10 Most Disappointing WWE Matches Of 2016 (So Far)

5. Dean Ambrose Vs. Chris Jericho - WWE Extreme Rules 2016

Brock Lesnar Dean Ambrose WrestleMania 32
WWE Network

This one was effectively doomed from the start, so badly thought-out was its concept.

Designed to limit the action portion of the match - which some traditionalists call the important bit - Jericho and Ambrose were forced to climb the cage just to initiate the sequences. In any cage match worth its salt - of which there are so few these days, sadly - the cage escape attempts are meant to prolong the drama.

By the time they slowly scaled down the cage, fans were hardly clamouring for either man to hammer the other with the assortment of weapons, which isn't surprising considering one of them was a bloody mop. We get that Ambrose is meant to be zany, but this choice thoroughly undermined the drama.

The commitment to Ambrose's character was admirable, mind.

This would have been much better served as a variation of Hell in a Cell, with the (re-conceived) weapons dangling from the inside of the walls at arm-height. Though a Hell in a Cell match had only been presented two months earlier at WrestleMania 32, it's not as if an abundance of gimmick matches has precluded similar over-saturation in the past.

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!