Over the years WWE have introduced a number of interesting pay-per-view concepts to the WWE Universe, in an attempt to capitalise on some of their most fascinating ideas from back in the Attitude Era and beyond. Unfortunately, not all of these ideas have stuck so well, with the only real success being Money in the Bank, which always seems to be a consistently good show year in and year out.
In terms of our subject topic here today, we're looking at the Fatal-4-Way PPV that took place back in 2010. It was an interesting idea, given that a number of matches were to take place over the years, but it wasn't that well received by critics and fans alike for a variety of reasons.
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Some didn't like the fact that they only had a few of the F4W bouts on the actual card, meanwhile, others felt it just didn't warrant a place on pay-per-view. Whichever camp you fall into, when you take out your fan instincts and look at it purely in terms of logistics, it appears to have been more of a success than people initially thought.
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So with that being said, it's time to take a look at five reasons why the Fatal-4-Way pay-per-view was actually a decent show.
#5 Bourne beats Jericho
To suggest that Evan Bourne could defeat Chris Jericho in any format may seem ridiculous to a lot of people, but back in 2010 it actually happened. The two had a short feud and a match back at this event, with Bourne actually stunning the world and picking up the victory. He was seen as a potential star in the making back then, but nowadays he couldn't be further away from a return to WWE.
That being said, it was the ultimate underdog match and was booked to perfection to make Bourne look like the kid who refused to give up and continued to persevere. Jericho's cockiness got the better of him, and the storytelling was done in a way that made us feel genuine elation when Evan came out on top. Good stuff, WWE.
From a story revolving around two men to one that involves an entire group.
#4 Nexus mayhem
You're either Nexus or against us, and the group were certainly against the four competitors in the WWE Championship match. The rookies stormed the ring in the main event and ensured that there would be no clean finish to this one, destroying everything at ringside, much like they did during their famous debut on Raw.
However, in the midst of the madness, Sheamus actually managed to secure a pinfall which made him the new WWE Champion. It was crazy and it was bizarre - but it felt different, which is one of the most important things to consider when you run down this event. One way or another, you can't deny that this certainly made people stand up and take notice of the group.
Onto something that had a pretty big influence on the company.
#3 Nassau memories
The Nassau Coliseum is the definition of a historic venue. It has hosted WrestleManias, SummerSlams and a number of other wrestling-based events over the years. It's been a fond home of WWE’s and Fatal 4 Way holds a special place in history in that regard, as it was the final WWE pay-per-view event to be held there before its renovation.
Some people think that putting too much stock or value into a specific place or location is foolish, but it makes sense when you consider how long-term fans react when they even hear about the famous arena. There are some things that go beyond words in terms of being special, and the Nassau Coliseum is one of them.
From a memory to a moment that will last forever.
#2 Mysterio's moment
Rey Mysterio had some pretty amazing moments throughout his WWE career. There were fascinating storylines, championship victories and a whole host of special occasions that made him feel like one of the biggest superstars in the company. One of these moments took place on this very night, when he won his second and last World Heavyweight Championship.
The match was an F4W bout against CM Punk, Big Show and the reigning champion Jack Swagger. Much like his victory at WrestleMania 22, Rey nailed his finisher before scoring the one two three as the crowd responded in a joyous manner. It was heartwarming to see him hold the gold once again, and it's a shame that injuries ended up derailing his momentum towards the end of his tenure.
We conclude with perhaps the most important point of all.
#1 Unique
We live in an era where professional wrestling fans are never 100% happy. There's always a storyline or a wrestler that bothers them just a bit too much, which doesn't allow them to just sit back and enjoy the product they're watching. It's a tiring back and forth to witness, which makes unique events like this feel all the more fun for supporters in the WWE Universe who just want to see how things play out.
The theme of the event made sense, given some of the storylines going into it, and the fact that all three major titles changed hands played into the idea that anything could happen. It may not have received the best buy rates or garnered the most views, but Fatal 4 Way should be remembered as being extremely underrated as opposed to "pointless".
