culmination of the biggest storyline in the NWA, Dusty Rhodes faced Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship inside a steel cage. Through an incredible match filled with back-and-forth volleys between the competitors, the Son of a Plumber beat the Nature Boy for the Ten Pounds of Gold with a small package, and ended Flair's 793-day reign as NWA Champion.
The moment is significant for a multitude of reasons, but the biggest one is that it placed Rhodes permanently at the top of the wrestling industry and established him as a main event player, while helping to affirm Flair as the best heel in the business, even though his title reign ended. For this reason, this crowning moment in Dusty's career belongs in the Hall of Fame.
5 Goldberg's Streak (or Its End)
June 23, 1997 - December 27, 1998
With the imminent retirement of Goldberg taking place this year, newer wrestling fans may not be fully aware of just how dominant his run was in WCW, and how wildly popular his undefeated streak was. With an official count of 173-0, Goldberg ran through the entire WCW roster in a once-in-a-lifetime run and his streak seemed never ending... until it wasn't, as his streak came to an end by way of cattle prod, Jacknife powerbomb, and a pin at the hands of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.
Less a singular moment and more of a moment in time, The Streak was one of the most important parts of the Monday Night Wars, which helped solidify WCW's wins over WWE, and proved that Goldberg could be a destructive foil to the nWo's plans, having beaten "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan for the WCW Championship in July 1998. If WWE decides to focus on single moments in time for this new HoF category, then it's more likely that the end of Goldberg's streak will be inducted, even if the way it was done remains a controversial topic for discussion.
4 The First Women's Main Event of WrestleMania
WrestleMania 35
During the very last one-night WrestleMania, several matches could have rightfully taken the main event spot. The women ruled the night, however, as the first women's main event took place between Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, and the surprising dark horse player, the red hot Becky Lynch.
With a controversial finish that saw Lynch pinning Rousey to become "Becky Two Belts" and firmly establishing her at the top of the women's division, the match itself broke down barriers for women's wrestling, which had gone through a rebirth with its presentation and athleticism at that time. The first WrestleMania main event for the women's division paved the way for another massive milestone women's match: Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37.
3 Hulk Hogan Slams Andre The Giant
WrestleMania III
What more can we say about this one - this is THE singular moment in wrestling history. That moment put WWE on the map everywhere and permanently, and it revolutionized the entire industry around Hulkamania and WWE as a whole.
It's hard to argue that the moment could, and maybe should, have been the first inductee as an "Immortal Moment", but it's possible this will be inducted at WrestleMania 42's Hall of Fame ceremony. With the recent controversy surrounding Hulk Hogan, as well as the crowd's reaction to him on the debut episode of Raw on Netflix, WWE may have opted to wait another year until the dust settles.
2 KofiMania
WrestleMania 35
Kofi Kingston was never pushed or seen as a main event player, but the groundswell of from the fans forced Vince McMahon and WWE to re-evaluate and change course for the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 35. Daniel Bryan, also the receiver of undeniable fan , was the perfect challenger at that moment, helping to give Kofi his first, and so far only, WWE Championship win.
KofiMania was special for so many reasons: the culmination of an 11-year career as one of the most respected and loved WWE Superstars, the crowning of the first African-born WWE Champion, and the delivery of an incredibly special moment for the fans and the performers united in a common cause. There's no denying KofiMania's place as an "Immortal Moment" and one that belongs in the Hall of Fame.
1 Undertaker's Streak Is Over
WrestleMania XXX
In the annals of WrestleMania history, it's impossible to ignore the most important legacy of its existence: The Undertaker's undefeated Streak. 21-0 against a Murderer's Row of WWE Legends including Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Sycho Sid, and Shawn Michaels. Part of the yearly mystique of the event was seeing who The Dean would face and how quickly he'd dispatch them.
It doesn't get more impactful or immortal than The Streak, and like Goldberg's Streak, its shocking end at the hands of Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX will probably get a spot in the new wing of the Hall of Fame. Taker's Streak should be the next inductee if Hogan's Andre Slam isn't on deck just yet, and we'd be hard-pressed to find fans that don't agree.
