10 Indie Wrestling Easter Eggs That Played Out In WWE

8. The Code Of Honor

Debuting in 2002, groundbreaking independent pro wrestling promotion Ring of Honor will be mentioned numerous times on this list. However, if looking for Ring of Honor's first significant innovation that was picked up by World Wrestling Entertainment and other major companies worldwide, it was as simple as a handshake. In an attempt to present pro wrestling as athletic competition - instead of a series of matches in which men with gimmicks engage in sometimes heavily scripted, yet still physical matches - the promotion instituted a "Code of Honor" that required that all competitors had to shake hands prior to competition. The move prompted other major wrestling companies to include babyface and heel wrestlers showing a sign of respect for each other prior to wrestling in more scientific contests, a move that whenever seen since the inception of ROH as a promotion, has a clear link back to the one-time Philadelphia-based independent company. A direct example is CM Punk and Daniel Bryan shaking hands on WWE television (see cover photo), just as they had previously done in ROH.