5 Worst WWE Main Events in History

WWE, in its current form of television building interest for matches, specifically main event matches with it's headline performers, began way back in 1985 with it's Wrestling Classic pay-per-view (which was anything but a classic) on November 7 of that year as WWE sought to build on the success of their major Closed Circuit event, the debut WrestleMania which had caused the company to explode into the consciousness of the mainstream.

The main event of that card was the woeful final match of the tournament between The Junkyard Dog who was charismatic but had an extremely limited repertoire of moves versus Macho Man Randy Savage. The match ended in a count out victory for JYD.

Despite the limitations of the in-ring participants in the company, WWE's strategy was a financial success and became a tried and tested formula that the promotion used to promote its events from that point onwards.

WrestleMania 2 held the following year on April 7, 1986, drew an incredible 250,000 PPV orders which is phenomenal when you consider that only a few million homes were wired for pay per view at the time but was headlined by a dull Cage match between Hulk Hogan and the enormously immobile, King Kong Bundy.

That was followed by WrestleMania III which drew over 78,0000 paying fans to the Pontiac Silverdome in Chicago and an unbelievable 400,000 pay per view orders for what remains one of the most famous main events in history between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant.

What is less talked about it is how woeful that match actually was. The bodyslam and leg-drop pinfall finish from Hogan on Andre was the only highlight of a lethargic encounter in which Andre could barely move and Hogan could do little with him.

If it hadn't been for the electric promotion and unmatched atmosphere it is likely the match would not be fondly remembered today.

The 1980s and 1990s were full of uninspired headline matches. For every Bret Hart versus British Bulldog there as a Diesel versus Sycho Sid.

In the 2000s onwards the action up and down the card greatly improved with most performers able to deliver at least an adequate match. In 2018, woeful main event matches are thankfully largely a thing of the past.

In the following slideshow, let revisits the five worst WWE main events that have ever taken place on pay per view in the company's long history.

#5 The Undertaker vs Roman Reigns (Wrestlemania 33 - April 2, 2017)

The Undertaker and Roman Reigns underwhelm in the main event of Wrestlemania 33

The Undertaker was visibly in pain, hampered by a troublesome hip injury and over three decades of wear and tear on his battered body. Few people were clamouring for an Undertaker versus Roman Reigns match in 2017, however, that is exactly what WWE decided to give the WWE Universe as the Wrestlemania 33 headliner.

Reigns was unable to carry his older foe to anything unacceptable.

The fact the pair were sent out there for 23 minutes under these conditions was baffling.

In the 13th match of a stacked card, the live crowd was completely burned out before the headline match and the combatants could not engage their audience due to the plodding action.

The opening was acceptable as both men brawled in an exciting exchange but the match fell apart from there as Undertaker just could not move. His struggles were highlighted by a botched Tombstone Piledriver spot where Reigns attempted to reverse into a Tombstone of his own but could not lift "The Phenom" who could not propel himself into position either. The pair just slumped to the floor.

Reigns won the match with a succession of spears and superman punches and slaps for the victory.

Undertaker seemingly retired post-match but the moment lacked impact given the pedestrian action that preceded it.

In a bid to retire on something more of a high note, Undertaker returned to action the following year at Wrestlemania 34 and wisely spent just under three minutes in the ring.

#4 Hulk Hogan vs Sid Justice (Wrestlemania VIII - April 5, 1992)

Hulk Hogan versus Sid Justice: A calamity

The initial plan for the headline bout at Wrestlemania VIII was to be a title match between Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan.

However, after the pair had drawn poorly together at house shows in the months leading up to the show and Hogan agreed to take a break from the company following the event due to the bad press he had garnered for lying on the Arsenio Hall Show about his past steroid use, WWE changed tack and booked Macho Man Randy Savage versus Flair and Hogan versus Sid Justice instead.

The undercard WWF Championship match between Flair and Savage was a classic match, however, the headliner between Hogan and Justice was a disaster.

The bout lasted under 13 minutes but even with it's truncated length the match could not be saved.

The bulk of the match featured a dull test of strengths and an interminable nerve pinch from Justice on Hogan which put the capacity crowd to sleep.

Justice hit Hogan with the powerbomb that Hogan hulked out of which is when this match really went to hell.

Hogan's patented legdrop finisher was meant to draw a disqualification finish with outside interference but Papa Shango missed his cue by a long, long way and Justice was forced to kick out.

Then, Justice's manager Harvey Whippleman drew the DQ instead although it was impossible to tell why. Finally, Shango arrived to the ring and he and Justice double teamed Hogan until The Ultimate Warrior made his unexpected return to the company to run off the heels.

It was a memorable end to a terrible main event.

#3 Triple H vs Randy Orton (Wrestlemania 25 - April 5, 2009)

Triple H and Randy Orton contest the worst Wrestlemania main event of all time

Considering the immense talent of Triple H and Randy Orton, their lack of chemistry in the ring is extraordinary.

After having contested dismal bouts in 2004, 2007 and 2008, WWE strangely decided to book them in the main event of it's heavily hyped Wrestlemania 25 show.

Considering the original plan was for the Wrestlemania Championship matches to pit Triple H versus John Cena and Randy Orton versus Edge, which then were fresh matches, it is even more baffling that the company decided to change course.

The only legitimately great match of their run together was a Last Man Standing Match at No Mercy 2007 but despite stipulations being imperative to making a match between the pair worthwhile, the Wrestlemania encounter had none.

Making matters worse, Triple H versus Orton followed the instant classic five-star encounter between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.

Part of the problem was that Triple H and Orton had battered each other in a long series of over the top angles such as Orton RKO'ing Triple H's wife Stephanie and "The Game" invading and destroying Orton's house with a sledgehammer.

By the time, Wrestlemania rolled around there was nothing they had not done to each other and without a stipulation was a major anti-climax.

For 25 deathly dull minutes, the pair traded rest holds and repetitive slams while the crowd sat on its hands.

The worst Wrestlemania main event of all time.

#2 Diesel vs Sycho Sid (In Your House 1 - May 14, 1995)

Diesel and Sid - Uninspired in the ring

By May of 1995, Diesel had reigned as WWF Champion for six months but had failed to ignite as Champion.

Aside from passable bouts versus the smaller and more agile Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, Diesel's title defences were lumbering, dull, awkward bouts.

The problem was that the Champion was primarily pitted against men larger and less agile than him. He was incapable of carrying matches himself given his relative inexperience; a fact that often led to disaster.

Diesel was programmed in an interminable three-month feud with the former Sid Justice, newly monikered Sycho Sid.

Their first bout at the inaugural In Your House event was a complete and total bore.

The match went nearly 12 minutes. In truth, if it was to stand a chance as a match it needed to go half that.

The half of the match that should have been cut was Sid holding Diesel in a chinlock which lasted around five minutes. Bereft of drama or heat, this hold killed the crowd's limited interest in the headline bout.

Both men exchanged powerbombs before Sid's ally, Tatanka jumped in for the DQ finish.

The interminable match didn't even have a proper finish. A total mess from start to finish.

#1 Diesel vs Mabel (Summerslam 1995 - August 27, 1995)

Mabel vs Diesel: The worst main event of all time

Diesel's WWF Championship reign was not remembered for its classic matches. In the second woeful main event of his run as WWF Champion to make this list, the giant was forced to defend the strap versus the mammoth five hundred pounds, Mabel.

In a situation strangely mirroring today's WWE, WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon was frantically trying to get Diesel over as his number one babyface star in the promotion as he is stubbornly doing so with Roman Reigns today.

Like Reigns in 2015 to date, Diesel was failing to win over the crowd were who keener on the smaller, more athletic babyface stars such as Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

McMahon's solution was to continually book the seven foot tall Diesel against bigger or heavier wrestlers in order to portray him as a plucky underdog.

It didn't work with the limited Sycho Sid and it sure as hell did not work with the immobile and clumsy opening match act, Mabel.

WWE wisely recognised the action would be limited and booked the main event at their second biggest show of the year to go just nine minutes.

However, despite the limited runtime, the match was dire; even outside interference from Lex Luger could not save it.

Diesel could not perform his Jackknife finishing manoeuvre on his enormous opponent so performed an unconvincing looking shoulder tackle (that barely connected) for the pin.

In the real world, Diesel was very unhappy with Mabel during the match as he felt his foe was being too rough with his offence with the Champion suffering with a legitimate back injury going into the match. That lack of co-operation showed in the worst main event match in WWE history.