5 WWE matches that broke the ring: Who broke the WWE ring first?
With over a million matches since its inception, here's a look at some moments which shattered the ring.
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Brock Lesnar superplexed Big Show (via WWE)
In its seven decades of existence, WWE has provided fans with some of the most splendid moments in sports entertainment. The WWE ring has hosted a great array of matches: Hell in a Cell, Steel Cage, No Holds Barred, and the list just keeps going on.
There have been lots of ground-breaking moments, but how many times has the ground really been broken? Here’s a look at five times the WWE ring actually broke:
1. BROCK LESNAR vs BIG SHOW (SmackDown 2003)
You cannot have a conversation about ring-shattering matches without mentioning this one. The very first time it happened and perhaps the most monumental of the lot. Brock Lesnar was on a hot streak shortly after his debut. Beating star after star, which eventually culminated with him manhandling the Rock and winning the WWE Championship. He eventually ran into Big Show.
They had a phenomenal rivalry, which included the likes of the stretcher match where Lesnar bought a forklift. That being said, their match on SmackDown was monumental. No one saw this coming; it’s unlikely that a giant has ever been superplexed from the top rope before, and the ring just shattered. This ring-wrecking moment shocked everyone and still lives rent-free in fans’ minds.
2. BIG SHOW VS MARK HENRY (VENGEANCE 2011)
The Vengeance 2011 PPV featured a clash of the titans scenario. Mark Henry, who had won his maiden World Heavy Weight Championship was on a reign of terror. Having beaten the likes of Randy Orton and Sheamus, he comes face to face with Big Show (who is a regular on this list).
It was a typical monster vs. monster matchup. The highlight of this match was when the World’s Strongest Man superplexed the World’s Largest Athlete from the top rope and the ring just caved in. The match ended in a no contest, as everyone was knocked out.
Related: WWE WrestleMania 39: Top 5 Matches including Cody Rhodes, Gunther, and more
3. BIG SHOW VS BRAUN STROWMAN (Raw 2017)
The separation from the Wyatt family gave Braun Strowman the opportunity to grow into a monster. Afterwards, he had a reign of terror on the main roster. He was a rare blend of speed, size, and strength. He put the entire roster on notice with every match.
Then he had a showdown with Big Show. Both big men pulled out some exciting moves, with Strowman even pulling off a kick-up. The end of the match came when Braun superplexed Show off the top rope and brought the ring down. This rivalry the giants had was a passing of the torch kind. Big Show is currently signed to AEW in what appears to be a non wrestling contract, and Braun is the resident monster at WWE.
4. THE FIEND VS BRAUN STROWMAN (Payback 2020)
A lot of things make this match peculiar. Payback was hosted barely a week after the previous PPV, SummerSlam. It was a triple-threat match, but Roman Reigns made a last-minute appearance to pin Strowman and win the title, and that also meant the Fiend Wyatt only got to hold onto the title for a week.
The highlight moment was when the Fiend hoisted Braun into a superplex from the top rope, and the ring just gave in, knocking them both out. This helped Roman come out and pick up an easy victory.
5. ROMAN REIGNS VS BROCK LESNAR (SummerSlam 2022)
The Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns storyline culminated in an epic Last-Man-Standing match at SummerSlam 2022. The match had a special condition: if Lesnar lost, he wouldn’t be allowed to challenge for the championships for as long as Roman was champion. Lesnar, who was rocking the cowboy Lesnar look, made an entrance on a tractor.
As anything goes in a Last-Man-Standing Match, Brock Lesnar used the tractor to uproot the WWE ring while Roman Reigns was still in it. This one may not be like the other matches in the ring, but it was indeed a spectacle to behold.
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Subhasish Deb
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