10 Worst WrestleMania Title Matches Ever

4. Chris Jericho Vs Triple H - WrestleMania 18

Triple H Roman Reigns
WWE.com

WrestleMania as an event is steeped in its own tradition, with several key principles usually being adhered to as part of the very fabric of the broadcast.

Occasionally though, it's vitally important to pull at a loose thread in that fabric and tear it clean away, such as when The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels closed WrestleMania 26 with their 'Streak vs Retirement' blockbuster. For one night, stakes between the pair were far bigger than any World Title, and that was absolutely fine.

Eight years earlier, WWE were yet to learn that lesson. Tradition dictated that the title match went on last, so out Chris Jericho and Triple H went to conclude the broadcast, approximately twenty minutes after a first meeting between The Rock and Hulk Hogan.

No hyperbole will do. Rock and Hogan were wrestling superheroes, mainstream icons, and gladiatorial monoliths in industry terms. Nothing could follow that, not least an inflated Triple H failing to find his form of the previous two years and a Chris Jericho low on confidence after a disappointing run as Undisputed Champion.

Worse still, their feud had seen Jericho relegated to lackey status for Hunter's estranged ex-wife Stephanie McMahon, which killed the heat long before the two even locked up.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 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 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, 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