A&E’s Top 10 WWE Episodes of All Time

A&E’s Top 10 WWE Episodes of All Time – Join A&E as we count down our top 10 favorite WWE episodes of all time!

“The Rise and Fall of ECW”

“The Rise and Fall of ECW” chronicles the story of Extreme Championship Wrestling, from its early days as a regional promotion to its transformation into a national powerhouse and eventual demise. Told through the stories of those who lived it, this episode is a must-see for any WWE fan.

“The Attitude Era”

1. “The Attitude Era”
2. “The British Bulldog”
3. “Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels”
4. “The Rock vs. Mankind”
5. “Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock”
6. “Triple H vs. The Rock”
7. “Undertaker vs. Kane”
8. ” Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit”
9. ” CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar”
10.” John Cena vs. AJ Styles”

“The Monday Night Wars”

The Monday Night Wars were a period of unprecedented competition between WWE and WCW, with both companies fighting for ratings supremacy on Monday nights. The wars reached their peak in the mid-1990s and early 2000s, but their impact is still felt today. Here are the 10 best episodes of the Monday Night Wars:

1) “The War Begins” (Monday Night Raw, September 11, 1995) – The very first episode of Monday Night Raw saw WWE come out swinging against WCW, with a surprise attack by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on WCW champion Hulk Hogan. This episode set the tone for the entire war and proved that WWE was not going to take WCW’s challenge lightly.

2) “Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels” (Monday Night Raw, November 17, 1997) – One of the most famous matches in WWE history took place during the Monday Night Wars, as Bret “Hitman” Hart finally got his hands on Shawn Michaels after months of torment. The match was incredible, but it was marred by the infamous Montreal Screwjob, which led to Bret Hart leaving WWE for good.

3) “WCW Wins the Ratings War” (Monday Nitro, April 13, 1998) – In a stunning upset, WCW defeated WWE in the ratings for the first time ever. This was a huge moment in the war and showed that WCW was a real threat to WWE’s dominance.

4) “The Attitude Era Begins” (Monday Night Raw, April 13, 1998) – Just one day after WCW’s historic victory, WWE hit back with a groundbreaking episode of Monday Night Raw that saw the debut of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as Mr. McMahon’s new Corporate Champion. This episode ushered in the Attitude Era and changed WWE forever.

5) “‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan” (Monday Nitro, April 27, 1998) – One of the most highly anticipated matches in wrestling history took place during the Monday Night Wars, as two legends went head-to-head for the first time ever. The match did not disappoint, as Hogan and Savage put on an incredible show that is still talked about today.

6) “The Final War” (Monday Nitro, January 4, 1999) – The final episode of Monday Nitro saw WCW go out with a bang, as they defeated WWE in the ratings one last time. This was a fitting end to the war and demonstrated that WCW was a force to be reckoned with right up until the very end.

7) “The Invasion Begins” (Monday Night Raw, July 9 2001) – After months of hype and anticipation, The Invasion finally began on this episode of Monday Night Raw with stone cold leading a team of WWF superstars against WCW’s Triple H & Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley . Although it didn’t live up to expectations in terms of overall quality , it did produce some epic moments including Stone Cold Stunnering Vince McMahon . It also signified WWF’s rise to power following their purchase of WCW .
8 ) “‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin vs Eric Bischoff ” (Raw Homecoming , October 3 2005 ) – In one of Mr McMahon ‘s PG era masterstrokes , he revived old rivalries by pitting former enemies against each other in what were billed as “Champion vs Challenger” matches . However none were more satisfying than seeing RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff get his comeuppance at th e hands off his most hated enemy Stone ColdSteve Austin following months off seething verbal battles . As an added bonus we got one final FU from Austin to Bischoff for good measure !

9) Edge spearing Jeff Hardy off ladder through Tables ( Smackdown , December 14 2007 ) Egged on by Vickie Guerrero , these two former tag partners went to extreme lengths to end their bitter rivalry once and for all . J eff Hardy ‘s high flying antics are always impressive but this spot cemented his legacy as one off wrestling ‘s true daredevils when he threw himself AND Edge off ladders crashed through 2 tables set up below ! OUCH !

10)” Daniel Bryan wins Royal Rumble Match ” (Royal Rumble , January 26 2014 ) In what many have called th e greatest Royal Rumble match EVER , underdog Daniel Bryan battled 29 other men including Brock Lesnar , Batista AND Big Show to become th e unlikely winner ! His subsequent celebration with his wife Brie Bella & father made for touching TV too & this spot truly launched him into main event status where he would stay until his untimely retirement sadly just 3 years later

“The Kliq Rules”

On the May 15, 1996 episode of WWE Raw, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin made a shocking return to the company after being gone for nearly a year. He delivered a promo that went down in history as one of the most controversial of all time. In it, he called out Vince McMahon, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall – aka The Kliq – and said they were the reason WWE was “going to hell.” This was a huge deal at the time because it broke kayfabe and revealed that The Kliq was a real thing. This episode is number one on our list because it changed the course of WWE history.

“The Montreal Screwjob”

In November 1997, Bret “The Hitman” Hart was in the final match of his legendary career with the WWE. He was set to leave for rival promotion WCW, but not before dropping the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels in his home country of Canada. However, in a move that would forever change the business, WWE owner Vince McMahon had the match end prematurely and awarded the title to Michaels, thereby “screwing” Bret out of one final victory. This episode looks back at that controversial moment through interviews with all the key players involved.

“Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels”

In our opinion, the greatest WWE episode of all time is the one that aired on October 5, 1997, featuring the long-awaited match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. This was not only a great wrestling match, but also a fascinating look at the behind-the-scenes politics of the WWE at the time.

“The Austin Era”

The “Austin Era” is the term used to describe the time period in which WWE’s most popular star, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, was at the peak of his career. This era began in the late 1990s and ended in the early 2000s. Austin’s popularity helped WWE become the number one wrestling company in the world. During this era, WWE produced some of its most iconic moments and greatest matches. Here are A&E’s top 10 WWE episodes of all time that took place during the Austin Era:

1) WrestleMania XIV – This episode features Austin defeating Shawn Michaels to win his first WWE Championship. This match is often considered one of the greatest WWE matches of all time.
2) Royal Rumble 1999 – This episode features Austin winning the Royal Rumble match, ensuring himself a spot in the main event of WrestleMania XV.
3) SummerSlam 1998 – This episode features Austin defeating The Undertaker to win his second WWE Championship.
4) Survivor Series 1998 – This episode features “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson defeating Mankind in the “I Quit” match to win his first WWE Championship.
5) Armageddon 1999 – This episode features a triple threat match for the WWF Championship between Austin, The Rock, and Triple H. Austin would go on to win the match and retain his title.
6) WrestleMania 2000 – This episode features a triple threat match for the WWF Championship between The Rock, Triple H, and Mick Foley. The Rock would go on to win the match and become champion for a second time.
7) No Way Out 2000 – This episode features Xbox vs PlayStation in a hardcore infraredBattle Royal match which saw Mideon defeat Crash Holly to become Hardcore Champion.
8) Judgement Day 2000 – This episode features Kurt Angle defeating Triple H to win his first WWF Championship.
9) Fully Loaded 2000 – This episode features a tag teamTable Match between Edge & Christian and The Hardy Boyz which saw Edge & Christian emerge victorious.
10) SummerSlam 2000 -This episode is notable for being backstage footage only; it featured various interviews with wrestlers talking about their preparations for SummerSlam

“The Invasion”

In 2001, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) was bought out by Vince McMahon, creating a monopoly in the wrestling world. The other major wrestling company at the time was World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which was bought by McMahon’s company, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The McMahon family then bought Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which completed the monopoly.

The only thing left standing in their way was the upstart promotion, Ring of Honor (ROH).

ROH quickly developed a following among hardcore wrestling fans who were tired of the WWE’s more “mainstream” product.

This rift came to a head in 2005 when the WWE aired an episode of their flagship show, Raw, in which wrestlers from ROH invaded the ring and beat up WWE superstars.

The episode was a huge ratings success and is still considered one of the best episodes of Raw ever aired.

“The Birth of the Attitude Era”

The first episode on our list takes us back to the late 1990s when the WWE was in the midst of what is now known as the “Attitude Era.” This was a time when wrestlers were allowed to curse on TV, and storylines were edgier and often risqué. It was also a time when the WWE’s ratings were through the roof, thanks in part to two of its biggest stars: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

The 10th episode on our list is the one that started it all. On February 15, 1997, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin won the WWE Championship for the first time in his career. This victory marked the beginning of Austin’s rise to superstardom, and it also signaled a change in direction for the WWE. From this point forward, the company would be known for its edgy and often controversial content. This episode is a must-watch for any WWE fan.

“The Attitude Era Comes to an End”

After a long and historic run, the Attitude Era came to an end in 2002. Though the product would never be quite the same, the WWE would go on to produce some great television in the years that followed. Here are A&E’s top 10 WWE episodes of all time:

1) “The Attitude Era Comes to an End” (2002)
2) “WrestleMania XX” (2004)
3) “The Rise and Fall of ECW” (2005)
4) “WrestleMania 21” (2005)
5) “Bret Hart Returns to WWE” (2005)
6) “Edge Retires” (2011)
7) “CM Punk walks out of WWE” (2011)
8 ) “Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX” (2014)
9) “John Cena vs. AJ Styles at Money in the Bank” (2016)
10)”The Women’s Revolution” (2017-)