10 MORE Wrestling Matches That Became Inadvertently Infamous

The Unexpected Aftermath

Jeff Hardy Sting
ImpactWrestling.com

A recent WWE Monday Night Raw script leak revealed nothing overtly different from the other meticulous layouts that have previously emerged online days after television tapings, but it was still nonetheless surprising to see just how planned and prepared a woeful 'B-Team BBQ' segment was when the document dropped.

Every pointless platitude, ineffective interjection and unrealistic utterance travelled direct from the mind of the writer into the mind of the performer. From pen to paper to promo, the robots in the ring were at their mechanical worst because the machine was yet again malfunctioning. It brought to mind the Bobby Lashley/Sami Zayn disasterpiece a week earlier - a segment that presumably wasn't constructed to generate such derision and yet did so with frustrating familiarity.

It was immediately held in infamy alongside 'Bayley: This Is Your Life' and 'The Old Day', two Raw features from recent years kept alive in audience consciousness for creating similar inflammation amongst the fanbase. WWE will argue these weren't troll jobs in the face of such lunacy, but it's hard to imagine they didn't expect them receive such vitriol. These matches weren't intended to survive too far beyond themselves, but will forever be talked about in different tones as a result of their output.

10. Eddie Guerrero Vs Mr Kennedy (WWE SmackDown, 11 November 2005)

Jeff Hardy Sting
WWE.com

A sleight of hand trick Eddie Guerrero had employed several times in the past would provide a fitting finale to a routine television match that proved to be his last in 2005. The 'Lie, Cheat, Steal' catchphrase was embedded into his work as both a heel and babyface during his remarkably short yet hugely eventful WWE career, and newcomer Mr Kennedy's suffering as a result of 'Latino Heat's trickery made for charming television unintentionally immortalised just several days later.

Incredibly upsetting in just how fantastically entertaining it all was, the finish called for Eddie not to cheat by walloping Kennedy with a chair, but to cheat by pretending he'd taken the shot himself. It was the full Guerrero package - a lie about cheating as a way to steal a win. Furthermore, it was a brief break from the intense heel persona he'd portrayed as part of his long-form plan to dethrone World Champion Batista.

Guerrero passed away the following Sunday having won the match and earned a spot on a Survivor Series card he'd ultimately never appear at. With a grin as knowing as his magnificent nudge-and-wink act, Eddie peered down the lens whilst the referee was otherwise engaged, providing new footage WWE could use in tragic tributary videos following his unexpected demise.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett