10 Harrowing Wrestling Matches That Are Incredibly Difficult To Watch

4. Sid Vs. Scott Steiner Vs. Jeff Jarrett Vs. Road Warrior Animal - WCW Sin

The main event of WCW Sin, to be facetious, was harrowing before the grisly injury suffered by Sid defined it.

Scott Steiner Vs. Sid Vs. Jeff Jarrett Vs. Ric Flair’s Mystery Opponent was held months before WCW formally collapsed, though the damage was painfully apparent. WCW couldn’t even do bullsh*t correctly at this point. Sid was announced as being “regarded as one of the greatest big men in wrestling history”. For all his faults, can you imagine Vince McMahon promoting a headline act with such tentative apathy? "He isn't the best, of course not. But some people think he's in the conversation!"

It was clear from the turgid non-action why WCW felt the match needed something out of the ordinary to elevate it. The most memorable spot, outside of the finish, saw Steiner almost tumble arse-backwards out of the ring. The finish itself saw Sid, under duress, climb to the top rope. He could barely perform a big boot - a more accurate description of the move was that Sid lifted his leg up before his opponent ran into his foot - so why WCW top brass felt him capable of a top rope variation is baffling. He couldn’t; the resulting injury was one of the grossest ever seen in a wrestling ring. The company was hopelessly inept at this point, so calling an audible was out of the question; instead, Steiner planted his foot on Sid’s throat as the big man lay helplessly on the mat.

"Looks like he hurt his leg," observed Tony Schiavone observed on commentary. No sh*t. He’d snapped the shin clean in two.

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!