10 Biggest WWE Pay-Per-View Match Disasters

Today marks 23 years since Unforgiven 1999 took place.

A decent show with a stacked Six Pack Challenge main event over the vacant WWE Title, the show is nevertheless probably best remembered for featuring one of the worst matches WWE have ever put on pay-per-view.

The infamous Kennel from Hell match was the culmination of the wacky feud between Al Snow and the Big Boss Man, and saw both competitors wrestle in the old school blue bar cage, with the Hell in the Cell cage surrounding it, as Rottweilers patrolled the gap between the two structures. To win, one wrestler would have to somehow leave both cages, lest he be mauled to death by the hungry hounds.

An interesting idea in theory (maybe), it was a total failure in execution. Not only was the content of the match itself bad, but the Rottweilers were not properly trained and were more concerned with going to the toilet or humping their trainer's legs than following the script.

It was not good. But, amazingly, it might not have even been Boss Man's worst match inside the Cell that year!

Yes, WWE have presented some real stinkers after we've forked over our hard-earned money in the past. Few are worse than the following 10 disasters.

10. Stevie Richards Vs. Tyson Tomko - Unforgiven 2004

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It's never good when a match starts because a big, bald man in tattoos calls another man wearing women's close a 'cross-dressing hermaphrodite'.

Is it?

Tyson Tomko finally got his hands on the meddling 'mystery woman', after 'she' (Stevie Richards) had been interfering in Victoria's matches for weeks. It was not a well-kept secret, of course, and the Problem Solver had had enough.

The storyline was the pits and the match an abomination. Tomko stripped Richards and then beat him down to total silence, save for a couple of 'boring' chants here or there.

That Stevie busting out the testicular claw was the match's highpoint should give some indication as to just how bad the whole thing was. Sadly, he was then quickly distracted by his own bra and was hit with Tyson's finisher, whatever that was called.

None of this had any business being on pay-per-view. Or on television. Or in a wrestling ring.

9. D-Generation X Vs. The Brothers Of Destruction - Crown Jewel 2018

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WWE's shows in Saudi Arabia have, on the whole, been very poor indeed, with few truly gripping bouts and a reliance on ageing part-timers often dragging match quality down significantly.

While some of these legends matches have had an aura of spectacle about them, many have simply fallen apart.

Look no further than D-Generation X and The Brothers of Destruction completely stinking out the joint at Crown Jewel 2018 for an example of this.

Shawn Michaels actually came out of an eight-year-plus retirement for this horror show which, despite only being one bad match amongst countless great ones, actively harmed the reputations of all four performers and both teams.

Things weren't helped by Triple H suffering a torn pectoral muscle early on and having to gut it out for the rest of the long match with a very painful injury. But everything was off on this night. The timing and chemistry just weren't there, and several moves and spots were blown. At one point, Kane's mask just fell off his face.

It became an embarrassment to watch, and everyone involved looked relieved when the whole thing finally came to a merciful end.

Personally, I'm just glad they were all paid in the seven-figure region for their efforts. That really makes things much better, don't you think?

8. Alexa Bliss Vs. Randy Orton - Fastlane 2021

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It was hard to pick just one terrible match involving either Bray Wyatt/The Fiend or Alexa Bliss, but I've had to go for this abomination from Fastlane 2021.

The supernatural silliness has its audience, sure, but that audience is primarily children under the age of ten who haven't seen a proper horror film.

For almost everyone else, it is nails-on-a-chalkboard viewing and we just pray that nobody else walks into the room while it's on.

WWE obviously felt safe in presenting such drivel, since fans were not yet back to watch the shows in person. How else could they have a match that started with The Viper vomiting up black goo and included such hits as Alexa summoning a wall of fire and making a light fall from the Thunderdome ceiling?

The ending was eye-roll-inducing, too, as the charred corpse of The Fiend emerged from beneath the ring, like a Poundland Jason Voohres, and hit the Sister Abigail to hand Little Miss Bliss the victory.

7. The Ultimate Warrior Vs. Goldust - In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies

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The Ultimate Warrior's 1996 WWE comeback was not a success.

WWE decided against their better judgement to bring him in again as they were feeling the pressure from WCW during the burgeoning Monday Night Wars, paying him a boatload of cash while also agreeing to promote some of his outside independent endeavours, such as his comic book.

Warrior repaid them by putting in minimal effort, from his return squash bout with Hunter Hearst Helmsley at WrestleMania 12, to his series of matches with Jerry Lawler and Goldust, which included some of the most pathetic WWE pay-per-view matches ever.

It should be noted that Dustin Runnels had a knackered knee going into their match at In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies and that he was basically told to tape it up and get on with it, which obviously didn't help things.

He was also Intercontinental Champion and WWE clearly didn't want to take the title off or beat him properly at this point, so you knew a screwy finish was coming.

The first five minutes (yes five) were basically Warrior smoking a cigar in the ring while Goldust and his crew - wife Marlene and an unnamed bodyguard played by the former Mantaur - stalled on the floor.

Seven-and-a-half minutes we were 'treated' to a first offensive move and, twenty seconds after that, the match was over, as the Bizarre One was counted out.

Post-match, the unnamed bodyguard took some of Warrior's signature stuff, to give fans something approaching a 'match', I guess, but the damage was done and the bloom was well and truly off the rose when it came to Jim Hellwig.

6. The Brothers Of Destruction Vs. KroniK - Unforgiven 2001

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Despite what some may tell you, KroniK were, in fact, awesome.

Brian Adams and Bryan Clark came together at the tail end of WCW to wreak havoc on the company's tag division and were, genuinely, one of the best parts of the show at the time.

They finally showed up for the Invasion a few months in and, led by Stevie Richards, targeted the Brothers of Destruction.

What should have been an epic hoss fight between two teams of behemoths at Unforgiven 2001 turned out to be KroniK's second and final WWE match.

It was a major styles clash and KroniK (who likely had a fair bit of ring rust to work out and were also carrying injuries) looked lost out there, being out of position for much of Kane and 'Taker's offense and doing a less-than-stellar job at selling.

You could read clearly on The Deadman's face just what he thought of the botch-filled bout, and he reportedly had words with his opponents backstage afterwards.

The upshot was both Adams and Clark were asked to go to WWE developmental immediately following the match. Adams agreed, while Clark quit in protest.

5. The Miz Vs. Damian Priest - WrestleMania Backlash 2021

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As an actual match - you know, the wrestling part - The Miz versus Damian Priest's Lumberjack offering at WrestleMania Backlash 2021 wasn't a colossal blunder filled with glaring mistakes or anything.

It was what it was. Not outright terrible, not great. Not even good. Just sort of 'there'.

What gets this one onto the list is the fact that the lumberjacks were played by zombies. Now was that actors playing zombies or 'actual' zombies flown in from the movie they were starring in?

I don't know and I don't really want to think about it for too long, if that's OK.

This whole charade was a vehicle to promote the upcoming Netflix film Army of the Dead (starring none other than former WWE star Dave Bautista).

Since this was still the pandemic era and fan weren't in the building yet, WWE felt comfortable turning a grudge match into a commercial for the film, having been paid by the studio to do so.

Priest won and the zombies - who were polite enough to stay in their designated ringside area - devoured Miz and John Morrison after the fact.

Sure. Fine. Whatever.

4. The Undertaker Vs. Big Boss Man - WrestleMania XV

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Expectations were high going into The Undertaker and Big Boss Man's Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania XV.

After all, the first two (proper ones) had been classics and the Deadman had been involved in both of those. In the first, he and Shawn Michaels set the standard with an epic for the ages and, in the second, Mick Foley had turned in one of the most incredible performances in any match in history.

So what were The Phenom and the man from Cobb County, Georgia going to pull out to live up to that legacy, on the Grandest Stage of Them All no less?

Nothing, as it turns out. They did nothing but plod around and do some weak brawling for ten uninspired and hugely disappointing minutes. It didn't even have much blood, as the colour 'Taker got was weaker than a Ric Flair nosebleed.

It didn't help that both were heels and the Russo-penned storyline going in was confusing, resulting in a noticeable lack of heat.

But still, neither man put the effort in here and the Cell gimmick was totally wasted. Adding insult to injury, the post-match angle where The Brood hanged Boss Man from a noose attached to the Cell, was deeply insulting.

3. Jerry Lawler Vs. Michael Cole - WrestleMania XXVII

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Much was made of Jerry Lawler's lack of WrestleMania moment in the run up to his match against fellow announcer Michael Cole at the twenty seventh edition of the event.

After it was all over, I'm guessing he wishes it had stayed that way.

Considering Cole is not a wrestler and Lawler works a very specific style that requires a competent dance partner, it was never going to be a classic. But after ages of Cole tormenting The King, it could have at least been a definitive, feelgood ending to their feud (which did have a lot of heat).

It would have been ten times better if Jerry just battered him around for a minute or two, hit the second-rope fist drop, won and then fed Cole to special referee Steve Austin for a Stunner and beer bath.

Instead, the two wrestled (if you want to call it that) for close to fifteen actual minutes. That's longer than undercard bouts between Edge and Alberto Del Rio (for the World Heavyweight Title no less) and Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes received, and almost as long as the WWE Title main event between John Cena and The Miz.

It was fourteen-odd minutes that felt like fifty, with Cole being completely lost out there and not having a clue what to do. Worse still, the match had a Dusty finish, as Lawler seemingly won only for the Anonymous Raw General Manager to overturn the result.

Road agent Dean Malenko received some flak for the way the match was put together afterwards, but I doubt it was The Iceman who suggested the 61-year-old veteran and his non-experienced colleague go for so long, including entrances and post-match shenanigans.

2. Goldberg Vs. The Undertaker - Super ShowDown 2019

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An Attitude Era dream match that turned into a nightmare on foreign soil, Goldberg versus The Undertaker was not only a shocker as far as quality goes, but could have also ended The Phenom's career.

There wasn't much of a story going into the Super ShowDown 2021 main event, other than Da Man and the Deadman were two of the biggest stars of a bygone era (twenty years ago) and had never wrestled each other before.

The match actually started off well enough, as Goldberg hit two huge spears right out of the chute and they teased a couple more big moves, before Goldberg went for spear number three, missed and collided with the ringpost.

And I mean really collided.

Big Bill was knocked loopy and busted open from the impact and, really, the match should have been finished there and then.

Because later on, Goldberg attempted a Jackhammer and dropped 'Taker right on his head and neck in a terrifying moment. After the injury the action itself was really weak and sad to watch, but the ugly botch woke everyone up to the severity of the situation as it unfolded.

They soldiered on a little longer, with Goldberg falling over as he tried a Tombstone of his own before 'Taker hit the real deal, spiking his opponents head into the mat as well.

These two should have never been put in this scenario, given their age and physical limitations. It came within a hair of being so costly that no amount of Saudi paydays would be able to make up for it.

1. Gerald Brisco Vs. Pat Patterson - King Of The Ring 2000

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In their day, Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson were two highly-respected and accomplished professional wrestlers.

By the turn of the new Millennium, however, they were older and, true to form, were turned into jokes by WWE.

As Vince McMahon's stooges, they were great value and added plenty of entertainment to WWE programming. But things took a turn when WWE booked them into a feud over the Hardcore Title, culminating in a Hardcore Evening Gown match at King of the Ring 2000.

This whole thing really felt like it was done for the benefit of a small circle of people in upper management who found it hilarious, because it certainly wasn't entertaining or enjoyable for fans in the arena or those paying for the privilege at home.

The Hall of Famers were out there in wigs, bad makeup and ill-fitting dresses and basically stumbled around like two drunks outside of a kebab shop on a Saturday night.

Crash Holly mercifully ran in and put a stop to things after just over three painfully unfunny minutes, stripping the Stooges down to their lingerie (naturally) before bonking Patterson on the head with a bin and winning the title due to the 24/7 rule.

I can almost hear the guffawing from the Gorilla Position...