10: Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler (SummerSlam ’23)

The WWE product was red-hot by the time they arrived at SummerSlam in 2023, yet there was one match fans had no desire to see unfold.

When Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler in an MMA Rules match was about to commence, fans left to use the bathroom, which was a clear sign that the match had the weakest and most uninspired build on the entire card.

Footage of fans leaving quickly surfaced on social media, and the fans were right to use the match as their chosen bathroom break, as the match was incredibly lacklustre, and received overwhelmingly negative reviews both from fans and critics.

9: Triple H vs. Scott Steiner (Royal Rumble ’03)

The idea of a World Title match on a big-four PPV being a bathroom break match is a wild notion, yet for the 2003 Royal Rumble, WWE delivered a World Title match that was so abysmal, that the match didn’t even belong on RAW or SmackDown.

Initially, fans were excited when Scott Steiner re-signed with WWE in 2002; however, when he wrestled Triple H at the aforementioned PPV, it was evident that Steiner was a shell of his former self. Steiner’s in-ring output had regressed to such an extent that he couldn’t deliver a passable match.

The match featured botch after botch, and the crowd couldn’t care less about the awful action. The match was a huge detriment to the RAW brand, as the match was the brand’s top billing for the PPV, and it didn’t help that the match came before an all-time classic between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit for the WWE Title. The Angle vs. Benoit match was SmackDown’s top match for the show, and the sheer quality of the match was a sign that SmackDown was the show to watch at the time, and if fans invested their time in watching the SmackDown product, they were going to see matches of a 5-star calibre.

In relation to the Triple H vs. Steiner matchup, WWE made the call to have Steiner win via DQ, which was done so WWE could boldly book a rematch the following month at the No Way Out PPV. Whilst this rematch was somewhat better, the crowd had firmly decided that Steiner wasn’t someone they should care about, so they actively turned on him in the featured contest.

8: Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal (Money in the Bank ’18)

For the majority of Roman Reigns’ run as a babyface in WWE, the company struggled with his presentation and booking.

In the summer of 2018, WWE made the call to have Reigns feud with Jinder Mahal. Although Mahal was a former WWE Champion, there was no interest whatsoever in seeing the two feud, and segments between the two were often met with utter silence.

The pay off to the infamous feud would come at the 2018 Money in the Bank event, and the match was met with a disinterested crowd, and a crowd that just wanted to see WWE get to the next match as soon as possible.

The worst thing about the match was that it was one of the longest matches on the entire show, coming in at 15-minutes. This was far too long, and it would have made more logical sense to include Reigns in the annual Money in the Bank matchup instead of a PPV matchup that nobody was pushing to see.

7: Pat Patterson vs. Gerald Brisco (King of the Ring ‘00)

In June of 2000, WWE were moving away from the more controversial elements of the Attitude Era. Whilst the product was still edgy, there was more focus on the in-ring product, and 2000 was a year of outstanding matches across the board.

Unfortunately, WWE had one major exception to this, as for whatever reason, at the 2000 King of the Ring PPV, WWE booked two legends in Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco to wrestle in an Evening Gown match for the Hardcore Title. This match was the last full-length match of both of their respective careers, and it was met with a crowd that wanted to be elsewhere. The two legends wore women’s clothing, and proceeded to perform mis-timed, unfunny spots for 3-minutes.

The only time the crowd remotely came alive was when the incredibly popular Crash Holly hijacked the match. The match should have never made it onto a PPV card, and the match only served to make the dastardly Vince McMahon laugh.

6: Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss (Royal Rumble ’23)

Since WWE introduced the two Royal Rumble format in 2018, they have continued to have issues with matches set between the two Rumbles struggling to engage the fans.

This is completely understandable, as the fans are there to see the two respective Rumble matches, and there is of course, going to be a lack of interest in any matches outside of the two annual Rumbles, and potentially the World Title match.

This was on full display in 2023, when Bianca Belair wrestled Alexa Bliss, and the match came right in the middle of the two Rumble matches. The crowd couldn’t wait for it to be over, which was a shame, as Bianca and Bliss are two of the top female talents in WWE, yet it wasn’t the right time or place for the matchup.

The crowd without a doubt influenced the quality of the match, as the match was awkward, slow, and lifeless.

5: Baron Corbin vs. Madcap Moss (WrestleMania Backlash ’22)

The spot on a PPV match card just before the main event can be a problematic spot to be in. The fans are eagerly anticipating the PPV main event, and they are usually prone to using the match as a bathroom break or getting some last-minute refreshments before the final matchup.

For the WrestleMania Backlash PPV in 2022, WWE placed Baron Corbin vs. Madcap Moss just before the main event, and it was witnessed by a crowd who wanted no part of it.

The feud itself didn’t have a ton of interest, and the match was underwhelming and a TV match at best.

4: Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon (Super Showdown ’19)

WWE’s overall product in 2019 wasn’t in a strong place. Attendance and ratings were down, and WWE were refusing to deliver any compelling storylines on RAW and SmackDown.

WWE were also obsessed with booking Shane McMahon in a prominent heel role on the show, and this dominated screen-time week after week.

WWE would book McMahon to face their top guy, Roman Reigns at the Super Showdown PPV in 2019 which was set for Saudi Arabia. During this time, WWE booked the Saudi shows like novelty spectacles, and this resulted in fans failing to engage with the Reigns vs. McMahon matchup.

It was expected that Reigns would defeat McMahon in convincing fashion, after all, McMahon wasn’t a full-time wrestler, and Reigns was the face of the company. However, in shocking fashion, McMahon would win a total dud of a match following interference from Drew McIntyre. WWE had allowed McMahon to defeat Reigns on PPV, and this highlighted everything wrong with the WWE product at the time.

3: Fandango & Summer Rae vs. The Great Khali and Natalya (Hell in a Cell ’13)

B-level PPV events are traditionally filled with ‘filler matches’. These filler matches aren’t exactly blockbuster matches, yet they should have some weight to them, and should absolutely have a reason to be on the PPV match card.

For the 2013 Hell in a Cell PPV, WWE were struggling on putting together a match card, so they decided to book Fandango and Summer Rae vs. The Great Khali and Natalya. This match didn’t deserve its place on the card, and you could literally hear a pin drop during the match. Fans had either left their seats to use the bathroom, or they had decided to have a brief nap until the next match started.

The match lasted almost 5-minutes, and the match was an example of why the traditional WWE PPV model was struggling to survive.

2: Big Show vs. Big Boss Man (Armageddon ’99)

When Stone Cold went away from WWE in late 1999, WWE made the controversial call to crown Big Show as the new WWE Champion. Big Show was still finding his feet as a babyface in WWE, and the fans weren’t fully invested in anything he was doing, so this subsequently made the call to have him win the WWE Title during one of WWE’s most popular periods a truly bizarre one.

Nevertheless, WWE proceeded with the WWE Title reign, and when Big Show’s first PPV defence was announced, fans were less than thrilled. Big Show would defend against Big Boss Man.

Boss Man, whilst talented, wasn't remotely credible as a main event star in late 1999, so fans knew that Big Show would easily retain, and this influenced the hype heading into the match.

The match wasn’t booked to main event the show, which could have been a sign that WWE had a lack of faith in the matchup, and they knew that this wasn’t strong enough for a WWE Title match on PPV. The match itself was met with crickets from the audience, and the crowd reacted to the WWE Champion as if he was a completely unknown talent. The match was basically a squash match that was better suited for RAW, and the call to book the match on PPV was one of the more nonsensical booking calls of the Attitude Era.

1: Kane vs. The Great Khali (WrestleMania 23)

When WWE formally announced in 2007 that one of the matches for WrestleMania 23 would feature Kane vs. The Great Khali, instant dread was shared across the entire WWE fan base.

The match on paper sounded horrendous, and it had the potential to be one of the worst matches in WWE history. There wasn’t even morbid curiosity in the match, as Khali didn’t exactly have a stellar track record in top matches, and Kane was never going to carry Khali to a good match.

The two former World Champions had zero chemistry, and the match wouldn’t have even been acceptable for a WWE Superstars taping. Khali managed to get the win which completely deflated a crowd that already couldn’t care less.  

The only bright spot of the match saw Kane delivering a bodyslam to Khali, and whilst it was great to see the former WWE Champion involved in the spot, ultimately, Kane should have been in the mix with the other top main event names in the 2007 Money in the Bank ladder match.

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