10 Wrestling Matches Fans Can’t Agree On

5. John Cena Vs. Bray Wyatt - WWE WrestleMania XXX

Ospreay Ricochet
WWE.com

If a story contains zero dramatic tension, does it really work?

The storyline heading into the John Cena Vs. Bray Wyatt match at 'Mania XXX was Bray Wyatt's insistence that Cena, far from a man of virtue, was in fact an illusion - the gurning face of an "era of lies". Wyatt was intent on turning Cena into the monster he convinced himself he was. Cena, meanwhile, was intent on rising above (I'm sure we've been here before) and proving that he was a swell guy - one who just happened to kick people's heads in for a living.

On the night, Wyatt adopted a masochist role - willingly absorbing and enjoying the punishment Cena doled out, cajoling him into intensifying it yet further to reveal the monster within. Many praised the unique, story-heavy match structure, feeling that it was a welcome deviation from the standard WWE norm.

Others, meanwhile, felt the novel plot was undermined by its protagonist. Cena was never likely to turn heel on the night, and moreover, he had already shown no qualms about deploying the barbaric offence Wyatt had attempted to draw from him. At TLC 2010, Cena (quite fittingly) buried opponent Wade Barrett under a stack of raining chairs. In comparison to that, the threat of Cena smashing Wyatt with the steel steps was tame.

Undermined by both reality and storyline positioning, the story had too few stakes to resonate.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!