10 Worst WWE Matches Of 2018

3. Roman Reigns Vs Samoa Joe (Backlash)

Shawn Michaels Undertaker Crown Jewel
WWE.com

Fans headed for the exits early as Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe chinlocked their way to one of the most disappointing pay-per-view main events of the year, but was the abysmal assembling down to the men between the ropes or the ones pulling the strings from the relative safety of the backstage area.

Reigns was a Vince McMahon project in such an overt fashion it ruined him for the audience, but going to bat for 'The Big Dog' was presumably an easy win for the "glad-handed Yes Men" CM Punk alluded to when he dropped a pipe bomb years earlier. It's easy to see how Roman Reigns ended up in another pay-per-view main event just a month after WrestleMania's disastrous one, and the topline spot was the least Samoa Joe deserved. But the walk-out reflected a breaking point for New Jersey fans that had literally had enough.

They'd had enough WWE - it had been a week since Greatest Royal Rumble and four since WrestleMania. They'd had enough Roman Reigns - the 'Big Dog' was a two-time loser against Lesnar and wasn't exactly wrestling here like his career depended on it. They'd had enough Backlash - the show was the worst pay-per-view of 2018 and foreshadowed a post-'Mania slump unlike any in recent memory.

Beating the traffic meant so much more than witnessing Roman Reigns beat Samoa Joe. The core value of wrestling as a form of entertainment had never been lower.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 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. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, 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