5 most underwhelming WWE dream matches of the past decade
"Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true!". This famous Aesopian quote helps us keep our expectations from going wild not only in real life but also when it comes to WWE dream matches. Sometimes these matchups may exceed our wildest expectations, and other times they may disappoint us beyond belief.
Dream matches can be underwhelming for any number of reasons, ranging from impossibly high expectations to poor booking. This list focuses on those dream matches that happened in the last decade but did not turn out as well as anyone had hoped. They may not necessarily have been bad matches, but these contests did not do justice to the talent involved.
Here are five dream matches of the past decade that did not deliver in WWE.
#5: John Cena vs The Undertaker, WrestleMania 34
John Cena and The Undertaker are, for many, the two superstars who embody WWE the most in the modern era. The Cenation leader is a record sixteen-time world champion. The Phenom's WrestleMania streak is arguably the most impressive achievement in the company's history. With 25-2 and 10-5 win/loss records respectively, Taker and Cena are the two performers with the most wins in the history of the Show Of Shows.
The duo's towering WrestleMania legacies are the main reasons why their WrestleMania 34 match was considered a letdown. They never met in one-on-one action throughout their primes in the late 2000s and early 2010s However, the icons finally faced off on the grandest stage in the twilight of their careers.
The highly anticipated match ended up being a short and sweet four-minute squash for the Cenation leader. It efficiently served its purpose, which was to re-establish The Phenom as a threat to the rest of the roster following a shaky record in the previous year.
However, the match had little of the spectacle, stakes and in-ring mastery that had come to define both men's WrestleMania resumes. Hence fell short of its lofty expectations.
#4: AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura, WrestleMania 34
AJ Styles talks about his match with Shinsuke Nakamura at #Wrestlemania 34 being considered a disappointment nodq.com/news/593028983… #WWE https://t.co/C3U7DvVnoN
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura's WrestleMania 34 match was not bad by any stretch of the imagination. Such is the skill and pedigree of the two men involved that they could have a watchable match in their sleep. However, this match suffered from expectations heaped upon them due to their incredible match at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10.
2018 Royal Rumble winner Nakamura failed to dethrone the WWE Champion Styles. This led him to execute a low blow on the latter, completing his first heel turn on the main roster. They continued to feud throughout the summer, with the Phenomenal One retaining. This dream match is remembered more harshly than it deserves. However, its failure to emulate their most famous contest and the decision to have Nakamura lose at the peak of his popularity made it underwhelming for many.
#3: Roman Reigns vs The Undertaker, WrestleMania 33
Roman Reigns is one of only two men to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania. The Big Dog achieved this historic feat at WrestleMania 33, to bring The Phenom's record to 23-2 at the time. The achievement was one of the most momentous of Reigns' WWE career, but the match itself was infamously underwhelming.
The main reason for this was The Deadman's fitness, which due to his advanced age and more than 25 years of wear and tear, was at its lowest point. The seven-time world champion walked with a noticeable limp and looked like a shadow of himself due to his injuries. Thus, the match was slow and limited, with Taker wrestling Reigns and Father Time, while his opponent did his best not to injure him further.
The match itself was all the more underwhelming considering it was the main event of the Showcase Of Immortals, but it still managed to add a huge notch to Reigns' belt and contribute to his later success as The Tribal Chief.
#2: DX vs Brothers of Destruction, WWE Crown Jewel, 2018
On this day in wrestling history November 2, D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) defeated The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane) in the main event of WWE Crown Jewel 2018. https://t.co/HhZljJ0ei8
Shawn Michaels retired from WWE in iconic fashion at WrestleMania 26. Mr. WrestleMania went out in a technical classic with high stakes and an incredible story on the stage that he had made his own. For years afterwards, The Heartbreak Kid resisted many calls to come out of retirement and face the likes of Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles. Until he didn't.
Michaels was eventually lured out of retirement for a tag team match with Triple H against Kane and The Undertaker at Crown Jewel 2018. The contest was extremely disappointing to all involved, mainly due to the ring rust and advanced age of all four part-time stars, who had an average age of 51.5 years. The decent buildup to this match and the fact that the Saudi fans got to see these four legends in the ring together were the only positives to be taken from it.
#1: Goldberg vs The Undertaker, WWE Super Showdown 2019
WWE Hall of Famers Goldberg and The Undertaker are two of the biggest stars to ever grace the business. The duo were on opposite sides of Monday Night Wars, serving as mainstays of WCW and WWE programming respectively. They never faced off during The Icon's first stint in the Stamford-based promotion, leaving fans yearning for the dream match when he left in 2004.
The much-anticipated match finally came to pass fifteen years later when the two legends faced off at the Super Showdown 2019. The match was incredibly underwhelming, with the superstars' average age of 53. A concussion to Goldberg early in the match and general ring rust combining to derail it. A Jackhammer attempt that nearly caused a career-ending injury to The Phenom was the nadir of the entire fiasco.
The Undertaker expressed his disappointment with the match in his Last Ride documentary. Thankfully, both men recovered from this black mark in their careers to put on multiple great matches fitting for their legendary careers.