10 WWE Pay-Per-View Matches That Surpassed Expectations

John Cena actually carried The Great Khali to a fantastic match at One Night Stand 2007...

Great Khali John Cena One Night Stand 2007.jpg
WWE.com

In a perfect world, every single match would be great. Unfortunately, that can't be the case and there are always going to be bouts that don't live up to pre-match expectations.

Using a classic example, John Cena and The Rock were unable to improve on their match from WrestleMania XXVIII when they locked horns for the second time at 'Mania 29.

The first match was, arguably, better than expected, but it felt like something was lacking during their rematch. Cena and The Rock weren't able to surpass the hype, defying expectations to produce a match worthy of the main event slot. 

They're far from an isolated case, but what about those clashes that actually do exceed themselves?

For a match to surpass expectation, it doesn't need to have been considered a surefire disaster. In fact, it doesn't even need to be a match people felt would be bad going in. Those listed here were all enjoyable matches, but it's true that they achieved a level far beyond what many expected going into them. 

As a result, most of them are revered as memorable, but let's look at what helped make them stand up and be counted...

10. Charlotte Vs. Sasha Banks Vs. Becky Lynch (WrestleMania 32)

Great Khali John Cena One Night Stand 2007.jpg
WWE.com

Hopes were high that the women of WWE would produce a match to be proud of at WrestleMania 32, but nobody expected them to steal the spotlight.

Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks worked wonderfully well together, crafting a piece of work that must be considered one of the greatest female matches in company history.

Everything came off without a hitch, the match was one of the smoothest on the card. Watching back over the bout reveals that it's just as fun second time around, which is a huge compliment.

There was a lot of pressure on these women to deliver, such had been the hype surrounding the 'female revolution' in WWE beforehand.

They didn't only put together a solid showing, the trio smashed expectations and have thus set the bar extremely high for themselves going forward.

It's unfair to say there may never be another match as good for the WWE Women's Championship, but it certainly remains to be seen whether anyone can top this.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood.