10 Best Non-Attitude Era WWE RAW Moments

3. Ascension Ceremony/Occupy RAW

Ziggler Jericho
WWE

This dual entry is modern WWE in microcosm.

The first of these definitive Daniel Bryan moments was all by putrid design; WWE relegated Daniel Bryan to the background, literally and visually; in his place stood the profoundly over-familiar and unwanted John Cena and Randy Orton in their dual roles as the two faces of WWE. This segment was designed to put over their Unification clash at TLC; in execution, it only united Bryan’s home state audience in defiant support of the real face of the company. Reflecting the human quality with which he bonded with the crowd, Bryan reacted with a natural, endearing humility.

The second saw WWE acquiesce, and weave the infamous hijack into its onscreen narrative. This staged #OccupyRAW adaptation felt a bit stilted, but it accomplished the objective: a sea of braying fans mirrored the reaction. A newly confident Bryan said “And if you want me to apologise for standing up for myself, I don’t got two words for ya, I got one: “No!”"

He lowered the mic, not even waiting for the fans to register his encouragement. He knew it was coming. What was coming was a pair of classics—a technical stunner and dramatic, big fight feel brawl—at the awesome finish of WrestleMania XXX .

He occupied, albeit very briefly, his rightful place as the face of WWE.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!