10 Most Confusing WWE PPV Endings Of All Time
WWE is certainly no WCW when it comes to wacky PPV endings, but there have been instances in which fans have been left absolutely baffled and gobsmacked by the finish of a PPV event. With the vast number of shows put out yearly by WWE, there are always bound to be times in which things go a bit wayward.
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At times, WWE have booked strange and confusing endings which have left fans asking “what was that?” Whether this be a baffling creative decision, a huge plot twist, or even just mindbogglingly bad booking, there are a fair few examples to pick from.
10 SummerSlam 1993
Lex Luger looked to be hand-picked as the “next Hulk Hogan”, and he became a U.S. hero against the dastardly foreign heel of Yokozuna. However, he never actually managed to overthrow the giant, though watching the SummerSlam 1993 ending, you’d think he was champion.
Luger only won the match via countout, meaning the title didn’t change hands, however he embarked on a celebration as though he’d won the gold. He was showered with confetti and balloons, being lifted onto the shoulders of others. It was a very strange and surreal finish to a match in which he was technically unsuccessful.
9 Extreme Rules 2021
Roman Reigns took on “The Demon” Finn Balor at Extreme Rules 2021. Balor’s “Demon” persona had never lost a match on the main roster prior to this match, but fans were expecting a loss regardless. However, they didn’t expect it to come about in the way it did.
After being “resurrected” with a heartbeat playing out into the arena, he went on a rampage and looked seconds away from hitting his finisher. However, the top rope inexplicably collapsed underneath his feet, leading to his defeat. There was never any explanation to this and left fans confused.
8 WrestleMania 8
Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice took the main event spot at WrestleMania 8, which was already an unpopular decision. The match ended up being a complete farce and a confusing mess. The debuting Papa Shango missed his cue, which meant that Sid had to shockingly kick out of Hogan’s iconic Leg Drop.
Shango would emerge, causing a DQ, and was eventually taken out by a returning Ultimate Warrior. Fans had no clue who Shango was and what was going on. A lot happened, and none of it was particularly good.
7 New Year’s Revolution 2006
The ending of New Year’s Revolution 2006 was confusing but in all the good ways. After outlasting five other men inside the Elimination Chamber to retain his WWE Championship, John Cena was left worn out in the ring. Vince McMahon emerged to announce Edge was becoming the first man to ever cash in his Money in the Bank contract.
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Edge got an impromptu title match and won the title. This was an unprecedented situation and one which left fans open-mouthed. It was the type of confusion that draws fans back.
6 Hell In A Cell 2019
Bray Wyatt’s “Fiend” alter-ego was hugely popular in 2019, but things came crashing down at the Hell in a Cell PPV in 2019. During a Universal Championship match with Seth Rollins in which he no-sold most of the offense, Rollins buried him in equipment and weapons.
He went to hit Wyatt with a sledgehammer, but the referee inexplicably called for the bell and ended the match. Yes, a Hell in a Cell match which has seen some of the most brutal and bloody moments of all time, was deemed too violent to continue due to a sledgehammer. Fans didn’t know what to make of these events and chanted for a refund.
5 WrestleMania 17
The most iconic WrestleMania of all time had one of the most shocking endings ever, and it left fans mightily confused, but this was a positive example of that. The biggest babyface of the Attitude Era, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, turned heel and aligned with his most bitter enemy, Mr. McMahon.
No one in the arena knew how to react to this properly as it was something they never thought they’d see. The pair beat down The Rock, with Austin winning the match and standing tall as WWE Champion in one of the biggest cliffhangers ever.
4 SummerSlam 2011
In the main event of SummerSlam 2011, CM Punk defeated John Cena to become the Undisputed WWE Champion, though the Special Guest Referee Triple H failed to see Cena’s foot on the rope. A returning Kevin Nash then attacked Punk, allowing Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank contract to win the title.
This all happened in the space of about 2 minutes. It was a bonkers way to finish a show, and it left so many questions - many of which got half-answered months down the line.
3 Royal Rumble 2005
The confusion surrounding the 2005 Royal Rumble finish was all down to an accident rather than intentional booking. Batista and John Cena inadvertently both tumbled over the top rope at the same time, leading to referees thinking on the spot and raising the hands of both men.
Mr. McMahon emerged, blowing both his quads, and ordered a restart. No one knew at the time why McMahon was sitting down in the ring, and weren’t aware of the accidental draw being unplanned.
2 SummerSlam 2016
Brock Lesnar rained down elbows to a prone Randy Orton at SummerSlam, busting him open the hard way. This vicious beat down was ugly and hard to watch, and fans didn’t know whether Lesnar had legitimately knocked Orton out.
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This even prompted backstage trouble with wrestlers unable to decipher whether things had gone off the rails. It was confusing for all involved, but it wasn’t good by any means.
1 Survivor Series 1997
The most infamous finish of all time is the most confusing too. The Montreal Screwjob saw Bret Hart legit screwed out of the WWE Championship in his match Shawn Michaels on his way out the company, leaving the show in a complete disarray. Watching the broadcast live on the air, the commentary was extremly vague over what had just transpired and the show went off the air rather quickly.
Hart and the fans equally had no idea what had transpired, creating all out commotion.
