WrestleMania is the dream stage for almost all the superstars out there, period. While these superstars will be looking to make a name, the company will be looking to make a statement of their own.WWE usually puts out their best foot forward when it comes to the pay-per-view. Sometimes this works out pretty well while, on the other occasions, the fans ask for refunds. There have been many instances of matches not living up to the hype.These instances went down in history books as lessons for the company that having big stars and a good buildup is not enough to make a successful WrestleMania match. As we are closing in on yet another WrestleMania season, here is a look at some of those matches that failed to live up to the hype.
#10 Undertaker vs. Kane (WrestleMania XX)
A match between Undertaker and Kane might not sound appealing at this moment but back then, it was hyped big time. Undertaker was taking time off from the business and this was supposed to be his returning match.
Along with Taker’s return, the company built up this as a follow up of their clash at WrestleMania 14. Paul Bearer being on Taker’s corner was also a great booking decision but the match was nothing special.
The company did not follow up on the match whatsoever, and the two men did not cross paths for the next six months after which they reunited as the brothers of destruction.
#9 Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel (WrestleMania XI)
Two former best friends having a WrestleMania match for the WWE Championship looked destined to be a classic encounter. Since it had Shawn Michaels as one of the superstars, not many banked on this match being a botched affair.
Technically it was not the worst match on the card but it was not the best either. Diesel was supposed to be a babyface during this match but the fans were jeering him much like they did with Batista and Roman Reigns on their respective Rumble wins.
It was a mediocre outing to be frank rather than being a match that stole the show. There was nothing to remember about this match and soon it went into the forgotten category in the archives.
#8 John Cena vs. The Rock (WrestleMania 29)
John Cena vs. The Rock is a big draw no matter which pay-per-view they feature in. This was the motive when WWE booked these two for the second time in a row at WrestleMania. Just like their match at WrestleMania 28, the company built up this one as a big deal.
The match was haunted with predictability from the start itself but despite the problem, fans were having high expectations. It was not the worst match from the two superstars but it reached nowhere near what the fans wanted.
Cena went home with the championship at the end of the day when Rock went back to Hollywood. Thinking about it, CM Punk did have a case when he claimed that he deserved a spot in the WrestleMania main event.
#7 Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus (WrestleMania XXVII)
Daniel Bryan went into WrestleMania XXVII as the World Heavyweight champion. It was a dream scenario for all the independent wrestling fans and when Sheamus won the Royal Rumble to get a date with Bryan, the expectations went above the roof.
Bryan and Sheamus were known for some solid matches throughout their career and since the stage was bigger than ever, everyone looked forward to a show stealer from the two superstars.
And a show stealer it was but for all the wrong reasons. The match opened the pay-per-view and it ended in under a minute. Bryan was embarrassed beyond limits and the fans were left in shock at the stupidity they saw.
#6 John Bradshaw Layfield vs. John Cena (Wrestlemania 21)
John Bradshaw Layfield’s WWE championship run came due to the lack of top heels in SmackDown. The company did not have a top bad guy in the brand due to injuries and retirement and decided to let JBL have a test run.
The gimmick took off pretty well. He was a perfect old school heel that did all the cheap tricks in the book to keep the gold. The lengthy reign of JBL however was destined to end when he got booked against John Cena at WrestleMania 21.
The fans wanted to see JBL’s reign end with a bang but instead, it was a plain old match. JBL didn’t pull out any tricks from his hat to stop Cena win the title and this might officially be the start of ‘Super Cena’ phenomenon.
#5 Triple H vs. Randy Orton (WrestleMania XXV)
Triple H and Randy Orton had one of the best buildups in WrestleMania history for this match. They were pushing the envelope in every promo they pulled off and some angles like Hunter breaking into Orton’s house blurred the kayfabe and reality lines.
The expectations for the match was sky high and since Hunter and Orton had a record of great matches, the chance of a screw up was low. Despite all this, the booking team messed up.
A slow paced match was not what the fans wanted to see and they reacted abruptly when they got one. A forgettable finish and the lack of weapons further worsened the situation and morphed this into a nightmare for WWE.
#4 Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzales (WrestleMania IX)
Undertaker was having a strong run in the WWE during the 90s and Vince McMahon wanted a credible opponent for the dead man. Enter Giant Gonzalez.
There was nothing special about Gonzalez other than his towering size. He wore a muscle suit that made no sense and the wrestling skills were even worse than his costume. WWE build up Gonzalez as though he was going to kill Undertaker at Mania but in the end, Taker reigned supreme.
Taker did everything in his power to make the match look good but all those efforts went in vain. Gonzalez lost the match due to disqualification after the giant used chloroform on the dead man.
#3 Mr.T vs. Roddy Piper (WrestleMania 2)
After taking WWE mainstream with his appearance at the inaugural WrestleMania, Mr. T returned in the second edition as well. This time he faced off against Roddy Piper in a boxing match. In case you missed the irony, it is a boxing match at a Wrestling show between two men who don’t know boxing.
The match ran a horrific 13 minutes and WWE’s idea of pulling of a choreographed boxing match in front of live audience backfired instantly.
There was nothing to be excited throughout the lengthy period and once it was over, the fans sighed in relief. Mr. T won the match via disqualification after Roddy Piper body slammed him.
#2 Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon (WrestleMania XXVI)
Bret Hart was stepping into the WWE ring for the first time after Montreal 1997 and his opponent was none other than Vince McMahon. The story seemed perfect and the fans wanted to see Bret finally get his revenge on Vince.
However, the booking team had other ideas. The expectations for the match was low due to the physical condition of both competitors but the company failed to reach even that level.
The entire Hart Family ganged up on Vince during the match and it turned out to be an overbooked mess. It did utter injustice to the illustrious career of Hart and insulted the intelligence of wrestling fans who tuned in.
#1 Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (Wrestlemania XX)
Two of the most decorated names in wrestling facing off on the biggest possible stage. And if that wasn’t enough, it had Stone Cold Steve Austin as the special guest referee. On paper, this match had all the ingredients to become an instant classic but that was not the case.
Both Lesnar and Goldberg were on their way out of the WWE after WrestleMania so they decided to deliver a horrible match at the show. It consisted of a seven minute stare down and another seven minute of holds before they took it home.
It was so boring that the fans were chanting for Steve Austin. Built up as the ultimate showdown between the monsters, this match failed to live up to the hype and fell flat on the ground.
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