25 Worst Wrestling Moments Of 2023

In retrospect, LA Knight and Bray Wyatt's 'Mountain Dew Pitch Black' match at Royal Rumble 2023 feels like a bad prophecy of things to come in terms of WWE scandalously crowbarring adverts and product placement anywhere they can. Nevertheless, this tasteless insertion of a soft drink into Bray Wyatt's final feud and match has aged like milk for obvious reasons.

Bray Wyatt was a mastermind who understood psychological horror. LA Knight's insecurities and inabilities were a perfect target for Wyatt, because he could crawl like a spider into Knight's ear and lay eggs of discontent inside his psyche. The feud itself was fine, but the payoff match was a disaster.

The match took place in the dark, with the ring ropes and Mountain Dew logo on the canvas lit by black light. 

Unfortunately, it made the bout look like it was taking place in a stoner college student's room. Knight's ring gear looked radioactive, and Wyatt spilling water around the outside of the ring for no reason but for visual effect looked stupid. The usually superb Michael Cole overselling the match as a spooky experience on commentary was nauseating too.

Plus, Knight's neon-lit kendo sticks looked like festival glowsticks at a local village fete. Pat McAfee introducing Uncle Howdy's appearance with a "well...howdy doody, sir" only exacerbated the ridiculousness of the whole situation. The blast of pyro that greeted Howdy's elbow from hanging scaffolding felt cheap and schlocky, as did the entire match and idea behind it.