A lot fans can remember back to certain shows they’ve attended over the years. Maybe it was their first show featuring Owen Hart and Koko B. Ware against The Headshrinkers. Or it was a house show where they first heard “I Am A Real American” and the thunder of a crowd welcoming Hulk Hogan to the ring.
Perhaps it was a major ECW show at The Hammerstein Ballroom or witnessing The Rock return to MSG. Even today’s superstars were once fans as well, and like us, they too can remember plenty of the big shows they once attended before they became headliners.
10 Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania XXIV)
When you’re the daughter of a WWE superstar, there’s a good chance that you were in the crowd and backstage for plenty of big moments. There might not have been a bigger moment for Charlotte than sitting in the crowd at Orlando during WrestleMania XXIV watching her father’s last match against Shawn Michaels.
This moment made her appearance nine years later at WrestleMania 33 in the very same stadium all the more special despite her losing effort in the Raw Women’s Fatal 4-Way.
9 Edge (WrestleMania VI)
The miracle comeback of The Rated-R Superstar has been nothing short of emotional and inspiring for the fans as and for Edge as well. The Toronto native even got to work as WrestleMania in his hometown when he fought Booker T over a shampoo commercial.
But a mere twelve years prior, Edge was just a little Hulkamaniac like many fans were. Thankfully for him, he lived in Toronto and had an awesome mom who was able to score him some sweet ground level tickets to Skydome and The Ultimate Challenge at WrestleMania VI.
8 Kevin Owens (One Night Stand 2006)
From the indies like PWG and ROH to NXT and then the main roster, Kevin Owens has been one of the most respected and hardest hitting competitors of this generation of stars. The moniker of "Fight Owens Fight" has led to a lot of big brawls from a guy who learned English from listening to Jim Ross on commentary.
While he was just beginning his Indy career, he also headed, like many rapid fans headed to New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom for the reigniting of ECW with One Night Stand 2006 to bare witness to Rob Van Dam winning and averting a riot had Cena somehow survived.
7 Sasha Banks (Raw Is Latino Heat 11/14/2005)
Sasha Banks has been making history in WWE since her days back in NXT, just as she is going to make history defending the Smackdown Women’s Title against Bianca Belair. The lifelong fan has worn her love of Eddie Guerrero on her sleeve since day one and her tights on occasion.
The Boss happened to be in the crowd for a Monday Night Raw in late 2005 to see her hero. But little did she know that she would be paying tribute to Latino Heat that night, it was the Raw after Eddie had passed away. Banks also was in attendance with her future rival Charlotte at WrestleMania XXIV. She was a guest of her cousin Snoop Dogg that evening.
6 Natalya (In Your House: Canadian Stampede)
To throngs of fans in 1997, watching The Hart Foundation defeat those terrible Americans at Canadian Stampede was the faction’s crowning achievement. Not only did Bret and company defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin, LOD, Goldust, and Ken Samrock, they got to do in the Hart family’s hometown of Calgary during their huge Stampede week. After their victory, the Foundation celebrated with entire family in attendance storming the ring, which mean a young Natalya and Tyson Kidd.
5 Zack Ryder (WrestleMania X)
At WrestleMania X, Razor Ramon defeated Shawn Michaels in an epic Ladder Match for the Intercontinental title. In the stands that night and celebrating with Razor was a young Zack Ryder, who he took a picture with holding Razor’s title. Twenty-two years later in Dallas not only was Razor able to hold Zack Ryder’s newly won IC title and take a picture, but he too was able to win the IC title in a ladder match.
4 Kofi Kingston (WrestleMania XIV)
It was a completely mind-blowing moment when NWA stalwarts, The Rock 'n' Roll Express, made their WrestleMania debut as part of the opening match tag team Battle Royal at WrestleMania XIV in Boston. In attendance that night was Boston native, Kofi Kingston. Nearly 20 years later, the Dreadlocked Dynamo was hosting the 33rd event, which during that weekend saw Ricky and Robert return to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
3 Damian Priest (Survivor Series 1996)
Debuting on the main roster at the Royal Rumble, The Archer Of Infamy, Damian Priest immediately made a name for himself by eliminating future Hall Of Famer, Kane. He also has forged a partnership with his childhood friend, rapper Bad Bunny.
Fairly quickly, Priest is establishing himself a pretty good big man who can move. The New Yorker was able to be in the crowd and witness another big man, Sid take center stage and the WWE championship from Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series.
2 Bayley (No Way Out 2004)
Aside from the fact that it was part of her character from NXT until the day she turned heel as a awestruck, aww shucks kind of superfan, which wasn’t a stretch for her. Bayley was really a superfan, she has had pictures of her all over the Internet meeting any and every superstar she could.
The Role Model, much like her frenemy Sasha Banks, loved Eddie Guerrero and got to be in attendance at the Cow Palace for Latino Heat’s legendary crowning achievement - his inspiring victory against Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 2004.
1 Mick Foley, Tommy Dreamer, Bubba Ray (MSG House Show 10/17/1983)
While it was “just” another house show in the fall of 1983, after all there weren’t many big shows back then. But plenty of fans wanted to see the big Steel Cage match between The Magnificent Don Muraco and Superfly Jimmy Snuka.
Over the years, Mick Foley’s story of how he hitchhiked to see this event, coupled by the Superfly’s death-defying leap off the cage has made this event epic. He wasn’t the only Hardcore legend in the stands that night either - fellow New York natives, Tommy Dreamer and Bubba Ray Dudley were also on hand that night.