The WORST Wrestling Moment Every Year (1989 - 2025)

6. 2020 | An Eye For An Eye

Terri Runnels
WWE.com

When Rey Mysterio’s eyeball was removed from its socket, the moment was so embarrassing and awful that you almost ripped out your own in frustration.

WWE produced a cinematic horror-themed show at Extreme Rules because, stripped of the spectacle and the fan reaction, the show was left only with the pesky wrestling part they have vocally rubbished since 1984. However, since Vince McMahon had failed dismally at every other venture he has ever attempted - and that his brain had liquified into a decaying grey-blue-purple sludge - he was very, very bad at it. 

The concept of a literal Eye For An Eye match was obviously unworkable to begin with. Nobody was ever going to believe the outcome, which of course was never going to be sold. Even as a bit of escapist fun that you weren’t meant to take remotely seriously, this was simply too bad to be so-bad-it’s-good. It was not fun. Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio were stupid enough to graft hard in a long workrate match knowing full well nobody was going to care how good it might have been in the wake of the finish. It was a total waste of time. 

WWE could not even get the psychology of being all-time awful correctly. Seth pushed Rey’s eyeball against the dulled corner of the ring step. This extracted the eyeball when it would have just squished it, surely. 

A cue ball half-painted pink was used as a prop in one of the dumbest wrestling moments ever, so of course Aleister Black based his AEW career around its lore. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!