10 MMA-Inspired Wrestling Matches

source// wwe.com

Pro wrestling’s outcomes have been predetermined for more than a century, but even before the truth about the business was exposed to the public at large, there had long been attempts to make it feel more “real.” Once the modern MMA art form emerged in the ’90s and began to gain a foothold in Japan and the U.S., wrestling had a clear source from which to draw inspiration.

In the 2000s, mixed martial arts began to skyrocket in popularity – first in Japan via the emergence of Pride Fighting Championships, then a few years later in the U.S. when the introduction of The Ultimate Fighter turned the UFC from an underground organization into a mainstream brand. In both countries, pro wrestling began to lose traction to MMA, and before long, WWE and the like simply weren’t seen as cool.

Still, pro wrestling will always have one advantage over MMA – the predetermined nature of the sport allows promoters to create winners and, by extension, superstars. In theory, it should be easier for pro wrestling companies to make money.

Reality sells, but planning draws. For that reason, many promoters have tried to have their cake and eat it, too – they’ve put on MMA-style matches while still controlling the outcomes.

Here are ten examples of MMA-inspired wrestling matches..

10. Kurt Angle Versus Daniel Puder

Though not strictly a pro wrestling match, it would be impossible to craft a list like this and not acknowledge the most famous MMA-inspired shoot in modern wrestling. During a Smackdown segment in 2004, Kurt Angle bullied the company’s newest group of Tough Enough contestants, forcing them to exercise until exhausted. He then fought contestant Chris Nawrocki in a shoot wrestling match, and needless to say, a tired Nawrocki was no match for the Olympic Gold Medalist. Kurt still didn’t take it easy on him, though, breaking three of Nawrocki’s ribs en route to victory.

After that, Kurt Angle made an open challenge to anyone who wanted to take him on and eventual contest winner Daniel Puder accepted. Puder was an experienced MMA fighter, and before long, he caught Angle in a kimura – Brock Lesnar’s hold of choice and one of the most dangerous submissions in MMA. Angle had no escape and, refusing to tap, would have suffered a broken arm had referee Jimmy Korderas not been quick on his feet and counted Puder down for a pin (even though Puder lifted a shoulder after two).

The incident made Puder a hated man in the locker room and even though he ultimately won Tough Enough, his WWE career went nowhere.

9. Akira Maeda Versus Aleksandr Karelin

With all due respect to John Smith, Dan Gable, Bruce Baumgartner, and Cael Sanderson, there’s no amateur wrestler in history with the pedigree of Aleksandr Karelin. Widely considered the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time, the super heavyweight won Olympic gold at the 1988, 1992, and 1996 games, and finished with silver in 2000 after a controversial loss to Rulon Gardner. Karelin is a sports superstar (especially in his native Russia), but less well known is the single pro wrestling match in which he competed.

Karelin participated in a bout for Akira Maeda’s RINGS promotion in 1999, and while, at that time, RINGS was an MMA promotion and not a pro wrestling promotion, Karelin’s bout with Maeda was indeed a shoot-style work.

Despite being largely lost to history, the match was a huge success at the time – it drew a gate of over $1 million and was covered by The New York Times and Sports Illustrated. Karelin won on a unanimous decision after the three five-minute rounds had elapsed.

8. Low Ki Versus Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe carved out a reputation as one of the most talented (and fearsome) wrestlers in the world during his run as ROH World Champion, but he still had to start somewhere. Joe made his ROH debut at Glory By Honor 2002, taking on former champion Low Ki in a Fight Without Honor (no disqualification match) at the behest of heel stable The Prophecy.

Today, submissions and hard strikes seem to be rule rather than the exception when it comes to independent wrestling, but in 2002, UFC had not yet exploded in popularity and those fighting styles had yet to become an essential part of U.S. pro wrestling. Joe and Low Ki shocked fans with the brutality of the MMA/puroresu hybrid disciplines they used and afterwards, they held up a flag bearing the logo of Pro Wrestling Zero1, both men’s Japanese employer.

Low Ki scored the win after some stiff strikes to Joe’s head, but Samoa Joe clearly opened up some eyes. Five months later, he captured the ROH World Championship and he would hold the title for nearly two years.

7. Wrestling World 2005 “Submissions Only” Tournament

New Japan Pro Wrestling may be the best wrestling promotion on Earth, but a decade ago, the league was in dire straits. The MMA boom in Japan was ending 50 years of consistent popularity for the sport, and so New Japan tried to bring elements of mixed martial arts into their programs.

One of the most bizarre MMA/wrestling hybrids came at Wrestling World 2005, that year’s iteration of the January 4 Tokyo Dome show. Eight men – Ron Waterman, Masayuki Naruse, Manabu Nakanishi, Toru Yano, Dolgorsürengiin Sumyaabazar, Mitsuya Nagai, Yuji Nagata, and Blue Wolf – competed in a shoot-style (but worked) grappling tournament, with decisions only coming via submission. Most notably, two bouts were held in the same ring simultaneously.

The tournament came down to Waterman and Nagata, and Waterman – a former MMA fighter and WWE developmental talent – picked up the win. Nothing really came of it, Waterman wasn’t pushed afterward, and the bout is more of a curiosity than anything else.

6. Everything UWF

In 1984, a group of wrestlers led by Akira Maeda left New Japan and formed the Universal Wrestling Federation, the world’s first shoot-style wrestling promotion. Though in-fighting between wrestlers and disagreements over fighting styles led to exoduses and the league’s demise, its legacy as a home for competition featuring realistic holds and hard strikes ensured that the promotion would be reborn.

In 1988, many of the men who had formed the original UWF (and has since returned to New Japan for a huge invasion angle) came together once more to form the Newborn UWF. Maeda, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, and future legends Minoru Suzuki and Masakatsu Funaki were part of the new promotion, which featured rules stating matches could only end by submission or knockout. Again, the league was popular, but economic problems forced a close in 1990.

The UWF was reborn once more in 1991 as the Union of Wrestling Forces International, or UWFi. This time, former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Nobuhiko Takada was the top star and competition involved a point-based system of scoring. Vader came in to feud with Takada, resulting in huge business. By the mid-’90s, the UWFi was once again floundering, and so they ran one more interpromotional feud with New Japan, which still stands as the most profitable storyline in Japanese wrestling history.

5. The Brawl For All Tournament

Few ideas in the history of WWE have been as puzzling in retrospect as the Brawl For All tournament. Though not MMA because there were no submissions, the tournament was a boxing/wrestling hybrid held on Raw during the summer of 1998, and any wrestler who wanted to take part was allowed. Competitors wore gloves and fought in three one-minute rounds, trying to knock each other out. Takedowns were worth points, and judges decided the winner if the matches went the distance.

Oh, and did I mention the whole thing was legitimate?

The idea was that Steve Williams, who had recently signed with WWE and was known as a true tough guy, would win the tournament and emerge as a money challenger to Steve Austin. Unfortunately, bottom-tier worker Bart Gunn defeated (and injured) Williams en route to winning the tournament, and the company was stuck with having devoted two months of build to a man they had no interest in pushing.

WWE had no idea what to do with Gunn until WrestleMania XV, when they booked in him a Brawl For All match with professional boxer Butterbean. Butterbean slaughtered Gunn, who was soon fired, and the tournament was never spoken of again. Williams was also released shortly after he recuperated.

4. Brock Lesnar Versus John Cena

The Brock Lesnar who returned to WWE after WrestleMania 28 wasn’t the same Brock who had left the company eight years earlier. Sure, they were both beasts and freakishly talented athletes, but in 2012, Brock was a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Not only was he a mainstream superstar, but he could lay claim to being one of the most dangerous individuals in the world.

Brock’s first match back was against John Cena, and even though it was a standard no disqualification match, it was like nothing ever broadcast on WWE television… especially in the opening minutes. As the bell rang, Brock attacked Cena, taking him down and laying into him with forearms that soon drew blood from the multi-time WWE Champion. Referees considered waving the match off, while Brock simply smirked, knowing he was only getting started.

Lesnar took Cena down again and pummeled him, but Cena managed to fight back. What followed was a brutal war that saw both men busted open and a level of recklessness that hasn’t been part of a WWE main event before or since. Cena actually picked up the win when he hit an AA on the ring steps, but regardless of who won, it was the match itself that was unforgettable.

3. Minoru Suzuki Versus Kazushi Sakuraba

Even though the final iteration of the UWF went out of business in 1996, its legacy is still alive today. Former newborn UWF competitor Minoru Suzuki was an MMA pioneer in Japan with the Pancrase organization before returning to pro wrestling and extending his legacy, while UWFi alum Kazushi Sakuraba competed for Pride Fighting Championships in the late ’90s and early 2000s, where his wins over Royler and Royce Gracie made him a national superstar.

In 2014, both men were working for New Japan Pro Wrestling on opposite sides of the fence – Suzuki was the leader of the renegade Suzukigun stable, while Sakuraba was a member of the popular CHAOS faction of anti-heroes. At November’s Power Struggle Pay-Per-View, Suzuki and Takashi Iizuka took on Sakuraba and Toru Yano, and Sakuraba managed to pin Suzuki with a Kido Clutch. Infuriated, Suzuki challenged Sakuraba to a “UWF Rules” match at Wrestle Kingdom 9.

When January 4 rolled around, the two finally had their classic shoot-style battle. Sakuraba took the early advantage, targeting Suzuki’s arm and locking in a kimura on the entrance ramp. In the ring, Sakuraba continued the assault, but Suzuki weathered it, fought back, and grabbed a rear naked choke to put Sakuraba to sleep.

2. Kurt Angle Versus Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe debuted in TNA in 2005, taking the company by storm and winning the X Division Championship in short order. He remained undefeated until the end of 2006, when a recently-arrived Kurt Angle made him submit in a dream match. The feud continued into 2007, but Angle typically got the better of the Samoan Submission Machine until things cooled down.

In the spring of 2008, Angle was TNA World Heavyweight Champion and Joe emerged as a challenger. The two would battle at Lockdown, TNA’s annual event where all matches take place inside a steel cage. The buildup was unique in that the program was treated as “real” – rather than manufacture ridiculous storylines between Angle and Joe, the focus was put more on each competitor’s training regimen and how badly they wanted to beat their opponent.

The bout itself was about as MMA-heavy as pro wrestling gets – submissions and hard strikes were the order of the day, with Angle (who wore gym shorts and taped feet) using a figure four leglock and an Ankle Lock, and Joe using kicks and his Coquina Clutch. In the end, Joe’s Muscle Buster won him the match and the title, and TNA scored one of it’s top PPV buyrates ever.

1. Ken Shamrock Versus Owen Hart

While all of the bouts on this list have taken a cue from MMA, none were so blatant as the first-ever Lion’s Den match at SummerSlam 1998. With Ken Shamrock’s fame having come from competing in the UFC during the promotion’s early days, WWE tried to create a match that would take place on his turf – the octagon.

Shamrock was feuding with Owen Hart in the summer of ’98, and despite “The World’s Most Dangerous Man’s” capabilities, Hart was able to get the better of him via cheap tactics. At Fully Loaded, they battled in the actual Hart family dungeon, and Owen scored the win when he knocked Shamrock out with a dumbbell.

The next month, Shamrock would have the home field advantage. Owen enlisted Shamrock’s UFC rival Dan Severn to help coach him for the match, and he used a pro wrestling-style approach (whipping Shamrock into the cage, for instance) to gain an early advantage. Still, the former UFC Superfight Champion was able to use his surroundings to his benefit, clawing up the cage to escape a Sharpshooter, then grabbing the Ankle Lock for the submission win.

10 Best Looking Punches in Wrestling History

source// wwe.com

Keep your shooting star presses, triple moonsaults and Red Arrows. I’ll trade them all for a good punch. 

A punch is a part of every wrestler’s arsenal. Some like the Big Show have turned their powerful fists into finishing moves, while others simply use the punch as a break between moves or a tool to take the fight to the outside. Regardless of the motivation behind it, the basic punch is a vital building block for every single match.

For as common as the punch is, though, not all are created equally. While some wrestlers are content with throwing a simple punch out there and calling it a day, others have worked to turn their punch into an artform. Their simple strikes accomplish more than a year’s worth of high-flying highlights ever could.  

These wrestlers may have much more than a punch in their arsenal, but with punches this good they often didn’t need anything else. 

10. Big Van Vader

Considering he is one of the most feared and respected big man wrestlers of all-time, it should be no surprise to see Big Van Vader on this list. 

What is  surprising is just how devastating his punches truly are. While Vader would occasionally mix in the straight jab or hook, his go-to punch was actually more of a clubbing maneuver that gave off the distinct impression of a bear mauling his prey. While you may think it would be safer to keep the massive fists of Vader away from his opponent’s faces, these devastating forearm shots are simply terrifying. When Mick Foley devotes a sizeable chunk of his best-selling novel to conveying the pain of a Vader punch, you know that they’re good. 

Brock Lesnar does an incredible job of carrying over the Vader style of punching to the modern day, but you’ve got to show respect to the man himself.

9. Stone Cold Steve Austin

While some will always lament the fact that Austin’s early career injuries forced him to gradually move away from his ring technician style, Stone Cold was able to transition easily into a brawler thanks to his rapid fire punches. 

Standing face to face with his opponents, Stone Cold had a pretty good jab that’s definitely inspired by the Terry Funk school of knuckle sandwich making. Where Austin’s punches truly shine, though, is when he takes down his opponent with his classic version of the Thesz Press and begins to simply unload on them with a rapid series of punches that never fail to look like they are connecting. 

Stone Cold’s unhinged character and demeanour certainly helped add to the violence of his punches, but based purely on technique there have been few better in wrestling history at smothering their opponent with shots.

8. Scott Hall

Given the turn his career and personal life took, it is easy to forget that for a long time Scott Hall was considered to be one the best ring workers and natural athletes in all of wrestling. He also just may be the most underrated puncher in wrestling history. 

What made Hall’s strikes so exceptional was his lanky frame. His extended reach allowed him to keep opponents at bay with his jabs and hooks, but where Hall really shined in the punch category is when he chose to step into his hits. By closing the considerable distance Hall could keep his opponents at with his lighting quick hooks, Scott Hall could turn the simplest strike into the most devastating maneuver in the match. 

Even when Hall lost a step late in his run or stopped working against the same caliber of opponents, he could still carry his end of a match with little more than his long, rapid punches.

7. Macho Man Randy Savage

Sometimes it feels impossible to come up with a “best of” wrestling list and not include Macho Man Randy Savage. From his backstage interviews to his post-match beatdowns, everything Randy Savage did quickly turned into the gold standard. 

He was also a pretty accomplished puncher as well. The great thing about a Macho Man punch was that it always came out of nowhere. As one of the best pure heels ever to work a wrestling ring, Macho Man was the master of throwing in cheap jabs to frustrate his opponent and was able to generate real power behind his blows with little set-up required. Meanwhile, his modified strikes such as his famous double ax-handle were just things of beauty. 

Macho Man punched like your create-a-wrestler in WWE 2K that you gave the quickest, cheapest moves just to infuriate your friends.

6. Ox Baker

There have been some truly great punchers in wrestling history, but few men have ever been able to build their reputation of the strength of their punch quite like Ox Baker. 

One of the most physically frightening wrestlers of the golden era, Ox Baker quickly became infamous for his snarling promos and his devastating heart punch finishing move. The heart punch was already one of the most feared and devastating strikes in all of wrestling long before the real-life deaths of two wrestlers were attributed to the finisher, but after that it became a thing of legend. In fact, in 1974 when Baker refused to stop heart punching a wrestler after a match he caused a legitimate riot to occur in the arena.

The punch itself was a powerful straight jab delivered by a walking monstrosity, but the heat that Baker built around it remains unmatched.

5. Bret Hart

The best punch there is, the best punch there was and the best punch there ever will be? Not quite, but Bret Hart’s masterful strikes weren’t that far off either. 

Trained and raised in the infamous Hart Family dungeon, Bret Hart never really seemed to settle for doing any maneuver – no matter how minor – less than perfect. That’s the only explanation for his textbook punch that always looked as if it started from a place of genuine hatred before landing on the opponent’s face. Given that Hart didn’t really work the more flashy big move style of the WWE, he ended up relying on his punches to fill more match time than most and nearly every single one he threw looked simply painful. 

Hart’s intense punches would really find a home when the Hitman made his big heel turn in 1997, as jabs that brutal always seemed to clash with his smiling babyface persona.

4. The Undertaker

Although I’m fairly convinced that if I have to hear The Undertaker referred to as the “Best pure striker in the history of WWE” one more time by the announce team I will have the aneurysm that kills me, it doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth to the statement. 

The Undertaker has always been able to take advantage of his considerable size advantage to deliver some good punches, but they really became great when the deadman started to incorporate MMA elements into his ring work. What separates Undertaker’s quick jabs and powerful hooks from a legion of other performers that throw them is the passion he puts into his strikes. When Taker starts teeing off on an opponent, he is better than almost anyone at conveying just how screwed his victim really is. 

So long as The Undertaker is able to deliver his deadly blows with such intensity, he’ll be able to keep putting on great WrestleMania matches well into his golden years.

3. The Rock

Are their better punches, tougher punches and more historical punches in wrestling than The Rock’s? Yes, there probably are. But what makes The Rock’s punches so very special is just how charismatic they are. 

While the concept of a charismatic punch would sound ridiculous if we were dealing with anyone else, The Rock has always been more charisma than man. His exaggerated, wind-back series of punches that always conclude with that one shot he seemingly draws from the heavens won’t soon confuse fans into believing that they are watching an MMA match, but what they lack in realism they more than make up for in entertainment value. 

By the time that The Rock started to deliver his infamous strikes, many wrestling critics worried that fans had grown too used to high-risk maneuvers that would forever ruin the appeal of simple actions. And yet, without fail, The Rock could bring a stadium to its feet with just a few punches.

2. Terry Funk

“I felt like I did when I was eight and my mother came clean about Santa Claus. I had just learned the hidden “secret” of the great Funk left hand. It was so simple …Terry Funk had just punched me as hard as he could in the forehead.” – Mick Foley

Most wrestling punches gain a reputation for looking good because they look real. Terry Funk’s punches had a leg up on the competition because they  were often real. While it’s difficult to confirm if Terry Funk threw legitimate haymakers every single time, by the accounts of most of his opponent’s in the “good old days” he most certainly was not opposed to legitimately introducing his fist to someone’s jaw whenever the mood struck. The result of this approach are punches that make most modern strikes look like an attempt to wipe something off a baby’s face. 

Oh, and when Mick Foley confronted Terry Funk over the secret to his punches, Funk simply said: “And all this time you just thought I was good.” What a boss.

1. Jerry The King Lawler

The considerable career of Jerry “The King” Lawler should never be boiled down to a single moment, trait or move. And yet, if you were to cut Lawler’s career in half and fill his every match with nothing but The King’s punches, he would still be a hall of fame wrestler.

Whether he was going for that knockout blow, his trademark diving fist drop or delivering a series of quick jabs that could have taken George Foreman off of his feet, there was nobody that was able to perform a punch better or get more out of it in terms of match emotion than Jerry Lawler.

He threw haymakers that you could feel in your soul just as hard as Lawler’s opponents were feeling on their jaws. Oh, and his knee drop, fist-fueled uppercut may be the best uppercut ever. 

It’s unlikely that we will ever see another wrestler throw punches quite like Jerry Lawler did. The King indeed.

20 Most Popular Shows on WWE Network

source// wwe.com

WWE has released the information on the most popular shows currently airing on the WWE Network. With a subscriber number hovering at around 1.2 million, the network has introduced an impressive amount of original programming in its two-plus years of existence, although many feel that the company could be utilizing the service in a much more effective way.

The list of shows is interesting in the sense that it shows the enormous popularity of a new original series, confirms that NXT is a strong selling point for subscribers and proves that the big events continue to amass interest among viewers. It also reaffirms WWE’s claims that the archive footage, while a huge attraction for hardcore fans, is among the least-viewed content available on the streaming service. It also highlights the effectiveness of the live stream for opening shows up to an audience.

Let’s take a look at the 20 most popular shows currently airing on the WWE Network as of March 26th, 2016.

20.  WrestleMania 19 (March 30th, 2003)

One of the better WrestleManias from an in-ring standpoint, the 19th edition of the supershow features an amazing match between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, famous for one man entering the ring to compete with a broken neck while the other man came frighteningly close to leaving with one when Brock, on his way to capturing the WWE championship misjudged his shooting star press and nearly decapitated himself.

Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels squared off in what would become the first of several classics between the two superstars and Hulk Hogan took on Vince McMahon in a hideous grudge match that was entertaining in a trainwreck sense. The card is also notable for the notorious match featuring Triple H going over Booker T in what is one of the most maligned results of any high profile Mania match in history.

The real selling point of this card, however, is the final match of Stone Cold Steve Austin, as he squares off with The Rock in the climactic installment of one of the greatest rivalries the business has ever seen. Perhaps this show making the list is indicative of fans getting hyped at the prospect of seeing the two legends make appearances at WrestleMania 32?

19. WrestleMania 28 (April 1st, 2012)

For the next entry on the list we fast forward a year shy of a decade to a card that featured one of the last actual dream matches possible: John Cena vs. The Rock. A main event a year in the making, the past and present franchise players of WWE locked horns in The Rock’s hometown of Miami, Florida in the “Once in a Lifetime” match that would be repeated one year later.

The Rock returning to the ring was a gigantic coup for WWE who was following up a WrestleMania show featuring The Miz headlining, and the event was a tremendous financial success. The Undertaker and Triple H faced off in the “End of an Era” match – yet another billing that would prove to be empty words – inside the ominous Hell in a Cell structure, and put on a match that is easily one of the top performances in either man’s impressive catalog. The two men, along with special referee Shawn Michaels – managed to create a stirring sense of drama and actually convince the fans that the vaunted streak of Taker may be coming to an end.

The only other memorable moments of the event were a disappointing bout between CM Punk and Chris Jericho that showed the two elite wrestlers struggled to connect with any real chemistry, and more importantly Daniel Bryan’s 18-second loss to Sheamus, which was essentially the genesis of The Yes Movement.

18. Monday Night War – The Rise Of NWO (August 26th, 2014)

The most recent documentary series rehashing the story that’s been told from every possible angle, The Monday Night War took viewers back to the biggest boom period the business ever enjoyed to give them a “new” perspective from those within WWE and WCW during the hotly contested rivalry. The series was one of the most heavily hyped additions to the network, yet was widely regarded as a disappointment due to the fact that it provided very little new insight.

This particular episode focused on the hottest faction to ever descend upon sports entertainment, “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan and The New World Order. It wasn’t anything we haven’t seen in The Rise and Fall of WCW, The Monday Night War DVD, the multiple nWo releases or a thousand different shoot interviews, podcasts and books, but viewers tuned in because nostalgia is a powerful drug.

The time period when the nWo was wreaking havoc in WCW is one of the most fondly remembered eras for any fan who was watching during the late 1990s and it never hurts to revisit happier times.

17. WrestleMania 20 (March 14th, 2004)

WWE would probably prefer this show not be included in this list, but nevertheless it remains one of the most memorable the company has presented. Anchored by a main event that many fans thought never had a chance to headline a major pay-per-view let alone a WrestleMania, 20 is a show that falls in the top 1/3rd of WWE presentations.

The tragic and sickening events surrounding the death of Chris Benoit and his family have made this show hard for many to revisit, and one can’t help but wonder if the reason it made the list is morbid curiosity. The match itself, featuring Benoit challenging for the World championship in a triple threat match against Shawn Michaels and Triple H, is an outstanding display of ring work and is objectively a top ten all-time WWE bout. Many people are unable to enjoy the contest in the wake of what happened, but clearly a significant portion of the WWE Network audience has gone back to check the show out.

One reason could be the colossal car crash/clown show that was Brock Lesnar vs.Goldberg. The two departing superstars were met by a hostile crowd and responded by showing they couldn’t give less of a sh*t about their match. The late Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle also put on a wrestling clinic with Eddie successfully defending his championship against the Olympic gold medalist, leading to the show-closing iconic moment that has gone from inspiring to depressing.

The Rock n’ Sock Connection also tore the house down against Evolution, and John Cena began his ascent to the throne with a win over The Big Show. Despite efforts to erase Benoit from history – or at least a refusal to acknowledge that he existed – the WWE universe sought this show out in large enough numbers to make this list.

16. Raw 1186 (February 15th, 2016)

This one benefits from the recency of its air date, as Raw episodes are uploaded with a delay of several weeks. There isn’t much to say about this one; it’s quite an unremarkable show. The main event was a six-man tag match featuring Ryback teaming with a couple of up-and-comers named Kane and The Big Show taking on The Wyatt Family, an angle which lead to a half-hearted heel turn for Ryback.

AJ Styles had a decent match with The Miz, Kevin Owens won a fatal five-way to become the Intercontinental champion, and top-tier wrestling contenders such as Heath Slater and Summer Rae walked away with pinfall victories via the most dangerous move in the entire WWE arsenal: the distraction roll-up.

Outside of that, the standout moment of the show was a brief second where Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns embraced before Ambrose grabbed Reigns and teased hitting him with Dirty Deeds. The segment is notable because it was essentially a test-run for a “heel turn” for Dean that resulted in him getting the loudest pop of the night.

15. WrestleMania 29 (April 7th, 2013)

This is a surprising inclusion considering it’s universally considered to be on the lower tier of WrestleMania events. The big selling point for 29 was a rematch between The Rock and John Cena, this time in Metlife Stadium, where Dwayne would “give the rub” to the fresh whippersnapper Cena about seven years after he actually needed it. The second time around lacked the same magic as the initial meeting between the two and Rock suffered an injury that put a damper on the bout.

The rest of the card was pretty blah as well, with The Undertaker and CM Punk going at it in the culmination of a ludicrous feud that involved desecrating the memory of the recently deceased Paul Bearer, Fandango’s WWE debut saw him grab a win over Chris Jericho, a move that is truly puzzling in retrospect seeing as how the company did absolutely nothing with him afterward, and The Shield also made their first WrestleMania appearance in a barnstormer against the mash-up team of Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show.

The rest of the show was the definition of forgettable as I honestly can’t finish this entry without pulling up wikipedia, so instead I’ll just wonder why it made the list and move along.

14. WrestleMania 17 (April 1st, 2001)

In the polar opposite of the previous entry, the reason for this show’s inclusion on the list is obvious: it’s quite possibly the single greatest pay-per-view show in wrestling history. When fans discuss the classics, Mania 17 and The 1989 Great American Bash are commonly tossed out as the cream of the crop and most anyone who has seen this show would agree.

Headlined by the best of the series between Steve Austin and The Rock but climaxing with a puzzling and mishandled heel turn for Austin, Mania 17 was the unofficial end of The Attitude Era. The two megastars had an overabundance of chemistry together and it was practically impossible for them to have a bad segment, let alone match, and this one still holds up today.

The undercard was filled with good-to-great clashes but the Tables, Ladders and Chairs carnage-fest between Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz (replacing the letter ‘s’ with ‘z’ was sooo edgy) still stands as the spot-filled spectacle by which all others will be judged. The three teams had been in the midst of stealing show after show and the inaugural TLC bout made all six guys for life.

Any self-respecting fan who hasn’t seen this show needs to get on that asap, and judging by its popularity on the Network it seems they have been.

13. Monday Night War – Have A Nice Day! (September 9th, 2014)

The second of the Monday Night War episodes to make this list, Have A Nice Day! obviously centers around the man who defied the odds to become an unlikely superstar who helped turn the tide in the battle for wrestling ratings supremacy.

Mick Foley evolved into one of the most beloved figures in either company due to his everyman persona and willingness to practically attempt suicide every time he stepped between the ropes. He captured the imagination of the fans and the night he won the WWE title is infamous for the mass exodus of viewers who turned the channel from NItro to Raw once WCW announcer Tony Schiavone spoiled the result of Foley’s win.

Mankind represents a time when wrestling was fun, a character who began as a masochistic psychopath that transformed into a lovable and comedic human muppet, and fans are obviously enjoying reliving his rise to stardom.

12. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Nailed It! (February 22nd, 2016)

In a show that has been a surprising hit for The WWE Network, the two former tag team partners, real-life best friends and kayfabe brothers unite post-retirement to bring their unique brand of sophomoric humor back to the wrestling world in their own version of a half-hour variety show where they poke fun at the business we all love.

This is the second episode of their series and the synopsis is the two men ” pay homage to the cinematic side of WWE while celebrating the success of their first episode!” If you like Edge and Christian and find their style of comedy effective, you’ll enjoy the show. If not, you’ll probably want to skip it.

11. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Firsts! (February 21st, 2016)

The debut of the series that makes several appearances on this list, The Edge and Christian show premiered to much fanfare behind a tremendous amount of promotion as far as Network original programming goes. This particular episode takes a look back at some of wrestling’s most memorable “firsts”

There was an entertaining segment with Vince McMahon and a bit called EC Dubs where the two basically do a wrestling version of Mystery Science Theater 3000 that stood out as the highlight of the premiere.

10. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – The 90s (February 29th, 2016)

The most successful decade for the business was indisputably the 1990s, specifically the years 1996 – 1999, but it was also dark days in the first few years. There’s a wealth of material to be mined here, but unfortunately this just comes off as a tremendous amount of filler. An interview with Luke Perry of Beverly Hills 90210 fame and Jaleel White, better known as Urkel – because 1990s! – dragged the show down and the guys imitating famous wrestler entrances could have easily been scrapped during editing and it wouldn’t have hurt the flow at all.

We did get a WWE-centric rendition of “Mean Tweets” which has potential to be a great repeat segment so hopefully we see more of that in the future.

9. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Madness! (March 7th, 2016)

In a riff on college basketball’s March Madness, this episode features E and C breaking out their “bracket of suckitude” to determine the most infamous gimmick of all-time. This is one of the more enjoyable ones and features an awesome cameo that longtime fans will 

8. Royal Rumble 2016 (January 24th, 2016)

We begin our run of recent pay-per-view events making the list, as the best of the last three or so Royal Rumbles comes in at the number 8 spot. The 2014 and 2015 editions of the show were dreadful misfires, and the promotion rebounded in a big way with this year’s show. The bout itself featured several standout moments and solid action, something the previous two had been lacking.

In what will hopefully stand as a memorable debut for years to come – barring bad booking leading to him becoming “just another guy” – AJ Styles made an immediate impact entering the match at number three to a “Road Warrior pop”. We were also denied (spared?) what many had assumed to be the inevitable Roman Reigns victory when Triple H came into the ring as the last entrant and eliminated first Reigns and finally Dean Ambrose to win the title and head into 32 as the champion.

The Rumble is always the first stop on the Road to WrestleMania and clearly fans are traveling back to the beginning of the trip in an attempt to get themselves hyped for the big show a little over a week away.

7. WrestleMania 30 (April 6th, 2014)

The untimely forced retirement of Daniel Bryan due to an abundance of injuries will cause this show to live in infamy as one of the most bittersweet presentations of the flagship event on WWE’s calendar. A card that ended up looking drastically different than it was originally intended thanks to the stubborn intervention of a fan base that refused to be denied their hero, Mania 30 blew fans away to a stunning degree.

Featuring not one but two amazing Bryan performances in which he singlehandedly ran through all three members of Evolution in one night to become the WWE world champion, the conclusion of this show is one of the true feel good moments in wrestling, right up there with the reunion of Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. It’s a scene that the company will probably never be able to recreate – certainly not this year – and even the most jaded and apathetic fans allowed themselves to get swallowed up in the emotion.

In addition to Daniel’s crowning moment, we also saw the end of The Undertaker’s near-mythical streak when The Phenom fell victim to Brock Lesnar in a result that took the entire wrestling world, outside of about five people, by complete surprise and sent a shockwave through the entire Superdome. Just a terrific show that proves WWE can still get it done when the stars align.

6. Fastlane 2016 (February 21st, 2016)

This was…not a good show. Were it not for the epic triple threat main event featuring Brock Lesnar and the two former Shield members Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, this card would have been completely skippable altogether. AJ Styles and Chris Jericho had a nice little match, one they’ll hopefully outdo at Mania 32, but the rest of the show was abysmal.

That main event though, that was something else. Reigns continued to show that he can actually get it done when placed in the spotlight, at least as far as the matches themselves, and Ambrose keeps getting over like a superstar despite being WWE’s obvious second choice for the role. Brock taking fools to Suplex City is always a violent delight and all three men took some hellacious punishment for the our bloodthirsty enjoyment.

Outside of that there was nothing of significance on this card and it’s only on the list because it just happened a month ago.

5. WrestleMania 31 (March 29th, 2015)

This is a perfect example of a show with low expectations exceeding them beyond measure, and is probably the example WWE is hoping to emulate this year when they head into Dallas behind a mediocre, uninspired build for a lineup of main events that leave much to be desired.

We got to finally see Sting wrestle (and lose, for some ridiculous reason) in a WWE ring – on the biggest stage of them all, no less – and that alone was nearly worth the price of admission. The added dash of nostalgia with the mini-feud between The nWo and DX was a fun touch that gave a bit extra to a match that needed some smoke and mirrors. The Undertaker and Bray Wyatt had a match…that’s really all there is to say about it, Cena, Rusev, Triple H and Wyatt all raised the bar for ring entrances and Seth Rollins did his damnedest to steal the show.

Lesnar and Reigns stiffing the hide off of each other in the closing contest was quite the sight and far better than anyone expected it to be and Rollins cashing in his briefcase and ruining Roman’s coronation was a genuine surprise. Add in the Rock/Ronda Rousey confrontation with Hunter and Stephanie and you have all the makings of an event that deserves its spot as the 5th most watched program on WWE Network.

4. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Spring Break! (March 14th, 2016)

Not much to say here other than the fact that it’s obvious WWE has a hit on its hands with The Edge and Christian Show and these numbers support the reports that those in charge internally were very pleased with the results, have already greenlit a second season and are looking to create similar content. Look for the reported Mick and Noelle Foley show to be in the same comedic vein.

3. Roadblock (March 12th, 2016)

Some of us had high hopes for this show but ended up suffering a considerable letdown when it turned out to be an overall dud. Never more than a bloated house show with a star-powered main event, Roadblock suffered from being shoe-horned into a storyline progression which ultimately did more harm than good for the WrestleMania 32 main event.

It felt like pitting Dean Ambrose against Triple H was the company’s way of placating the fans who wanted that as the Mania headliner, and while the bout was enjoyable, it’s probably a good thing that they’re going in a different direction wrestling-wise. The match was nothing special and didn’t get cooking until the last minutes. Ambrose is still a star that the fans desperately want as a superstar, WWE is just reluctant to acquiesce.

Enzo Amore and Big Cass hopefully showed the brass that they’re ready to be called up to the main roster with their performance and the positive reaction of the audience as they put on a solid show vs. The Revival.

The rest of the show was nothing worth noting outside of the poor judgment of placing Sami Zayn, a guy who should be in the midst of being positioned as a top guy, in a competitive match with Stardust that killed the crowd and halted Zayn’s momentum.

But Roadblock just happened and is sorta relevant so people are watching it.

2. NXT 325 (March 16th, 2016)

As I stated earlier, coming in at #2 on this list is a great sign for the developmental promotion that hardcore fans have latched onto as their preferred brand of choice. NXT is a third of the length of Raw with a fifth of the roster size and ten times the logic and cohesion and it shows.

This episode, originally taped back on January 27th, continued to set the stage for the upcoming TakeOver: Dallas special event taking place the Friday night before WrestleMania 32 as part of the weekend’s festivities. The highlight was the brief 30-second graphic on the tron that announced the arrival of Japanese superstar Shinsuke Nakamura and named him as Sami Zayn’s opponent for Dallas.

Video packages and angles were used to establish the matches for TakeOver such as Baron Corbin taking on NXT newcomer Austin Aries, and we also got a fun women’s tag team match featuring the champion Bayley and her upcoming opponent Asuka against Nia Jax and Eva Marie.

The main event was an action-packed tag bout between American Alpha – who continue to get better with every appearance – against the freshly-turned heel Vaudevillains, and it was a fantastic match that put Jason Jordan and Chad Gable over strong leading into their title shot against The Revival.

Just another solid, fun hour of TV that reminds fans how wrestling doesn’t have to be complicated to be entertaining.

1. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Sportsentertainmentmania (March 21st, 2016)

We end the list with the sixth inclusion of The Edge and Christian Show, and this one is a lighthearted retrospective to build hype for WrestleMania season. Other than a guest appearance from Mick Foley it’s more of the same, but the true highlight of this one is the shirt Edge is wearing, featuring a graphic version of the Abbey Road album cover with him spearing John Lennon at the head of the line.

Besides the obvious inclusion of the newest big events, the list shows why WWE is looking to add more original content to the channel along the same lines as the massive hit Edge and Christian show. It also proves that the classics – WrestleManias 17, 20 and 30 – keep fans coming back for more, as well as showing there’s still some nostalgia for the glory days of WCW and the height of the Monday Night War era.

What are your favorite shows on The WWE Network? And what do you think of this list and the taste of Network viewers? Sound off in the comments.

10 Crazy Alternate Timelines in The WWE Universe

source// wwe.com

Clear of a winter of injuries and general disappointment, the WWE Universe looks ahead to the promise of spring and the beauty of WrestleMania. There is time to pause and consider how this very strange year could have played out so very differently. Who could have foretold all that awful luck and the return of one prodigal son?

It’s easy to imagine a WrestleMania 32 with a healthy Cena and Rollins on the card, but what if Daniel Bryan hadn’t retired? What if Taker’s streak was still going? What if Bryan Pillman never died? What if some genius never tried turning waffles into dishes and we never had ice cream cones?

All the events of the past year and the years before are the result of a few crucial choices and a few critical moments. Change just one or two things and the outcome is completely different, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, that series of new events exist on what’s called an alternate timeline. Often science-fiction, fantasy and historical literature will use alternate timelines as a means of exploring popular topics. Philip K. Dick wondered what would happen if the Nazis won, the WWE Universe wonders what would happen if Chyna got the Heavyweight title.

With a time-traveling Delorean or phone booth at their disposal, what are the top moments WWE fans would go back and change the course of history for?

10. Iron Sheik Breaks Hulk’s Leg

Background: Long before Terry Bolea ever wore a do-rag to court, Hulkamania ran wild all over the world, laying the foundation for the WWE of today.

After a long, arduous battle in front of thousands of fans in Madison Square Garden, Hogan hits The Iron Sheik with the big leg drop, the ref makes the 3-count and just like that he takes the World Heavyweight Title.

Hulkamania was money in the bank for Vince McMahon but it spelled the death of territorial wrestling for many others. The regional promoters who hadn’t sold out to McMahon before 1984 now found themselves unable to compete with the mass marketing of Hogan in TV and movies. But, and this is almost never a statement you’ll read, if it weren’t for The Iron Sheik being a really good person, Hulkamania would have never kicked off.

What Could Have Been: A very old school solution to the Hulk/WWF problem was dreamed up by Verne Gagne before the title change. He offered the Heavyweight champ $100,000 to not drop the belt to Hogan, and as part of the deal, which was set to be backed by Crockett too, Sheik would break Hogan’s leg in the ring.

Ultimately, Sheik’s allegiance to the McMahons won out and he squealed on Crockett and Gagne’s plan.

Aftermath: McMahon would have had the Sheik black-balled in the industry if not brought up on assault charges for breaking Hogan’s leg. Hogan was on the gas hardcore, so even a broken leg – though painful – would not have been a long term deterrent.

In terms of a replacement, McMahon could have jumped the gun on pushing someone like Andre the Giant or Macho Man Randy Savage to step into Hogan’s spotlight.

9. CM Punk & Brock Lesnar Stay

Background: Things were not so pleasant between The Beast and the WWE in his first run. As a very private, low-key person, Lesnar had a difficult time adjusting to the demands of life on the road and claims to have been drinking heavily and taking pain-killers to deal with it. Playing football for the Vikings was Lesnar’s true lifelong dream and when the opportunity to fulfil it came along in 2012 he left pro wrestling.

No matter how over Punk was with the fans, the love never translated to the higher-ups. People like The Miz, Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton were given more opportunities and Punk wasn’t having it, walking out after the infamous 2014 Royal Rumble for the new pastures of UFC.

What Could Have Been: Had Punk been guaranteed more creative control over the path of his career he very well could have stayed in WWE. If he were treated like a real superstar and given a lighter schedule, the chances of him staying would have risen enormously.

Lesnar meanwhile, would have needed to have the very particular, lucrative and limited schedule that he is on now offered to him 4 years ago.

The Aftermath: Consider the Heavyweight title numbers for the two years Lesnar was out – HHH held it 3 times, Edge 4, Orton 5, and John Cena 10 times. All of those numbers would read very differently with a Brock Lesnar in peak physical condition on the roster. But, had Lesnar stayed, his addictions and depression could have had grave consequences.

Punk’s departure cleared the way for Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns to step into the spotlight. Had he stayed, he would have put in a few more WrestleMania performances and feuded with Daniel Bryan no doubt. The possibility of a Sting/Punk match would have been stunning.

But then Punk really made himself an iconoclastic legend by his decision to step away from WWE, and if he had stayed he may not have the same impact in mainstream media.

8. Vince Loses Steroid Trial

Background: Until 1988, anabolic steroids were legal to posses with a prescription from any doctor. And for much of the ’80’s Pennsylvania urologist, Dr. George Zahorian was an on-call doctor at area house shows.  

Inevitably, The Justice Department began investigating Zahorian on trafficking charges for dealing steroids to wrestlers, and once the doctor had been convicted on 15 charges, the government looked to have a solid case against McMahon for criminal conspiracy. Incredibly, thanks to procedural errors and circumstantial evidence, they lost their case.

What Could Have Been: From the start the case was a bit of a stretch. The Justice Department had to prove that McMahon, as head of the company, was pressuring wrestlers to take steroids and conspiring with employees to distribute the steroids.

McMahon himself admitted to taking steroids when they were legal and had there been physical evidence of McMahon arranging shipments from Zahorian’s office or more witnesses than just a few disgruntled, ex-wrestlers the case may have stuck sending him to the pen.

Aftermath: With Vince in federal prison Linda McMahon would assume his role in the day to day WWE operations.

Always the less visible figure in the family business, Linda is as much a driven perfectionist as Vince in many ways. She would face the unenviable task of steering the company through some of their leanest years on record. But, as a less dictatorial figure she could strike more compromises with the talent and management and keep valuable resources from leaving for WCW.

7. What If They Got Clean?

Background: Kurt Angle seemed like the virginity promoting, milk-chugging boy scout for most of his career but behind the scenes he was in tremendous pain from his freakin’ broken neck and a litany of other injuries. His solution to the problem was the one most wrestlers come up with, drink alcohol and take pain medication. In just six years, Kurt was involved in four DUI cases and ultimately was released from his contract in 2006: he’s failed to hit the heights of his peak since.

Jeff Hardy was the darling of kids with black nail polish the world over, but it was his reportedly toxic attitude and love of drugs that led him to part ways with WWE in 2003. While on a successful return run in 2008, Hardy had to drop the Intercontinental title after being suspended for failing a drug test.

Police arrested Hardy on charges of prescription drug and steroid trafficking in 2009. A search of his home yielded a stash of thousands of prescription pills, drug paraphernalia and steroids. The charismatic enigma pled guilty to the charges and spent ten days in jail in 2011, he was also put on two and a half years probation and fined $100,000.

What Could Have Been?

Hardy’s drug suspensions kept him from winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV, he was booked to win it before his suspension was announced.

Kurt Angle has always said – and he is pretty much right in saying it – that had he kept his nose clean he would be where John Cena is today.

The Aftermath: Apologies to Dixie Carter but if it were not for the greed of wrestlers for drug money and time in the ring, TNA would not have a lineup. Jeff Hardy, Angle and Scott Hall have all been through TNA’s doors in pretty bad condition.

If Hardy were sober he could have at least delivered at A- performance with Sting at Victory Road. Angle could have dominated a few of the years where Triple H and Edge reigned supreme in WWE.

6. Hustle, Loyalty & Pink-Slips

Background: As John Cena busts out twelve-hour workouts in some fitness dungeon, do not forget that he once had a very inauspicious start in the biz. Cena tried out for the WWE four times before they finally signed him.

The gig was to be a jobber or “enhancement talent” in dark matches and getting his ass handed to him every night. This 2003 Velocity match with a clean-shaven Daniel Bryan and John Cena in rather ugly yellow pants really shows how little cache each man had in the organization at the time.

What Could Have Been: Going into a job everyday that you feel like you’re bad at is a universally agreed upon very bad time, And Cena’s failure to win the crowd over was not lost on either himself or Vince and HHH.

In an interview with Brian Soscia, Cena admitted that by 2003, the men at the top were not convinced his gimmick would ever make significant headway with audiences. Even the other superstars were not convinced of his skills and Cena claims he was disliked by most. Had HHH and Vince fired Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect in 2003 wrestling over the last decade would be radically different.

The Aftermath: A fired Cena leaves WWE and possibly goes to the dumping ground of TNA where he becomes the most over guy in the company but still has to lose to fat Matt Hardy on occasion. Taken another way, there’s no reason a ripped, personable dude like Cena couldn’t have an acting career like Jason Statham or Vin Diesel.

5. ECW Signs Ultimo Dragon

Background: In 1995, ECW’s Mick Foley passed along tape of a young Chris Jericho from a Wrestle and Romance show to Paul Heyman, leading to Jericho’s run in ECW and the start of his American career. His partner in that match was Yoshihiro Asai or Ultimo Dragon as he was known in the ring. Trained in Mexico and a worker in Japan, Asai was the perfect blend of west and east, like a sushi burrito.

Meanwhile, Rey Mysterio’s breakout performance in the states was at the 1995 Super J Cup, an event Ultimo Dragon had requested he be booked on. Eric Bischoff first scouted Mysterio when he was Dragon’s partner at the NJPW/WCW World Wrestling Peace Festival in 1996.

Although he would have his own short runs in WCW and WWE, including a spot at WrestleMania, Dragon’s career would never match that of his former partners despite his obvious talents.

What Could Have Been: If Foley had been as adamant about Paul Heyman snatching up Dragon as he was Jericho, he could have easily become an E-C-Dub heavyweight champion. And if WWE had signed Ultimo Dragon in 1996 instead of WCW he could have taken Rey Mysterio’s role as the high-flying babyface.

The Aftermath: While working for WCW in 1998, Ultimo Dragon suffered a wrist injury that cause permanent damage to his arm and took a toll on his future wrestling ability. Had he been working in ECW or WWE at the time, Dragon could have avoided that injury completely.

The inevitable success of Ultimo Dragon in WWE could have paved the way for even more Japanese and luchador talent on the roster. Dragon still holds the record for most concurrent championships in all of professional wrestling, so he’s not doing too badly.

4. Bret Hart Goes To WCW In 1996

Background: Long before The Montreal Screwjob, Bret Hart was being wooed by Eric Bischoff over at WCW. Bret had been a loyal WWE employee for 14 years, only ever missing two shows, but pay was low, and Scott Hall even jokingly referred to Hart as “the $400,000 Champion”.

WCW had big names like Hogan and Savage but what they really needed was a current name like Hart. But while Bischoff was offering millions in 1996,  Bret turned him down to stay at WWE for the next 20 years. As money woes mounted, Vince was unable to honor his deal and Bret left for WCW but not before the debacle of The Montreal Screwjob.

What Could Have Been: Had Hart walked in 1996 his position in the minds of the fans and the public would be very different. Bret could have escaped the whiner label that had dogged him for years. He would have been going out on a limb stepping out to WCW before the departure of Hall and Nash that was to follow.

The Aftermath: Hart would have fit very nicely as the third man in the NWO effectively saving the public from having to watch those horrifying Hogan/Nash matches. The triple heat of Hart, Nash and Hall could have saved the group from deteriorating into an old folks home for Hulk’s buddies, potentially saving WCW from collapse.

3. Vince Buys UFC

Background: Referee, human crash test dummy, businessman, Shane McMahon has held many careers over the years. Groomed from childhood to be the heir to the McMahon empire, Shane has also proven to have a good head for business.

In 2001, Shane was adamant that Vince purchase the emerging UFC, Vince considered Shane’s proposal but ultimately turned him down in a move that would cost him billions. He also had the bright idea of purchasing Pride, a Japanese wrestling league in 2006 but Vince shut him down then as well. .

What Could Have Been: Present day UFC is by some estimates more profitable than WWE, having built an enormous fanbase under Dana White. Top MMA fighters like Ronda Rousey draw top dollar and are featured in movies and video games.

For once the McMahons could have had a side venture that was profitable.

The Aftermath: Vince and the McMahon family with UFC money are bigger billionaires on the level of Bill Gates, the Koch Brothers and Pablo Escobar and Linda’s chances of getting elected to the Senate might have been better.

But, some would argue that the real selling point of UFC has always been its authenticity: fans who were tired of watching staged WWE matches were eager to see grappling and brawling that was real.

But then, by involving the “fake” wrestling people, UFC might not have attracted as large and enthusiastic a following.

2. 9/11 Never Happens

Background: Before 9/11 the patriotic roots of wrestling had been turned down as it transitioned from a cartoonish Southern form of entertainment, to a layered, tawdry, violent soap opera. The WWE no longer pushed characters like Sgt. Slaughter or Lex Luger in his red, white and blue skivvies, the new American heroes were pimps, thugs and badasses.

What Could Have Been: If say, the CIA killed Bin Laden at a casino in Monte Carlo in the 80’s, there’d be no 9/11 but a great plot to an action movie and the nation wouldn’t be in mourning. There’d be no need to go to war in Afghanistan and no rush to go to war in Iraq (you know, other than all that delicious oil).

Plus, George W. Bush probably would not have been elected to a second term in office and the entire landscape of media would have been drastically different.

The Aftermath: This eliminates the significance of the September 13th Smackdown, one of the first shows to return to regular programming after the attacks, a fact WWE enjoys mentioning from time to time. You have no nation united in mourning with their favorite WWE superstars, you have no Lillian Garcia singing the national anthem. More importantly, Kurt Angle probably would not have been made heavyweight champion in the weeks that followed.

As much as the performers involve genuinely care about the cause, “Tribute to the Troops” is really a great PR resource for the company too. In a world without 9/11 there would be no tribute shows for the few troops posted in Germany or the DMZ.

1. Ric Flair’s Plane Crash

Background: The Day The Wrestling Died-In 1975, Ric Flair was aboard a small plane with a promoter and three other wrestlers. Just 100 yards short of the runway the plane dropped, hit a utility pole and crashed. The pilot died from his injuries and US Heavyweight Johnny Valentine was paralyzed for life.

Valentine retired one week before he was set to take on NWA Heavyweight Champ Dory Funk Jr. Flair’s back was broke in three places and doctors told him he would never wrestle again.

What Could Have Been: It wasn’t mechanical problems or weather that caused the crash, just human error. The weight of the passengers was aligned incorrectly and to lighten the load the pilot dumped fuel.

Valentine was seated at the back of the plane but switched seats with Flair who was scared of being up front. David Crockett wasn’t even supposed to be on the plane, but offered to go instead of his sick brother.

The Aftermath: Valentine could well have had Flair’s career as he was the top man in the mid-Atlantic territory, and inevitably the timelines of WCW, TNA, and WWE would be greatly altered in Flair’s absence. The possibility of Reid Flair, David Flair or even Charlotte being involved in wrestling likewise would have been greatly reduced.

Enjoy this article? Share your appreciation below in the comments thread.