25 Worst Wrestling Moments Of 2022
8. The New Day Lose At WrestleMania 38
Less than one month after Big E's neck injury, and with fans still in a state of sadness and shock, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods took on Sheamus and Ridge Holland at WrestleMania 38. In a touching tribute, Woods and Kingston took to the ring wearing singlets in the style of their injured partner, and the stage was set for The New Day to avenge their fallen brother.
What we got was a victory for Sheamus and Holland in less than two minutes. Holland even scored the pinfall. It was a baffling booking decision, given the sensitivity of the moment and the feeling among fans inside A&T Stadium and watching around the world.
These are the moments when Vince McMahon's creative steps over the line. He has a long-running history of provoking the audience, but this was the kind of tone-deaf booking that defined him in his final years as head of creative. It would have been so easy to give fans a lift after Big E's injury; WrestleMania is made for these kinds of feel-good moments. Instead, it felt as though the maniacal billionaire was stomping on everyone's emotions to generate heat in unneccessary and disgusting fashion.