20 WWE Royal Rumble Undercard Nightmares

2. Randy Orton Vs John Cena (2014)

Yokozuna Undertaker
WWE

The first victim of what would prove to be an annual disagreement between the company and their paying audience, the WWE Title match between Randy Orton and John Cena took place against a torrent of abuse hurled at both men and the organisation itself.

Foreshadowing the incomparable disdain they'd heap upon the Royal Rumble match, fans spent the entire contest chanting for sentimental favourites Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, before regaling the match itself with 'This is Awful', 'Boring', and some at one point visibly turning their backs on the ring.

It was not strictly an attack on the wrestlers themselves, but more WWE's insistence on placing them in a match of this standing yet again whilst a deep roster of talent floundered and the company's potential breakout star Bryan was made to take a clean loss in the opener of that very show.

Proving the occasional power of a live crowd, the match was completely destroyed as a result, with even the usually-unflappable Cena appearing rattled by the sheer toxicity.

When Orton sealed the win thanks to help from the Wyatt Family, the live reaction didn't reflect that a conclusion had been reached, just that an unpleasant experience was finally over.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett