Looking back, 2002 probably has the most iconic matches in WWE History in a calendar year.

[THE 101]

Almost none of them matches are iconic.

97>>>>>

Bret v Austin
Taker v HBK Hell in the Cell
Canadian Stampede 10 Man Tag
Bret v HBK screwjob match

Those are truly iconic matches people still talk about today

And on top of that you've got shyt like the Bret/Austin/Vader/Taker 4 way, Owen v Bulldog Euro title finals, Owen/Bulldog v Austin/HBK

So much dope shyt

 

[Womb Raider]

Almost none of them matches are iconic.

97>>>>>

Bret v Austin
Taker v HBK Hell in the Cell
Canadian Stampede 10 Man Tag
Bret v HBK screwjob match

Those are truly iconic matches people still talk about today

And on top of that you've got shyt like the Bret/Austin/Vader/Taker 4 way, Owen v Bulldog Euro title finals, Owen/Bulldog v Austin/HBK

So much dope shyt

Wrong thread b

 

[Cartier Murphy]

The interesting thing about 2002 is that you can see the difference in the company from the beginning of the year to the end. So top heavy in the beginning of the year with all of this marquee talent, but by the end of the year they had to start building for the future with all the OVW guys and like Edge and Rey Mysterio and such. I legitimately don’t think 2002 is as much of a banner year than others if only because I personally don’t find that alot of it holds up like that. Rock and Hoegan is one of the best matches ever and that Summerslam is one of the best in event history but like so much of the year is unmemorable and that’s like a sin with all the talent they had at the time. It was only till the summer when they really started with the brand split and Brock Lesnar and the Smackdown Six that things really turned a corner.

 

[prophecypro]

The interesting thing about 2002 is that you can see the difference in the company from the beginning of the year to the end. So top heavy in the beginning of the year with all of this marquee talent, but by the end of the year they had to start building for the future with all the OVW guys and like Edge and Rey Mysterio and such. I legitimately don’t think 2002 is as much of a banner year than others if only because I personally don’t find that alot of it holds up like that. Rock and Hoegan is one of the best matches ever and that Summerslam is one of the best in event history but like so much of the year is unmemorable and that’s like a sin with all the talent they had at the time. It was only till the summer when they really started with the brand split and Brock Lesnar and the Smackdown Six that things really turned a corner.

they had argubly 5 of the biggest names of the Monday Night Wars at the top of the year and lost them all by the summer to different reasons: Hogan, Hall, Nash, Austin, Rock and I dont know if they were expecting that.

There was definetly an adjustment which saw ratings drop and old fans/casuals leave cause those guys werent there but like you said the younger people stuck around are the ones who tout the Smackdown era as iconic, but we also had the start of the Triple H reign of terror

 

[Womb Raider]

 

[Da_Eggman]

It was a pretty shytty year actually

HHH coming off an injury wasn’t having any good matches

Undertaker see above

Hogan had a little fun nostalgia run but got annoying and useless quick

Austin walked out

Rock went to Hollywood