10 Times WWE Failed At Forced Emotion

3. Tommy Dreamer's WWECW Hardcore Homecoming

Triple H Crying
WWE

Though his retrospective perception as the "heartbeat" of the original ECW is a little overstated, Tommy Dreamer nonetheless was a mostly beloved component of the blood and guts league, the fans of which grew to respect his willingness to endure stupid amounts of punishment.

He mirrored his career trajectory in the ECWCW revival - without excessive blood-letting, naturally - in being positioned as a sympathetic enhancement talent. It didn't really work. He was meant to legitimise the "New Breed" by jobbing for them, but the whole enterprise was doomed from the start; the new brand was so opposed in style, attitude and authenticity to the original league that it was met with widespread criticism.

All of which served to compromise Dreamer's purportedly heartwarming homecoming in Philadelphia at Night Of Champions 2009.

"And for one moment, all is right with this world!" screamed a hysterical Matt Striker, as Dreamer wrested the title away from Christian via Jack Swagger at Extreme Rules. His win was well received - but his homecoming was met with indifference. As he made his way to the ring, Striker stated that "You can just listen to the ovation from the WWE Universe to a man that embodies passion and dedication."

The ovation was conspicuous in its absence. "These people believe in Tommy Dreamer!" bellowed Striker, as they all - to a man - sat on their hands. Dreamer looked moronic when he, as scripted, mouthed the word "wow". He - and WWE - were expecting a raucous reaction. They absolutely did not get it.

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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!