Fade to black: Nights when the lights went out

Fade to black: Nights when the lights went out

You might have had a hard time witnessing some of the most shocking moments in sports-entertainment history, especially since those moments happened when the lights went out. From the return of The Undertaker to The Shield’s all-out assault on The Rock, WWE.com brings to light five occasions when darkness ruled the night, presented by “Riddick,” in theaters Sept. 6.

Regal turns off the lights (April 28, 2008)

Triple H vs. Randy Orton - WWE Championship Match: Raw, April 28, 2008

An enraged William Regal does his best to make sure nobody sees the end of this WWE Championship Match.

William Regal’s tenure as Raw General Manager can easily be described as tyrannical. There was no greater evidence of this than a late-April Raw in East Rutherford, N.J., during a WWE Title Match between Randy Orton and champion Triple H. After being booed by the WWE Universe, Regal felt as though no one in the arena or watching at home deserved to see the conclusion of the epic match-up. With that, he marched into the WWE production office and ordered the technicians to cut power to the arena and the feed to USA Network.

Batista addresses John Cena (March 22, 2010)

Defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship in an impromptu match moments after the Cenation leader won the title in a grueling Elimination Chamber Match, Batista angrily declared that he should be the face of WWE. One week before their battle at WrestleMania XXVI, every light on Raw was shut off, save for one spotlight shining on The Animal, who  unleashed a verbal tirade on Cena.

Undertaker returns to confront Kane (March 2, 1998)

At Royal Rumble 1998, Kane locked The Undertaker inside a casket and set it on fire. In doing so, however, The Devil’s Favorite Demon ultimately fueled The Phenom’s fury. Weeks later, as Kane and Paul Bearer addressed the WWE Universe, the arena went dark and The Undertaker made his return. With only a purple glow illuminating the ring, The Deadman proclaimed that he would seek retribution and battle his brother at WrestleMania XIV.

Chris Jericho returns (Jan. 2, 2012)

Chris Jericho returns: Raw, January 2, 2012

Relive Chris Jericho big return from January 2012!

For weeks, cryptic video messages played during Monday Night Raw and kept the collective WWE Universe in the dark. That is, until the first Raw of 2012, when the actually arena went pitch black and a figure wearing a jacket adorned with flashing lights appeared on stage. Following a display of pyrotechnics, Chris Jericho made his surprise return to WWE after being absent for nearly a year.

The Shield attacks The Rock (Jan. 21, 2013)

The Shield attack The Rock: Raw, Jan. 21, 2013

The Shield make The Rock their next target in their battle against "injustice" as WWE Champion CM Punk watches from inside his skybox.

Since their debut, the collective known as The Shield has wreaked havoc on numerous Superstars, oftentimes with purpose known only to them. One week before The Rock battled CM Punk for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2013, The Great One made his way to the ring when the lights suddenly went out. As the arena became illuminated once more, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns surrounded and attacked The People’s Champ, while CM Punk – who, along with Paul Heyman, later insisted they had nothing to do with the assault – watched from the safety of a skybox.

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