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WWE is only days away from fans returning to arenas for their live shows. Over the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE have had to change their strategy. With no fans able to attend the shows in-person, they instead found a way to bring fans to the arena from their homes with the innovative WWE Thunderdome.
However, for the first time, with the exception of WrestleMania 37, fans are returning to WWE shows. They will be present physically, and as always with fans, the shows will gain a life of their own.
Be it cheering, taunting or sheer astonishment at the performances of the WWE Superstars, it's guaranteed to be an exciting moment when fans return to the arena.
With only a few days left until WWE SmackDown, where fans will return for the first time, let's take a look at five iconic moments when fans took center stage in WWE shows.
#5 Charlotte Flair at Glasgow - WWE RAW (November 2016)
At WWE RAW in November 2016, Charlotte Flair, along with the four other members of the RAW Survivor Series women's team, met to discuss the upcoming match. Charlotte was the leader at the time but when she tried to dominate the proceedings by being the center of attention, the WWE Universe took things in another direction completely.
Bayley was the ultimate fan favorite at the moment. As a result, every time Charlotte was trying to drive the segment forward, the fans at Glasgow took over.
With the iconic "Hey Bayley" chants, they visibly flustered and frustrated the Queen.
#4 The Undertaker's winning streak ends - WWE WrestleMania 30
The Undertaker was one of the biggest stars of all time in WWE. He possessed an incredible achievement in the company - one that may never be matched again. At WrestleMania, The Undertaker was indomitable. He had defeated every opponent in his previous 21 WrestleMania matches. Some of those matches are still considered to be among the greatest of all time.
Heading into WrestleMania 30, he was 21-0. However, the man he was getting ready to face was different. Brock Lesnar was no ordinary opponent and he brought an end to The Undertaker's winning streak following a devastating match.
Fans had long believed that The Undertaker would never lose at WrestleMania. Thus, the moment his shoulders remained down for the three-count, it didn't register with fans. Then it slowly sunk in.
Fans were left shocked and in complete despair by the end. They looked on, shocked at a moment they had thought they'd never see in the company. They had to accept it. More than the defeat, it was the visibly astounded reaction by the fans that made the moment an unforgettable one.
#3 Sheamus vs Randy Orton - Post-WrestleMania 29 RAW
At WrestleMania 29, The Shield defeated The Big Show, Randy Orton, and Sheamus. The next night on WWE RAW, Sheamus faced Randy Orton in a singles match.
The match would become infamous as instead of the focus being on the two wrestlers, the crowd took over instead.
They were extremely unhappy that the two wrestlers continued their feud and they made their disdain for both wrestlers clear. They even cheered when The Big Show came out to disrupt the match.
Their chants took over the entire match and afterward, Orton's temper flared up backstage. No one had seen that reaction from the fans coming, and it became the biggest topic of conversation for days after the match.
#2 Randy Orton vs Jinder Mahal - WWE Backlash 2017
There are moments when there are incredible upsets that no one sees coming. The 2017 edition of the Backlash pay-per-view, saw Jinder Mahal, who had not won a major match in a long time, face off against Randy Orton for the WWE Championship.
Mahal was fired up and with the assistance of the Singh Brothers, he had a brawl with Orton. He defeated The Viper and won the WWE title, much to the surprise of the WWE Universe.
Fans were immediately divided in their opinions, as while some praised The Modern Day Maharaja for his incredible win, others used Twitter to express their shock at such a win.
#1 Edge returns to WWE after nine years - Royal Rumble 2020
Edge was gone from WWE for nine years after he had to retire following the 2011 edition of WrestleMania. Prior injuries caught up with him and he was no longer able to compete in the ring. His retirement speech was one of the most emotional moments in the history of the company.
However, at the 2020 Royal Rumble, Edge suddenly returned as a competitor. The initial reaction was one of disbelief, but immediately afterwards, fans were in hysteria, as they got to see an all-time great return to the ring. He ran down to the ring and eliminated Randy Orton and AJ Styles in a matter of moments.
The explosive reaction of the crowd was unforgettable. The shock of seeingone of their all-time favorite superstars not only returning to the company, but becoming a competitor once again lasted for a long time.
With fans returning to WWE again, starting with this week's SmackDown, there will be many more opportunities to create such moments.
Catch the return of fans on SmackDown on Saturday 17th July at 5:30 AM IST EXCLUSIVELY on SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 3 Channels and the SONY LIV app.
