10 Wrestling Moments That Exploited Nostalgia (And Failed)
1. "Greatest Hits"
Well, well, well.
That isn't a rueful shake of the head with which to express disappointment in Shawn Michaels; that's just what the Kingdom threw the remains of Jamal Khashoggi into ahead of a show that WWE proceeded with, in spite of profound moral objection, because propaganda is the future of revenue.
But fans were disappointed, also, in Shawn Michaels' decision to abandon his retirement vow for this match, on this show. The idea of Michaels working Kane in Saudi Arabia wasn't quite as uplifting as an AJ Styles dream match, and even a guilt-ridden Michaels knew this. When questioned over his decision, he couldn't look his accuser in the eye.
The match was rotten, and in a mass indictment, Michaels was the best worker in it by some distance.
Kane was his usual, lumbering self, and did his usual, overexposed routine, only much more slowly. His mask and wig fell off in the hot sun, which was piss funny poetry. Greed ruined what remained of his mystique.
The same was true of the Undertaker, who must have worked on his ring rust at the Performance Center for how crap he was at catching dives. He lost a breath versus hair match. Triple H, in great cosmetic shape, suffered a muscle injury, hurling the match off the rails.
In tandem with vengeful fate, they crafted an uneven embarrassment, like sh*tting the bed on a lumpy mattress.