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For decades, WWE has delivered some spectacular dream matches. From Andre The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan to The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, they've made countless classic matches into reality. These matches left the WWE Universe speechless and they're highly acclaimed all over the world.
Over the years, WWE has provided fans with different kinds of dream matches. Some of them were magnificent technical bouts. Others were perfect examples of deep storytelling.
The reason for the popularity of these kinds of dream matches among the wrestling fans is very simple. Everybody loves to see two larger-than-life Superstars face each other in a highly-anticipated encounter. Every wrestling fan imagines pitting the two most popular Superstars together in a battle for the ages.
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However, not every dream match lives up to expectations. The WWE Universe has witnessed many moments when a match with a lot of potential failed to live up to the hype. It disappointed the fans and left a sour taste in their mouth.
Now, let's take a look at three instances in WWE history when a dream match lived up to the viewer’s expectations and two instances when it failed to make the desired impact.
#3 WWE Dream match that delivered - John Cena vs. AJ Styles
John Cena and AJ Styles are two of the most popular wrestlers all over the world. While John Cena built his legacy and took down legends in the WWE ring, AJ Styles cemented his place as the face of TNA. After his exit from TNA, everybody speculated about his next move. After "The Phenomenal One" spent almost two years with NJPW, fans rejoiced when Styles finally debuted in WWE at Royal Rumble 2016.
Ever since then, what looked impossible all of a sudden became inevitable. After being the face of TNA and WWE respectively for years, AJ Styles and John Cena finally met face to face in a WWE ring. The two had a long program that consisted of a trilogy of matches on three different pay-per-view events.
Each match turned out to be spectacular. Styles and Cena squared off for the first time ever at Money in the Bank 2016. Styles won the match with interference from The Club but the finish didn’t affect the quality of the bout. The two went on to face each other again at SummerSlam in a top-notch match.
Both Styles and Cena traded innovative moves in their struggle to decide who's the best. The terrific contest featured some brilliant maneuvers. Cena went outside the box and executed a Yoshi Tonic on AJ Styles. Later, "The Phenomenal One" retaliated and performed a springboard Frankensteiner on Cena.
After they hit each other with multiple moves and finishers, AJ Styles finally pinned Cena after he landed the Phenomenal Forearm. This match established Styles' position in WWE as one of its top stars.
However, this wasn’t the last time the duo faced each other. At Royal Rumble 2017, fans witnessed another stunning battle between Styles and Cena. This time, AJ Styles was the reigning WWE Champion. With Super Attitude Adjustment from the top rope, Cena finally pinned Styles and captured his sixteenth world championship.
This trilogy solidified this feud's place in the history books as one of the best. During their dream matches, the chemistry between the two Superstars was absolutely amazing. These matches also silenced Cena's critics who questioned his wrestling ability. Meanwhile, AJ Styles was once again praised for his phenomenal in-ring ability.
#2 Dream match that disappointed the WWE Universe - Daniel Bryan vs. Sami Zayn
In 2018, Daniel Bryan returned to WWE two years after he announced his retirement. Fans were delighted to see Daniel Bryan in a WWE ring again. His return once again opened the possibility for many incredible matchups that the WWE Universe wanted him to be a part of. One of those dream matches included a potential wrestling clinic with Sami Zayn.
If somebody would have said in the past that Daniel Bryan vs. Sami Zayn wouldn’t be a four to five-star match, many fans wouldn't have believed it. When this match actually took place, it left many of them disappointed. Unfortunately, a match involving two of the best wrestlers in the world was nowhere near as good as the hype surrounding it.
After playing a game of hiding and seek with Bryan, Zayn was forced to defend his Intercontinental title at the WrestleMania 36. At the best possible stage that any dream match can demand, everyone expected Bryan and Zayn to tear the house down, but they failed to do so. The most glaring reason for the failure of this dream match was its booking.
Sami Zayn was a cowardly heel in this feud. As such, his role restricted his ability to showcase his talent. He didn’t show much offense. He just executed a Helluva Kick at the right time to retain his title.
Many fans hoped that WWE would let Sami wrestle his more well-known style to solidify his reign as champion. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The match also suffered because of interference from The Artist Collective and Drew Gulak.
Viewers didn't expect such a performance from a guy who fought Shinsuke Nakamura in an incredible contest at NXT TakeOver: Dallas. If WWE goes back to this match, it should be backed by proper booking. The WWE Universe deserves to see a good match between Bryan and Zayn once in their lifetime.
#2 WWE Dream match that delivered: CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar.
This match wasn’t just any ordinary dream match, it was one of the greatest of all time. At WWE SummerSlam 2013, "The Beast" and "The Beast" took part in an absolute war. This all started when Paul Heyman turned on CM Punk and prevented him from winning the Money in the Bank briefcase for the third time in his career.
From there, the story was simple. Two "Paul Heyman guys" faced each other in an unforgettable dream match to prove to everybody who is the best.
Paul Heyman consistently reminded Punk that he is inferior to Brock Lesnar. The two Superstars assaulted each other mercilessly in the build-up to SummerSlam. When they ultimately battled it out at SummerSlam, they left the WWE Universe speechless. What followed was one of the best matches of both Brock and Punk's WWE career.
The match wasn’t a one-sided affair as Punk didn’t give Lesnar any chance to dominate. Punk went into the match as an underdog and gave "The Beast Incarnate" a run for his money. "The Voice of the Voiceless" and Lesnar traded blows for 20+ minutes, marking up for one of the longest Brock Lesnar matches in WWE since his return.
The match saw everything from innovative power moves to painful submissions holds. They brought the best out of each other as Punk forced Lesnar to perform more moves than he usually does.
Both fighters effectively took advantage of the No Disqualification stipulation in this action-packed match. Lesnar had to use steel steps and chairs to put down "The Second City Saint." Punk also used hit a low blow on his opponent.
The ending of this dream match came after Paul Heyman interfered, which gave Lesnar a chance to recover from the GTS and hit Punk with an F5 to win. On that night, Lesnar might have won the match but Punk won over the crowd.
#1 Dream match that disappointed the WWE Universe - AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura was one of the most renowned wrestlers in Japan. When he left NJPW and signed with WWE NXT, everybody started picking Superstars for a dream match with Shinsuke. If there was one name that showed up on everybody’s list, it was AJ Styles. Styles and Nakamura were no strangers.
They faced each other in Japan for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 10 and it was one hell of a match. From the storytelling to in-ring action, everything worked perfectly. The WWE Universe wanted Styles and Nakamura to recreate the magic of their previous encounter on a bigger stage with WWE.
Shinsuke Nakamura made his debut on Smackdown Live in 2017. He became part of many dream matches as part of the "blue brand." He slew John Cena, defeated Randy Orton, and eliminated Roman Reigns to win the 2018 Royal Rumble match.
His Royal Rumble victory punched his ticket to fight AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34. WWE rightfully promoted it as a dream match. While the build-up to the match wasn’t extraordinary, fans still had high expectations from it. At WrestleMania 34, the crowd expected Styles and Nakamura to set the world on fire.
When the match was over, it was nothing but a sheer disappointment. The WWE Universe couldn't believe that two of the very best in the business let everybody down. The match started slow and the crowd also wasn’t into it from the beginning. Styles picked up the victory after he executed a Styles Clash on Nakamura.
The match wasn't nearly as good as their Wrestle Kingdom classic. While talking to Corey Graves on his podcast, After the Bell, Styles had the following to say:
"Expectations are way too high. I know Nakamura [thought so] too because no matter what we would have done in that match, the expectations were way too high. Here's what a lot of people don't understand. Crowd, fans, the WWE Universe, New Japan and all that stuff, their fans are everything. They set the tone on what is a great match. They dictate a great match. It's just the reality and the truth of the whole thing, and a lot of people don't understand.
The only big takeaway from the match came after AJ’s victory when Shinsuke Nakamura turned heel and hit him with a low blow. Besides that, the match was lackluster. Both Superstars fought at the next three pay-per-view events but they never made up for their disappointing dream match at WrestleMania.
#1 WWE Dream match that delivered - Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka.
On a night where AJ Styles faced Shinsuke Nakamura and Daniel Bryan returned to in-ring competition after 2 years, nobody expected Charlotte and Asuka to steal the show at WrestleMania 34. After a hard-fought battle, Charlotte Flair defeated Asuka in this excellent match to become the second WWE Superstar to conquer a winning streak in New Orleans.
The buildup to this dream match began when Asuka survived 29 other competitors to win the first-ever WWE Women’s Royal Rumble Match. This allowed Asuka to face the champion of her choice at WrestleMania. Asuka chose to challenge Charlotte in a match billed as the streak vs. title at "The Showcase of Immortals."
The stage was set for one of the biggest women's matches in WWE history. It was "The Queen" vs. "The Empress" on "The Grandest Stage of Them All." Charlotte Flair put her SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Asuka's undefeated streak.
The match started well as Flair and Asuka looked to tear each other apart in this nail-biting contest. The match featured many sensational moments. Asuka countered a beautiful moonsault and locked Flair in a Triangle Choke. Later, Flair hitting a picture-perfect Spanish Fly on Asuka from the top rope.
The match also amazed John Cena, who was sitting among the WWE Universe during the course of the match. After several innovative submission hold attempts, Asuka finally submitted to "The Queen" after Flair locked her in a modified Figure Eight Leg Lock.
As a result, Charlotte retained her title but broke Asuka’s 914 days winning streak. The match is still regarded by many as one of the greatest women's matches in WrestleMania history.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
