Alright, so I was just kinda kicking back the other day, you know, scrolling through some old wrestling memories, and it got me thinking. We always go on about the legendary WrestleMania main events, the ones that gave us chills. But what about those ones at the end of the biggest show of the year that just… well, flopped? The ones that made you scratch your head? I figured, why not actually sit down and really process which ones felt like a letdown.
My Approach to This Whole Thing
So, the first thing I did was just try and list out all the main events from memory. That didn’t last long, my brain’s not a steel trap anymore. So, I pulled up a full list, just to make sure I wasn’t missing any obvious stinkers or even some I’d forgotten were main events. Then, I started to think about what actually makes a main event bad in my book. It’s not just one thing, you know? For me, it usually boils down to a few key points:
- Did the match itself feel flat or boring?
- Was the story leading into it a total dud?
- Did the ending make any sense or was it just a mess?
- How was the crowd? Were they into it or sitting on their hands?
- Did it feel like the biggest match of the year?
Armed with that, I began the task of going through them, one by one. Some, you just know off the top of your head were pretty rough. For others, I actually went back and rewatched highlights, or even the full match if I was feeling brave. Sometimes you gotta refresh your memory, see if it was as bad as you remembered, or maybe even worse!
Digging Into Some Examples
Okay, so after sifting through years and years of these things, and really trying to apply my criteria, a few particular matches really started to stand out as, let’s say, less than stellar. I’m not going to list every single one that made me cringe, but I’ll walk you through my thought process for a couple that really cemented themselves in my mind.
I took a hard look at Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice from WrestleMania VIII. Now, Hogan’s an icon, no doubt. But that finish? Papa Shango running in? It felt so out of left field and just… chaotic. My process here was asking, “Did this provide a satisfying conclusion to the biggest show?” For me, the answer was a clear no. It felt more like a setup for a TV angle than a definitive WrestleMania moment. That’s a big thumbs down for a main event.
Then, I spent some time revisiting The Miz vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 27. I specifically remembered the build-up being all about The Rock. Miz, the actual champion, felt like a complete afterthought. So, I watched the promos again, then the match. And yep, my memory was spot on. The match itself was clunky, and that ending with The Rock essentially overshadowing everyone to set up the next year’s main event? It just didn’t sit right. It didn’t feel like a proper culmination of anything for the guys in the ring that night.
Another one I scrutinized was Triple H vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 32. Massive stadium, huge deal. I recalled the anticipation, or rather, the company wanting there to be massive anticipation. But when I watched it back, focusing on the crowd, they were just not having it for large chunks of that match. And it went on for what felt like an eternity. So, my criteria of “Did it drag?” and “Was the crowd invested?” came into play. It dragged, and for a lot of it, the crowd seemed pretty disengaged with the story they were being told. That’s a killer for a main event. If the people in the building don’t care, it’s tough to feel like you’re watching something special.
What I Reckon After All That
So, yeah, going through this whole exercise wasn’t about just hating on matches. It was more about figuring out what, in my experience, makes a main event truly disappoint. Sometimes it’s just plain bad booking decisions. Other times, the wrestlers just don’t click, or the story leading in has no heat. And sometimes, like I said, the crowd just tells you everything you need to know. It’s usually a combination of factors. It’s funny, though, because wrestling is so subjective. What I think is a dud, someone else might have loved. But for me, after spending the time to really think it over and re-evaluate, these kinds of examples are the ones that just didn’t live up to the hype of closing the show of shows.