10 Brilliant WWE Success Stories That Should Have SUCKED

1. The Undertaker’s ‘Boneyard’ Match

Rhea Ripley Damian Priest Dominik Mysterio Judgment Day
FOX/WWE

Wrestling was obsessed with cinematic silliness during the closed door 'pandemic era'. Being fair, why not? Empty arenas meant WWE and AEW could experiment with different ways to keep folks at home entertained, and the cinematic fascination did throw up some gems.

The quirky 'Boneyard' battle between The Undertaker and AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36 (the weirdest 'Mania ever) stands out for the right reasons, but it could've gone badly wrong. This on-location brawl was shot like a bad B-movie at times, and yet it mixed hammy acting with stunts to delight everyone watching.

Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman in a 'Swamp Fight', or Britt Baker vs. Big Swole fighting in a dentist's office, this wasn't. WWE acknowledged how ridiculous the thing was, and that let fans feel like they were in on the joke. There was zero pretence that this was to be taken mega-seriously, which helped.

Disaster averted, and history made.

What other WWE success stories should've sucked? For more like this, check out WWE 2K23: 8 New Features You Need To Know About and Every Champion In WWE (And Who Should Beat Them)!

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.