10 Most Heated WWE Crowd Reactions Ever

5. WrestleMania XX - March 14, 2004

John Cena Crowd Reactions
WWE.com

Even more astonishing than the fact that WWE went with a retread of Goldberg Vs. Brock Lesnar in the first place, upon the former's unexpected 2016 return, is how much the two men delivered. Their first match, at 'Mania XX, was rejected so vociferously that a rematch was once thought inconceivable.

The stars had aligned to create a maelstrom of hatred. Goldberg was so dismayed at the way in which he had been booked that he refused to re-sign with WWE. Lesnar meanwhile had tired of the punishing road schedule. The life of a full time wrestler wasn't, and still isn't, for him. News of this had leaked in the hours preceding 'Mania XX, held in front of the taste-making, discerning and legendarily raucous Madison Square Garden crowd.

Loud chants of "You sold out!" swirled around both men as they paced around the ring. These gave way to an arena-sized singalong of the adopted "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" - which grew so impossible to ignore that Jim Ross was compelled to acknowledge the circumstances behind the reaction.

The resulting match may as well have not even happened; every last move was indistinguishable from the next, everything obscured by a sustained chorus of loathing.

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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!