10 Dumbest Match Finishes In Modern Wrestling History

4. Asuka Vs. Sasha Banks - WWE The Horror Show At Extreme Rules 2020

Shane McMahon Cedric
WWE.com

WWE's pandemic output was horrific, even by the standards of Vince McMahon's decline years.

Surreal, bleak, inscrutable, wacky, nonsensical: when the world just wanted a mere hint of certainty, Vince thought it would be a capital idea to make his product even more confounding.

Surely, though, he couldn't mess up Asuka Vs. Sasha Banks: a great match at the best of times, Asuka was a scenery-chewing delight when all felt lost while Banks was on incredible form in the heel role. The match was excellent, not that it f*cking matters: a furious warp speed technical struggle overflowing with drama, the momentum ping-ponged so rapidly that it was one of few WWE matches that made the absence of fans easier to forget.

And then Bayley put on a referee t-shirt and the match magically ended when she counted the three on Sasha's behalf.

It was sold as a cunning plan, as if it were just that easy. As if it were allowed!

The dumbest Dusty finish ever conceived, it was sold by the commentary team as a result that couldn't possibly stand, and it didn't, but you had to wait for the TV to confirm that. The match wasn't restarted. The implication is that any match could end at any time, if a wrestler put on a referee's shirt, and an authority figure would only intervene when the show needed a ratings bump.

 
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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!