Overrated Mania Matches

[The Brain]

I'm going to play off the thread about overlooked mania classics and go in the opposite direction. What are some mania matches you feel are overrated?

I'll start by going back to what I thought was the worst mania. WM15 ranks last on my mania list and the main event is one of the more overrated matches in the event's history. It was 1999. It was the middle of the Attitude Era. That meant we were going to get a brawl that went all over the arena. I know a lot of people like that but it's just not my style. I would have much preferred it if the match stayed in or at least around the ring. Their other mania matches were much better.

I might get a bit of heat for this but another overrated match is Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker from WM25. Let me make this perfectly clear. It is possible for a match to be overrated while still being great. Overrated does not equal bad. I think this was a great match but I don't think it was as great as a lot of people say. I've heard many people say it is the greatest match in mania history. Even though it is great I don't think it would make my top ten. Maybe right around number ten or so but definitely not number one. For as good as it was it was not perfection like some say. There were some sloppy spots such as a terribly executed figure four and a missed DDT counter toward the end. I also wasn't a big fan of that somewhat botched dive over the rope. Again, great great match. Just overrated. It's probably HBK's fourth or fifth best mania match.

I can't really think of any more examples. There are probably a lot more underrated matches than overrated. Surprisingly I don't often hear people praising mania matches that don't deserve it. That means I'll probably disagree with some posts here but I'd like to read some more opinions.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I have seen that match multiple times, Shawn Vs Taker. I saw it the second time because of all the hoopla people were making about it and shit. And it is all that. It is from start to finish amazing and the crowd is eating it all up for the whole duration. There is no chance you can call that overrated, even with the botched DDT, the botched dive made it that much better because the story that played of it was ís Taker really injured? Can he make it back in the ring in time?

Similarly I will bop you people in the head if you say the Ironman Match. Fuck the fact that there are reports of people leaving or smtg, the last 45 minutes are enthralling. So ye, caution.

Anyway, overrated Mania match, I'd give it to Punk Vs Orton at Mania 27. It was fine, pretty good and Orton was great and all, but on a lackluster show it was mediocre at best.

 

[SuperSteve16]

Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker is my favourite match of all time and I consider it to be the greatest match of all time so to say that I disagree with The Brain is an understatement. We will never see a match deliver in that way ever again in my opinion.

As for overrated Wrestlemania matches, a couple come to mind. The first is Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage at Wrestlemania V. A good match but I think when they think of it, they are thinking of the great feud and not the quality of the match. Sure Hogan kicked out of 3 elbows but the rest of the match was just their and I don't think anyone thought Hogan would lose. Another that comes to mind is John Cena vs Bray Wyatt from last year. Even though some people hate that Wyatt lost, I hear plenty of people praise the match, which I found to be sloppy, boring and one of the worst matches on the card

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

The Iron Man Match, 100%.

This goes with your point about a match still being good while also being overrated. This match was done because star power during that era was at an all-time low, and they needed Bret and Shawn to carry the show. They did a decent enough job when it came to that, but this is definitely not the best Ironman match ever, nor is it the greatest Wrestlemania main event ever as some have suggested. Throw in a lackluster build-up with many of the fans not really buying Shawn as a vanilla babyface and I think it's fair to say the marathon match is overrated, as was the moment where Shawn finally won the belt.

 

[mont3818]

Easily my most overrated match is Triple H vs. Undertaker in HIAC @WM28...
I just HATED how they insisted it was a big deal and 'End of an Era'. I never once thought The Streak was really in jeopardy. They tried to make it so epic and I couldn't care less. I barely tolerated their match at WM27, which was a good match that hadn't been done in a while. This felt like overkill to me and I'll always resent Triple H for wasting one of Takers last matches in a pointless rematch they insisted we thought was a big deal. Also, very slow at times, Shawn was overly involved too.

HBK v. Taker @WM25, however, classic! In the top 3 Mania matches of all time. A couple things: it surprised and surpassed expectations, it was the last time I personally felt like The Streak was at risk, and it did everything a match possibly could to be great. Such an emotional roller-coaster. The botched dive to the outside by Taker made it BETTER. What are you talking about?? It made you think there was real danger in the match and made me appreciate and respect Taker even more. The botched DDT did kinda suck, that's the only bad mark on the match. But I'm willing to look past that based off everything else.

 

[mont3818]

Oh oh, also Rock vs. Cena for the belt at WM29. PREDICTABLE, didn't live up to the hype, both men had injuries/illnesses in the match, the finish was comically bad; Too many reversals that were moot because we all knew Cena was winning anyway. Rematches USUALLY suck, just a rule of thumb. Their first match at 28 was special. This one was forced and annoyed me because it killed Punk's amazing run as champion. Punk would have been just over 500 days as champion if he'd kept it to Mania. It should have been a triple-threat to lessen the predictability and give us something fresh.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

I'm going to agree with mont3818 here. I've always thought the HIAC from 'Mania 28 was, well a load of shit. They tried adding to much drama into it with Shawn over acting and HHH constantly screaming 'stay down!' 'why won't you die!'. I feel this is definitely the worst of the 3 matches they had and probably one of the worst HIAC matches of all time. There was no need for the cell to be there for a start as there was no interaction with it. Add in Shawn being over involved and it was a cluster fuck.

 

[AustinHartLesnarHBKTaz80]

I love both guys, but Savage vs Steamboat at WM 3 is over-rated.

I know at the time it was considered a great match-----but let's be honest here---- i cannot watch this match all the way through without falling asleep. BORING. Forget the story leading up to it, i'm just talking the actual match.

BORING.

Steamboat just oversells the hell out of everything, and it's just very, very slow paced.

Definitely does NOT stand up to the test of time.

***** matches should stand up to the test of time.

Hart/Austin WM 13, Hart/Michaels WM 12, HBK/Undertaker WM 25, Stone Cold/Rock Wm 17 ---- all great matches, and all stand up to the test of time. And i can go back and rewatch them over and over again. Loving every minute of it.

I'm sorry but Steamboat/Savage does not do this for me. This match is so OVER-RATED.

Savage is still one of my all time favorites. IMO, He had better matches in the late 90's in the WCW/NWO period

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

I was at the Reliant Stadium in 2009, so perhaps I'm a bit biased, but to me, HBK-Taker was the greatest match I've ever seen (narrowly beating Flair-Steamboat), 31 minutes of excellence and drama, and a genuine belief that the Streak may have been broken.

As for overrated, my controversial pick would be Bret v Austin - a great match, but why I say it is overrated is I actually preferred their first match, at the previous Survivor Series. So whilst their WM rematch deserves the plaudits it receives, I feel it does overshadow their SS clash, and that is the only reason I would dare to call it overrated.

I'll also add my name to the list of those that feel Bret-HBK is overrated - the match just dragged at points. The 0-0 didn't bother me, but the way they went around it did. Two of my favourites of all time (I hold Shawn up as THE greatest) but this iron man match was underwhelming.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

I agree with the those who have said the 2nd Taker/Shawn match and the 3rd Taker/HHH match. I would also add the following.

WrestleMania XX: Triple H vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit
Most put this match up near the top of championship matches at Mania. While it was good I wouldn't consider it any more than a solid match.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I might get a bit of heat for this but another overrated match is Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker from WM25. Let me make this perfectly clear. It is possible for a match to be overrated while still being great. Overrated does not equal bad. I think this was a great match but I don't think it was as great as a lot of people say.

I totally agree with your judgment of this match, plus the analysis that everything shouldn't be measured in absolutes. So many fans of all types of sporting events often conclude that if a game or match isn't as great as everyone figured it would be, that means it was terrible. Conversely, contests that turned out better than predicted are often depicted as the "greatest of all time".....and both conclusions are often inaccurate.

I would also point to the Undertaker-Shawn Michaels match at WM25. We've been talking about the build-up to WM31 as being absolutely horrible (so far) and contrast that with WM25, which was so well done that many probably thought if a bomb was dropped on the arena the night of the event, professional wrestling as we know it would end.

Instead, it was a good match.....but good wasn't good enough. The respective styles of the fighters were too different to make a superior match-up, imo. 'Taker was always at his best against solid, grounded mat wrestlers like Triple H, Kane or even CM Punk; guys who could feed into 'Taker's methodical style of delivering (and taking) impact maneuvers.

To offer a silly sounding example of the opposite: can you imagine Undertaker fighting a high-flyer like Evan Bourne? What would 'Taker do with him ....especially in light of the fact 'Taker would never be scripted to lose to Bourne? What kind of match-up would it make? A crowd-pleaser? Nah. Undertaker would have to pluck Bourne from mid-air to stop him; or worse, Evan would have to cease his bouncing around and stand in front of 'Taker, inviting defeat.

The same concept applied to Shawn Michaels. I don't recall Shawn ever being in a bad match, yet he was too quick for 'Taker and too small in stature to make the match look effective. Their styles didn't mesh; only the experience of the two made the contest interesting to watch.

I believe their match was compelling to anticipate because of the elite standing of the participants......and a good match when taken by itself......yet, ultimately overrated because some match-ups just don't work.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I might get a bit of heat for this but another overrated match is Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker from WM25. Let me make this perfectly clear. It is possible for a match to be overrated while still being great. Overrated does not equal bad. I think this was a great match but I don't think it was as great as a lot of people say. I've heard many people say it is the greatest match in mania history. Even though it is great I don't think it would make my top ten. Maybe right around number ten or so but definitely not number one. For as good as it was it was not perfection like some say. There were some sloppy spots such as a terribly executed figure four and a missed DDT counter toward the end. I also wasn't a big fan of that somewhat botched dive over the rope. Again, great great match. Just overrated. It's probably HBK's fourth or fifth best mania match.

I've always held your opinions on Oldschool Wrestling in high regard. This does not change that, however I respectfully have to disagree on this match being overrated. In my personal opinion it's the best match both men ever had, and the best wrestling match I have ever seen. I could watch it every day and never get sick of it. We can agree to disagree there if we must. Now then, what I do want to discuss with you from quoting your post is this.... If you put Taker VS Michaels at Wrestlemania 25 as HBK's 5th best, what were the other 3 or 4 you liked best? Chances are they still made my top listing as well, but in a different order.

Ok, as for mine.... much like Brain I am going to put a disclaimer on mine as well. I do NOT think that this match sucks. I just don't think it is as good as people claim it is. My pick for the most Overrated match is the triple threat main event Triple H VS Shawn Michaels VS Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 20. No, it has nothing to do with what Benoit did a few years later. I feel the same about the match today as I did 11 years ago. Good, but not phenomenal. People give it way too much praise in my opinion.

 

[The Brain]

I've always held your opinions on Oldschool Wrestling in high regard. This does not change that, however I respectfully have to disagree on this match being overrated. In my personal opinion it's the best match both men ever had, and the best wrestling match I have ever seen. I could watch it every day and never get sick of it. We can agree to disagree there if we must. Now then, what I do want to discuss with you from quoting your post is this.... If you put Taker VS Michaels at Wrestlemania 25 as HBK's 5th best, what were the other 3 or 4 you liked best? Chances are they still made my top listing as well, but in a different order.

Again, I think it was a great match. Around the top ten or fifteen in mania history. That is high praise. I don't think it is the best match in mania history and I don't think it is the best match of all time like some say. I'm not surprised that many people call it their favorite match. It's not a bad choice. It's just not my choice. I'm not going to tell anyone they're wrong for picking this as their number one match. This isn't about right or wrong. Just preference. By the way, I was there (as I think you were too) and I loved it. Being in that crowd was amazing. Love the match. Just like others more.

As for which HBK mania matches I liked better, I've always been a fan of the Iron Man Match at WM12. I know a lot of people didn't like it but I loved it. I'll also take the match against Jericho at WM19. This is an underappreciated classic. The Taker match is a close number three but I'll still put the ladder match at WM10 ahead of it. It may not hold up since we've seen so many ladder matches since but I very clearly remember watching this in 1994 and it was amazing at that time. After that it's a coin toss between the Taker match and WM21 vs. Angle.

 

[MMK]

HHH vs Undertaker: HIAC

Bret Hart was being kind when he gave it a 4 out of 10.

Typical match for Hunter in the latter stages of his career. Lots of weapons, lots of brawling, lots of false finishes.

But more than that it was just so unnecessary. The whole build up made ZERO sense. Undertaker defeated Hunter a year earlier (AND at WMX7 which they pretended never happened) yet it was he who was pushing hard for a rematch. Why? With the way this match was booked you'd swear Hunter was the one with the Wrestlemania streak.

PLUS it needlessly prolonged the Undertaker/Shawn feud ANOTHER year. The original Shawn/Taker match was terrific. Little overrated but still terrific. The second match was good and a fitting farewell for HBK although the finish was a bit too melodramatic and unbelievable, but the two matches between Hunter and Undertaker were just unnecessary. Especially the second one. It was basically the same feud for 4 straight years with HHH taking over for Shawn in the last 2 matches. Cause you know, if Shawn gets two matches then Hunter has to have 2 matches as well.

It really cemented my distaste for Triple H.

 

[Dagger Dias]

By the way, I was there (as I think you were too) and I loved it. Being in that crowd was amazing. Love the match. Just like others more.

I sure was. Our paths may have crossed that night. Do you remember what section you sat in? I was in the VIP Seating only a few rows from the ring so I had a great view of the whole thing. I'll never forget it. I may be a little biased for that reason, but I've re-watched the footage from the DVD countless times for more than 5 years now and still love it. The crowd atmosphere was just un-real for that match. Taker's entrance was bone chilling, Shawn's Holy parody of Taker's for the start of his own entrance was equally awesome, and everyone's reactions to all the Near-falls.... Nights like that, and being there to see a match like that, are what being a wrestling fan is all about.

As for which HBK mania matches I liked better, I've always been a fan of the Iron Man Match at WM12. I know a lot of people didn't like it but I loved it. I'll also take the match against Jericho at WM19. This is an underappreciated classic. The Taker match is a close number three but I'll still put the ladder match at WM10 ahead of it. It may not hold up since we've seen so many ladder matches since but I very clearly remember watching this in 1994 and it was amazing at that time. After that it's a coin toss between the Taker match and WM21 vs. Angle.

Out of these I rank Taker at Wrestlemania 25 higher than each as I already stated in my other post.... Jericho at Wrestlemania 19, the Iron Man Match at Wrestlemania 12, and Razor in the Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 10 I totally get. Each are a tier below the Undertaker match for me but among my personal favorites. The Angle one at Wrestlemania 21 while also great, I didn't like as much. Won't go as far as to call it overrated, because it's not, but the others you listed as well as both Undertaker matches were all better to me.

 

[BestWrestlingOpinions]

I tend to agree with the OP about the HBK vs Taker. Sure, it was an amazing match with great in-ring action, but what also made it so great is the build being around the streak for the first time ever. It was absolutely amazing. But one of the best matches of ALL TIME? Nope. At WM history, could rank in the top 5, but it doesn't come anywhere near the hype and the "best match of all time" thing that they are giving it.

I mean, we can look in other promotions to find matches with way better in-ring performance, with also being emotional and have great psychology. Heck, I can show you to Cena vs Punk at MitB. Hot crowd, great storyline, great build, and such an amazing much that played up exactly what it was built on. Kinda the same for the match between those two on Raw.

As other people said, overrated isn't bad. HBK vs Taker is just not the best match of all time, it is just labelled as such because of the entities and the storyline involved.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

For those decrying why Triple H got a rematch against the Undertaker, it is my opinion that 'Taker would have faced someone else at WM28, but for the end of his match with Trips at WM27. Undertaker won the match, but he was the one that had to be escorted from the ring, and after WM was seen by many fans, including myself, needing a wheelchair. Now normally I'd call kayfabe, but WWE has been SO protective of the Undertaker character over the years, and they even tried to disguise/hide the wheelchair.

Had 'Taker walked out and been ok, I think both men would have had different opponents in Miami.

 

[No Count Pup]

I hate to mess with a sacred cow. But here goes... Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold is the most overrated WM match of all-time. Though it was perfectly serviceable I think fans glorify the bout based on the closing moments. Minus the iconic Stone Cold image at the end, Hart vs. Austin was no more memorable than Hart vs. Backlund circa 1995.

It is always tough for me to call matches overrated because I know how hard wrestlers work. I feel like a snob at an art exhibit. Nonetheless, I still think this is a great topic and a great thread.

 

[Katie_Vick]

I hate to mess with a sacred cow. But here goes... Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold is the most overrated WM match of all-time. Though it was perfectly serviceable I think fans glorify the bout based on the closing moments. Minus the iconic Stone Cold image at the end, Hart vs. Austin was no more memorable than Hart vs. Backlund circa 1995.

It is always tough for me to call matches overrated because I know how hard wrestlers work. I feel like a snob at an art exhibit. Nonetheless, I still think this is a great topic and a great thread.

I'm speechless. I don't usually comment on this forum but I felt especially compelled to chime in here. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but to say that the ending moments of the match was responsible for its greatness, you are just flat out wrong. Bret vs Austin, top to bottom, had EVERYTHING you want to see in a wrestling match. From great technical wrestling to street fighting and straight up brawling, this match brought it all. This match not only had a constant intensity but a smoothness throughout.

The ending was absolutely memorable with the double turn and the ICONIC image of Austin fighting to get out of the sharpshooter. The double turn at the end would be very hard to pull off nowadays. To compare this match to a very forgettable Backlund-Hart WM11 bout is insulting.

I may be a little biased here but the Hart-Austin feud, capped off by their classic WM13 matchup, is what one of the main reasons why I am still a fan to this day.