WWE's 25 Most Shocking Moments Broadcast on Live TV

For decades, wrestling has provided fans with some over-the-top moments.

Whether it's in the ring or out, wrestling companies have gone above and beyond to make our jaws drop. This article will focus solely on the events that happened on live TV. 

Now, many of you may be wondering what the difference is.

Simply put, fans at home and at the event got to react seemingly at the same time as neither had seen this coming.

Now, there have been many pre-taped segments that have aired in TV that were probably more shocking. Unfortunately, I will not be including those moments. So an honorable mention will go to them, as they too deserve recognition.

I am sure I have missed some of your favorite shocking moments.

If that's the case, feel free to list them in the comments section.

Also if you enjoy this list don't be ashamed to become a fan.

Rick Rude Appears on Nitro and Raw on the Same Night

Rick Rude's on-air character was always scandalous.

However, what he did in Nov. 17, 1997 had never and will never be done again.

Rude not only appeared on a then-taped Monday Night Raw, he also showed up on a live Monday Nitro.

Rude was initially courted by the WWE, but they never finalized a contract.

So when WCW came knocking, Rude saw an opportunity and the rest is history.

Hulk Hogan Turns Heel

Hulkamamiacs around the world were stunned when their hero decided to turn on long-time friend Randy Savage.

Just as everyone expected Hogan to come to the aid of Savage, they witnessed the opposite and the rest goes down in infamy.

Even though this move was risky, it turned out to be a smart one.

Hulk Hogan probably would not have lasted long during the Attitude Era

Madusa Tosses out the WWE Women's Title on Nitro

This is a move that Madusa regrets to this day.

In 1995, Alundra Blayze—a.k.a. Madusa—and the WWE parted ways.

During her departure from the WWE she was still their women's champion. So when she decided to jump ship to WCW, she brought the title with her. Upon doing so, she threw the title in the trash on-air and bashed the WWE.

In recent months, Madusa has expressed wanting to return to the WWE.

However, I think it's safe to say that ship sailed a long time ago.

NWO Attacks the WCW TV Truck During Nitro

As the nWo was in its infancy, they were doing things that many deemed shocking.

This incident would be no different, as several members of the faction took over the WCW production trailer. Throughout the night they continued to cause havoc during the show.

Many viewers at home actually thought the stunt was real and contacted the local authorities to help thwart the mischief.

Scott Hall Invades Nitro

In 1995, there was a change in the air and WCW reaped the benefits, as Eric Bischoff was giving out huge paydays to all who would take them and essentially stealing talent from WWE.

However, this acquisition was one of the biggest as at the time, as Razor Ramon was one of the top names in wrestling at the time.

Ultimately, Ramon and the WWE could not finalize a deal and he headed to WCW.

Upon his debut, he appeared to be "invading" WCW as a representative of the WWE.

We would find out this was not accurate and Eric Bischoff slowly started putting the pieces together to create the nWo.

Lex Luger Appears on Nitro Days After Appearing on a WWE PPV

The Lex Express was fresh off of his appearance on WWE's SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Normally, fans would aspect to see WWE talents appear on the following edition of Monday Night Raw.

Instead, the newly freed-up Luger decided he would comeback to WCW and appear on their debut episode of Nitro.

CM Punk Promo

CM Punk was in the midst of a pretty solid WWE run.

However, he felt that he should and could be doing more for the company.

In July 2011, Punk decided to grab the mic and let his voice be heard. This promo went down in history as one of the best promos ever cut by a wrestler.

In fact, it was so good no one at home knew if it was real or a part of the show.

As the weeks went by rumors were rampant about CM Punk's contract status and whether this promo was a hint as to what Punk's future plans were.

It turns out the WWE gave us an entertaining piece of TV that helped push them out of the PG era.

Brian Pillman Gun Incident

Just as the WWE was in the beginnings of the Attitude Era, these two men were starting a pretty solid feud.

Both Austin and Pillman were more than familiar with each other, as they had been tag partners just a few years prior and were on a fast track to making a huge splash in WCW.

Then, for some reason, the Hollywood Blondes' train was derailed and the two went their separate ways.

In the end, the two would reunite in the WWE as foes and this shocking promo left everyone guessing.

Brock Lesnar and Big Show Collapse the Ring

Brock Lesnar and Big Show were in the midst of a heated feud that was set to culminate at WWE's Vengeance pay-per-view.

We all knew that these two would bring the house down, but no one expected it to be quite so literal.

Mick Foley Gets Tossed off the Top of the Cell

We have all seen the clip a million times.

The Undertaker tosses Mick Foley off the top of the cell.

Ultimately, Foley suffered several severe injuries from not only the fall, but the match itself.

Instead of showing the fall, I decided to show Mick Foley recounting the events of the match.

Montreal Screwjob

The infamous "Montreal Screwjob."

This incident will forever be recounted by all involved, as it will always be looked upon as shocking and amazing all wrapped into one.

Sadly, this incident has been imitated several times. However, it will never be duplicated, due to the sheer raw emotion.

This situation was as real as it gets and we all got to be a part of it.

Steve Austin Stuns the Boss

Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon were headed for a collision and there was no one that could stop it.

At this point, Austin had stunned everyone that had crossed his path with the exception of the boss.

That would all change on this night, as Austin finally laid out McMahon and fans everywhere erupted with joy.

The Kat Fullfills Her Promise to Bare All at WWE PPV

In 1999 WWE Diva Stacy Carter went by "The Kat," a.k.a. Miss Kittie.

Around that time, she was headed into WWE's annual Armageddon pay-per-view.

In the weeks prior to the event, she promised that she would flash the crowd if she won the women's title.

Needless to say, the WWE did not take the promo seriously and The Kat kept to her word and celebrated her win topless.

I opted not to show the video as the content may be deemed inappropriate for this forum.

However, if you want to see it you can do so by by clicking here and verify your age with YouTube.  

In the end, Carter would see some ups and downs throughout her career and eventually was released by the WWE in mid-storyline.

Shortly after the release, Carter's then-husband Jerry Lawler decided to step down and quit the WWE as he was unhappy with the company's decision.

After almost a year away, Lawler returned to the WWE and the announce booth.

Eventually, the two divorced and Carter went on to become a realtor and marry Sinn Bodhi, a.k.a. Kizarny.

The Miz Cashes in on Randy Orton on RAW

After winning the Money in the Bank match at the eponymous pay-per-view in July 2010, The Miz decided that one day removed from Survivor Series he would cash in on Randy Orton and become the WWE champ.

Most fans were not expecting this, as they anticipated him doing this the night before at the  pay-per-view.

However, both Miz had other plans and he shocked fans by winning the title as Raw came to a close.

Sid Destroys His Leg

This is a move that should never have been attempted by a man the size of Sid.

However, it happened and Sid's career has yet to fully recover from the damage done.

Currently, Sid wrestles for independent promotions and some NWA territories. 

Shane McMahon's Leap of Faith

This is a move no one saw coming.

The boss's son not only was partaking in matches with guys twice his size, he was also matching up with them rather well.

For most people that would be enough, but Shane-O-Mac felt the fans needed more and more they got.

Edge Spears Jeff Hardy off a Ladder

Just as it appeared Jeff Hardy had the tag- title won, Edge decided it was time to spear Hardy.

Normally, this move wouldn't be so shocking.

However, what made this stand out was Edge leaping off of a ladder and hitting Hardy, who was seemingly hanging in mid-air.

Jeff Hardy's Swanton Bomb off the Titan-Tron

Jeff Hardy has always been one to go to the extreme.

This time was no different as Hardy not only took the plunge, he also managed to turn it into his signature move.

Shane McMahon Steals WCW from Vince

Just as Vince McMahon felt WCW was grasped in the palm of his hands, his son Shane let him know differently.

This was a huge moment in wrestling history, as it was the first time WWE and WCW were simulcast.

This would also mark the first and last time a McMahon would step foot in a WCW ring.

Kurt Angle Jumps to TNA

Kurt Angle was one of the biggest names going in wrestling.

In 2006, Angle needed to take some time off to heal and eventually requested his release.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Angle reached a deal with rival TNA and the rest is history.

Tony Schiavone Gives out Results for RAW

During the Attitude Era, both WWE and WCW were desperately trying to one up the other.

This led to a lot of underhanded tactics, mostly from WCW.

However, this one cost them dearly, as they announced Mick Foley was going to become WWE champion. WCW lost the majority of their viewers, flipping the channel to watch the Foley match.

Instead of this being a spoiler, it turned out to be a tease and was the first time in a long time that the WWE finished out on top of the ratings.

D-X Invades Nitro

As I mentioned previously, there was some fierce competition between WWE and WCW.

Instead of cowering behind a camera, the WWE decided to bring the fight to WCW.

In the end, WCW seemingly ignored the commotion outside and went on with their show.

This also proved to be a poor choice by the WCW honchos, as this would have been a great opportunity for WCW to prove they were the big boys.

Kharma Reveals She Is Pregnant and Can No Longer Compete

On the heels of the biggest women's push since Chyna, Kharma was set to make a splash in the WWE.

Her presence alone brought more interest back to a Divas division that was on life support.

Then, just as it seemed Kharma and Beth Phoenix would be headed for a clash, Kharma was forced to reveal to the WWE Universe that she was pregnant in real life and would not be able to compete for the foreseeable future.

Edge Retires

Edge was on top of his game and fresh off a win at WrestleMania.

Sadly, he found out from his doctor that he had an injury to severe to continue wrestling. This is when he had to come to terms and break the news to the fans.

Ultimately, as sad as this day was, it's better than seeing him paralyzed or hanging on by a thread because he can't let go of the fame.

Bobby Heenan Debuts the WCW Title on Raw

Now, this last slide was a struggle for me because I am not sure if it occurred live.

I know the matches on this show were pre-taped, but I am not sure if the commentary was.

Either way, I stand by putting it in this slideshow because it was a huge announcement.

I also think it was the first time that a rival championship was ever shown on WWE television.

Needless to say, taped or live, it was a huge deal and is definitely a shocking moment for WWE.