10 Times WWE Gambled On A New Gimmick Match
5. Iron Man
This was a gamble.
The WWF sold its biggest pay-per-view of the year - during wartime - on the strength of the Iron Man stip. It felt almost defiant; if WCW were to promote old '80s stars in spectacles, the WWF was going to allow its New Generation the most indulgent of athletic theatre to get itself over as the state-of-the-art wrestling company.
It didn't work; this WrestleMania drew the lowest buy rate in the history of the show - even the much-maligned Diesel's sole main event squashed it - and while the Iron Man match headliner generated critical acclaim in some esteemed circles, it remains the most divisive big match in WWE history.
It was...realistic, if nothing else; the ordinarily amazing Bret Hart used a staunch, tedious defensive strategy throughout, knowing it would see him retain the winged eagle as defending Champion*. His fabled excellence was summoned at the death, in a lively finishing sequence, but the crowd weren't at all fired up, having endured 349% of a Baron Corbin heat spot for 48 minutes, only with better submission application. But since the fans watching weren't au fait with the obscure holds, and Vince McMahon called them all whattamanoeuvres, the sense of plight was lost.
How much trouble is Michaels in? wasn't the question most fans asked. They instead wondered how much f*cking time was left.
*It didn't, rendering the whole thing pointless.