411’s WWE Greatest Moment Report: Mic Drops of The 2000s

-Written: 7.19.26
-Source: A&E
-Run Time: 30 minutes (w/ commercials)

-Plug: NXT TakeOver Brooklyn

-Michael Cole is our host and narrator!

10. The Big Question
-RAW: Aug. 13, 2001

-A monster is created as Steve Austin says “what” to get heel heat and it ends up ruining promos for over twenty years. Some people have learned to work with it and others, it makes them crumble. Miz says it may be the greatest catchphrase of all time.

9. A Degenerate Production
-RAW: July 3, 2006

-DX is back but they are older and can’t be as edgy. In this case they take over the production truck and mess with Vince McMahon who is cutting a promo in the ring. They even include fart noises because it’s Vince.

8. Rated R For Revenge
-RAW: Aug. 8, 2005

-In the middle of the heated Edge/Matt Hardy feud. Edge cuts a heated promo backstage where his hands are shaking and you can tell it’s real to him. “This is why Lita left you for me. You are in the Main Event picture because your girlfriend fell in love with a Main Eventer.” Cold! Matt says if they were in the same room they would have been throwing punches.

-Commercials!

7. A King without His Crown
-RAW: April 4, 2005

-The RAW after Mania as an angry HHH cuts a promo after losing The World Title to Batista. He gets face-to-face with red hat guy in the crowd and says he will shove the World Title down everyone’s throats. Okay then! So far, I don’t remember any of these promos besides the What creation.

6. Fired Up
-RAW: Nov. 20, 2006

-Lita cuts a promo on the crowd as she had been taking all the abuse since the scandal with Matt had leaked. She is pissed she hasn’t gotten her flowers. Cardona notes it may have sounded bitter, but Lita was spitting the truth. She announces she will have her last match at Survivor Series. Not mentioned here, but Lita was humiliated on her way out the door because Vince.

-Commercials!

5. From The Heart
-RAW: Nov. 23, 2009

-Cena says he asked to work with Sheamus after his debut because he saw promise. I remember being all on the Sheamus bandwagon because it had been a bit since someone got that immediate push when they made their debut. This is the contract signing and Cena tells Sheamus to be ready to go to war with him. Again, so many Cena mic moments and they pick this one?

4. An Extreme Return
-ECW One Night Stand

-Finally, something to work with as Paul Heyman gets to shoot on RAW and SmackDown in front of an ECW audience. “The only reason you were WWE Champion for a year is because HHH didn’t want to work Tuesdays.” So awesome!

3. Rocky Imitations
-RAW: Dec 4, 2000

-The Rock finally makes the list and we could have had a Top 10 if just his mic drop moments. Another memorable one as we are hitting a stride here. This is The Rock imitating the other give guys in the Armageddon In The Cell Match. One of the best ever from The Rock. Taker says it was funny until he imitated him. BEAT THE GAME UH! He then accuses Austin of listening to Backstreet Boys. Classic!

-Commercials!

2. The Gift That Keeps Giving
-RAW: April 3, 2004

-The hits keep coming as this one is burned in my mind. Mick Foley in a rocking chair, holding a yellow rose and a box of what we think are flowers. Instead he cuts an amazing promo and breaks out a barbed wire baseball bat and puts the fear of God in Randy Orton. It was Mick finding that switch and finding that monster inside. Match ended up being amazing as well and for many still the best match in Randy Orton’s career.

1. Maple Leaf Madness
-RAW: Aug. 15, 2005

-There could be no other and I am so happy them remembered. Shawn had turned heel on Hogan and was back in Montreal for the first time since Survivor Series 97. The Montreal fans BOO THE EVER LOVING CRAP OUT OF SHAWN. He is having the time of his life out there and goes with it in epic fashion. He admits to screwing Bret and we get the fantastic fake out of Bret’s music hitting and the place EXPLODES. Shawn: “got your hopes up just a little bit, didn’t I?” Sadly, they don’t include the second fake out of Hogan’s music playing and the crowd biting again. Shawn was a master here!

-So this one started a bit rough, but they redeemed themselves with the Top Four. It’ Shawn in Montreal, Foley, Rock, and Heyman. That’s a heck of a Mt Rushmore. The other moments were fine, but I think they could have done better. The Austin one wasn’t really a mic drop and more just the birth of a running gag that won’t die. I’ll be back next time with an episode dedicated to Lex Luger. That should be fun!

-Thanks for reading!