World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was one of the biggest wrestling promotions in the world during the 1990s.
While it produced some great matches and iconic moments, it also had its fair share of terrible matches, and we’ll be looking at some of the absolute worst offenders in this article.
Key Takeaways
| Rank | Match | Event | Key Issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Hulk Hogan vs The Warrior | Halloween Havoc 1998 | Botched spots, confusing storytelling |
| 5 | Roddy Piper vs Hogan | Halloween Havoc 1997 | Slow pacing, lack of chemistry |
| 4 | Kevin Nash vs The Giant | WCW/nWo Uncensored 1998 | Lack of action, confusing storyline |
| 3 | Hogan & Macho Man vs Kevin Sullivan & The Butcher | Clash Of The Champions #30 | Over-the-top gimmicks, lack of action |
| 2 | David Arquette & DDP vs Eric Bischoff & Jeff Jarrett | WCW Thunder 2000 | Celebrity involvement, poor execution |
| 1 | Judy Bagwell on a Pole Match | New Blood Rising 2000 | Absurd stipulation, poor storyline |
Here are the six worst matches in WCW history, ranked.
6. Hulk Hogan vs The Warrior – Halloween Havoc 1998
The match between Hulk Hogan and The Warrior at Halloween Havoc 1998 is widely considered one of the worst matches in wrestling history.
The match was plagued with botched spots, confusing storytelling, and a confusing ending that left fans scratching their heads.
Truly, TRULY one of the worst bouts in mainstream pro wrestling history, and that’s why it sits here at number 6 on the list.
5. Roddy Piper vs Hogan – Halloween Havoc 1997
The match between Roddy Piper and Hogan at Halloween Havoc 1997 was meant to be a long-awaited rematch between the two legends.
However, the match was plagued with slow pacing, dull spots, and a lack of chemistry between the two wrestlers.
“A nonsensical, st*pid match. This sh*t is WCW at its worst. They are so lucky the midcard was there to save their ass so many times” was one review from Cagematch, which pretty much defines our review of it too.
4. Kevin Nash vs The Giant (1998)
The match between Kevin Nash and The Giant at WCW/nWo Uncensored 1998 was widely criticized for its lack of action and confusing storyline.
The match ended in a disqualification after the referee was knocked out, leaving fans disappointed.
“You can literally see the borderline on the card where the PPV was great and then you cross the border into the garbage territory with this match. Nash had been ducking The Giant for months, then they finally had a match at Souled Out where the botched jack knife almost ended Giant’s career. Now he’s trying to wrestle with a neck brace and the match goes for all of 6+ minutes before ending in a DQ. Giant never did come out on top in this feud as both guys got the ol double turn treatment after Spring Stampede. Giant leaving WCW was the best thing that happened to his career” is probably our favourite review from Cagematch for this one!
3. Hulk Hogan & The Macho Man vs Kevin Sullivan & The Butcher (WCW Clash Of The Champions #30)
The match between Hogan, Macho, The Butcher and Kevin Sullivan at WCW Clash Of The Champions #30 was a chaotic mess.
The match featured a convoluted storyline involving a “Dungeon of Doom” faction, over-the-top gimmicks, and a lack of in-ring action.
The absolute best review of this bout on Cagematch is as follows: “If you want to show someone why face Hulk Hogan in WCW sucked, show them this match, as it’s a microcosm of everything wrong with his run. Kevin Sullivan does not enter this match ONCE in the first five minutes, just being an extended murder of Butcher by Hogan. All this changes when Butcher slaps on a sleeper hold, and Hogan is clearly out. At no point does the referee think he should call the match. Macho comes in and elbow drops Hogan, which somehow REVIVES HIM.
“That’s a zero in itself, but Hogan then sits back while the heels murder Macho and make him look like an idiot. Then Mega Powers win with elbow drop and leg drop (why didn’t Macho’s elbow revive the Butcher’¦? ). Just complete hokey nonsense, with everyone around Hogan being reduced to a complete prop for his ego. 1995 was a rough year.”
2. David Arquette & Diamond Dallas Page (c) defeat Eric Bischoff & Jeff Jarrett (WCW Thunder 2000)
The match between David Arquette, DDP, Eric Bischoff and Jeff Jarrett on Thunder back in 2000 was widely criticized for its lack of legitimacy and disregard for the sport overall.
The match featured a celebrity wrestler and a non-wrestler going head-to-head in a poorly executed match, a tag team match with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line…and Arquette won the damn thing.
1. Judy Bagwell on a Pole Match (2000)
Judy Bagwell on a Pole Match (2000) The Judy Bagwell on a Pole Match at New Blood Rising 2000 was a prime example of the absurdity of some of WCW’s matches.
The match featured Buff Bagwell’s mother on a forklift, a poorly executed storyline, and a lack of in-ring action.
The best review on Cagematch calls this bout a “steaming turd of a match,” noting: “Firstly, one of the many, many things wrong with this is that a pole match doesn’t work like that, the point is to retrieve whatever’s on the pole and use it.
“Added to that, it’s an unutterable steaming turd of a match, the stipulation is possibly the stupidest of all time, we were reminded that David Arquette was WCW champion at one point, and, well, just everything. The sad thing is that the actual in-ring work was OK, and given the chance to have a proper match these two would probably have done well.”
While they may be memorable for all the wrong reasons, they serve as a reminder of the importance of quality control in the wrestling industry, something that wasn’t quite as important at certain moments in the history of World Championship Wrestling!
