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"Stone Cold" Steve Austin's heel turn at WrestleMania 17 was a turning point for WWE. It effectively signaled the end of the Attitude Era, and the company has never been able to consistently reach heights of that period. The years since have been marked by a decline in the quality of the product and fan discontent.
Even though there has been a malaise around WWE's offerings over the last 2 decades, the company has on occasion delivered moments that their audience has enjoyed. Here are five of them:
#1 Daniel Bryan's win at WWE WrestleMania 30:
In the main event of WrestleMania 30, Daniel Bryan defeated Batista and Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship, concluding one of the most memorable storylines in professional wrestling history.
After a year of being held down by the Authority, 'The American Dragon' overcame insurmountable odds to win two matches in one night and walk away with WWE's biggest prize. It almost never was for Bryan, as the initial plans were for CM Punk to work with Triple H while Batista faced Orton in a singles match.
However, Punk's departure from WWE started a chain of events that culminated in a moment fondly remembered to this day.
#2 Shawn Michaels' fairytale comeback
Shawn Michaels stunned the world when he announced his return to in-ring action at Summerslam 2002. 'The Heartbreak Kid' didn't miss a beat in his unsanctioned street fight with Triple H as the pair put on a classic.
After Michaels narrowly pulled out a win, his former best friend attacked him with a sledgehammer and ensured the 4-time World Champion would leave the arena on a stretcher.
But the best part of this story was yet to come. Michaels was announced as one of the participants in the first-ever Elimination Chamber at Survivor Series 2002. 'The Showstopper' outlasted five other men and exacted revenge on Triple H to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
#3 The Rock's triumphant return to WWE
At WrestleMania 28, WWE Icon The Rock returned to the biggest stage in professional wrestling as an in-ring competitor for the first time in several years. His highly-anticipated match with John Cena sold out the Sunlife Stadium and was poised to shatter almost every record in WWE history.
Cena, then reviled by most of the fanbase, was expected to win as there was no indication of The Rock wrestling again. However, to the delight of fans, 'The People's Champion' prevailed in what turned out to be a grueling bout with Cena, laying the groundwork for an extended run in WWE.
#4 Kofimania runs wild
After years of toiling in WWE, Kofi Kingston finally connected with the audience at the main event level during a gauntlet match featuring all the participants in the 2019 Elimination Chamber.
After narrowly missing out on winning the WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber, Kingston earned another title shot at Fastlane. However, his opportunity to face Daniel Bryan was pulled at the last second by Vince McMahon.
Kingston jumped through a number of hoops to finally get to this singles match against Bryan at WrestleMania. The New Day member's subsequent victory and celebration with his loved ones will bring a tear to the eyes of even the most cynical wrestling fans.
#5 Seth Rollins saves the day
WWE booked itself into another corner at WrestleMania 31 with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. The company spent the entire year building up Reigns to be the next big star, but the former Shield man was vociferously rejected by the fans.
Once they had exhausted all their avenues, WWE had no choice but to turn to Seth Rollins. As the thrilling bout between Lesnar and Reigns drew to a close, Rollins cashed in Money in the Bank, adding himself to the match. He pinned Reigns to win the WWE Championship is what is known as 'The Heist of the Century.'
