10 Weird Wrestling Matches That Drew Incredible TV Ratings

4. Debra vs. Nicole Bass (Raw - 7 June 1999) - 7.13

Debra Nicole Bass Val Venis
WWE Network

Fans were certainly into "puppies" during the Attitude Era.

Calling this one a wrestling match is stretching the truth a little, but it'd be difficult to leave out a Bikini Contest that was supposed to be for the WWF Women's Title, especially when it outscored one of the most legendary Raw segments in history. Debra and Nicole Bass taking off their clothes pulled a 7.13 quarter hour.

To put that into perspective, the reveal of Vince McMahon as the "Higher/Greater Power" on the same episode posted a 7.03. Raw's main event, The Undertaker vs. Big Show, did a 6.86, and WCW's big attempt to fire back at the WWF in the ratings backfired badly too; Nitro's Sting vs. Randy Savage headliner scored a low 2.48. That means Debra was responsible for almost a five point jump over two of the most iconic stars in the business, and she managed to garner more channel switches than The Undertaker.

All this to see her wear a love heart bikini and hear Lawler act like a horny teenager.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.