10 Huge Wrestling Moments That Played Out To Silence
Proof that silence can be deafening.
When people think of the biggest moments in wrestling history, usually it's of packed-out arenas making huge amounts of noise as they cheer and boo the grapplers on display.
Seriously, think of your favourite pro wrestling match or moment. Chances are, it's one that's got a rabid, passionate, and loud crowd response surrounding it. The thing is, that's not necessarily always the case, and there have indeed be some monumental moments that have played out to silence.
Whether that silence was due to forced circumstance, shocked emotion, or even confused bewilderment, sometimes an environment of no noise can be just as impactful and effective as a roaring, rampant one. Old sayings such as silence is golden, that silence can be deafening, and less is more are all absolutely true - and this is something seen plentiful times across the wrestling business throughout the decades.
You may not have realised that a situation was actually silent at the time, and you may not even have fully appreciated just how powerful a silent venue has been to some truly big moments in history. So with that said, then, here are ten such huge wrestling moments that played out to complete and utter silence.
10. Mick Foley's Super Bowl Sunday
Back in 1999, wrestling fans were given one of the most unique wrestling matches that had ever been seen up until that point in time.
Dubbed Halftime Heat and playing out during Super Bowl XXXIII, WWF Champion The Rock defended his title against Mick Foley in an empty arena setting. After a ridiculously entertaining 17-minute contest, Foley ended up outsmarting The Great One and got a forklift-assisted victory to become a two-time WWF Champ.
While this was clearly a big moment in the career of Foley, the biggest take-home from this match was just how well Mick and The Rock made the most of this one-off setting. In particular, The Rock showcased just how wildly charismatic and electric a presence he was, as he talked trash throughout in the way that only The Rock can. For Foley's part, he was likewise fantastic in verbalising this battle between these two long-time rivals.
In the years since, WWE has delivered two further Halftime Heat offerings - one which was a 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin interview, and one that pitted some of NXT's brightest stars against each other in six-man tag action - but fans still to this day look back fondly on The Rock and Mick Foley's brilliant 1999 Super Bowl Sunday match-up.