10 Great Matches That Inadvertently Ruined Wrestling
BAH GAWD they've killed it!
Has WWE ruined the Women's revolution by having a man win the first ever all-female Money In The Bank ladder match?
On Sunday, James Ellsworth climbed the ladder and literally handed the briefcase to Carmella. This was controversial. The idea that a man, even one who barely warrants the designation, won what was trumpeted as something progressive upset many for reasons that should be obvious. The story had been subverted - until next Tuesday's SmackDown, at least - into yet another pound shop cheap heat tactic of infuriating viewers into watching out of pure FOMO obligation.
It could be argued that WWE ruined the Women's revolution by ceaselessly referring to it as such. That, and the b*llocks booking to which Bayley has been subjected. And Sasha Banks, for that matter. And Emma. And...
This is the match that virtually confirmed the return to the slapstick days of Santina Marella. Whether or not WWE tapped or stumbled into the wider conversation of gender is almost irrelevant. Would you ever see a slapstick manager unhook the carabiner in a men's match?
It could also be argued that the Money In The Bank concept itself had already let out a depressing death rattle long before Ellsworth set back women's rights further than a certain p*ssy-grabbing president.
10. Goldberg Vs. Hulk Hogan - WCW Monday Nitro (July 6, 1998)
You can almost - almost - forgive WCW for giving away the first-time meeting between Goldberg and Hulk Hogan on free television.
Goldberg was white hot at the time. The ceiling on his undefeated streak had lowered; much more of undercard and midcard squashes would have adhered to the law of diminishing returns. The July 6, 1998 edition of Monday Nitro took place at the Georgia Dome. The epic stage was set by a confluence of irresistable factors.
WCW got it half-right. In order to install Goldberg as number one contender, he first ran through Scott Hall. This should have acted as the main event. It was certainly a big enough attraction in its own right. Instead, this virtual number one contendership bout was a precursor to the biggest match WCW had at its disposal. That match was easily one of Hogan's greatest ever, and the euphoria surrounding Goldberg's win was a fantastic moment. But momentary it was; the success was all but forgotten the very next week, when the cycle began anew.
The objective was achieved - WCW won the ratings war that week - but the idea of attracting viewers, ultimately, was to persuade them to purchase pay-per-view events. WCW squandered millions by giving this away for free, and everything presented on pay-per-view after the fact paled in comparison. The audience had been conditioned not to bother with paying.
It wasn't the death rattle, but the first sign of a tumour.