Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted June 17, 2017 Awards Moderator Share Posted June 17, 2017 Which matches come to mind for you that, when they happened, should have been a bigger deal than they actually were?  Not necessarily big time matches that turned out to be shit - things like Hogan/Sting or the first Lesnar/Goldberg weren't that good, but they were treated as big deals and hyped up going in. I'm thinking of matches between two big names, or big rivals, that should have been a main event, but were shoved in the middle of the card with no build. Matches that should have been on PPV, but were stuck on free TV instead. Matches that they left too long so when it happened, it didn't mean anything, or matches that should have been left longer but were rushed out way too soon. Or matches that got the build, but that build was so shit it made the match less important than it should have been.  I started thinking about this when I was watching a bit of No Mercy 1999 and halfway along the chapters was The Rock vs. The British Bulldog. I'd not actually seen that match before but my fan brain went 'ooh, Rock and Bulldog' because on paper that felt like a big deal to me. (I know that in '99 Bulldog was anything but a big deal, but nostalgia brain was at work). The match itself was absolutely not a big deal, stuck in the middle of the show, barely anything happened, and it was an easy win for Rock. To me, Rock vs. Bulldog was a big-time match, but in reality, it wasn't. Not the best example at all, so for a hypothetical, say, what if both Lesnar and Samoa Joe disappeared off TV until Great Balls Of Fire and then at the PPV they were third match on and the match itself was a ten minute headlock spot followed by a No Contest, and they never had a rematch. Okay, that's another bad example, so what are some better examples of big-time matches that ended up being the opposite?  Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grecian Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 The first Cena vs Batista match. Non-title, barely any build, Summerslam. That should have been a Mania main event.  I also remember Shawn Michael's vs Rey Mysterio suddenly happening on Smackdown as part of HBKs retirement tour. I can't remember them ever facing each other before that (do correct me if I'm wrong!). That should have been on PPV at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yakashi Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 16 minutes ago, Grecian said: The first Cena vs Batista match. Non-title, barely any build, Summerslam. That should have been a Mania main event.  I also remember Shawn Michael's vs Rey Mysterio suddenly happening on Smackdown as part of HBKs retirement tour. I can't remember them ever facing each other before that (do correct me if I'm wrong!). That should have been on PPV at least. Rey beat Shawn Michaels on one of the Eddie guerrero tribute shows I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snitsky's back acne Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 Goldberg v The Rock. On a WWE B-Pay par view with about 3 weeks build, a damp squib of a match (from what I remember) and never referenced again. Should have been HUGE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphinx Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 Shawn Michaels and Jeff Hardy faced off on a Raw but I'm sure they didn't wrestle a PPV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Levity 84 Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 Kenta Kobashi vs. Genichiro Tenryu circa 2005. Â They had some fun tag matches, but I would have killed for a singles contest between these two around this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 Diamond Dallas Page vs The Undertaker. In fact you may as well chuck WWF vs WCW in there as a whole, but that match typifies the flaw in the argument that the Invasion was merely hamstrung by its lack of star power. They misused what star power they did have, so there's no guarantee they wouldn't have screwed up an Austin vs Goldberg feud as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSF Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 Jericho Vs Taker. I think it happened on Smackdown once and wasn't advertised before hand. I'm sure it was their first and possibly only singles match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted June 17, 2017 Author Awards Moderator Share Posted June 17, 2017 5 minutes ago, PSF said: Jericho Vs Taker. I think it happened on Smackdown once and wasn't advertised before hand. I'm sure it was their first and possibly only singles match. Sort of similarly, it looks like Vengeance 2003 might have been it for Undertaker vs Cena. For a match that could have been a star attraction at any of the past 10 WrestleManias, its only occurrence being in the middle of a SmackDown only B PPV, before one of them was anywhere close to the top guy he became and the other was in his least characteristic phase of his career, is a great shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep81 Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 Maybe Goldberg/Sting in '98. They had a really good Nitro main event in September of that year, but it was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. In fact, WCW had a few Nitro matches involving big names happen during that time that could have been saved for a PPV. Bret/Sting probably should have been bigger too tbh. Or maybe just better. Can't remember much of their '99 feud tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Showtime Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 Shawn Michaels and Rob Van Dam had a singles match in 2002 just after HBK won the World title in the Elimination Chamber. I think that could have been a lot bigger than it was. I suppose also Kurt Angle v Hulk Hogan - there was a 2002 King of the Ring bout and a 5-minute Raw match in 2005 during the Hogan/HBK feud but that was about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted June 17, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted June 17, 2017 4 hours ago, HarmonicGenerator said: Which matches come to mind for you that, when they happened, should have been a bigger deal than they actually were? Â Not necessarily big time matches that turned out to be shit - things like Hogan/Sting or the first Lesnar/Goldberg weren't that good, but they were treated as big deals and hyped up going in. Hogan v Sting is actually a good shout. Their first match should have been a massive deal with months of build, but it was a throwaway Nitro in 95 that casuals don't even know happened. Hogan v Bret Hart is another. It happened on a Nitro in 98 with either no build or a one week build not worth remembering. I don't really remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted June 17, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted June 17, 2017 What about Hogan/Goldberg? IIRC that took place on TV instead of a PPV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members PunkStep Posted June 17, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted June 17, 2017 I think that's a bit of a different case though. It absolutely should've been on ppv, however I don't think that diluted it from being a big match/moment as such. It's still regarded as a massive moment, just a poor business decision that stopped WCW from making far more money out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Carr_92 Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 Lesnar v Orton was an odd match. It was really randomly made as the SummerSlam Main Event marking Brock's fourth Main Event in 5 years. That surprised me he's the go-to for that spot since his return. It ended up a tad flat with the TKO ending. Obviously, they've had KO wins in the past, so why not TKO? I know the difference. But it's a strange one to go for as well as the ending. That could've been made a bigger deal out of than just something announced out of the blue for Orton's return which was nice seeing as it was thought he'd be out longer with a reported neck surgery after his shoulder healed at one point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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