WWE's Top 10 Moments of 2010

Since 2009, I've been writing an annual column in which I address the WWE's top ten moments of the year. Articles like this are fun to read, as well as write, because they give us an opportunity to reflect on the high points of the year. In some ways, it helps me remember why I am a fan of pro wrestling.

As I begin working on the 2011 edition of this column, I invite you to read and reflect on the year that was 2010. This slideshow will present what, in my opinion as a fan, are the top ten moments of the WWE in 2010!

Also, keep in mind that I wrote this a year ago so some things might not hold true today.

#10 Daniel Bryan vs. the Miz at Night of Champions

Ever since day one on NXT season one, The Miz was never fond of Daniel Bryan. As his pro, Miz insisted that Bryan lacked charisma and attitude. After their clashing on NXT, Bryan went on to get a spot on the main roster as a part of the Raw brand. Bryan immediately set his sights on his former NXT mentor and United States Champion. Bryan challenged Miz to a title match at Night of Champions, which Miz angrily accepted. Before Miz knew it, Bryan had made an example of Alex Riley by slapping him in the LeBell Lock. At the pay-per-view, Miz and Bryan locked horns. At the end of the 12 minute contest, Bryan’s technical skill and submission expertise proved too much for The Miz as he tapped out to the LeBell Lock, surrendering the United States Championship to Daniel Bryan. Since then, Bryan has gone on to defend the title on multiple occasions, retaining it time and time again.

#9 Sheamus vs. John Morrison at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs

The newly crowned 2010 King of the Ring took on the Shaman of Sexy in a 20+ minute Ladder match to decide the new #1 contender for the WWE Championship. John Morrison came into the match with the upper hand in that he had much more Ladder match experience than the Celtic Warrior. Many were skeptical of how Sheamus would fare in his first Ladder match, but he proved to be a deadly force. Sheamus used the ladder to accentuate his moves, making him able to pick apart Morrison with even greater efficiency. The clash between Morrison’s and Sheamus’ styles made for an excellent Ladder match. In the end, Morrison was able to counter Sheamus’ attempt at tipping over the ladder into a boot straight to the face, giving him enough time to grab the #1 contender’s contract. Hopefully Morrison will go on to main event on Raw. Maybe he’ll be capturing higher spots on here next year.

#8 Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler at Bragging Rights

The United States Champion from Raw faced off against the Intercontinental Champion from Smackdown. This match pitted to up-and-coming stars against each other. Daniel Bryan had the upper hand with a decade of wrestling experience under his belt. In one of the better PPV matches of the year, these two young stars clashed for over 15 minutes of hard-hitting, mat wrestling action. Daniel Bryan’s technical and submission prowess earned him a victory here as he made the Intercontinental Champion tap out to the LeBell Lock. For those who wished they could see more from these two, they got what they wanted; Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler opened up for both Raw and Smackdown that week.

#7 Edge vs. Christian on Raw 05/17/10

Edge and Christian know each other better than any other two wrestlers in the WWE. This episode of Monday Night Raw took place in Toronto and saw their two great hometown heroes square off once again. It’s always a special treat when we see Edge and Christian in the ring at the same time, whether they’re teaming together or competing against each other. Edge and Christian were able to match each other blow for blow. They predicted each other’s signature moves and countered them. In the end, Edge dodged a move by Christian and quickly hit a Spear. These two were able to produce one of the best and most memorable TV matches of the year. 

#6 Chris Jericho vs. Edge at WrestleMania 26

This was the culmination of a feud that began with Edge’s injury during his stint as Unified Tag Team Champion with Chris Jericho. This dream team quickly fell apart when Edge suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Jericho insisted that he was the better of the two in the team. At the Royal Rumble, Jericho entered at #28. Jericho was surprised to hear “you think you know me” echo throughout the arena as Edge made his entrance at #29. After winning the Rumble, Edge put off making a decision until after the Elimination Chamber PPV. After Chris Jericho captured the World Heavyweight Championship, Edge made his decision. Chris Jericho vs. Edge was slated for WrestleMania 26. In a great match that lasted in an excess of 15 minutes, Jericho successfully retained his title. While the two Canadian greats were essentially evenly matched, Edge was unable to connect with the Spear he promised his former tag team partner. He did, however, manage to Spear his nemesis through the barricade after the match.

#5 Miz Wins the WWE Championship on Raw 11/22/10

In a rematch from the Survivor Series pay-per-view the night before, Randy Orton defended his coveted WWE Championship against the leader of the Nexus, Wade Barrett. A seven on one beatdown prior to the match wasn’t enough to keep the Viper down. After a hard fought main event match, Orton retained his title. After a few moments, the distinct prelude to Miz’s music rang through the arena. “AWESOMEEE.” Accompanied by Alex Riley, The Miz ran to the ring, cashing in his Money in the Bank contract. Shortly after the bell rang, Miz was able to connect with the Skull Crushing Finale. With that, Miz captured his first World Championship. Count on him holding that title for a while.

#4 Bret Hart Returns to the WWE on Raw 01/04/10

I started watching wrestling in 2007. I quickly became aware of a lot of the major happenings before my time, mostly through Wikipedia. If I had told you in 2007 that Bret Hart would return to the WWE in 2010, would you have believed me? The sound of that guitar riff at the beginning of the Hitman’s music was enough to bring out the inner mark in me. I can only imagine the feelings of nostalgia it caused in those older fans that grew up idolizing Bret. Over the next few months, Bret feuded with the man who screwed him over ten years ago, Vince McMahon. This culminated in a match between the two at WrestleMania. It was amazing that Bret was able to work out his differences with the WWE to make one final return to the grand stage that is WrestleMania. And to see him shake hands with Shawn Michaels on national television was great. It was a great surprise to see him back. He truly is the Best There Is, the Best There Was, and the Best There Ever Will Be.

#3 Chris Jericho vs. Daniel Bryan on NXT 02/23/10

Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan worked exceptionally well together. Their styles, indeed very similar, meshed very well. Both Jericho and Bryan had extensive backgrounds in the art of technical mat wrestling and submission artistry. However, in the end, the veteran Chris Jericho capitalized on Bryan’s collision with the announcer’s table, allowing him to pick up a win against the “American Dragon.” This was by far the most memorable moment of NXT. Many of us knew what to expect from the indy veteran Daniel Bryan. However, a lot of fans, myself included, had not seen much of his work before. This match was an exciting, fast-paced, hard-hitting contest pitting two of the best wrestlers in the world against one another. Brydan and Jericho put on a clinic, in every sense of the word. Even though he lost, Bryan established his skill as a professional wrestler very early on in his WWE run. Daniel Bryan has a bright future as World Champion to look forward to.

#2 Debut of the Nexus on Raw 06/07/10

A match between John Cena and CM Punk had been concluding when the newly crowned winner of NXT season one walked out on the stage. Many had assumed that Wade Barrett, donning a black and yellow armband with a large “N” on it, had come out to state his contendership for the WWE Championship. Before anyone knew it, the other seven NXT rookies had surrounded the ring, all wearing the same armband. They made quick work of CM Punk and moved on to the poster boy of the WWE. Along with decimating John Cena, these men took out those at ringside and dismantled the Raw set. One of the most memorable moments of their assault is Daniel Bryan choking out Justin Roberts, a stunt he got legitimately fired for. The entire WWE Universe was ubiquitously in awe. The Nexus had sought to make an impact, and that’s exactly what they did. They went on to dominate the WWE with their pack mentality. Their tactics were enough to win them the WWE Tag Team Championships and propel their leader, Wade Barrett, into a WWE Championship match. As 2010 comes to a close, the future of the Nexus may be questionable, but they will always be remembered for having one of the most impactful debuts in recent memory.

#1 Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 26

Shawn Michaels had been obsessed with getting a re-match since the weeks leading to the Royal Rumble. It was a heartbreaking (pun intended) moment when Shawn was eliminated from the Rumble. How was he going to get his re-match? Well the Show Stopper lost it and ended up costing the Undertaker is World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match, cajoling the Dead Man into giving him a re-match. The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak vs. the storied career of Shawn Michaels was slated for the main event of WrestleMania 26.Their match at last year’s title earned the #1 spot in last year’s edition of this article. Many people were skeptical about whether or not this would live up to their first match. It did in every single way. Boy was I glad that they gave this the main event this year. It is matches and stories like these that make me feel like a childish fan again. I was in absolute awe throughout most, if not all, of the match. The in-ring performance these two put on was phenomenal, and the dramatic story they told was even better. In the end, Shawn kicked out of a devastating Tombstone Piledriver, only to get up and hit the Undertaker one last time and beg him to finish him. The career of Shawn Michaels came to an end following another devastating Tombstone. Whether you were pulling for Undertaker or HBK, they put on a performance that brought many fans to tears. Thank you both for the most memorable match of the year.

Conclusion

Evidently, it’s been a great year. We sure had a lot of memorable high points, and not just the ten mentioned here. I’m definitely a sucker for the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank matches. The Raw Money in the Bank match from the Money in the Bank PPV was actually in close contention for getting on this list. Regardless, 2010 will go down as a good year in my book. I hope that’s the case for the rest of you, too.

WWE Superstar of the Year

Without a doubt, Daniel Bryan has had a stellar rookie year in the WWE. He had a part in the incredible debut of the Nexus. After being released for choking Justin Roberts with his tie, he made his triumphant return to the WWE in the main event of SummerSlam. On top of all that, he won the United States Championship from The Miz and had a great program with Dolph Ziggler. Look for Daniel Bryan to keep the momentum rolling into 2011. He will be a big player in the WWE in the coming years.

Retrospective

Looking back on 2010, there were a lot of phenomenal moments. Guys like Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler put on spectacular matches every time they were in the ring. We also saw the beginning of a bright star in Wade Barrett, who is continuing to grow to this day.

WrestleMania 26 delivered two high profile matches. Chris Jericho vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship and the Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker rematch definitely defined the year. The debut of the Nexus also had the impact to help make 2010 a memorable year in the WWE.

As I get ready to work on the 2011 edition of this article, I'd appreciate any and all input from my readers. Feel free to comment on this article on what you think some of the WWE's top moments of 2011 have been. You can also contact me through Twitter: @MikePW247. I appreciate feedback of any kind!