5 WWE Events That Flopped
WWE events are some of the most widely watched US sporting phenomena, with countless stars and billions of dollars made over the last few decades. The WrestleMania main events attract millions of viewers, especially when heavyweight matchups are on offer.
Once billed almost exclusively as a fake sport for kids, WWE has steadily increased its viewership and revenue over the past few years. New demographics like sports bettors are starting to enjoy placing wagers on WrestleMania events, increasing their popularity.
Leading betting sites, desperate to get in on the action, are determined to offer as many WWE bets as possible nowadays. The best sites have countless possibilities alongside bonus promotions and WWE live streaming.
But you don’t have to be a sports betting enthusiast to love watching wrestling events. WrestleMania headline matches are billed as extraordinarily exciting heavyweight matchups, with narrative storylines and controversial behind-the-scenes action.
In 99% of cases, they more than deliver, but there have been several high-profile flops over the years. Sometimes the “Grandest Stage of Them All” is anything but, with mistakes from the organizers or fighters causing an event to flop. Keep reading for five famous examples!
WrestleMania XXVII: John Cena vs The Miz
John Cena is one of the most iconic WWE wrestlers of all time but some of his bouts have undeniably fallen short. A famous example came at WrestleMania XXVII, where The Champ faced The Miz in a WWE Championship match.
The Miz was the defending champion, but this was the last thing on anybody’s mind. John Cena and The Rock had been locked in an escalating war of words for several weeks, and things finally bubbled over at WrestleMania XXVII.
The Rock was the host, leading to intense speculation that he and John Cena would finally settle the score in the ring. Unfortunately, The Miz’s role in all this was quickly forgotten.
Despite The Miz’s position as the defending champion, all eyes were on Cena and Dwayne Johnson. The WrestleMania XXVII event was completely overshadowed, going down as a famous flop.
WrestleMania 32: Roman Reigns vs Triple H
Triple H has been involved in his fair share of controversy, especially after being accused of giving a former WWE star memory loss. WrestleMania 32 will go down as one of his worst matches, with new star Roman Reigns defeating him in a one-sided bout.
WWE fans never really warmed to Reigns, with the majority seeing him as a hand-picked star. The aggressive marketing certainly didn’t help. Reigns ended up as WWE champion, but the crowd booed him so loud you wouldn’t have been able to tell.
Although the fight itself wasn’t bad, the WrestleMania 32 matchup between Roman Reigns and Triple H will go down as a flop. It wasn’t what the fans wanted – something Vince McMahon later acknowledged.
SummerSlam 2010: Team WWE vs Team Nexus
Team Nexus were on the up in 2010, hoping to make a breakthrough as the new No. 1 WWE faction on the block. The SummerSlam was the perfect moment to do so, as they faced off against Team WWE in a 7-on-7 elimination match.
Things started well, with Team Nexus eliminating everyone but John Cena. Unfortunately, what could have been a historic moment was ruined by an outrageous Cena moment. He picked off the rest of Team Nexus one by one, eventually taking the win.
This controversial fight is yet to be forgotten, with Edge and Jericho claiming that Cena had the script changed so he didn’t look weak. Regardless of the particular details, this SummerSlam had so much potential. However, in the event, it flopped.
WrestleMania XXIX: John Cena vs The Rock
One of the most intensely promoted and hyped WrestleMania bouts in history, the match between John Cena and The Rock had been on the cards for more than a year. It had already ruined WrestleMania XXVII and unfortunately failed to live up to the extreme hype.
It was billed as a “Once In a Lifetime” event, with neither wrestler fighting against each other again. John Cena lost but was given a second chance a year later.
The second fight was objectively much better than the first. WrestleMania XXIX was a bit of a flop, primarily because The Rock tore his shoulder and John Cena failed to win the crowd over in a one-sided affair.
WrestleMania XXX: Batista vs Randy Orton
A WWE event so bad it never actually went ahead, WrestleMania XXX with Batista and Randy Orton was called off after considerable criticism from fans.
By this point, Batista was a fully-fledged Hollywood star, and Vince McMahon probably had one eye on the lucrative marketing possibilities associated with The Animal.
The fans weren’t having any of it, though, and the extreme backlash resulted in Randy Orton defending his title against Daniel Bryan instead.