The BEST Wrestling Moment Every Year (1989 - 2026)

30. 1997 | The Finish

It was WWE in 1997. The options are virtually endless, and the promotion wasn’t even the hottest in the United States at the time. 

The finish to the Bret Hart Vs. the Undertaker at SummerSlam was incredible in its violently dramatic effect, dovetailing plotting, and the groundbreaking texture of the contemporary WWF wrestler. The scene at In Your House: Canadian Stampede was so thunderous that the hard camera shook when the babyfaces made their entrance. Bret Hart’s “Frustrated isn’t the goddamn word for it!” promo was incredible in and of itself, and the imagery of the cage walls coming down to mirror his moral facade disintegrating was genuinely cinematic. 

There are lots of honourable mentions to consider from WCW, too. Lex Luger’s title win. Diamond Dallas Page’s La Parka cosplay ruse. The first time that Sting rappelled from the rafters. 

The Austin 3:16 promo did not immediately catapult Steve Austin to megastar status. Neither did the double turn at WrestleMania 13 - but if, at its core, wrestling is about the suspension of disbelief and rallying behind a babyface hero, the finish to the match is the best wrestling moment ever, not merely the best moment of the given year. 

The anguish and undying spirit etched on Austin’s blood-soaked face was magic. There’s no other word for it. It feels real every single time. The emotion he conjured from the Chicago fans was stunning. They were desperate to see him withstand a level of pain that, in the moment, felt like it could not have possibly been faked. 

This was the iconic final scene of the most subtle, show-don’t-tell match in WWE history.