10 Underhyped Wrestling Matches That Blew Everyone Away
2. "I Quit" Match: John Cena Vs. JBL (Judgment Day 2005)
After their rather underwhelming WrestleMania 21 bout, there wasn't much reason to expect anything but an also-ran clunker of an "I Quit" match from John Cena and JBL at Judgment Day 2005.
But shifting the focus away from a pure wrestling match was a smart move given JBL's strengths, allowing him to way brutal waste to Cena for long stretches, while emphasising Cena's never-say-die attitude.
It's probably pointless to call an I Quit match of all things overbooked, but in this case the overbooking is exactly what makes it so much fun. It's also extremely bloody, with both men spilling colour which only further heightened the drama.
Even the screwy finish, in which JBL quits before John can beat him to a pulp with a metal pipe, feels consistent with JBL's established character, while demonstrating just how far Cena is willing to go to win.
As both a barmy rollercoaster ride and a smart piece of smash-mouth storytelling, this was outstanding.