4 times the second WWE match upstaged the first encounter
It is official! WWE has announced Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley II for the upcoming Crown Jewel premium live event. The Beast Incarnate and The All Mighty will collide for the second time this year, with their first encounter being at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view at the beginning of the year.
Given the ill will between the two behemoths, the sequel has enormous potential to upstage their WWE Championship match at Rumble.
On that note, today we will take a look at 4 such instances where the second match upstaged the first one:
#4 The Undertaker vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 28 topped their previous encounter.
The Undertaker and Triple H have battled each other three times at WrestleMania, but their latter encounters garnered highly positive reviews. Their first Mania encounter being in the 2001, Wrestlemania 17, No Holds Barred match. However, after a decade at the Georgia Dome in 2011, Taker and Hunter had the best fight of the night when they tore each apart to shreds in a hellacious match with the same stipulation.
Their "End of an Era" Hell in a Cell match the following year was a match-of-the-year candidate. With Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee, the two Hall of Famers put on an instant and breathtaking classic on the Grandest Stage of Them All. They went over for thirty minutes, and the crowd loved every second of it.
Unfortunately, WWE repeated Taker vs. Triple H at Super Show-Down in October 2018, which fell flat. While that was forgettable, The Phenom vs. The Game III at WrestleMania 28 still remains fresh in our minds.
#3. Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H II at WrestleMania 29 was better than their first match at SummerSlam 2012.
On the night after WrestleMania 28, Brock Lesnar returned to WWE, sending shockwaves through the wrestling world. His first two rivals were John Cena and Triple H. While Cena may have defeated Lesnar in an Extreme Rules match, Hunter lost a high-stakes bout to The Beast at SummerSlam 2012.
The Game looked weak in defeat and returned to challenge his foe at WrestleMania 29 in a No Holds Barred Match. To raise the stakes, Hunter would have to retire if he lost to Lesnar again. Inside the Metlife Stadium, they put on a much better match that exceeded expectations.
The odds were stacked against The Cerebral Assassin, but he persevered through all the pain and torment to defeat The Beast Incarnate in a hellacious encounter to save his career.
#2. The Rock vs. John Cena II at WrestleMania 29 for the WWE Championship was better than their "Once in a Lifetime" encounter.
The only thing more epic than @JohnCena vs. @TheRock at @WrestleMania XXVIII? @JohnCena vs. @TheRock at #WrestleMania 29! #WWENetwork https://t.co/tQ38cbWrtD
When The Rock returned to host WrestleMania 27, it was evident that WWE was building towards a colossal dream match between him and John Cena. The two megastars of the industry collided in a blockbuster main event at Sunlife Stadium in April 2012 under the bright lights of Mania.
The Great One won the match to the delight of the crowd. However, he hadn't seen the end of Cena, who bounced back to challenge The Rock for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29. Although the encounter didn't seem appealing initially, it upstaged their bout from the previous year.
The stakes were higher as the most prestigious prize was on the line. Secondly, Cena couldn't afford another loss to The Rock, and he came in as the underdog, a role he played to perfection. Lastly, this was remembered more because it took all the attention away from the Hollywood mega-star's victory over The Champ.
#1. AJ Styles vs. John Cena II at SummerSlam 2016 was an instant classic.
"That match MADE AJ Styles." - @AJStylesOrg on his classic @SummerSlam match with @JohnCena.
#SummerSlam 2016 airs tonight, at 9e/6p, on @FS1! https://t.co/6Nojgwd4qL
AJ Styles finally landed in WWE in January 2016. After two massive losses to Roman Reigns, Styles turned his attention to the returning John Cena. The Champ and The Phenomenal One collided at Money in the Bank, where the latter won due to interference from The Good Brothers, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.
However, after the brand split, both Cena and Styles landed on SmackDown, which brewed animosity between them, eventually leading to a massive rematch at SummerSlam in Brooklyn.
This encounter surpassed all expectations and silenced all critics. Styles and Cena took each other to the limit, pulling out all the stops. John Cena executed a Super Attitude Adjustment from the top rope. However, after an endearing effort, The Phenomenal One pinned the sixteen-time world champion clean in the ring.