10 Wrestling Moments That Couldn't Live Up To The Hype
7. Shawn Michaels Vs Mr Perfect (WWE SummerSlam 1993)
WWE's propensity for a bait and switch in recent years was far less potent at the peak of their original late-80s boom, and lesser still during the years the entire business went in the bin.
The last thing the company needed was to chase off potential viewers by lying to the last remaining loyalists, which is precisely why they booked a Shawn Michaels/Mr Perfect Intercontinental Title match at SummerSlam 1993. A workers match between two premier workers for the workers title, designed entirely to satisfy audiences that liked Shawn's suplexes as much as they liked Perfect's superstar quality.
Built tremendously from a backstage brawl at WrestleMania and a hotshot title change with Marty Jannetty on Monday Night Raw, the match found 'HBK' just before his prime and established former titleholder Perfect just after it. Diesel had recently debuted as Michaels' enforcer, the wrestlers were both tremendously over as heels and babyfaces, and the contest itself was destined to bang. Christ, if you're of a certain vintage, just thinking of the hype creates brand new hype.
Vince McMahon tried his hardest to sell a wrestling match for a change, and for whatever reason, the wrestlers themselves couldn't play their part. Dull, bizarrely uncoordinated and without a finish, it stood for years as one of the company's greatest disappointments.