10 Times WWE Couldn't Repeat Success

With a thirty year tenure - and a high-profile, Network-selling four part documentary - yearning for the perfect conclusion, The Undertaker hand-picked the ideal opponent for his WrestleMania 35 swansong. Specifically, one who wouldn't drop him directly on his bonce.

'Taker's brain was assured, but then the world itself turned completely on its head. When it became clear the Showcase of Immortals would be no place for mortals, plans were hastily changed for the Deadman's valediction: this would no longer be a wrestling match played before silence, but a 'Boneyard Match' - whatever that was.

Turned out it was a supremely slick piece of wrestling cinema, a thoroughly entertaining send-off which burnished Undertaker's legacy better than a proper match ever could. Having happened upon a creative solution to the crowdless era's biggest problem - and emboldened by positive feedback rarely reserved for their shows these days - WWE channeled Yngwie Malmsteen by asking: "how can less be more?"

Since 'Mania, cinematic matches have morphed from a rarely seen curio to a hit-or-miss monthly fixture. Though they haven't been universally terrible, not a single one has matched the quality of the Boneyard's literal barnstormer. It's a classic case of diminishing returns.