10 WWE Matches So Goofy They're Actually Great
Those times that wackiness and work rate combined to make magic in the ring.
Silliness permeates so much of the WWE product that it's easy to forget the importance of the "sports" part of "sports entertainment."
Whether it's Vince McMahon's dominatingly, ever-present, childish sense of humor, the cartoonish nature of the WWF/WWE product itself, or simply the underlying carny culture of pro wrestling gone too far, it's not hard to come up with dozens of examples of matches where the Stamford machine ratcheted up the goofiness while dialing back on the quality of the product.
Gimmicks, angles, entire match concepts... seemingly nothing is untouchable when it comes to tickling McMahon's peculiarly-tuned funny bone.
Fear not, though. It's not always so bleak.
Sometimes, whether by sheer luck, by the sheer skill and dedication of the performances, or by the vagaries of circumstance and fate, all of the goofy elements merge to create something great. Something that excels and exceed expectations. Something that outshines by being more than the sum of its ill-conceived parts.
But we're not talking about botches or matches that were intentionally terrible and stupid. The hardcore evening gown match between Brisco and Patterson might've been goofy, but it certainly wasn't great. No Michael Cole. No dancing fat guys.
Today we're talking about those rare occasions when matches are so goofy that they become iconic.
10. The Gimmick Battle Royal (WrestleMania X-Seven)
Wrestlemania has always been The Showcase of the Immortals, but in recent years, it has started to feel like The Showcase of the Superstars We Used to Make. Part-timers increasingly reign supreme over new talent to justify moderate pops.
The one time nostalgia didn't hamper a younger act? Wrestlemania X-Seven's Gimmick Battle Royal, where icons from the past like The Iron Sheik, Hillbilly Jim, and The Bushwhackers mingled with creative misfires like The Goon, the Gobbledy Gooker, and yes, your writer's favorite occupational wrestler, Duke "The Dumpster" Droese.
It was the perfect crossroads of New Generation-era goofiness and the always sought-after nostalgia pop.
Plus you get to watch Brother Love and James E. Cornette accidentally potatoing each other in the corner before getting dumped over the top.