10 Wrestling Matches You Hated Before You Even Saw Them
WWE and AEW matches fans couldn't stand BEFORE they even happened. Oh, and Ric Flair.
Every wrestling fan can point to matches they were looking forward to that disappointed them. On the flip side, those same folks will have bouts that left them pleasantly surprised by their quality. It's easy to imagine then that no-one really knows if a match will succeed or stink until it actually happens.
Erm...about that.
Some WWE and AEW matches get shoved under fan noses on TV with flashy match graphics and the fanbase collectively sighs - one quick, 'Aw sh*t, this will be a tough watch' later and there you have it. The bout has been pre-judged ahead of time, and often deservedly so.
Wrestling fans know what they like and have differing tastes, sure, but most have watched enough of this stuff by now to have a keen eye for red flags generally. That didn't stop promoters (in WWE, AEW and elsewhere) from sticking these matches on TV/pay-per-view and expecting way more than they ever had any hope to deliver on the night.
These are some of the most detested bouts for a reason. They left a real bad taste in everyone's mouths, and you saw it coming...
10. Brock Lesnar Vs. Goldberg
Event: WWE WrestleMania XX
Why Fans Hated It: Was there any reason to like it?
That's a serious question, by the way. WWE knew ahead of time that both Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg were on the outs and fancied leaving before promoting the biggest card of the year in New York. Word spread to fans jam-packing Madison Square Garden, and company hardcores let the pair have both barrels.
This was never going to end well once people caught on to the idea that Brock planned to spurn Vince McMahon's silver-spoon treatment for the NFL. Goldberg, who had never truly felt like he belonged since joining the prior year, was also about to get a cry of 'f*ck off then' from the audience.
In the end, Brock vs. Bill I was exactly what people expected before watching. Steve Austin, in the guest ref role, only exacerbated fan hatred for everything else because he was viewed as a loyal WWE soldier people still enjoyed seeing.