Wrestling Matches That Didn’t Meet the Hype

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No.4: WrestleMania 14: Stone Cold vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE World Title w/ Mike Tyson as Special Guest Enforcer

I don’t like adding this match, but I feel like I had to add it. Considering this was the move that the WWE was going to make to usher in a new era and also help move them past WCW in the Monday Night Wars – I expected a lot more. Unfortunately the match was only average.

Shawn Michaels was hurt physically, mentally, and emotionally. He was a wreck with his back injury that would force him to retire after this match. Considering how messed up he was, it is a miracle that he competed in the match. If you read his books or watch the DVD’s about HBK, you’ll know what he went through. Even the WWE Network’s WrestleMania rewind had a special about this match that could shed the light on his battles.

The fact that HBK seemed more like a third man in this match was wrong. Granted Austin needed to be on the front stage of this match as it was the match that was going to put him as the new face of the WWE. But when the WWE announced Mike Tyson as the special enforcer for the match, a lot of the attention that HBK should have had on him went to Tyson.

Granted the media attention that this event had on it because of Tyson’s involvement was a big boost for the event, it also added to the expectations on the match.

Stone Cold with his injuries to his knees and his neck took him from once a very good mat wrestler to now a brawling fighter. With HBK’s injury, he was going to be limited to what he was going to be able to do. Both great story tellers though would help carry this match.

Was the match entertaining? Yeah, it was, but I’m also biased as a huge Stone Cold fan, but a lot of wrestling fans I’ve talked to and read opinions from also agree that this match should have been a lot better considering the attention and the build up around it.

Next: No.3: The Invasion