5 Worst Wrestling Matches Of 1997

The year 1997 was marked by a changing landscape in pro wrestling. Two major events occurred, both of which ended up changing the Monday Night Wars forever. The first was that epic match between Bret Hart and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin that led to the ‘double-turn’ and launched the latter to superstardom.

The second event was the Montreal Screwjob, which caused Bret Hart to leave WWE under very real circumstances. Both of these events were historic and have been revisited many times due to how important they were.

However, while those events brought WWE some significant publicity, there were also a lot of bad things that happened in that company as well (and in WCW, too). That great match completely overshadowed the main-event match that followed, leading to one of the worst WrestleMania main events in history.

As for the Montreal Screwjob, that led to Bret going to WCW, which was supposed to be a huge deal. However, as we will see in the entries below, WCW was already in major trouble by the time Bret got there, as the company had already managed to put together some of the worst wrestling storylines of all time.

---

#5. The Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid – WrestleMania 13

Sycho Sid fell victim to the Undertaker like countless others!

This match is not necessarily bad if watched in a vacuum, i.e. without context or without watching anything else beforehand. It’s a decent contest between two superheavyweight wrestlers that defined WWE in 1997. However, when you DO watch this match in context, you can see how subpar it was.

This match took place shortly after the legendary Bret-Austin match that received all the critical acclaim. It was voted the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Match of the Year, was awarded a (back then) rare 5-star rating and has been called one of the best matches in WWE history. This main event that followed it…was a long fall from grace.

While Sid and Undertaker did their best, it was simply impossible for them to surpass such an outstanding contest, much less match it. The problem here was that Sid didn’t have the conditioning to work such a lengthy match against another big man like the Undertaker.

He kept using rest holds, hitting basic strikes and slams and moved around the ring at a glacial pace. The crowd was very much apathetic by this point, barely reacting to anything of note as the match progressed. Their apathy said much more than any chant or booing.

As if the poor in-ring action and almost non-existent crowd reaction weren’t bad enough, there’s also the urban legend that states that Sid defecated in his trunks during this match. If true, then perhaps his body was telling him something about the state of his wrestling at that point.

4. Triple H vs. Sgt. Slaughter – Boot Camp Match – D-Generation X: In Your House

Triple H was altogether a different wrestler before 2000

This was, to put it simply, a weird match. Triple H was in the midst of his rise to the top alongside Shawn Michaels as D-Generation X. He was past the point of his immense burial over the Curtain Call Incident and was enjoying solid booking.

So why on earth was he getting destroyed by a 49-year-old Sergeant Slaughter on this PPV? No one knows, but it certainly looked awkward and unusual.

The first five minutes (you know, the part of the match during which both wrestlers are in prime condition and haven’t spent much energy) had Slaughter throwing HHH around like he was a rookie, beating him with weapons and choking him with his belt. It made Triple H look phoney and unrealistic, given that he was twenty years younger than Slaughter and in prime shape.

He had to sell in such a cartoonish fashion that it made the match stand out in all the wrong ways during a period defined by ‘blurred lines’ and more realistic stories. Although not the worst match of the year by any stretch, it’s still a weird contest and stuck out like a sore thumb in terms of structure and logic.

3. Hulk Hogan vs. The Giant – Souled Out 1997

Hulk Hogan and The Giant had something of a battle at Souled Out

WCW’s booking in 1997 was defined by matches having false finishes and never-ending outside interference. This match was no exception, as the Giant was the victim of a ridiculous amount of attacks from other wrestlers.

Everyone from Brutus Beefcake to the NWO to Eric Bischoff run-in to try and attack The Giant, only for most of them to eat Chokeslams for their troubles. Maybe this was WCW’s way of covering for the bad in-ring action that Hogan and the Giant were putting on display. Looking back on it, that actually might make sense, because Hogan and the Giant had poor chemistry and their matches were often slow and uninspiring.

Worse, this match also suffered from poor refereeing on Nick Patrick’s part. Patrick (who was also famous for botching a fast-count, as you'll see later) botched a slow-three-count by counting normally instead of slowly.

In other words, he couldn’t do a fast count when needed nor could he slow himself down. He could only count three at a normal pace. What he was doing in a stipulation match that featured a biased referee is anyone’s guess.

2. Sabu vs. The Sandman – Ladder Match – November to Remember 1997

WWE had quite the odd ladder match take place between these two legends

This is an important match to watch because it allows fans to see the clear distinction between a professional wrestler and a hardcore wrestler. Sabu and Sandman were both examples of the latter, and they showed everyone why weapons are so important to their matches on this night.

In this absolute mess of a match, Sabu and Sandman botched so many moves that many sequences (many of which included ladders being set up) had to be repeated. Sandman also stumbled around the ring and ringside area a lot, which suggest that he may or may not have been completely drunk during the match. He also completely no-sold a fireball from Sabu, despite that being made of, you know, FIRE.

As if the sloppy wrestling wasn’t bad enough, this bad match was compounded by Bill Alfonso – Sabu’s manager – blowing his ear-splitting whistle nonstop for the entire match.

If these two were to wrestle without weapons, it would’ve been an unmitigated disaster. The weapons they did use made this contest somewhat enjoyable, but not enough to keep it off this list.

1. Hollywood Hogan vs. Sting - Starrcade 1997

Never has a referee's botch been so noticeable...or so devastating

This match makes this list solely because of its botched ending. That’s because this botch was so bad that it had long-term ramifications that caused WCW to go out of business.

Hollywood/NWO Hogan vs. Sting was the biggest dream match WCW had going. There was so much anticipation to it, with so many lengthy storylines leading to one final, epic confrontation. Fans were salivating at this prospect of seeing a babyface Sting defeat Hogan and beat the New World Order once and for all.

But things took a drastic turn when Hulk Hogan politicked his way into changing the finish to a fast-count. Unfortunately, the referee assigned to the match, Nick Patrick, counted a standard three-count instead of the fast one. That botch completely screwed up the story being told in the match, which made Bret Hart’s appearance to restart the match confusing.

Suddenly, nothing made sense, and the Bret helping Sting came across as them screwing Hogan instead of the intended goal of Bret helping Sting after a screwy three-count that shouldn’t have been booked in the first place.

With this screwy finish going down, WCW’s fate had been sealed. Casual fans didn’t understand the story and began tuning in less and less. Meanwhile, hardcore fans saw the writing on the wall and turned away, disgusted at yet another example of Hogan’s politics ruining a story.

While WCW still held strong for the next year or so, it was the beginning of the biggest downward spiral for any promotion in wrestling history.