10 Most Disappointing WWE Matches Of 2016 (So Far)

Can we tell Lesnar the suplex stuff is getting boring now (not me, he'd eat my face)?

Brock Lesnar Dean Ambrose WrestleMania 32
WWE.com

A disappointing wrestling match is particularly crushing - especially one in which our favourite wrestlers are featured prominently, often having never been propelled to that stratosphere before.

2016 has been exasperating in this respect, but that is a direct consequence of WWE's abject and continued refusal to align their pushes with the whims of fans. Moreover, the mandated rematch clause, which sadly isn't going anywhere, is a contributing factor.

So many matches in WWE just get going before some kind of screwy finish gets shoehorned in purely to maintain those WWE Network subscriptions. Consequently, even the better matches have been rendered disappointing as a result of an unbelievable contrivance tainting the finish.

Sadly, sometimes the talent simply don't step up and make the most of their opportunity - or, to use Jim Ross' maxim, erm, 'maximise their minutes'. What follows are the 10 most disappointing matches held so far this year. Some of them were on their way to being damn good, too...

10. Undertaker Vs. Shane McMahon - WWE WrestleMania 32

Brock Lesnar Dean Ambrose WrestleMania 32
WWE.com

It might seem churlish to deem this match disappointing - a non-wrestler was involved, after all. Expectations had been curbed by design.

That said, whomever decided to make this 30:02 match the longest on the card really does want shooting - especially since it had a grand total of one objective to hit. All we needed to see was Shane jump off the cell to cement his face character as sufficient opposition for Stephanie.

That could have been achieved with much more ease and acclaim in well under 15 minutes. For the sake of realism - Undi' had gone toe to toe with Brock Lesnar just six months earlier - Shane should have been subject to an absolute thrashing with no shines whatsoever in the first eight to ten minutes.

This would have garnered considerable sympathy for him. His sole comeback would have resulted in the Cell leap spot, thus saving time for Lesnar/Ambrose - and saving us from an amateurish parade of interminable MMA-inspired sequences.

Worse still, the admittedly awesome Cell spot was undermined by those with sharp eyes. You could see Michael Cole reading from his script. I mean, if ever there was one line for the entire night to memorise...

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!