10 Most Unsuccessful WWE Tournament Winners
Hopefully the winner of the Mae Young Classic goes on to greater success.
Wrestling fans are buzzing over the Mae Young Classic, WWE’s first true attempt at a women’s wrestling tournament.
The matches were filmed over a couple days last week, and will air on the WWE Network starting 28 August. In the same vein as the wildly popular Cruiserweight Classic, 32 participants from around the world will compete in the single-elimination tournament to not only be crowned the best but also receive unprecedented recognition from the WWE Universe.
The hype is strong, but there’s concern over the payoff. One can look back to just last summer when the Cruiserweight Classic surpassed expectations, but the follow up to the tournament was disastrous. An entire division of previously intriguing talent has been neutered since gracing the main roster. While the tournament matches were highly anticipated each week, fans have grown accustomed to switching channels or going for popcorn during purple-rope bouts on Raw.
It’s not that WWE can’t do tournaments well; it’s that the company often fails to deliver on the aftermath. After fans have invested in the struggle of these characters to outlast their competition and emerge victorious, they’re usually left disappointed by either the company or the performer dropping the ball afterward. Make no mistake – Austin 3:16 is the exception to the rule.
10. 1-2-3 Kid And Bob Holly
After Shawn Michaels’ and Diesel’s relationship deteriorated during the end of 1994, they forfeited their tag team titles. A tournament to fill the vacancy was announced with all of the federation’s top teams scheduled to participate. Unfortunately, the Smoking Gunns were unable to compete due to injury, so they were replaced by the makeshift pair of 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly.
The underdogs surprised everyone by defeating Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka in the finals at Royal Rumble 1995. It seemed like a prime opportunity for a couple of young guys to get a fresh start, illustrating the spirit of the New Generation.
That wasn’t the case as 24 hours later on Raw, the Smoking Gunns returned to win the tag team titles. The Cinderella story faded like the memory of a dream.