What’s the biggest wrestling pop you’ve ever been a part of?
Mine would still have to be Eddie defeating Brock for the title at the 2004 No Way Out in the Cow Palace (San Fran). For such a small venue, the crowd exploded, and continued while Eddie celebrated.
Cm Punk walking out at Money in the Bank 2011
Or
Brock Lesnar’s return in Miami on Raw 2012
It’s stuff I’ll never forget, it’s moments like that when some fans get jaded with WWE and crap on it, I always bring these up
Hogan vs Rock at WM 18… not just the loudest wrestling pop but the loudest I’ve ever heard at the Rogers Center/Skydome
Used to go to local Raws in S. Fla during the attitude era so I’m sure there was huge pops then but nothing stands out. I’ll focus on the 3 WM I’ve been to. 24,28,33. HBK beating flair was a pop but very melancholy. I’ll say Rock beating Cena in Miami or Hardyz surprise return in Orlando.
Two moments comes to mind, the first was hulk Hogan return on the raw after wrestlemania 18. This was the first time I’ve heard a pop last that long for somebody. This was just a insane pop
The second was when la resistance won the tag title against Chris benoit and edge in front of their home crowd at the bell centre. Just like the Hogan moment, the bell centre when crazy when la resistance won the belt and to see this reaction go on for at less 5 minutes was up again awesome.
The very first time the WWF came to Blaisdell Center in Hawaii around 1990 for a house show. Hogan was the main event and I’ve never heard any live crowd for any event even close to as loud as it was when Hogan came out. As a teenager, my ears were ringing and I “couldn’t hear myself think” as Gorilla Monsoon used to say. My friend was screaming while standing right next to me and I couldn’t hear anything he was saying. Now that’s loud.
I’ve never been to a WWE show. The biggest pop I can remember was when Jaysin Strife beat Matt Sydal for the NWA Midwest X Division Title at a Central States Wrestling show in Lawrence, Kansas. This was back in 2006.
Austin coming out at Mania 30 at the start of the show
I’ve not been to that many live shows but from what I have been to I have to say the atmosphere and pop for the London Riots beating the Origin on Super Strong Style 16 Night 1 (2016) was amazing!
Mine too and on a smaller level Kevin Steen winning the ROH title at Border Wars 2012 in the Ted Reeve Arena.
Team DIY vs The Revival at nxt Toronto.
Rock Bottom ‘98 when we thought Mankind had won the title from The Rock, only to have it taken away from has moments later.
For in person, i would say a live show at vancouver, when Seths music hit during a SD show since Nakaumra couldnt make it.
Okada hitting the rain maker on Slex at the MCW show last year
It was Spring 2007 and there was maybe 150~ of us in the Russian Cultural Centre on 4th and Arbutus for ECCW when Bryan Danielson was out with a shoulder injury but was doing a guest referee spot for a match between Aaron Idol (the company’s top babyface at the time) and a whole bunch of people in a gauntlet match. The company was still recovering from its miserable TV show where they’d tape six half-hour episodes in a shot with a bunch of three-minute matches, so match quality was RISING, but it wasn’t really any good just yet.
Aaron Idol at the time, started as a breath of fresh air - a guy who had a reputation of being able to have a great match with just about anyone, and his surprise return almost immediately made ECCW’s main event scene better. BUT, it quickly became somewhat of a super-Cena type situation where he was winning all the time - even recieved a brutal three way beatdown from the company’s top heels only to virtually no-sell it and kip up to end a show. People hadn’t yet soured on him (except me tho) but he was hardly as over as he had been.
So, the gauntlet match happens and I don’t honestly remember much about it - I think it was a good match? Aaron Idol matches usually were good if not predictable - and it was awesome to see my favourite wrestler Bryan Danielson even if he was only a referee. Idol goes through a bunch of opponents, the heels are reeling, and it’s down to the final dude.
Final Countdown hits.
Bryan Danielson locks in a crossface chickenwing.
A second referee slides into the ring.
The crowd goes FUCKING MENTAL as Idol taps and Danielson wins. Not only did we think Danielson wasn’t going to be able to wrestle, but we all thought Idol was going to win, and I think it caught everyone by surprise. Everyone cheered Dragon like Idol shot each of our individual dogs one by one by one while laughing at our mothers and peeing on our shoes. I’ve never heard 150 people make that much noise.
It led to this match in Surrey, BC (part 1) (part 2) (part 3) immediately after. At that time it was the greatest match I’d ever seen live - and just getting a chance to see Danielson period was amazing.
Two, both last year…
*The Hardy Boyz return at WrestleMania, everyone went crazy!
*The return of the South Pacific Power Couple at PROGRESS, per person, that was super loud!
I was at Money in the Bank as well in 2011, Allstate Arena, Punk’s entrance was epic. I got chills anytime I went back and watched the video.
A recent memory of mine is when Keith Lee caught Omari mid-air on a topé con giro at Fight Club Pro: Project Mayhem last year. Everyone stood up in awe, and there was this massive amount of noise and the ‘pop’ was more akin to everyone shouting “What the fuck?!?” simultaneously. Goosebumps.
Grado beating Drew Galloway for the ICW title with assist from Mick Foley
God DAMN that match. I will definitely say that the overall hottest crowd start to finish I’ve been to was NXT Toronto.