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WWE had arguably the biggest week on the road to WrestleMania they've ever had. Fans often consider February Premium Live Events as skippable and filler in between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, but that isn't the case this year.
Elimination Chamber 2023 was held in front of an incredible Montreal crowd. The very same city hosted Friday Night SmackDown, and both gave a hero's welcome to Sami Zayn.
Additionally, both RAW and NXT were exciting shows, with Cody Rhodes and Meiko Satomura making their cases to be champions of their respective brands.
With so much excitement in the air, fans can't get enough pro wrestling action. Many are choosing to spend their downtime reminiscing and enjoying the top moments in WWE's illustrious history in celebration of their excitement over the modern product.
Whether you're excited about the direction of modern-day wrestling or prefer to relive the glory years, Sportskeeda offers weekly articles highlighting some of the biggest matches and moments in WWE history.
This week will showcase a major betrayal, a massive debut, and a beautiful championship victory. What went down?
Below are five key events that happened this week in WWE history.
#5. Bret Hart was announced for the Hall of Fame on February 13th, 2006
WWE RAW took place on February 13th, 2006. The show was held at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The big event was headlined by John Cena and Edge clashing over the WWE Championship.
While the title bout and other top stars appearing on the show kept fans entertained, the news that made everybody buzz was that the legendary Bret "Hitman" Hart would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in April of that same year.
Bret had been away from WWE for almost a decade due to the infamous Montreal Screwjob. This was his first time returning to the promotion, mending fences with Vince McMahon and the rest of the company.
#4. The Festival of Friendship took place during RAW on February 13th, 2017
Monday Night RAW took place on February 13th, 2017. The main event of the evening featured Bayley defeating Charlotte Flair for the RAW Women's Championship, but the major angle on the card was the Festival of Friendship.
Chris Jericho and then-Universal Champion Kevin Owens were having a celebration of their friendship, orchestrated by Jericho himself. Things were going well when Owens surprised Chris with a new version of The List. Unfortunately, that's where things took a turn.
Y2J opened the list to see his name there. He checked the back and realized it was "The List of KO." Owens then brutally assaulted his alleged friend, ending the festival in a tragic manner. The two went on to compete at WrestleMania, and their friendship never resumed.
#3. The Big Show made his massive debut at St. Valentine's Day Massacre on February 14th, 1999
WWE St. Valentine's Day Massacre took place on February 14th, 1999. The pay-per-view event was held in Memphis, Tennessee, and featured eight matches on the main card, plus three that took place prior to the show officially starting.
The main event of the evening featured Stone Cold Steve Austin battling his legendary rival Mr. Vince McMahon inside a steel cage. An added stipulation to the bout was that if Austin won, he'd go on to challenge for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania.
The Texas Rattlesnake beat his boss up into a bloody pulp and seemingly had the match won until a giant superstar debuted. The Big Show, called by his real name Paul Wight, came out from under the ring and destroyed Austin. He was previously the WCW World Heavyweight Champion while in World Championship Wrestling.
Unfortunately, the big man was too powerful, slamming Stone Cold into the cage only for the cage to break. This allowed Steve Austin to land on the floor and thus win the match by escape.
#2. The Rock returned to RAW on February 14th, 2011
A monumental moment took place on the February 14th, 2011, edition of WWE RAW. The official host of WrestleMania was to be announced that night, and fans were buzzing at the possibilities. Could it be Justin Beiber? Could it be some other celebrity?
Fans received their answer during the final segment of the night. The lights went out, and electricity crackled before The Rock's music blared throughout the area. He received thunderous applause from the audience and revealed that he had come back home.
The Rock made sure to insult Michael Cole, the anonymous RAW General Manager, and even John Cena to the delight of everybody watching. He went on to host and get involved in the main event of WrestleMania that year before returning for two major WrestleMania matches in the years after.
#1. Eddie Guerrero won the WWE Championship at No Way Out on February 15th, 2004
WWE No Way Out 2004 took place on February 15th from the legendary Cow Palace venue in the San Francisco, California area. The main card featured seven big bouts, with Kurt Angle, John Cena, Rikisi, Big Show, and Rey Mysterio among others in action.
The main event featured WWE Champion Brock Lesnar defending his title against Eddie Guerrero. The underdog story of the century had a happy ending, as thanks to a referee bump and interference from Goldberg, Latino Heat managed to hit the Frog Splash on Brock and win the bout.
Eddie had battled his personal demons and overcame them, ultimately making it to the top of the industry as an undersized star. He went on to be in a major match at WrestleMania and closed the show hugging his best friend Chris Benoit.
