10 Hugely Underrated WWE WrestleMania Matches

4. Floyd Mayweather Jr. Vs. The Big Show - WrestleMania XXIV

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WWE.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Vs. The Big Show was a rare but welcome acknowledgement and retcon of an initial creative misfire.

Regarded as the least entertaining big money box office draw in the history of his full-time sport, Mayweather nonetheless boxed clever in the context of pro wrestling, brilliantly sending up his sh*theel stigma by brushing his shoulder after subjecting Show to a rapid-fire punching barrage. He then refreshed by drinking water from a chalice in a superb character moment, leading to an incensed Show sending one member of his entourage flying off the apron in a brilliant spot.

Mayweather is and was also known as humourless man who takes himself with the utmost seriousness, which made his terrified squeals all the more rewarding for a fanbase naturally turned off by both his personality and his feature role. A stark and superb physical contrast rendered somehow credible by magnificent smoke-and-mirrors storytelling, this could not have been any better than it was.

Whomever was on road agent duties deserves the highest of praise for using such inexperienced resources to perfection. This is the reason many are optimistic about 'Mania 34's inter-gender spectacular; for better or worse, the company is first rate at booking performers who treat wrestling as a secondary side-job.

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!