10 Great Wrestling Matches Hidden On Terrible Pay Per Views

5. Chris Benoit Vs. Diamond Dallas Page - WCW Road Wild 1999

Bryan Wyatt
WWE Network

Road Wild was abysmal in both concept and execution.

An indulgence of motorcycle-mad Eric Bischoff, the outdoor August Pay Per View was presented in front of genuine bikers with a genuine disinclination towards wrestling. They almost invariably received the in-ring action as if all but the household names (i.e. the wrestlers more likely to stir up excitement elsewhere) were unknown opening acts at a music festival, an inconvenience to their morning hangovers.

The build was as inauspicious as the setting; DDP in the hype had besmirched Chris Benoit's apparently "easy" mother as a means of instigating their dispute. Regardless, the two contested a gripping match, which didn't just rely on frenetic outside brawling to engage the passive crowd. In a choice display of character, Page ramps up his pseudo-deranged stepdad shtick by removing referee Charles Robinson's belt, with which he strikes Benoit to successfully stir the bored crowd.

In a vastly more uncomfortable mental image, he then chokes Benoit with it in an eerie premonition. That said, if one is able to revisit Benoit by separating the man from the performer, the match holds up as an example of talent transcending unreasonable restrictions - the best of the worst of WCW, in microcosm.

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!