10 Absolute Worst Matches In The History Of WrestleMania

2. Brutus Beefcake Vs. Honky Tonk Man - WrestleMania IV

Melina Ashley Massaro
WWE.com

The Intercontinental Championship is held aloft by long-time wrestling fans. If Hulk Hogan was the gateway drug, the name on the marquee drawing fans in, it was that beautifully-designed belt and the technical classics contested for it which addicted a generation.

That generation is understandably quick to forget the dismal display that was Brutus Beefcake Vs. Honky Tonk Man at WrestleMania IV. More so than even the progeny of those in charge of the booking pencil, career-long Hulk Hogan sycophant Ed Leslie was probably the least deserving beneficiary of nepotism in the history of wrestling.

"The Barber" was the most successful of Leslie's legion gimmicks, and his being fairly over helped the match, to a degree - but his repertoire was a near-satirical mixtape of rotten 1980s cliche. In the early going, he countered a kick and caught Honky Tonk Man's foot before spending an eternity gurning and mugging to the crowd, measuring their appetite for a retaliatory punch. Unfortunately, those fans were hungry for more.

The risible comedy match, complete with state-of-the-art manoeuvres such as the ol' ten punches-atop-the-turnbuckle, went nearly seven mind-numbing minutes on a bloated corpse of a card.

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!