10 Iconic Wrestling Images That Show History Repeating

8. Curtain Call

Eric Bischoff Chris Jericho
WWE

For years after the fact, The Kliq argued (with some merit) that their infamous "Curtain Call" show-closing embrace wasn't some business-killing moment but a rightful celebration of all they'd tried to achieve in a struggling empire.

The first Madison Square Garden sellout in years saw heels and babyfaces hugging as two big farewell to the company and holy sh*t was this breaking-the-magicians-code stuff in 1996, but did the lack of empty seats actually justify the lack of kayfabe? They definitively did in 2015, when a rocking Barclays Center hadn't found their minds from a Sasha Banks/Bayley match before losing them again as the Four Horsewomen embraced for one last time on the black and gold brand.

Triple H probably felt a kinship with Bayley as the one remaining on NXT as the others departed, but her run with the belt was the polar opposite of a burial. She took an already-prestigious title and helped cement it in the god tier of titles ahead of Asuka's legendary stint.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett