The 15 Greatest WWE Moments of 2014

Indelible moments catapulted WWE's new crop of headliners in 2014.

Daniel Bryan provided much of the year's biggest lasting images as his popularity soared. When neck surgery halted his momentum, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose picked up the baton he dropped and sprinted toward a new horizon.

It was certainly a year powered by nostalgia, but the emerging stars gave fans the biggest throat lumps.

Bryan finally planted his flag on WWE's mountaintop. Rollins tore apart the group he claimed to have built. Sami Zayn finally held NXT gold, only to have a former friend leave him wearing a neck brace.

Those moments and more are ranked here based on their emotional power, how memorable they were and the effect they will have on the company's future.

Honorable Mentions

• Daniel Bryan leaves The Wyatt Family (Jan. 13).
• Bryan pounces on Triple H (March 31).
• Stephanie McMahon gets arrested (July 21).
• Big Show's passionate response to Rusev attacking a U.S. serviceman (Oct. 20).

Bryan's rise to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship saw him shake off Bray Wyatt's hold on him and attack the man he would face first at WrestleMania. Both those moments had fans howling in approval.

They didn't create the same long-lasting images that his other exploits did, though. Watching him lead "Yes!" chants while perched on a steel cage can't compare to him lifting two championship titles amid a shower of confetti.

Brie Bella getting McMahon arrested was fun, especially with how the executive whined and grimaced on her way into the patrol car. Big Show growling after Rusev kicked a member of the military was his best promo to date, rich with emotion.

However, the year saw bigger moments with greater impact.

Other highlights just needed some fine-tuning to be among 2014's best. Had Paige's upset win over AJ Lee been stretched out more or had the WWE Network's launch not been riddled with so many glitches, they would have found their way onto this list.

15. The Rock Surprises Rusev (Oct. 6)

When Rusev (with Lana at his side) badmouthed America in early October, he found himself in the ring with a legend. He had collided with the likes of Jack Swagger and Jim Duggan, but this was opposition on a completely different level.

The Rock managed to sneak on to Raw despite how fast information travels via rumor and the Internet. 

Fans then witnessed a clash between a Hall of Famer and up-and-comer, an unexpected showdown that hinted at a possible WrestleMania matchup down the road.

The Rock was his usual charming, funny self. He inserted electricity into the Russian's routine.

WWE has yet to build on this, so it doesn't feel as significant as it was entertaining. That will change should this be the precursor to a Rock-versus-Rusev battle.

14. Jake Roberts' Return (Jan. 6)

The history and circumstances surrounding the moment overshadow the moment itself.

Jake Roberts had long been battling addiction. His appearance on the Beyond the Mat documentary showed him at rock bottom, depressed and struggling to reconnect with his family.

To see him not only walk back into a WWE arena, but do so at a much healthier weight, clean and happy, was a tear-jerker of a moment.

Fans had seen guys like Chris Jericho come and go from the spotlight. Roberts, meanwhile, had shrunk away from it so long that when he finally stepped in front of the camera again, it had far more power.

The fact that this didn't lead to a Royal Rumble appearance or a short return stint of any kind takes away from it some.

At the time, it felt like the prologue to a redemptive story. Instead, it's simply the return with the most emotional weight.

13. Charlotte's Title Victory (May 29)

Charlotte defeated Natalya in what was more than a title win and more than just another result.

Mick Foley said it best when he wrote on his Facebook page, "It was a symbol of the potential the Divas division, and all the hard-working ladies who comprise it to be a more sunstantial [sic] and meaningful part of WWE moving forward."

Charlotte winning the NXT Women's Championship after such an enthralling, dramatic match announced to the world that a major star had arrived. It had fans zero in on NXT and its superior presentation of women's wrestling.

A teary-eyed father-daughter combo celebrated that victory, and so did the fans.

The match itself ranks as one of 2014's best. Charlotte's achievement could lead to changes in how WWE handles its women, but it hasn't yet. Her Raw debut not being treated more significantly points to that.

It may be years before the impact of this match and its star-making power truly emerges.

12. Roman Reigns Goes on a Tear at the Royal Rumble (Jan. 26)

Batista ended up winning the 2014 Royal Rumble, with the fans in attendance letting him know how little they liked that idea. Before that, though, the highlight of the Rumble was the rise of Roman Reigns.

As WWE prepares to push the powerhouse to the top of the food chain, it has given him opportunities to be the company's bulldozer. It remains to be seen whether he can handle being the face of the company, but he is mighty entertaining as a frenzied destroyer.

He showed that off during the year's first pay-per-view, flinging foe after foe over the top rope. He ended up breaking Kane's record for most eliminations in a single Rumble.

It was a welcoming party for Reigns and a fun display of him at his best.

He has gone on to hover around the main event scene, being the member of The Shield WWE is most firmly behind. Should he go on to knock off Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, this becomes even more significant.

It then morphs into a key part of the timeline of Reigns' journey to gold.

11. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins Pay Homage at Hell in a Cell (Oct. 26)

Credit: WWE.com

Dean Ambrose hits Seth Rollins with a clothesline.

WWE handed Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins their first headline spot at a pay-per-view as singles stars. They responded with a breathtaking performance.

The biggest moment of the night came when both enemies battled on the side of the cage, knocking each other off and plummeting onto a waiting table below. It was the most stunning moment in what had been an increasingly sterile gimmick match.

Ambrose and Rollins seemed to be tipping their hat to Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley, who both took similar falls.

The statement the two young stars made that night was that they were willing to do anything to grab that proverbial brass ring, that Hell in a Cell could thrive in a PG-TV environment, that if given more chances to close out major shows, they would deliver.

As shocking as that crash was, 2014 created other more powerful images. Wrestlers created more emotion via the climax to a long story or unexpected results.

10. Sami Zayn's Moment of Glory, Kevin Owens' Moment of Treachery (Dec. 11)

The power of patient storytelling resulted in tight throats and damp eyes. Sami Zayn had struggled to win "the big one" up until this point. While he had no shortage of moral victories, his actual win column was far from plentiful.

NXT fans then watched as he went on a run of matches during which he redeemed past losses. That eventually led to a Helluva Kick to Adrian Neville's face, a three-count and the NXT title becoming his for the first time.

Zayn overcome with emotion while he held that championship was one of the most powerful images fans saw in 2014.

The moment deserves a spot here based on that and how it announced Zayn's arrival, but it also served to welcome Kevin Owens to the top of NXT. Zayn's longtime friend congratulated him before powerbombing him onto the ring apron. Zayn's rise coincided with Owens' memorable first night at NXT. 

Had this happened on a bigger stage, it would have ranked even higher. As it stands, a small portion of the WWE fanbase saw Zayn go from celebratory to out cold.

9. Bray Wyatt Leads a Choir to the Ring (April 28)

Bray Wyatt was his most haunting when he WWE's Pied Piper. He led a youth choir adorned in sheep masks to the ring. That unsettling image of a monster seemingly in control of children is one that fans won't soon forget.

It's the most original and effective use of Wyatt's gimmick to date.

Betrayals and title wins happen every year. This moment was its own entity, a dream-like occurrence that will stand out on WWE's timeline for a long time.

Wyatt losing to Cena so often and drifting around as a character for so long afterward depletes some of the power of the moment. It didn't lead to anything like The Shield's last moment and Undertaker's immortality ending.

8. Brock Lesnar Destroys John Cena (Aug. 17)

Credit: WWE.com

Brock Lesnar celebrates with the world title.

Don't call Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena at SummerSlam a match. It was a dismantling.

Never before had fans seen a world champ suffer such a steamrolling, much less the Superman-like Cena. Lesnar dished out but a handful of moves, overpowering and overwhelming the champ.

Just when you expected Cena to go on a flurry, he suffered another German suplex. The monster tore apart the hero in the most surprising result other than Lesnar knocking off The Undertaker.

WWE hurt the power of the throttling, though, when it had Cena immediately bounce back. He dominated The Wyatt Family and looked to have Lesnar beat at Night of Champions. This could have been the moment that set The Beast Incarnate on an unstoppable run, but didn't receive the proper follow-up.

That allows other, more history-changing moments to overtake it.

7. Legends Converge at WrestleMania (April 6)

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

Steve Austin watches on as The Rock and Hulk Hogan embrace.

Star power spilled out of the ring at WrestleMania 30. A trio of the most famous wrestlers to ever put on a pair of boots met up to kick off the show.

It was a smart way to make the 30th WrestleMania feel special. Hulk Hogan, The Rock and Steve Austin were all key to building the WWE, each contributing a long list of moments to the event's history.

This meeting was a nostalgia overload on WWE's biggest stage. As fun as it was, though, it won't be the precursor to anything. Hogan and Austin are retired and The Rock is busy making movies. 

The names involved are enough to push it this high up the list, but other moments will have more lasting impacts. They will shape the future rather than bring different idols of the past together.

6. Seth Rollins Puts Dean Ambrose's Head Through Cinder Blocks (Aug. 18)

A villain claimed his throne by way of cinder blocks.

Seth Rollins ended his Falls Count Anywhere match with Dean Ambrose by Curb Stomping him through cement. It's hard to create an act as heinous and memorable as that. Fans have seen just about everything already.

The creativity and mercilessness of that attack elevated Rollins as a heel. It added electricity to an already spark-heavy feud.

Should Rollins and Ambrose continue their upward journey, we will look back at this with similar reverence as we do with Steve Austin spraying beer from a hose onto Vince McMahon. This was a loud proclamation of who Rollins was, with highly original aggression.

The only thing that holds this moment back is believability.

It was a fun, exciting collision, but not one that created as much emotion as 2014's best. That's because it's hard to suspend disbelief enough to buy this attack not killing the victim.

5. Brock Lesnar Conquers the Streak (April 6)

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar celebrate at WrestleMania..

The execution was far from perfect. The match itself was a letdown and the choice for who first took down The Undertaker at WrestleMania was a questionable one.

Still, no fan will forget the day that The Undertaker fell to Brock Lesnar in New Orleans.

The Undertaker had defeated his last 21 opponents at the biggest pay-per-view of the year. It was expected that every WrestleMania would feature the future Hall of Famer emerging from the shadows to put on a classic match and then walk away victorious once again.

Lesnar did not follow the script.

The Beast Incarnate stunned the WWE audience with that win. He now wears a notch on his belt more significant than any championship. His victory ended a historic run and allows him to elevate the man who beats him now more than ever.

4. Daniel Bryan Occupies Raw (March 10)

In Daniel Bryan's journey from under-appreciated star to full-fledged top dog, his occupation of Raw was pivotal.

Kayfabe and reality bled into each other as WWE embraced the divergence between how the company viewed him and how immensely popular Bryan is. The company took hold of fans' frustrations and turned it into an unforgettable moment.

Bryan and a throng of fans took over Raw, "Yes!" chants echoing through the arena.

This was WWE throwing lighter fluid on an already-raging fire. Bryan's momentum swelled from this point on. 

The moment fit him perfectly, playing up his "champion of the people" aura. Its originality, emotional firepower and timing make it one of 2014's clear highlights.

Only The Shield shooting off into three distinct directions, the biggest non-WWE star making his debut and Bryan's other triumphant moment top this. Those instances offered even more emotion, or in the case of The Shield breaking up, changed the history of the company.

3. Seth Rollins Betrays the Shield (June 2)

The Shield reached its highest point when it fell apart. The group had just knocked off Evolution (a trio comprised of three future Hall of Famers) two straight times on pay-per-view.

Seth Rollins, the stable's glue, then tore the legs off his own team.

The crack of Rollins' chair hitting Roman Reigns' back immediately became part of WWE lore. It launched a top heel as Rollins chose to side with The Authority and make his way to the top through devious methods.

It also freed Reigns up to be a headliner in the making and allowed Dean Ambrose to evolve into a top-flight star.

The split was shocking, well-timed and served as the genesis for three potential franchise cornerstones' solo careers.

Still, it can't top a once-in-a-lifetime moment courtesy of a WCW mainstay.

2. Sting Arrives (Nov. 23)

Credit: WWE.com

Sting

After years of being one of WCW's marquee stars and a central piece for TNA, Sting finally showed up in the place some never expected him to arrive—WWE.

Team Cena vs. Team Authority was already a great match when Sting burst through the curtain. His appearance added an element of disbelief and made it far more historically significant.

The Icon's status as the biggest wrestler to never appear for WWE ended. His run in a new league began.

It's not certain yet what Sting is going to do now that he is on Vince McMahon's team. Should he battle Triple H at WrestleMania, that staredown they had at Survivor Series will mean so much more.

As it stands, Sting's debut is a moment like no other, a merging of worlds that we will never see again.

1. Daniel Bryan's WrestleMania Triumph (April 6)

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

Daniel Bryan after his WrestleMania win.

The frustrations, stalling and disappointments that preceded Daniel Bryan forcing Batista to tap out at WrestleMania amplified the moment's emotional power.

Sting's debut was more historic. Brock Lesnar ending the streak was more shocking. Bryan's win, though, resonated with fans in a more moving way.

Bryan represented all those who have been told they can't do something. Labeled as too small and a midcarder rather than the marquee attraction, he continued to prove his doubters wrong. WWE tried putting him in The Wyatt Family, making him the constant victim of The Authority's underhanded tactics and a guy who opened the show rather than closed it.

When he defeated Triple H, Batista and Randy Orton all on the same night, all on WWE's premier event, he became the king he was told he'd never become.

Injuries robbed him of the chance to keep that momentum going, but nothing in 2014 grabbed at fans' hearts like the likable, hard-working underdog standing under falling confetti, two championships raised in the air.

It's going to be next to impossible for Bryan to hit that high of a note again or for WWE to deliver something as enduring as that moment in 2015.