5 Worst Wrestling Matches Of 1996
If there was one word that could be used to describe 1996 in wrestling, it would be ‘workhorse’. This is because the best matches that took place in that year involved the best in-ring workers from around the world: Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Mitsuharu Misawa, among others.
Conversely, the worst matches of 1996 involved the so-called ‘entertainment superstars’, i.e. wrestlers that were big on promos and ‘charisma’, but fell short when it came to actually delivering inside the ring. It isn’t hard to see why such ‘superstars’ get named in a list of worst matches.
Many of them were forced to wrestle in such ridiculous match concepts that they could’ve ruined even the best worker’s day. That is quickly becoming a central theme when looking at bad matches: bad booking is usually the catalyst in making an otherwise passable match worse. And yet, there are other cases whereby two wrestlers simply lack chemistry together or simply lack the skills needed to put on a good bout.
This list will include examples of all of those things.
#5 The Undertaker vs. Goldust – Curtain Call Match – In Your House 10: Mind Games
Back in the 1990s, The Undertaker was often forced to face wrestlers that weren’t the best workers. Goldust was an interesting character, but he wasn’t the ideal opponent for The Undertaker and this match proved that.
Most of the entertaining bits of the match came during its first half, and this was due to interference from Goldust’s valet Marlena. Once that little segment ended, you could see how out of place Goldust looked against the Undertaker. 90% of his offense consisted of strikes, and the few big moves that he did hit barely seemed to register.
While this isn’t a particularly offensive match, it was boring and void of excitement, especially since it was a placeholder match in the bigger (and infinitely more exciting) feud between the Undertaker and Mankind.
In yet another strange twist, this same show featured both one of 1996’s worst matches AND one of its best, with one taking place immediately before the other.