WWE Matches That Were PAINFUL To Watch
The violence and/or silence behind some of WWE's most painful ever matches.
Wrestling's not supposed to hurt the wrestlers, let alone the fans.
Bret Hart famously boasted a perfect record when it came to not hurting his opponents, which was all the more impressive as his stuff remains the tightest and snuggest-looking in the history of the industry. Nobody emphasised the struggle on offence and defence better than Bret. And it’s for that reason he’d probably hate at least half of the matches below.
A lot of them don’t just look brutal - they simply are. And those that aren’t are agonising for entirely different reasons.
A fun (?) peek behind the curtain on this one - the original intent of this list wasn't to only include main events, but when things started accidentally trending in that direction, it was simply too easy to make it all the way to 10. That realistically...shouldn't be, but WWE didn't lose a monopoly and alienate millions by accident before Vince McMahon resigned in disgrace.
Via the physical pain of the wrestlers or the personal pain of the viewer sitting through it, all of these headline attractions turned the stomach. Rewatch at your own risk...
10. JBL Vs Eddie Guerrero (Judgment Day 2004)
It was the blade that made it, so the festival of violence that was JBL Vs Eddie Guerrero probably wouldn't make this or any list if the late great 'Latino Heat' hadn't bled a total gusher in the main event of Judgment Day 2004. Nonetheless, it remains at times an excruciating viewing experience.
Ironically, the very strike that caused the cut gets forgotten because of the scale of Guerrero’s bloodletting, but it’s a monster as well. Bradshaw absolutely waffled Guerrero, but such violent headshots happened regularly enough then that standard wrestler justification called for the one triggering this gusher to be a doozy.
In real life in 2004, Guerrero was glad to be freeing himself of the responsibility of being Champion, but few speak of this match as a kayfabe failure to win the belt back - they only remember the horrifying visuals. That’s how ends constantly justified means once upon a time.
It’s all very of-the-era, simultaneously serving as a reminder of why said era eventually had to change.