11 Legendarily BAD Wrestling Runs (With One ICONIC Moment)
Sometimes, just ONE glorious moment makes you forget terrible WWE, AEW, TNA and WCW runs.
Some wrestling runs are so foul from the off that they seem irretrievable. You know the types - characters are stinking up the place no matter what they do. Their matches suck, their promos are lame, the storylines they're involved in are crap, and their heart visibly isn't in it. Yep, some wrestlers (even the greats) just hated working for certain promotions, and it was written all over their faces.
Then, as if by magic, one solitary moment offers sanctuary from all of the pain. It might well be downhill from there, or maybe fans went right back to apathetically treating these stars like they didn't even matter, but we'll always cherish the good times. Or good time. Plural might not fit for most of these entries considering the circumstances!
Personalities who were the butt of jokes and had meme-like status standing up for themselves in hot segments, ridiculously naff "workers" who tasted what actually being over was like for at least a couple of minutes, stuffy heels charming their way into an audience's hearts by utilising crafty comedy, and over-the-top silliness earning praise. It's all here, and it runs the gauntlet from WWE and AEW to TNA and even the often-ridiculed WCW.
There are some big star names too. The likes of Bret Hart, Ric Flair and Sting certainly aren't safe from scorn, but there's an upside: They bounced back (albeit briefly) from some of the worst booking ever to earn a spot here. Someone let them know their awards and certificates are in the post.
Time to go from iconically bad to iconically good in a heartbeat.
11. Mike Adamle Stands Up For Himself
Some reading this never watched one minute of Mike Adamle's run as an ECW commentator or Raw General Manager, so they might be asking themselves: 'Was he really as bad as people say?'. No, he was worse. Mike set the tone for the rest of his WWE run by calling Jeff Hardy "Jeff Harvey" at the 2008 Royal Rumble, and he once forgot what the ring ropes were called after replacing Joey Styles in the land of extreme.
At times, Adamle was like a practical joke being played on wrestling fans, but he could point to one of the best moments from the flagship in '08. There's no punchline incoming - Mike squaring up to top heel Randy Orton and standing his ground because he had no choice on the 28 October edition of Raw was brilliant.
That happened just one week before the clownish GM was relieved of his post. Someone line up 'Leave The Memories Alone' by Fuel, because there's a video package on the way. "So here I am with my thoughts of you...". You know the score. That tune will always tug at the heartstrings in a way Mike f'n Adamle just couldn't. He was only in WWE for a cup of coffee.
Despite all of the flubs, his car crash run as an announcer and his awkward demeanour as GM, Mike delivered one of the most believably human staredowns in company history. That should never be forgotten. He was more realistic in this segment with Orton than 99.9% of pro wrestlers walking the planet.
Right, 'So Far Away' by Staind is next for the highlight package.