WWE’s 10 Worst Moments of 2016

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 11
Next

WWE.com

9. The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Appearance Gets Wasted

The mythical Undertaker’s appearances are increasingly rare, so WWE needs to make the most of each one. Putting him with Shane McMahon is not making the most of it.

If there was ever a sign that WWE’s creative team is incompetent and cannot cover of logical fallacies, this is it. They booked the Undertaker to face Shane in a Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania, with two major caveats.

If Shane won, he’d have full control over RAW and the Undertaker would have to retire. If the Undertaker won, the status quo prevailed. Needless to say, given WWE’s recent direction, it would’ve actually been more exciting to see Shane win.

Unfortunately, WWE accomplished a whole lot of nothing with this match. The contest itself was a resounding disappointment, save for Shane’s spectacular dive off the top of the cell. It made the entire roster look weak, as the 46-year-old Shane showed he could go toe-to-toe with the Deadman. There was no interference, nor any special gimmicks to give the match any added drama. It was a slow, plodding match, to be sure.

What’s more, the booking didn’t make sense before, during, or after the match. Why was Undertaker OK with this stipulation, given that he normally does whatever the hell he wants? What would stop Shane, had he won, from reversing Vince’s stipulation and reinstating the Undertaker? But most importantly, why did Vince give Shane any authority the night afterward if he lost against the Undertaker?

These plot holes and booking decisions rendered this supposedly-historic match entirely moot. It also didn’t help that Shane actually walked down the ramp the night afterward (way to sell the pain, Shane).

Most people are doing to want to forget this WrestleMania moment, but odds are it will be a true low point for years, as people look back at 2016 and wonder, ‘what the hell were they thinking?’