When you look back over the long and storied history of WWE, there tend to be a few events that stick out above the rest. You have the obvious selections such as WrestleMania and Survivor Series, with some B-show pay-per-views like No Way Out and Unforgiven also holding a special place in the hearts of fans around the world.
But that's not what this list is about. We're here today to run down those PPV concepts that for one reason or another, didn't quite catch on as well as everyone had originally hoped. Whether it was backstage politics or just poor execution, these shows are the abandoned children of WWE and they deserve to see the light of day once again.
Now that's not to say that the entrants on this list should be featured above the likes of SummerSlam or the Royal Rumble, but they deserve a place on the company's calendar nonetheless. It's one thing to admit that an idea wasn't working, but it's another bag of tricks entirely to just give up before you've even given it a chance.
Some people like to refer to these kinds of shows as "gimmicky" or "too different", but the term they should be using is unique. It's not even like all five are no longer around either, because one of the chosen prodigies is actually a current PPV that just hasn't been handled correctly.
So before we get into any spoilers, let's kick this thing into high gear and reveal the five most underrated pay-per-view concepts of all time.
#1 Breaking Point
Breaking Point is one of those special "one and done" shows and it's a shame to see things work out that way. The stipulation behind the concept was that all main event matches were submission based, with the likes of CM Punk vs The Undertaker and John Cena vs Randy Orton main eventing the card back in 2009.
In terms of why it failed, it wasn't necessarily down to the actual idea itself. The staging, marketing, and promotion were all great, but the two premiere matches weren't all that great. The first of the two ended with a screw job-esque victory for The Straight-Edged Superstar, meanwhile, the Super Cena nature of Cena’s victory over Orton was just a bit too much to take for fans of both superstars.
Submission-based wrestling was once a lost art in the modern era, and there isn't nearly enough focus on it. However, with so many incoming independent stars utilising this technique more and more, there's a chance we could see Breaking Point return some day. Just build the high-end matches around what a technical masterpiece the wrestlers can create, and the story will write itself.
Speaking of writing itself, this next PPV sets up the meaning behind the matches before any are even made.
#2 Bragging Rights
Ah, Bragging Rights. The two editions of this show in 2009 and 2010 revolved around the supposed tension and hatred between the SmackDown and Raw brands. The idea was actually a lot of fun, with a trophy being awarded to the overall victor at the end of the night in addition to the ropes being half blue and half red.
It felt different, which is always a good thing when you consider how often WWE fans complain about the product being stale. The problem was that it just felt as if it was happening at the wrong time. Survivor Series, which was supposed to be used for these sort of matches, was usually placed side by side with Bragging Rights on the PPV calendar. If they were separated, perhaps this would've been more of a success.
Plus, it didn't help that the events took place around the same time that both sets of superstars began appearing on each other's shows again. A year or two after it was scrapped, SmackDown pretty much became a show in which Raw superstars would just slightly enhance their storylines. However, now that we have two brands feuding for supremacy once again this could be a really smart idea. You can turn Survivor Series back into a storyline-based big four PPV, with Bragging Rights taking place earlier in the year.
From a show all about the superstars to one that was all about the fans.
#3 Cyber Sunday
In terms of concepts, Cyber Sunday and it's predecessor Taboo Tuesday were actually pretty cool. It gave fans an opportunity to interact with the company and, as they've always likely dreamed of, make decisions regarding matches. It gave shows a more unpredictable feeling and as such, you kind of had to tune in to see what kind of ridiculous stipulations or bouts would be decided.
The problem was, things were eventually diluted to the point that the WWE Universe were voting on things as trivial and pointless as what weapon to bring to the ring and things of that nature. There were no real stakes on the line, and it felt as if Vince didn't trust the fans with the big decisions. Obviously, it complicates the booking to a degree, but for one night a year it doesn't seem like too much of a hassle.
This would be a fun PPV to bring back for the lull between SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble because god knows that period of the year can drag sometimes. An event of this nature would likely bring in some more casual fans, and given the fact they've got the Network now they can even insert votes and polls into shows as you're watching live. With social media being bigger than ever, now is the time to pull the trigger on this.
From one autumn event to another, and the only show on this list to still be around in 2016.
#4 Night of Champions
Yeah, that's right, Night of Champions and not Clash of Champions. This event is semi-taken from the WCW days and has been around since 2008, and since then it's been extremely hit and miss in terms of the quality of product they've put out. When it comes down to it rewording the event as Night of Champions was a solid idea, but pretty much everything else they've done since has not been.
The WWE has a great concept on their hands which could be big enough to launch the PPV into the stratosphere of the big four. The big issue is that with the stipulation being all championships are defended, it makes it seem odd when the same thing occurs on various other shows. For example on six occasions since the introduction of the event, another PPV has also included every single title in the company.
This is very easily solved - make things even bigger. With the brand split, have Night of Champions also be a dual-branded PPV where every belt is on the line. Whilst that would mean there's a high quantity of matches, you could put a few either on the Raw/SmackDown beforehand or even on the pre-show. Whatever the case may be, it'd be great for the lineage of this pay-per-view to really mean something in the history books.
Speaking of the history books, this final entry will certainly have people talking for years to come.
#5 One Night Stand
No this isn't the filthy thing you did last night, it's one of the most fascinating ideas to come out of Vince McMahon or Paul Heyman's minds. The idea behind this one was to give ECW one final night of joy, in the same style and presentation that it had in the old days. Everyone came out to enjoy what was supposed to be their last farewell, however as WWE have done on so many occasions they turned it into something completely different.
The WWECW brand never really worked between 2006 and 2010, which is what makes these shows a little bit tainted. The arena they were in compared to a typical WWE show gave it an entirely separate feel, and if this took place once every two years, it would create absolute magic. The tickets would sell out within about 30 minutes and that's no exaggeration.
Whilst Heyman has said many times that he just wants to move on and let the company die with a respectable legacy, pulling this out every once in a while would only serve to help fans remember what a big part ECW played in the history of the wrestling business. They revolutionized an entirely different style and for that, we need some way in which to commemorate that impact.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
