5 of the most predictable matches in WrestleMania history
It's long been argued that an important part of effective storytelling in Sports Entertainment is the element of surprise. Some of the most memorable moments in the history of Pro Wrestling have come as enormous shocks to the viewing audience.
That being said, Sports Entertainment writers cannot avoid writing themselves into a corner from time to time, from which there is only one way out, despite almost the entire fanbase knowing exactly where you're going with your conclusion.
However, there are multiple examples throughout the history of WWE and others that prove predictability isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes there can only ever be one way to finish a story and as long as it is executed well, who cares?
Wrestlemania is not exempt from this, and occasionally there will be those matches that start and end in a very predictable way. Here are five such examples:
#1 Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter - Wrestlemania 7
As far as underrated Wrestlemania shows go, Wrestlemania 7 back in 1991 is most certainly up there. While not quite having the consistent star power of Manias 3, 14 or 17, you would struggle to name a bad match anywhere on this card.
Perhaps one of the reasons why it is seen in a lesser light compared with other solid Manias is the rather uneasy backdrop associated with it. The show took place during the US's first Gulf War with Iraq and pro-American sentiment was running wild across the nation.
Deciding to cash in on this, the always conniving Vince McMahon decided to base his main event storyline around the American hero Hulk Hogan taking on an evil Iraqi sympathiser in Sgt. Slaughter.
Slaughter rallied against what he viewed as the decline of American strength on the world stage and saw defeating Hogan as symbolic of Iraq's ultimate victory over the West.
Going into this main event, nobody expected anything other than a Hogan victory and this is exactly what we got. Indeed, the implications of having Slaughter defeat Hogan on such a grand stage would have been disastrous for the overall media image of the WWF so it's a good job that Vince didn't decide to throw any unneeded curveballs our way.