10 Main Event Wrestling Gimmicks That NOBODY Liked

1. 'Embrace The Hate' Kane

Chris Jericho Painmaker
WWE

Kane is a divisive wrestling character, the reception to whom ranges from "kewlest sh*t ever" to "cringeworthy and tedious, but Slow Chemical was a great theme".

Look at the fall in buys between Backlash 2000 (675,000) and 2001 (375,000). That is horrendous, and what's to blame? Psycho Killer Steve Austin and Kane. And that was the better version of Kane; 'Embrace The Hate' 2012 Kane was excruciatingly sh*t horror b*llocks. Horrendously uninspiring.

The Elimination Chamber PPV data bears that take out; of the pre-Network years (2010-2013), this version of Kane drew the worst number of the lot (178,000) when he worked John Cena. Interest in that match was shockingly low, and it was the match, not the annual decline trend; the 2013 edition drew 213,000 buys.

Not only was a thrashed, not-him-again-for-f*ck's-sake Kane sold as the headliner, it was two types of predictable: Cena wasn't turning, nor was he losing so close to his match with the Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII.

That match informed the Elimination Chamber main event; Kane was beloved within WWE as a safe pair of hands, and it was felt Cena was best protected by a mini-feud with a low-risk veteran. A "knows the club inside out" type.

Shockingly enough, Super Cena Vs. Steve Bruce wasn't a thrilling prospect.

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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!