10 Most Overrated (And Overused) WWE Gimmick Matches

1. Multi-Man Ladder Match

wrestlemania 31 ladder
WWE.com

A fixture of WWE's upper midcard since the tail-end of the Attitude Era, the 'throw-em-all-in-there' approach to once-legendary stipulation has gradually killed the gimmick, the momentum of half the guys entering the contest, and the aura of the ladder match in general.

With some exceptions (most notably Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels at No Mercy 2008), the announcement of a ladder match is now met with no greater anticipation than any multi-man contest, despite the incredible risks attached to the clash.

The only exception to this is Money In The Bank, but that is entirely down to the high stakes stipulation. If the briefcase was suddenly up for grabs in a cage instead, fans would flock to that too.

Cash-in frequency has added to the problem as well, with the stipulation forcing anywhere between one and three of the dangerous spotfests onto cards across a calendar year, dulling the impact and memories of some horrific bumps by guys desperately trying to get noticed amongst the chaos.

Now seemingly a WrestleMania fixture, its heaped more dirt on the grave of the Intercontinental Title, but with a singles match appearing to get the nod this year between Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin, here's hoping the cruiserweights aren't given the poisoned chalice instead.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett