5 least popular WWE booking decisions of the 21st Century

Many fans cite Austin turning heel and siding with McMahon in 2001 as the moment they stopped watching wrestling.
Many fans cite Austin turning heel and siding with McMahon in 2001 as the moment they stopped watching wrestling.

WrestleMania 35 has been seen by many as a great pay per view, because things ended up going right.

Seth Rollins finally dethroned Brock Lesnar as Universal Champion, the people's choice Becky Lynch defeated her two greatest rivals of all time in the main event, and Kofi Kingston's eleven-year odyssey culminated in capturing the WWE Championship from Daniel Bryan.

But in the annals of WWE history, there have been some very questionable booking decisions, with the company having its fair share of blunders over the past 19 years.

Whether it because of backstage politics or swerves that weren't really thought out, these choices by the Sports Entertainment juggernaut had the fans scratching their heads.

Here are the five worst WWE booking decisions of the 21st Century, and why they left the WWE Universe raging.


#5 Roman Reigns rules the Royal Rumble

Even the presence of the Brahma Bull couldn't save this clunker.
Even the presence of the Brahma Bull couldn't save this clunker.

At the 2014 Royal Rumble, the WWE Universe got strongly behind Roman Reigns, who came up short against the returning veteran Batista.

But after just 12 months of questionable booking for the Big Dog, the fans had turned on Reigns, seeing him as too over-booked, and were clearly in the corner of the recently returned Daniel Bryan.

Despite this, the company pushed ahead, having Bryan eliminated during the match to a resounding boo, and having Reigns win.

I guess WWE had the foresight to see this negativity (but not the foresight to not go ahead with the win), as The Rock appeared, congratulating his relative on the huge win.

You know you've messed up when you have the most electrifying man in all of Sports Entertainment get booed out of the building.

#4 Cena topples the Nexus

Even the 16-time World Champion has said he regrets winning this huge main event.
Even the 16-time World Champion has said he regrets winning this huge main event.

The nWo. D-Generation X. The Shield. There's something special about stables.

And in June 2010, WWE introduced a new one, The Nexus: a group of NXT rookies who were ready to make a name for themselves at the expense of the RAW roster.

With nobody safe, the team of seven (originally eight) rookies went through everyone, from Evan Bourne to Bret 'Hitman' Hart, and eventually came up against John Cena.

Meeting in a seven on seven elimination match at Summerslam, the bout was supposed to be the coming out party for the group, showing they truly meant something.

Instead, the ending was changed, as Cena's team defeating the group convincingly.

Afterwards, The Nexus were never seen the same, and though Cena would be forced to join later, everyone knew their days were numbered.

#3 The Summer of Punk gets cut short

This loss severely damaged the Chicago Made Superstar in 2011.
This loss severely damaged the Chicago Made Superstar in 2011.

In 2011, there was not a single star hotter than CM Punk.

After cutting his scathing Pipebomb on RAW, Punk left the company with the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank, in what many consider one of the greatest pay per views ever.

Sure, returning eight days later didn't help, but Punk was still a top star when he rolled into his Night of Champions match against Triple H.

What seemed like an obvious win for the Chicago Made Superstar, quickly turned sour as the Game pinned Punk, killing his momentum.

Even though Punk would begin his legendary 434 day WWE title reign a few months later, he was never seen as a top star again.

Even I (the biggest Triple H fan around), was left scratching my head at this horrendous booking decision.

#2 The Rattlesnake sides with McMahon

The end of WrestleMania X-Seven is seen by many as the end of the Attitude Era.
The end of WrestleMania X-Seven is seen by many as the end of the Attitude Era.

By early 2001, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin had done it all in the WWF.

A multiple-time World Champion, Royal Rumble winner and WrestleMania main eventer, Austin had literally nothing else to accomplish in the ring.

It was with this in mind that the Rattlesnake decided to turn heel.

Joining the side of longtime-foe Vince McMahon, the story could have been great, but things got in the way.

Most of all, was the fans, who despite WWE's best efforts, simply couldn't boo the Bionic Redneck after so many years adoring him.

With this in mind, alongside the convoluted InVasion storyline, this isn't just seen as the end of the Attitude Era, but for many, the end of their time watching wrestling.

Though the story has its share of fans, most will agree this was bad for business.

#1 Lesnar and Goldberg stink out MSG

Fortunately for the fans, the pair's WrestleMania 33 match was much more exciting.
Fortunately for the fans, the pair's WrestleMania 33 match was much more exciting.

Oh goodness, where do you start with this one?

At WrestleMania 20, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar met in what should have been an explosive bout.

Two of WWE's biggest stars, the match was made all the sweeter by the presence of guest referee 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.

Unfortunately, real life got in the way.

As news emerged that Lesnar was planning to leave to pursue an NFL career, similar reports revealed that Goldberg wouldn't be re-signing either.

With fans hating on the match from the get-go, the two former World Champions did very little to excite the crowd, and even Austin's presence, stunning both out of the company couldn't save it.

Fortunately, the pair would have a much more exciting feud years later, culminating in a rematch at WrestleMania 33.

Quick Links