10 Greatest Moments in WWE SmackDown History

Billy and Chuck get married

Much like with any great soap opera, WWE fans can’t get enough of a good wedding. Who can forget “Macho Man” Randy Savage tying the knot with Miss Elizabeth at SummerSlam ’91? Or when Triple H pulled off the shock of the century and got hitched to Stephanie McMahon in the Little White Chapel in Vegas? WWE weddings are a great way to build up interest in an upcoming event, but this union had a twist. 

SmackDown would play host to the WWE’s first-ever same-sex on-screen marriage when former Tag Team Champions Billy and Chuck were scheduled wed on Sept. 12, 2002. However, despite initial support from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, many people felt duped when the two men revealed during the ceremony that the whole thing had been a publicity stunt gone too far. This was a shame, because it was an opportunity missed by WWE to be inclusive and progressive. Instead, it became fodder for a feud between Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon.

As a result, the tag team of Billy and Chuck soon fizzled out and never reached its long-term potential. Still, the positive mainstream attention that the storyline garnered definitely made for a memorable segment, its just a shame that the pay-off was so weak.

Stone Cold blows up the DX Express

Triple H and D-Generation X got more than they bargained for when “The Game” called out “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock during an episode of SmackDown that aired on April 27, 2000. The Rock soon made an appearance, giving the heels a verbal dressing down, and then Steve Austin turned things up a gear. 

The “Rattlesnake” was seen in the parking lot, where he proceeded to begin a degeneration project of his own. Austin commandeered a truck and dropped a concrete block on the DX Express, causing it to explode under the pressure. Oh, Hell Yeah!

Daniel Bryan returns on SmackDown

In the hours before SmackDown aired live on March 20, 2018, rumors began to rumble that Daniel Bryan had been cleared to return to active competition in WWE. A little over two years earlier, the mat technician had been forced to retire following a series of serious concussions. Could the “YES” man really be coming out of retirement?

Those hopes and dreams were realized when a jubilant Daniel Bryan took to the ring and confirmed that he had indeed been cleared by doctors and would soon be running the ropes once again. In an emotional speech, Bryan thanked his wife and his fans for their unwavering support. The speech also provided great inspiration to anyone who may be facing obstacles in their own life. Daniel’s return was met with excitement around the world, and “Captain Planet” has since become one of SmackDown’s most entertaining roster members.

Eddie lies, cheats, steals… and sprays

The late, great Eddie Guerrero shined so much during his appearances on SmackDown that it really is hard to choose just one great moment involving this Superstar that would develop his “Latino Heat” character and strike up such chemistry with his “mamacita,” Chyna. But there is one SmackDown segment that showed that Guerrero could entertain people outside of the ring with the same passion that he could enthrall fans inside the ropes, and that moment occurred on Oct. 9, 2003.

In a completely insane incident, Guerrero brought a sewage truck to the ring. The Big Show tried to escape but tripped over a lighting cable, allowing Guerrero to spray “Show” with the brown stuff. It was an embarrassing moment for the giant, but Guerrero relished every second, and so did the fans. 

Rhyno Gores Jericho through the SmackDown set

This classic moment came on Aug. 9, 2001, in the run-up to SummerSlam. The feuding Rhyno and Y2J were going at it on the SmackDown stage when things got a little crazy. Rhyno blasted Jericho with a suplex on the stage, and as the owner of “The List” slowly got to his feet, more pain was on the way.

Struggling to stay vertical, Jericho stood prone as Rhyno launched him straight through the set with a thunderous spear. The “Ayatollah of Rock’n’Rolla” was literally gored right into the backstage area. This would be the end of that iteration of the SmackDown stage. The following week WWE installed a new set, complete with a huge iconic fist that people still remember fondly to this day.

Iron Men

On Sept. 18, 2003, two of the greatest WWE superstars of all-time collided in an epic showdown that could have headlined any pay-per-view. In fact, mere months later, these same superstars were pitted against each other in the main event of WrestleMania. But on this night, the Iron Man match between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, both in their prime, is etched in the history of SmackDown’s greatest moments because for 60 minutes these two titans gave fans a masterclass in professional wrestling. 

Unlike with Bret Hart and Shawn Michael’s storied Iron Man match at WrestleMania 12, where there was only one deciding fall, this encounter saw both men racking up points until the score settled at 5-4 in Brock’s favor. With just moments to go, Kurt attempted to earn a draw by locking “The Beast Incarnate” into an ankle lock, but the former UFC champ held on long enough that the bell rang before he could tap. It was as intense as any Iron Man match in pro wrestling history.

Miz and Maryse’s Hilarious Impersonations

SmackDown has long been a place for giving members of the WWE roster that may have been overlooked on Raw a chance to raise the bar on a different show. And few wrestlers have seized this opportunity to greater success than The Miz, who has undoubtedly become one of the biggest MVPs in SmackDown history. First, The Miz won over hardcore fans with his passionate and dedicated run with the Intercontinental Championship, then he earned further fandom alongside his wife, Maryse. 

In the run-up to WrestleMania 33, The Miz and Maryse mocked their opponents in alleged “lost” episodes of Total Bellas. Beginning on the March 21, 2017 episode of SmackDown, the wicked couple dressed up as John Cena and the Bella sisters, mimicking their mannerisms with an uncanny level of accuracy. The terrible twosome mocked Cena and the Bella’s mercilessly every week until they were finally silenced by their offended opponents at Mania in Orlando. This marked the end of those lost episodes and this was a crying shame since they were sharply witted clips that became a highlight of SmackDown at that time. The whole idea would have been cruel if it wasn’t so darn funny!

SmackDown in the grocery store

SmackDown in aisle 3! In one of the most unorthodox and hilarious segments in the show’s history, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin tussled with Booker T in a grocery store on Nov. 15, 2006. During the action, Austin whooped Booker in the vegetable aisle before moving on to the baking section and pouring flour over his fallen enemy. 

Having battered Booker from one end of the store to the other, he then asked the former King of the Ring: “Got Milk?”, before nailing him with a container full of the white stuff. To complete the shopping trip, Austin placed Booker on the counter, leaving him humiliated. It’s the kind of moment that could have come off really bad, but due to the talents of both men, and especially Austin’s genius adlibs, the grocery store incident is still loved to this day.

John Cena’s Ruthless Aggression

June 27, 2002 will go down as a monumental day in pro wrestling history. On this episode of SmackDown, a new Superstar was introduced to the WWE Universe, and he would become one of the all-time greats. Having won the war against WCW, the WWE Attitude Era gave way to a different time when a larger roster would be forced to raise the bar in order to be featured on television.

Mr. McMahon soon announced that it was up to each and every wrestler to prove their worth and earn the fans’ appreciation. Perhaps officially kicking off the era of “Ruthless Aggression,” John Cena became the first such superstar to make his mark.

Answering an open challenge made by Kurt Angle, Cena showed the heart and fire required by a future icon when he slapped the Olympic Gold Medallist right in the kisser. Cena may have narrowly lost his first match on SmackDown, but he earned the fans adulation and the respect of the entire WWE locker room in the process, including that of the Undertaker. Not a bad day at the office!

The Ring is Smacked Down

With two behemoths like The Big Show and Brock Lesnar locking horns on the June 12, 2003 episode of SmackDown, something had to give—and that something turned out to be the ring itself. 

With “Show” perched uncharacteristically high up on the top rope, Lesnar achieved the unthinkable and super-plexed the 500-plus-pound giant all the way back down to the canvas. Buckling under the pressure, the ring then spluttered and eventually gave up, collapsing into a heap and sending the referee to the floor. The bout itself would be declared a no-contest, but it remains one of the most exciting and surprising endings in SmackDown history. 

This was an epic stunt for these athletes and the production crew to undertake, and it turned out to be one of the most visually stunning clips in WWE’s history. The ring imploding is a moment that has been replicated over the years, but nothing compares to the original awe that we all felt on SmackDown that faithful night.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown premiers October 4 on FOX. For more information on WWE, visit WWE.com