Great wrestlers’ worst matches

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

AJ vs Nakamura comes to mind, the Mania match, for all the hype after it was announced at the Rumble, was a massive let down capped by the odd decision to turn Nak heel post match and the subsequent rematch at the first Saudi show wasn’t much better

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

Stupid double post

Edited September 2, 2025 by RIDDUM_N_STYLE

[Callum1993]

For Undertaker I’d argue him and Goldberg in Saudi has to be the absolute worst. Goldberg had a load of stinkers particularly in the first WWE run in 2003 but for Taker this was really bad. Nearly killing each other with the Tombstone/Jackhammer. The failure to hit the Tombstone at the end and the weak Chokeslam to win it. Awful. 
 

 

[Dai]

Speaking of Eddie, Im willing to give his later run a free pass because of his issues, but the WCW Vault recently uploaded his match with Flair from Hog Wild 96, and it's a complete dud. Has to be the worst Eddie match on PPV in the 90s, and must be up there with one of his worst on TV in the 90s too, when he was so good. 

[SaitoRyo]

4 minutes ago, Dai said:

Speaking of Eddie, Im willing to give his later run a free pass because of his issues, but the WCW Vault recently uploaded his match with Flair from Hog Wild 96, and it's a complete dud. Has to be the worst Eddie match on PPV in the 90s, and must be up there with one of his worst on TV in the 90s too, when he was so good. 

Really? I remember that being pretty decent. They had some really fun ones on Nitro around that time, too. 

They had a really disappointing one at King of the Ring 2002, though. Eddie was initially scheduled to wrestle Austin on the show, but Austin walked out a couple of weeks beforehand. The match with Flair was too long and plodding and reeked of two guys who hadn't had some house show matches to work stuff out. Eddie later said that he made a mistake by trying to wrestle a different type of match when he should have just done a Ric Flair match. 

[tiger_rick]

31 minutes ago, SaitoRyo said:

Really? I remember that being pretty decent. They had some really fun ones on Nitro around that time, too. 

It's decent. The first 5 minutes or so with Flair on offence doing his boring chops and punches and stalling outside is dull but it gets good when Guerrero is on offence and Flair is playing the hits. Finish is different too. The lock up at the beginning with the sun setting on them is seriously great. Hogwild 96 is a good looking show on all the wide shots with the sky and the hills. Sadly, the hard cam of cars and bored bikers lets it down. Eddie looks absolutely tiny opposite Flair too.

[TheScarlettChad]

[RedTwoster]

10 hours ago, RIDDUM_N_STYLE said:

AJ vs Nakamura comes to mind, the Mania match, for all the hype after it was announced at the Rumble, was a massive let down capped by the odd decision to turn Nak heel post match and the subsequent rematch at the first Saudi show wasn’t much better

I don’t know if it’s either of their worst matches, though. AJ’s lost a step or ten in ring, in recent years - and I’d say his recent match with Logan Paul was worse.

His matches with Dusty Rhodes in TNA was even worse than that…

And his matches with Larry Zybysko was also pretty bad…

As for Nakamura, I can’t speak for his Japan stuff, but his match with Jinder Mahal at Hell in a Cell was definitely worse than the AJ match…

 

[TheScarlettChad]

38 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

I don’t know if it’s either of their worst matches, though. AJ’s lost a step or ten in ring, in recent years - and I’d say his recent match with Logan Paul was worse.

His matches with Dusty Rhodes in TNA was even worse than that…

And his matches with Larry Zybysko was also pretty bad…

As for Nakamura, I can’t speak for his Japan stuff, but his match with Jinder Mahal at Hell in a Cell was definitely worse than the AJ match…

 

Jinder vs anyone in that run could fill up this thread. 

[Supremo]

AJ Styles being so allergic to Wrestlemania will always be fascinating. Endless list of disappointing matches on the Showcase of the Immortals. Someone that talented, it’s mad to think his best Wrestlemania match is a pre-recorded episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with The Undertaker.

[tiger_rick]

AJ, great as he was, got stuck with some absolute dregs in those fairground days of TNA. David Young, Red Shirt Security, Glen Gilberti, Mike Sanders, etc. Not a fucking chance anything in his WWE run smells as bad as that.

[TheScarlettChad]

1 minute ago, tiger_rick said:

AJ, great as he was, got stuck with some absolute dregs in those fairground days of TNA. David Young, Red Shirt Security, Glen Gilberti, Mike Sanders, etc. Not a fucking chance anything in his WWE run smells as bad as that.

Not to mention the slurs. 

[Callum1993]

56 minutes ago, Supremo said:

AJ Styles being so allergic to Wrestlemania will always be fascinating. Endless list of disappointing matches on the Showcase of the Immortals. Someone that talented, it’s mad to think his best Wrestlemania match is a pre-recorded episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with The Undertaker.

And arguably his best actual in ring match at Wrestlemania is with Shane McMahon of all people. 

[herbie747]

5 hours ago, Callum1993 said:

For Undertaker I’d argue him and Goldberg in Saudi has to be the absolute worst. Goldberg had a load of stinkers particularly in the first WWE run in 2003 but for Taker this was really bad. Nearly killing each other with the Tombstone/Jackhammer. The failure to hit the Tombstone at the end and the weak Chokeslam to win it. Awful. 

The thread is called "Great wrestlers’ worst matches" - neither of those are great wrestlers.