Every year, during WrestleMania season, WWE brings out the best that it has to offer on a mammoth card. From dream matches to heated rivalries, every WrestleMania in the past has had it’s fair share of matches that had a large amount of hype and expectations around them during the build up for the show. However, there is always a very high chance of seeing one or more of these matches fail to deliver on the big stage.
This year also, WWE clearly has 5 to 6 matches that stand above all the other when it comes to the excitement and the intensity surrounding them. Yet, considering the history, we can certainly see two, or maybe three, of these matches under deliver, with the main reason of this being the high level of expectations that the fans have for these matches.
In the past 34 years, WWE wrestlers have failed many a number to live up to the hype for their WrestleMania encounters. Before we discover which one of these year’s encounters with soon be a part of this list, here are the 10 Mania matches that failed to live up to the hype and expectations.
#10 AJ Styles (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura - WWE Championship (WrestleMania 34)
The most recent match on this list, the encounter between Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles was on the top of every man’s dream list ever since the two former NJPW alumni made their way to WWE in 2016. Fans were well aware of their in-ring chemistry, as evident by their Wrestle Kingdom 10 classic, and were expecting a similar classic at Mania 34.
In the end, it was the sky high expectations that fans had with them that ended up being the downfall of their WWE Championship match at WrestleMania. Not that their match was bad or horrible, but it was something that the fans of WWE were not used to seeing at a grand show like WrestleMania, where false pin attempts are now a common occurrence.
Adding to this was the fact that the match was third from the last on a 14-match card, and the fans were more than exhausted by the time these two legends wrestled a traditional wrestling contest. While the shocking Nakamura heel turn did provide a phenomenal swerve, the in-ring contest was a big disappointment for the fans.
#9 Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lensar - Street Fight (WrestleMania 32)
WrestleMania 32 was supposed to be Dean Ambrose’s night to shine. With mega stars like John Cena, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins on the shelf, it was Ambrose’s time to show everyone why he too belonged to the top of the ladder and was not just someone who got over with the crowd based on his gimmick.
Everything leading to his No Holds Barred Street Fight against Brock Lesnar pointed to a mammoth victory for the Lunatic Fringe. He was being portrayed as an equal to the The Beast and was showing a side of him that had not been seen since his time before WWE. Even hardcore legends Mick Foley and Terry Funk came out to support him.
However, everything went downhill when the bell rang at Mania 32. Not only was Ambrose beaten and battered like a dog by Lesnar, he didn’t even get enough offense. Despite being a Street Fight, the only foreign weapons used were a pile of steel chairs, a kendo stick and fire extinguisher. On a night where he was supposed to slay the Beast, a humiliating loss to Lesnar halted all the momentum that Ambrose had gained over the past months.
#8 Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XXX)
When The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar came face to face again in 2014, it had been over 10 years since the last time the two were in a ring at the same time. Their rivalry in 2002 and 2003 was one of the focal points of Smackdown, and fans knew very about the in-ring chemistry that the two had with each other.
Adding more intensity to their rivalry heading into WrestleMania XXX was the fact that Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak was on the line, something that had become sacred for the fans by 2014. Fans were expecting a slug fest between these two veterans, just like their previous encounters, followed by another gargantuan Mania victory for the Deadman.
However, not only did the fans witness an end to one of the greatest attractions in the history of Mania, the match preceding that moment was a slow, plodding and boring encounter. While some might say that it was because of the concussion that Taker suffered earlier in the match, it was really astonishing to see these two legends struggle inside a WWE ring.
#7 Triple H (c) vs Batista - World Heavyweight Championship (WrestleMania 21)
This match is the perfect example of how a main event match, despite its near perfect build up and the right winner, can end up being the lowest point on the entire show. Batista’s defection from Evolution following his Royal Rumble victory in 2005 and his subsequent rise up the ladder was one of the best stories heading into that year’s WrestleMania.
With overwhelming support from the fans for Batista and the hatred for his opponent and mentor Triple H’s Reign of Terror at an all time high, the scene was set for a grand coronation of Big Dave as the next big thing. Much like how they did in the last two years, WWE had all the pieces in place to end WrestleMania with a long-lasting image, or so we thought.
While Batista’s victory over HHH was definitely a feel-good moment, it came after a match that was far from a fight that fans were expecting from these two. A slow, plodding, far from interesting contest, it was a massive fall from not only the previous year’s main event, but also from the high standards set by two massive clashes earlier on the show.
#6 CM Punk (c) vs Chris Jericho - WWE Championship (WrestleMania XXVIII)
CM Punk’s legendary WWE Championship reign was easily the best thing on WWE programming in early 2012. As the most popular superstar on the roster, he was killing it on the microphone and inside the ring on a daily basis, living up to his self declared moniker of being the Best in the World.
So when Chris Jericho, another legend attached with Best in the World moniker, made his return to WWE during the same time, a dream match between the elite athletes at WrestleMania seemed evident. Given a history between the two and the talent that they possessed, the expectations for their WWE Championship match at Mania XXVIII were already towering way before the actual event.
And just like it happened with the Styles-Nakamura clash six years later, Punk and Jericho failed to enthrall the fans in Miami Gardens. Despite wrestling one of the pure technical matches, the two fell way short of the expectations that the everyone had with men of their caliber, thanks to the burden of following End of an Era and preceding the Once in a Lifetime match.
Both of them were actually were lucky that they made up for this match by wrestling a brutal fight in Chicago a month later. Jericho, however, was not as lucky five years later….
#5 Chris Jericho (c) vs Kevin Owens - WWE United States Championship (WrestleMania 33)
Because he again had an underwhelming match, despite high expectations, at WrestleMania 33.
While Jericho and Punk didn’t have a great build up for their clash at Mania XXVIII, with all the focus being on Punk’s Straight Edge Lifestyle, the same can’t be said about Jericho’s rivalry with Kevin Owens in 2017. The bromance between the two throughout the second half of 2016 was easily the best thing on Raw.
KO snapping on Jericho during the critically acclaimed Festival of Friendship segment laid the perfect foundation for these two to feud leading to Mania. Despite being a mid-card title rivalry, this match was easily the most anticipated one on a bloated card, and given the in-ring talent involved,everyone was expecting was a show stealer from them.
However, what we got was a match that was good for a B-Level pay per view or an episode of Raw. A classic example of a traditional wrestling match, it did not feel like a match between two men who hated each other from their hearts. A mild reaction from the crowd and Vince McMahon after the match was enough to prove that Y2J and KO had failed to enthrall the fans as per expectations.
#4 Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero (WrestleMania 21)
When we think of wrestlers of Mexican heritage who made it big in WWE and other wrestling promotions, the names of Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero are undoubtedly the first two names that come to our mind. As the pioneers of high flying style of wrestling, the two took the whole world by storm with their classic matches during their days in WCW.
Hence, when WWE started build a program around those two in early 2005, fans all over the world could smell a sensational contest between the two at WrestleMania 21. With so much history between the two, even a lack of proper storyline up to that point, which had the two agree to face each other despite being Tag Team Champions, had the fans invested for their match.
However, their match at Mania, which opened the grand event, left a lot of fans disappointed. Famous for their exceptional chemistry, the two wrestled a match that was very unusual for the pair, something which was not expected from them. What could have been a guaranteed show stealing contest eventually turned out to be an off day for both Eddie and Rey.
#3 Triple H vs Brock Lesnar - No Holds Barred (WrestleMania 29)
Brock Lesnar vs Triple H was one of those few rivalries that took place 10 years too late. While a program between the two was a dream of every wrestling fan who watched the them emerge as the Big Dogs of Smackdown and Raw respectively in 2002, WWE only brought the two together in 2012.
Even though both of them were way past their peak years as performers, the rivalry was still a big deal in wrestling world. While their match at Summerslam fell flat because of a lack of storyline, fans were expecting a better. if not great match, between them at Mania 29, especially after a No Holds Barred stipulation, and Triple H’s retirement tease was added.
However, what fans got was just a recap of their boring Summerslam match with just some hardcore touch added to it. What should have been a fight between two behemoths ended up being a plodding affair that the fans didn’t care about at all. Following the show stealing Undertaker-CM Punk match didn’t help either, as Lesnar and HHH had to wait for one more month to show the fans their best outing.
#2 Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XX)
When WWE first laid the stone for a mammoth program between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg for WrestleMania XX, fans all across the world went into a state of frenzy. After all, it was a fight between two big of the biggest superstars in WWE at that time, and something that the fans had been waiting to see ever since Goldberg made his debut in WWE in early 2003.
However, all the excitement and enthusiasm for the match fizzed out when it was revealed that both Lesnar and Goldberg would be leaving WWE after Mania. Although the inclusion of Steve Austin in to the rivalry, who acted as the special Guest Referee, did raise the interest back some notches, it was never the same. Even then, fans were still expecting these two to give their best on their last night with WWE.
They didn’t. Their match at Madison Square Garden was a big, big disaster. Instead of going after each other from the opening bell, the two spent the first half of the match just playing with the crowd and by engaging in boring rest holds.
So horrible was this encounter that the fans cheered for Austin while booing both the competitors in the match, and gave little reaction to Goldber’s win. It’s a good thing that they made up for it with their match 13 years later with a barnburner of a match at Mania 33.
#1 Triple H (c) vs Randy Orton - WWE Championship (WrestleMania XXV)
Randy Orton’s return in late 2008 came with a whole new persona for the Legend Killer, who was now more vicious and mentally unstable than he had ever been in his entire career. Engaging in a storyline with the McMahon family, Orton somewhat Loose Cannon character turned him into the most hated superstar in the entire world.
In fact, his act of attacking Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and, more importantly, Stephanie McMahon caused Triple H to intervene. This began a heated feud between the two that had Orton kiss an unconscious Stephanie in front of a handcuffed HHH and The Game returning the favour by attacking Orton in his house and sending him through the glass window.
All these signs pointed to a brutal fight between the two at Mania XXV, or as everyone but WWE had thought. WWE’s mind boggling stipulation of Triple H losing his title if he got himself disqualified was one of the biggest reasons for this match’s downfall, as this took out all the hardcore wrestling out of the picture.
Fans had to sit for over 25 minutes, watching Orton and HHH wrestle a slow plodding match. This was also at the end of a show which had Shawn Michaels and Undertaker wrestle the best match of all time merely an hour ago.
What’s even more horrible is the fact that Orton lost the match fair and square inside the ring, and had to wait for one more month to win the match. Triple H and Randy Orton had the potential to wrestle one of the greatest main events of Mania, but all they did was end up being part of one of the worst of all time.
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