Drew McIntyre comes home: 5 greatest hometown victories in WWE history
From granting Make-A-Wish requests to simply bringing a show to your city, WWE takes great pride in making dreams come true. However, it's not just the fans whose dreams are fulfilled by the sports entertainment juggernaut.
Sometimes, a superstar gets the chance to achieve a moment they dreamt of from childhood. One of the most significant childhood dreams performers aspire to is a memorable victory in their city, country, or even continent of origin. A few moments bring these larger-than-life superstars to tears like a massive win in front of their compatriots, friends, and family.
With Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns at WWE Clash at the Castle billed as a "Hometown Hero" story for The Scottish Warrior, let's dive into five of the most incredible hometown wins in the company's history.
#5: The British Bulldog - SummerSlam 1992
#OnThisDayinWWE 30 years ago at SummerSlam:
The British Bulldog defeats @BretHart in front of his hometown fans to win the Intercontinental Title, in the battle of the brother-in-laws.
@_daveyboysmith @georgiasmith87 @DBSmithjr @NatbyNature @TJWilson @DianaHartSmith https://t.co/tutBc6F2YQ
The last stadium show held by WWE in the United Kingdom had a hometown hero story of its own. As in McIntyre's case, the term "hometown" was used loosely for The British Bulldog. Born more than 200 miles from London, where SummerSlam 1992 was held, Davey Boy Smith was not in his home city when he won the Intercontinental Championship.
However, the fact that he won it at the most iconic stadium in his native England makes it impossible to omit. The Bulldog was visibly very emotional after his instant classic bout against real-life brother-in-law Bret Hart.
The performance and the bout's legacy will be the standard against which Reigns, McIntyre, and WWE measure themselves when the Cardiff show comes to a close.
#4: Edge - WrestleMania X8
Twelve years before his WrestleMania X8 showdown with Booker T, Edge was just a young WWE fan watching his heroes perform in his hometown of Toronto. Some old footage showed the future Rated R Superstar clad in a Hulk Hogan shirt, taking in a show at the Skydome before he rose to fame.
This visual representation of a fan becoming a superstar was, among other things, what made Edge's WrestleMania X8 victory so special. The Rated R Superstar defeated the five-time WCW World Champion in the same arena where he watched wrestling shows as a child, showing the WWE Universe that dreams come true.
He was visibly emotional in celebrating his victory, and while he has experienced many touching moments ever since, this crucial win in his early career remains among the most unforgettable.
#3: John Cena - Survivor Series 2008
It's not often that a WWE Superstar gets to make two iconic returns in the same year. John Cena's epic return at the 2008 Royal Rumble is among his most memorable, and with good reason. Meanwhile, his comeback to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series the same year is also iconic in its own right.
Having been sidelined due to a herniated disk since SummerSlam 2008, The Cenation Leader returned to face Chris Jericho at the TD Garden in his native Massachusetts.
The Champ received an incredible ovation and won his first World Heavyweight Championship that night. It was an unforgettable night for the hometown boy who overcame the odds to reach the pinnacle of the industry in front of his family. Cena held the coveted championship three times before it was retired.
#2: WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus - Unforgiven 2006
Trish Stratus's retirement match at Unforgiven 2006 had everything an emotional Hometown hero story should. Stratus was having her final bout, competing for the biggest prize in the business, and doing it in front of her hometown crowd.
She went toe-to-toe with her greatest rival, Lita, in an emotional contest and emerged victorious. Very few WWE Superstars get to go out on top, which shows how incredible the seven-time women's champion's legacy is.
The Toronto crowd at Unforgiven 2006 gave her the send-off she deserved, sharing the joy of victory and the sadness of parting. That night will always live in fans' memories as one of the perfect goodbyes in the history of the women's division and the company at large.
#1: CM Punk- Money in the Bank 2011
Even Tony Khan is a fan of "that" iconic CM Punk match from #MITB 2011!
#AEW #WWE #CMPunk #JohnCena https://t.co/5Z3HznhLuo
Imagine an anti-authority rebel winning the biggest prize against the most prominent star in the industry. Now imagine all that happening in the conquering hero's hometown. Perfect, isn't it?
There is arguably nobody in the business with a stronger connection to their hometown crowd than CM Punk has in Chicago. The Second City Saint's WWE Championship win over John Cena at Money In The Bank 2011 was so perfectly executed that it's still discussed more than a decade later.
Everything about the bout was flawless, from storytelling to in-ring action to authority figure intervention. It represented real emotion for the fans in Chicago, and all around the world due to every entertainer involved playing their role to perfection.
It will forever remain one of the greatest hometown hero stories in WWE history.
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