10 Modern Wrestling Moments That Gave You Chills

4. Teamwork & Triumph

DoN Cody Dustin
WWE.com

It wasn't, but this really felt like the start of something.

The renewed start of proper tag team wrestling in WWE. The start of two careers with boundless potential. The start of a new wider generation of talent, trained from scratch in the much-touted Performance Center, who would lead WWE into a new era.

This all happened in reverse. WWE, at this point, is less concerned with tag team wrestling than ever. Chad Gable is in the wasteland, which seems frivolous to point out, given the fate suffered by Jason Jordan. WWE became less concerned with developing homegrown talent, and more concerned with importing established stars from the Independent circuit.

The moment retains its emotion, particularly since the pathos adds so much in retrospect. That moment is American Alpha's NXT Tag Team Title win over The Revival at NXT TakeOver: Dallas. That moment saw the raw collegiate athletes graduate as refined masters ready to take on the world, as the enraptured crowd soaked it in with a love that bordered on the paternal.

Slapped in the face in the opening seconds, Chad Gable drew on unreal root strength and learned smarts to outdo Scott Dawson's dark arts at the jubilant finish of a match as agonising as it was lovely.

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!