This week in WWE history: Former world champion makes shocking return, John Cena humiliated (December 30-January 5)

It has been a massive seven days or so for WWE. For starters, SmackDown this past Friday officially moved to three hours and featured the crowning of a new world champion when Tiffany Stratton cashed in her Money in the Bank contract.

The next few days will be even crazier. Monday Night RAW officially moves to Netflix on January 6, and it will feature a premium live event-worthy card. From there, NXT will host a New Year’s Evil special on Tuesday with multiple big title matches.

There are many exciting prospects ahead, but none would have been possible without 70+ years of World Wrestling Entertainment history leading up to this point. With the RAW move, there have been over 30 years of history.

This article will examine four major RAW events from the company’s past. These particular entries range from the mid-2000s to the late 2010s and feature some of the biggest stars in history.

Below are major matches, moments, and events from this week in WWE history:

#4. K-Fed shockingly defeated John Cena on RAW on January 1, 2007

The first entry on this week’s list was a special New Year’s Day edition of WWE Monday Night RAW from January 1, 2007. Over 15,000 fans attended American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, for one of the most shocking upsets of all time.

In what was truly an embarrassing and humiliating moment, John Cena lost to Kevin Federline, a “rapper” and reality television star, in the opening match of WWE RAW, thanks to interference from Johnny Nitro, Umaga, and others. It was still a victory over the top star in the company.

Cena attempted to get revenge in the main event by taking on Umaga, Armando Estrada, Johnny Nitro, and The Coach in a Handicap Match. Eventually, The Cenation Leader blasted the Samoan with a steel chair and hit the Attitude Adjustment on Kevin Federline, who was ringside to stand tall. Technically, though, The Franchise Player lost that battle too.

#3. Roman Reigns battled Samoa Joe on RAW on January 1, 2018

The next entry on this list was an episode of WWE RAW held on New Year’s Day. The program took place on January 1, 2018, and it was held live at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

The RAW roster was actually stacked at this time despite questionable shows. Cesaro, Bray Wyatt, Finn Balor, Asuka, and Braun Strowman were some of the WWE stars featured throughout the three-hour program.

The best and most notable match of the night was Samoa Joe challenging Roman Reigns for the Intercontinental Title. The rule was if Roman got disqualified for any reason, he’d lose the title. While a DQ nearly happened, Reigns avoided it and delivered a brutal Spear to Joe for the win.

#2. John Cena and Kurt Angle had a First Blood Match on RAW on January 2, 2006

The January 2, 2006 edition of WWE Monday Night RAW took place at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Nearly 18,000 fans were in attendance, which is a massive number for the era.

Kane, Shawn Michaels, Maria, Chris Masters, and Shelton Benjamin were in action on the undercard. The main event saw John Cena battle against Kurt Angle in a First Blood Match.

When the referee was knocked down, Angle blasted John Cena with a Steel Chair—not that it had to happen behind the referee’s back anyway. Cena then powered up and locked Angle in the STF, but he bled all over Kurt’s head. The blood gushed, but it was clear who was bleeding, ultimately leading to the ref giving the Olympic Gold Medalist the win once he got up.

#1. Bret Hart officially returned to WWE RAW on January 4, 2010

The final entry on this week’s show is WWE Monday Night RAW from January 4, 2010. This big episode took place at Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, and competed against TNA Wrestling’s first-ever live head-to-head episode of IMPACT on Mondays.

RAW’s major hook was the return of Bret Hart. This is the first time he has been back on the red brand following the infamous Montreal Screwjob in 1997. Hart met with Shawn Michaels face-to-face, where the two shook hands and let go of their past.

Later in the show, Vince McMahon and Bret Hart also met face-to-face to let bygones be bygones. However, instead of things going well, Vince kicked Bret Hart below the belt and said The Hitman “deserved to be screwed.” This eventually led to the two clashing at WrestleMania.