If you’re a professional wrestling fan, you’ve most likely heard the age-old “you do know it’s fake, right?” many times over the years. Of course, a lot of fans respond in anger, but others just laugh it off – knowing deep down that the trials and tribulations that these athletes go through supersede the majority of other sports.
Plus, the people who ridicule this form of sports entertainment have clearly never seen any of the matches we’re about to list. From hardcore bouts to matches that really weren’t supposed to go in the direction that they did, some of these contests had people legitimately hiding behind their sofas for fear of what was about to happen next.
Some of the death-defying stunts that feature here are truly breathtaking, however, there are a few matches that don’t include that kind of thing at all. Some of these wars were ‘surprising’ more so for the emotional factor than the physical, with the WWE Universe crying tears of either joy or sadness upon witnessing the match.
That alone should let you know what you’re in for. So with that being said, here are 10 WWE matches that were far too real.
#1 Eddie Guerrero vs. JBL – Judgement Day 2004
hen Eddie Guerrero finally captured the WWE Championship, it was a memorable moment for him, the fans in attendance, and everyone watching around the world. Following the win at No Way Out, his eventual title reign itself was actually quite solid – until Mr Momentum Killer himself, JBL, stepped up to the plate.
In the first big title clash between the two bitter enemies, Eddie took a fairly vicious chair shot to the head. Unfortunately, Latino Heat bladed too deeply, which caused the champ to bleed profusely throughout the remainder of the match.
The canvas turned red and it soon became evident that there was a big, big problem.
#2 John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar – Extreme Rules 2012
Following Brock Lesnar’s return the night after WrestleMania 28, it quickly became clear that we were seeing a different side of the Beast Incarnate. The athletic powerhouse from back in 2002 was gone and instead replaced by a vicious, MMA-trained machine that was clearly told to legitimately bust his opponents open.
Which, of course, is exactly what he did during his first PPV match since returning against John Cena. The two men hit each other with some of the hardest shots that fans have ever seen, and it was genuinely difficult to watch at times.
Still, Big Match John managed to pick up the victory so that’s all that matters right? Right? Wrong.
#3 The Rock vs. Mankind – Royal Rumble 1999
Stop reading this article, go watch the Beyond the Mat documentary, and then return to us.
That’s the only way you’re going to fully grasp the pain and anguish felt by Mick Foley’s family at the 1999 Royal Rumble, where The Rock struck the demented Mankind over the head with 11 gruelling chair shots during their I Quit Match.
For some reason, The Rock just didn’t stop, even though it was clear that Mankind was in some distress and the end result could’ve been a lot worse than it was.
#6 Vince McMahon vs. Stephanie McMahon – No Mercy 2003
A young woman wrestler challenged by her dad to a professional wrestling match, and systematically destroyed in the middle of the ring: that probably rarely happens in the real world, but that doesn’t really factor into the WWE’s decision-making process.
In one of the most uncomfortable matches in the history of WWE, Vince battled (and defeated) his daughter Stephanie McMahon in a sanctioned wrestling match. The fact that Vince won was enough to make us cringe, but the actual message behind this story is what is truly disturbing. Hopefully, we’ll never have to see it again.
#7 The Undertaker vs. Mankind – King of the Ring 1998
People say “this one writes itself” all the time, but in this instance, it’s actually true. The Undertaker and Mankind were – and are still to this day – two of the most fascinating and frightening characters the wrestling business has ever seen. So, naturally, a Hell in a Cell match was the correct form of progression for their rivalry.
What wasn’t necessary, however, was ‘Taker throwing Mankind off the top of the cell and onto the announcer’s table below.
Nobody in the arena could quite get their head around what they’d witnessed, and there was every chance that the man known as Mick Foley had just been killed in front of millions of people.
#8 Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar – SummerSlam 2016
Randy Orton vs Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2016 was a match that was 15 years in the making. They had wrestled before, but since their last bout, both men had gone on to become global Superstars both in and outside of the squared circle.
A majority of the WWE Universe knew Brock would come out on top, but we were at least hoping for a competitive match at the biggest event of the summer. Instead, what we got was a relatively one-sided affair which concluded with Lesnar elbowing Randy in the skull until his head was pouring with blood.
#9 Kurt Angle vs. Shane McMahon – King of the Ring 2001
Anyone who says Shane McMahon isn’t a great wrestler is wrong. Period. The boss’ son never had to even entertain the idea of getting physical in the ring if he didn’t want to, and yet the adrenaline junkie that is Shane-o-Mac was so focused on proving himself to the world that he was willing to put his body on the line in order to achieve that goal.
One such example was back at KOTR 2001, when a planned spot involving Kurt suplexing Shane through some sugar glass went very wrong indeed. It turns out that the wrong glass had been installed, resulting in McMahon landing head and neck first onto the concrete.
Obviously, he proceeded to do it again.
#10 Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair – WrestleMania 24
Everyone and their mother knew that Shawn Michaels was going to retire Ric Flair on Orlando, and yet the poetic storytelling behind the magic made things feel that much more special.
Following a breathless encounter, Flair asked for HBK to give him all that he had, and Michaels duly obliged with one final dose of Sweet Chin Music that brought the curtain down on one of professional wrestling’s greatest ever careers.
We will never forget everything you did for this business, Nature Boy.
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