10 Over-Hyped Wrestling Main Events NOBODY Even Remembers Now

That match you were sold for months and weeks as the biggest thing ever. Did it even happen?

Triple H Goldberg
WWE

All Elite Wrestling president Tony Khan recently took grief from a certain corner of the fanbase for effectively delivered a gift to the other three.

In what had to be the textbook example of not being able to please everyone, Kenny Omega Vs El Hijo de Vikingo was billed as a “dream match” because in the eyes of plenty, it was. Literally so - the Dynamite main event drew one of the strongest numbers for the show in recent memory, with a closing quarter hour spike atypical for Wednesdays. That was perhaps just as informed by a show-long angle and hook dropped in the opening segment, but that itself was a smart way to get people to watch and understand exactly why the contest was a dream scenario for some without a video package in sight.

Omega/Vikingo's electrifying effort will be discussed at the end of the year as one of 2023's best, and will stand as a monument to the unique skills of both for the rest of their respective careers. People will remember it for years to come. For a weekend graphic drop with lofty expectations, it didn't just live up to the hype, it massively, massively surpassed it.

Unlike...

10. John Cena Vs The Rock (WWE WrestleMania 29)

Triple H Goldberg
WWE.com

Nicknamed "Twice In A Lifetime" as a riff on WWE's own shameless marketing of the original bout one year earlier, John Cena and The Rock's WrestleMania 29 WWE Championship match was always part of a several-year plan in conjunction with 'The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment'. But as far as plans went, it just wasn't a 'Great One'.

John Cena getting "made" by The Rock was a fine idea in theory, but WWE were years late to the execution of it. The feud was hotter when it was an actual rivalry rather than a battle for the belt or the intended mutual respect to follow. 'The Champ' was irrefutably the company's biggest star and well on his way to iconic status without requiring Rock or anybody else to raise his hand. The payoff simply wasn't the grand finale the organisation expected it to be.

A weaker match subjectively, it also couldn't live up to the box office expectations set by the pair's monster effort the year prior. Over 150,000 people were less inclined to buy the spectacle the second time around, and - like the show itself - it's rarely revisited around WrestleMania season.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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