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Many fans feel that WWE doesn't elevate new stars to the main event scene often enough. But the reality of the inconsistent brand split has allowed that the company to occasionally given new contenders a run with its top titles. That being said, the inherent downside of this process is the occasional underwhelming pay-per-view title match with these untested champions.
These bouts simply didn’t "feel" like WWE world title matches. In some cases, the contests featured lackluster hype. In other words, the competitors weren't perceived as main event stars. WWE sometimes paired top talents with Superstars who weren't on their level. As a result, the matches were quite disappointing.
Generally speaking, the in-ring quality of these bouts was solid. But the perception of these matches made them feel underwhelming ahead of time. Here are five examples of WWE world title matches that didn't deliver.
1) Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger — WWE Money In The Bank 2010
One WWE World title battle which was interchangeable with the show's opener or its mid-card championship matches involved World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio and Jack Swagger. The contrast of Mysterio's agility and Swagger's strength presented a compelling clash of styles. But this pairing didn't click as a main event contest.
The "All-American American" didn't blow fans away with his title reign. In retrospect, it's viewed as one of the least memorable world title runs in WWE history. After he lost the gold to Mysterio at WWE Fatal 4-Way, Swagger executed his rematch clause at WWE Money In The Bank.
While the two men put on entertaining contest, WWE leaned on the lure of the Money in the Bank too much to sell this match. This bout was a semi-passable World Title contest for a pay-per-view card. With Mysterio's victory, Swagger’s trial main event run in WWE came to a close.
2) Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler — WWE No Way Out 2012
During the summer of 2012, Sheamus was enjoying a decent run as a babyface champion on WWE SmackDown. He even had a fresh moniker, as he was called "The Great White."
His WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign represented a marked improvement on his initial stint as WWE Champion. But his second main event run was ultimately defined by a painfully protracted feud with Alberto Del Rio. Plus, as the champion, he drew tepid crowd reactions.
Two months into what would be a six-month reign, Sheamus was delivering in the ring, but he hadn’t been involved in a captivating feud. At WWE No Way Out 2012, Sheamus' defense against Dolph Ziggler was no different. This pairing could easily have been involved in the night’s United States Championship Match. It felt like a match between two mid-card talents.
On the other hand, the show's WWE Championship between CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Kane in a triple threat was quite compelling. The star power of these participants, and the involvement of AJ Lee, made this match a solid program.
The success of WWE RAW's main event match made SmackDown's failure even more apparent. Sheamus and Ziggler have both had successful careers in WWE, but this match wasn't the best showing for either competitor.
3) Alberto Del Rio vs. RVD — WWE Night of Champions 2013
That’s right. This match took place on a WWE pay-per-view. The Night of Champions concept, in which all championships must be defended, often sets up strange and underwhelming title matchs. But Rob Van Dam's match with Alberto Del Rio might just take the cake.
Even though "RVD" could still perform at a high level in 2013, he was three years removed from his forgettable run as the TNA World Champion. He just didn’t feel like a legitimate contender in WWE’s main event scene. The company didn't pull the trigger with RVD at the peak of his popularity. So it seemed quite unlikely that he would win a world title at this point in his career.
As many fans expected, Del Rio retained the title in this match. This one-off would have been fine. But this bout was only the precursor to a hardcore rematch the following month at WWE Battleground. Del Rio won that match, too, so this bout is even more questionable in hindsight.
4) Braun Strowman vs. The Miz & John Morrison — WWE Backlash 2020
It should be noted that this match happened in the pandemic era. Braun Strowman defended the WWE Universal Championship against The Miz and John Morrison at WWE Backlash 2020. The various constraints WWE faced at this time forced the creative team to make do with a limited roster. So in many ways, it's hard to blame WWE for putting this match on a pay-per-view.
Strowman was a transitional champion on WWE SmackDown. He only won the title because Roman Reigns sat out of WWE WrestleMania 36. Strowman's reign was uninspiring, and the build up to his 2-on-1 handicap match against Miz and Morrison at WWE Backlash was dissatisfying, too. It relied on pranks and sophomoric humor rather than legitimate heat.
WWE could have reasonably included this match in the undercard. The logic is clear. With a win, Strowman would have been positioned as as a true monster. Taking out a seasoned WWE tag team could have been very impressive. But as a featured title match on a pay-per-view, this one missed the mark.
5) The Miz vs. Jerry Lawler — WWE Elimination Chamber 2011
Newer WWE fans might be surprised to learn that The Miz defended the WWE Championship against Jerry "The King" Lawler. This match could have been a good main event for an episode of WWE RAW. In fact, the pair previously put on a good TLC match on the show. But a WWE Championship Match between "The King" and The Miz simply didn’t feel big enough for a pay-per-view card.
With two Elimination Chamber matches already scheduled for the show, perhaps WWE felt that it could get away with an unusual title match for The Miz. Plus, a win over a legend like Lawler could have helped The Miz gain even more heat as a despicable heel.
Fans can appreciate how a long-time employee like Lawler got a featured spot on a pay-per-view. But it's also clear that WWE just needed someone to feed to The Miz. WWE RAW lacked other credible challengers for the world title at the time. So WWE was just biding its time until the company's biggest show of the year.
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
