10 WWE PPVs That Couldn't Follow Their Opening Match

6. Royal Rumble 2001 - The Rockers vs. The Orient Express

The 1991 Royal Rumble match is held in fairly high regard - and is considered by many to be the first instance of the stipulation really finding its feet - but the pay per view itself must be regarded as a very average show on the whole. Sgt. Slaughter and Ultimate Warrior stink up the joint for over 12 minutes, while Virgil's long-awaited face turn puts an undeserved sheen on a disappointing tag match. In fairness, even if every undercard match had gone twice as well, the PPV would never have been able to live up to its opening contest - so high was the bar set by The Rockers and The Orient Express. The four men put on one of the most enthralling WWE tag matches of all time, an encounter which manages to be both innovative and of its time. It's a classic, old-school tag match in structure - the type we rarely see these days - but seems lightyears ahead of its era in terms of workrate and athleticism. The finish is white hot too, as an interfering Andre the Giant takes out the Express' devious manager Mr. Fuji, allowing Michaels and Jannetty to hit the double fist-drop for a feel-good babyface win.
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Highly overrated 23 year old from the North East of England. Hanging off of your gangster car.