10 WWE PPVs Fans Thought Would Totally Suck (But Didn’t)

by Jamie Kennedy

1. WrestleMania 36

The Undertaker AJ Styles WrestleMania 36 Boneyard Match
FOX/WWE

You knew this one was coming.

The world, gripped by a health scare, doubted that a pre-taped two-nighter filmed in WWE's Performance Center could mimic the scale, pageantry and casual-fan pleasing allure of WrestleMania. 'Mania 36 was up against it from the off, but everyone worked their tails off to make both cards watchable.

If most fans were being honest, they'd admit that they were worried about this one. The lack of natural (or indeed any) atmosphere would hurt every match, and WWE couldn't expect wrestlers to get themselves motivated. So much for that. 'Mania 36 wasn't perfect, but it was a remarkable success.

Barmy gimmick fare like the 'Boneyard' and 'Firefly Fun House' matches served something different, and Drew McIntyre won the big one (then broke the fourth wall in a genuine, emotional moment) to end the weekend. 'Mania 36 will forever be known as a two-nighter that exceeded all expectations.

It was the escapism entertainment people needed.

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What other pay-per-views did you think would suck but were actually enjoyable? For more like this, check out 10 Things Post-WrestleMania 36 Raw Told Us About WWE’s Future and 10 Things We Learned From VICE’s Dark Side Of The Ring: WWE Brawl For All!

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Contributor

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.