10 WWE PPV Matches That Prove Vince McMahon Lost It

Not even WWE's biggest stars were safe from Vince McMahon's booking HELL.

Shane McMahon Roman Reigns WWE
WWE

The cut off point for this list is SummerSlam 2022. Well, technically it's Money In The Bank 2022, because that was Vince McMahon's final PLE as the lead decision-maker in WWE. He'd return to wreak more havoc creatively after that, but the Triple H era launched at SummerSlam.

There's a three-year sample size too - nothing from before 2019 was considered to keep things closer to the end of Vince's run. That year really was the general nadir of Vince-led booking in the company. He'd run out of ideas, and it showed on TV and pay-per-view. Some of the matches McMahon chucked awkwardly onto supershows that year? Absolutely insane.

Keep in mind that he actually thought these things would get over and draw money. It's awkward to revisit.

Triple H has streamlined WWE PLEs as five match specials with a tight focus on lengthy in-ring action. It's working. There are some annoyed glances from those hoping for more, but...those people should scour what's on offer here and realise they've got it good in 2024! The alternative (stuffing PPVs with too many second-rate bouts) is very, very grim.

Here were some of the worst ones from Vince's final years in charge.

10. Braun Strowman vs. The Miz & John Morrison (Backlash 2020)

Shane McMahon Roman Reigns WWE
WWE.com

2020 was a unique year all-round, to be fair, but there were zero excuses for shoving this onto a big card. Braun Strowman was cast as a friendly monster who only got mad when he thought people were bullying him. It was the launching point for that dreadful Shane McMahon feud to come, but even Braun vs. Shane in a cage wasn't as bad as Vince's plan for Backlash the year prior.

Strowman defended his Universal Title vs. The Miz and John Morrison in a handicap effort that tried to go the comedy route. There might've been McMahon chuckling behind the scenes during the build when Miz and Morrison green-gunged Kayla Braxton or messed with Braun's rental car, but he was the only one laughing.

This was thoroughly crappy.

The actual match at Backlash wasn't much to shout about either. Everyone tried to play for laughs yet again, then Strowman brushed the two-on-one challenge aside like it was nothing. What a waste of everyone's time, man. This shouldn't have been on PPV.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.