10 Times WWE Was Categorically Worse Than It Is Right Now

The Bad Old Days

Triple H Kurt Angle
WWE

And now for something completely different. Or sadly, not.

Have WWE reached the point where Matt Hardy is just about the only full-time performer that isn't profoundly broken?

The gimmick that brought his career back from the brink was squashed through the WWE filter like Vince McMahon's dirty laundry overfilling a lawyer's tumble dryer, but at least his 'Woken' reinvention hasn't yet become as laboured as that analogy or the rest of the main roster.

Bobby Roode isn't 'Glorious' anymore, just in case the silence greeting his once-iconic entrance wasn't deafening enough. Finn Bálor held the Universal Championship for one day - roughly the same amount of time he managed to stay over after what appeared to be a career-saving victory over AJ Styles last October. Bayley would still be a 'Hugger' if there were anybody still left that wanted to reciprocate, but the audiences have been doing their best Sasha Banks impressions thanks to her catastrophic scripting.

Not to parrot a million other similar dissenters, but WWE is currently stone dead. No more. Ceased to be. Expired and gone to meet its maker. Bereft of life. Pushing up the daisies. Off the twig. Kicked the bucket. Shuffled off this mortal coil. Run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible. This is an ex-pro wrestling company.

McMahon's one ring circus certainly isn't flying. But astonishingly, it has been worse...

10. Triple H's World Heavyweight Title Reigns: 2002 - 2005

Triple H Kurt Angle
WWE

There may be a point at which the Triple H reign of terror becomes enveloped in nostalgia for fans of a certain age, but the run was so utterly rancid that surely even those that somehow got into watching wrestling via 'The Game's grisly gateway wouldn't particularly wish to revisit it.

Away from all the rage around his gross political manoeuvring or flagrant abuse of the power he was gradually amassing backstage, Hunter's matches are just really f*cking boring. He was attempting to ape both Ric Flair and Harley Race and finding only the most boring and ponderous aspects of their acts to rob from.

Rob Van Dam, Kane, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner and - most notably - Randy Orton were dropped in dull duds that left them for dead. When he did give a bit back, it was to Shawn Michaels, the one performer (and his best f*cking mate) that didn't need it.

After losing to Chris Benoit without ever really allowing him to be Raw's actual headliner, he finally abdicated the throne for Batista in 2005. Some had the gaul to suggest that his dominance was necessary just to get Big Dave over despite 'The Animal's incredible poise and charisma - Triple H had no choice to bow to his Evolution apprentice's undeniable aura.

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