WWE New Year's Revolution: Best and Worst Moments in PPV's History

For a three-year period, New Year's Revolution was a pay-per-view event that kicked off WWE's year, setting the stage for the Royal Rumble later in January. 

A Raw exclusive event, it unfortunately suffered from a depleted roster and thus typically featured a Superstar or two who had no business appearing on a pay-per-view card.

Yet the undercard was never really the focus of the show.

Instead, it was a broadcast sold on the main event—usually a high-profile championship bout. And with good reason.

The first two years in the event's three-year existence saw the WWE Championship change hands to cap off the show and get fans buzzing about the product as the company embarked on the road to WrestleMania. Unfortunately, a lack of overall quality and far too many pay-per-view events on the schedule doomed the show to extinction after just three years.

No one really knows what may have been had the show been allowed to feature both brands. With just Raw talent making up the card, the lineup was watered down significantly, but the addition of the blue brand may have helped the show stick around a bit.

Like so many of the unnecessary shows that were added to the WWE schedule in the mid-2000s, though, it was for the best that it went the way of the dinosaur.

As a new year dawns, and with no major events to tide wrestling fans over until Royal Rumble a few weeks from now, satiate your appetite for sports entertainment with this look back at the moments—both best and worst—that defined the short-lived New Year's Revolution.

Credit: WWE.com

Best: Edge Cashes In

The Rated R Superstar captured Money in the Bank in March 2005, outlasting five other competitors to win a guaranteed championship opportunity whenever he so pleased.

After nearly a year of carrying the briefcase, biding time and waiting for the perfect chance to take advantage of the golden ticket he had at his disposal, Edge waited until the conclusion of the Elimination Chamber match at the 2006 event.

With John Cena bloodied, his body wracked with pain after enduring a physical defense of his WWE Championship inside the unforgiving confines of the steel structure, Edge handed over his briefcase to Vince McMahon, hit the ring and proceeded to rock Cena with two Spears to capture the title in one of the most emotional moments in WWE pay-per-view history.

After years of waiting for the one moment that would catapult him to the upper echelon of WWE Superstars, Edge had achieved his dream and captured the top prize in the sport.

It was a coronation of sorts, a moment that solidified him as an elite star in the industry and a five-year run of greatness for Edge as the lead heel in WWE.

Credit: WWE.com

Worst: Crippling Injuries

As much as New Year's Revolution may be remembered for championship changes, it was also home to several crippling injuries.

In the inaugural event in 2005, both Lita and Eugene completely tore their knees up, sidelining them for a significant amount of time. Worse yet? Those two injuries occurred in back-to-back matches that kicked off the show.

Fast-forward two years, and you have Triple H tearing his quadriceps for a second time as D-Generation X battled Rated RKO. With Triple H originally scheduled to battle Cena for the WWE title at WrestleMania 23, the loss of The Game was a significant hit to the company and dark cloud hanging over the show.

Credit: WWE.com

Best: John Cena Overcomes the Samoan Bulldozer

The WWE Championship was at stake as Cena defended against the unstoppable, unforgiving Umaga in the main event of the 2007 event.

Undefeated, Umaga looked to earn the top prize in the sport after a year that saw him exceed expectations and become an elite villain on the Raw brand.

Unfortunately for him, he ran into a determined champion. Resilient to the end, Cena delivered his Attitude Adjustment finisher and pinned Umaga, becoming the first Superstar to do so and continuing the streak of NYR main events of great significance.