411’s WWE Greatest Moments Report: ‘RAW in the 2000s’

-Written: 05.18.26
-Source: A&E

-Plugs: Last week: Backlash and Nitro moments.

-Michael Cole is our host and narrator.

-Opening video package brings the nostalgia before we get the show opening.

10. The Dissolution of Evolution
-Feb 21, 2005

-Great stuff here as Batista became the breakout star of Evolution when everyone assumed it would be Orton. What made it great was Batista was always a step ahead of HHH and Flair. On this night he made his intentions known and have HHH the thumbs down and put him through a table with a Batista Bomb. Batista chooses HHH as his Mania opponent and it became a story of Batista just beating the piss out of HHH in every meeting they had.

9. Making Her-Story
-Dec, 6, 2004

-History here as Trish and Lita face off for the Women’s Championship and are given the Main Event Spot. It was a wonderful match and was so deserved. Charlotte says it inspired a generation and now today women Main Event WrestleMania. I will say it again, Evil Trish was a whole different kind of smoke show. With all due respect. Honestly, you could have put this moment higher due to the history it made.

8. Rocking Toronto
-Feb. 24, 2003

-This is Hollywood Rock and we just loved tearing into fans. On this night it was Toronto who got burned. “Yeah, that’s where we live. We live in Toronto. Shut up!” KO notes when The Rock tried to be a heel and went all out, that’s when he was cheered the most. Fair point! I still like the Sacramento one better.

-Commercials!

7. Unmasking Evil
-June 23, 2003

-We are in the middle of HHH’s reign as World Champion where he was just running through all our heroes. On this night he beats Kane and Kane is forced to unmask. Jacobs says when Kane lost the mask he became a new character. I did appreciate the story that his burns were psychological and taking him out of the mask was a smart decision. It gave new life to the character and he could always go back to the mask.

6. A New War
-March 24, 2001

-I thought this moment might be on last week’s Nitro countdown, but they save it for her. Vince McMahon buys WCW and does a simulcast to announce what’s going to happen. This was the Monday before Nitro and Vince was in a feud with Shane McMahon. In a brilliant move the story became Shane bought WCW out from under his father’s nose. Sadly, the follow up did not deliver, though they did pop a good buy number for the Invasion PPV.

-Commercials!

5. Got Milk?
-Aug. 20, 2001

-Yeah, this moment! We are in the middle of The Invasion with Steve Austin doubling down as a heel and leading the WCW/ECW Alliance. It is Austin Appreciation Night and Kurt Angle interrupts and hoses everyone down with a hose from a milk truck. JR with a great line as he yells, “the billion dollar princess has become a Dairy Queen.” Fun stuff!

4. Da Man Arrives
-March 31, 2003

-The Rock had finally beaten Austin at Mania the previous night and cuts a promo gloating about his win while the crowd chants for Goldberg. Still not sure why the WWE ruined the surprise by showing a Goldberg vignette the previous night. Rock shouts down the crowd by referencing his accountant Ira Goldberg. It seems that really is the name of Rock’s accountant, so it worked out. Goldberg does make his WWF debut and spears the piss out of The Rock, and he sells it like a champ. Goldberg says Rock was instrumental for his immediate success in the WWE.

3. The Game Restarts
-Jan. 7, 2002

-HHH tears his quad in a tag match just before the Invasion Angle really gets going and he misses the entire angle. They teased he may be back for Vengeance in December, but nope. Instead he makes his return at MSG and the pop he got when his music hit is something else. HHH says it was a fairytale moment. Sadly for HHH, the nWo returned the following month and Hulk Hogan got so over, they cut HHH’s face run as Champion off after only one month. He was back to being a heel by the summer. He will always have that MSG pop though.

-Commercials!

2. Leap of Faith
-Jan. 14, 2008

-Finally something in the later part of the decade. It’s Orton vs. Jeff Hardy and they brawl to the stage area. Orton takes a backdrop off the stage and through a platform. Orton is laying there and Jeff climbs The Tron and comes off with a Swanton Bomb. It’s still breathtaking to watch. Jeff flew so Darby could well, also fly.

1. Generations Collide
-Feb. 18, 2002

-Remember how I mentioned HHH’s triumphant return was cut short? This is why! Hogan and Rock come face-to-face for the first in a ring in front of a raucous crowd in Chicago. Rock throws out the challenge for Mania and Hogan knows how to sell it to get the biggest reaction. Both men just take their time and look at the crowd to soak it all in. Hogan accepts and Rock’s a dick and plants Hogan with a Rock Bottom. Probably deserved to be hit with a hammer to the back of the head or something.

-Nostalgia is the name of this show and this episode delivered. I do find it funny that all the moments but two took place in 2003 or earlier and only one moment came post 2005. Cena getting drafted to RAW probably could have made it on here or Punk cashing in on Edge since it was the first RAW cash in. I am sure there are others, but I think they got the top moment correct unless I am forgetting something major. Thanks for reading!