11 Best Lights Out Moments In Wrestling

Why wrestlers should fear the dark...

Undertaker CM Punk SummerSlam 2009.jpg
WWE.com

Professional wrestling is a strange old world, and pretty much all of it requires taking with more than just a pinch of salt. As Shawn Michaels has said before, the moment one wrestler gives the other an Irish whip, the game is up. Enter with an open mind, however, and the possibilities are endless.

One frequently used trope in pro wrestling that depends on this is the good old blackout, the lights out, the inevitable darkness-inducing swerve. For those who are unaware, this usually happens towards the end of a big match. One competitor will be going in for the kill, only for the lights to go off.

A few seconds later the lights return, and across the ring from the wrestler isn't the individual they were about to defeat, but someone completely different! Holy moly! 

Okay, it's a bit silly, but it has happened in wrestling many times over the decades and with great effect, so much so that when many fantasy book stories there tends to be at least one '...and the lights go out...' moment.

Many superstars have made this supernatural power their own over the years from Undertaker to Sting all the way to Bray Wyatt in the modern day. 

Here are the 11 greatest 'lights out' moments in wrestling.

11. Goodbye Mabel, Hello Viscera

Undertaker CM Punk SummerSlam 2009.jpg
wwe.com

After a rather underwhelming first run with the World Wrestling Federation, albeit one that saw him win the King of the Ring and main event SummerSlam, Mabel returned to the company at the beginning of 1999.

His first appearance saw him dominate the early stage of the Royal Rumble, after entering himself into the match at the expense of Headbanger Mosh.

Of the first eight eliminations of the Rumble, Mabel was responsible for five, throwing out such wresting legends as Tiger Ali Singh, The Blue Meanie and Droz. As he squared off with fellow legend Road Dogg, the lights went out.

Then, an ominous yet familiar gong was heard...

The Undertaker had promised a sacrifice, and it turns out he was particularly hungry. Bradshaw, Faarooq and Mideon hit the ring, eliminated Mabel and presented him to their Dark Master, Mr. Taker. Mabel was the one to be the sacrifice.

The next night on RAW the former Man on a Mission was reintroduced as Viscera.

Contributor
Contributor

Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.