5 times WWE fans took over the show

Fan involvement is one of the most significant aspects of professional wrestling. Ever since pro-wrestling became a thing a long time ago, it has been wowing audiences with in-ring bouts and the storylines that lead to these matches. Although TV ratings matter, one can't deny that the reaction of the live crowd is instrumental in the promotion's direction ahead.

Now that promotions like WWE and AEW are doing weekly shows without an audience, many fans have stated how much they miss the live crowd. The storied history of WWE has seen a bunch of moments where the live crowd and its reaction impacted the show in a major way. Then, there have been occasions when the crowd took over the show, specifically a particular segment or a match. In this slideshow, we'll take a look at 5 such moments.

#5 Roman Reigns' post-WrestleMania 33 promo

The road to WrestleMania 33 saw Roman Reigns engaging in a feud with The Undertaker. The Big Dog eliminated The Phenom in the 2017 Royal Rumble match, kicking off the rivalry. Both Superstars claimed that WWE was their yard, and went at it in the main event of WrestleMania to settle it once and for all. To everyone's surprise, Reigns dominated The Undertaker for the better part of the match and ended up defeating The Deadman.

The next night on RAW, Reigns came out and attempted to address the crowd. The fans weren't taking it though and showered Roman with profanities, loud booing, and a lot more for the next few minutes. Reigns finally uttered the words "This is my yard now", hurriedly, and the 5-word promo was met with a loud chorus of boos. The fans weren't happy at all with Reigns putting down The Undertaker at WrestleMania.

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#4 Randy Orton vs Sheamus on the post-WrestleMania RAW

At WrestleMania 29, The Shield made a big statement by defeating Big Show, Randy Orton, and Sheamus in the trio's first WrestleMania outing. Following the loss, an irate Big Show attacked both Sheamus and Orton. The next night on WWE RAW, Orton and Sheamus faced off, but the crowd had no interest in watching the two wrestle. The post-WrestleMania crowd is known for taking over the show, and this is exactly what happened on that night.

The audience chanted the names of present and past wrestling Superstars, and also showered some love on the commentary team, and the official, Mike Chioda. For the entirety of the match, the fans made it known that they wanted to have fun at the expense of the two former WWE Champions in the ring. Orton, visibly frustrated and angry, threw a temper tantrum backstage over what had just happened. The post-WrestleMania crowd is always a rowdy one, but the fan-reaction on this night was on a whole new level.

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#3 John Cena vs Rob Van Dam at ECW One Night Stand 2006

After the success of the 2005 ECW One Night Stand show, WWE decided to have another installment in 2006. This time, the WWE title was contested in the main event, with Rob Van Dam cashing in his Money In The Bank contract on John Cena. RVD had won the briefcase at WrestleMania 22, months ago. ECW fans are widely regarded by the wrestling industry as the most rabid bunch of folks the business has ever seen.

The fans booed Cena out of the building that night, and threw every profanity they could at him that night. Cena threw his T-shirt at the crowd before the match, as he usually does. The fans didn't want it though, and everyone kept throwing it back at Cena. Throughout the match, fans showered Cena with rage-filled boos, and it was clear as day that the ECW fans were getting into Cena's head. The fans erupted in unison when Rob Van Dam pinned Cena to win the WWE title, with some help from Edge.

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#2 John Cena-Randy Orton Championship Ascension Ceremony

By the time 2014 came around, the WWE Universe was as ready as ever to see Daniel Bryan become World Champion. The Yes Movement had gained huge amounts of momentum, and Bryan was getting incredibly loud reactions on a weekly basis. On an episode of RAW, WWE had a Championship Ascension Ceremony between John Cena and Randy Orton. The ceremony featured Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and a bunch of former World Champions including Bryan.

Triple H addressed the crowd during the segment, but fans were focused on Bryan and no one else. The arena erupted with chants of Daniel Bryan, as Triple H struggled to continue with his promo. It seemed at the time that The Game was frustrated at being interrupted by the crowd, and it took Shawn Michaels' plea to the fans to stop the chants. The segment ended with Triple H attacking Orton after The Viper accidentally hit Stephanie. WWE would go on to listen to the fans and give Bryan his well-deserved moment at The Show of Shows.

#1 The 2014 Royal Rumble match

At the 2014 Royal Rumble PPV, Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt's rivalry culminated in an incredible opening match, with Wyatt coming out on top. Soon after, the Royal Rumble match kicked off, and fans began patiently waiting for the arrival of Bryan. He had become a huge name by that point, and possibly the biggest underdog in WWE history. Fans were almost sure that he would come down to the ring and end up winning the whole thing.

When Rey Mysterio came out at #30, fans were livid. For the rest of the match, fans completely took over the show and their reaction resulted in one of the most unique moments in WWE history. A bunch of men were attempting to win a shot at the World title at 'Mania, but the fans were busy booing them and loudly chanting Bryan's name. When Batista won the match, the booing became even louder, and The Animal was visibly upset at the reaction to his big win.

Edited by Kaushik Das