10 WWE Matches That Delivered On Their Massive Hype

7. Hulk Hogan Vs. The Ultimate Warrior - WrestleMania VI

WarGames NXT
WWE.com

The WWF, as you'd expect from the participants involved and the grand occasion, went all in on the hype for what they, with a typical lack of restraint, labelled the 'Ultimate Challenge'.

Not only was this essentially marketed as the most important match in company history, it was also a paradigm-shifter; never before had two babyfaces of this standing squared off in a WWF ring. It just didn't happen, and only happened here to firmly cement the Warrior as the new top guy of the promotion, something a transitional heel champion would have undermined.

The WWF didn't deliver a changing of the guard - Hogan's self-serving politicking, and the sand shifting below the feet of the Federation put paid to that - but ultimately, the Ultimate Challenge delivered a classic wrestling match involving a man who often needed to be a carried and a man who could only be carried to three matches of any note.

The Warrior didn't become The Guy, but this became the template for all-babyface WWF matches - a trope WWE returned to at No Mercy this year - and ushered in a revolution, if not an evolution.

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!