5 WWE world title matches that underwhelmed 

2) Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler — WWE No Way Out 2012

Dolph Ziggler vs Sheamus, WWE No Way Out 2012.

During the summer of 2012, Sheamus was enjoying a decent run as a babyface champion on WWE SmackDown. He even had a fresh moniker, as he was called "The Great White."

His WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign represented a marked improvement on his initial stint as WWE Champion. But his second main event run was ultimately defined by a painfully protracted feud with Alberto Del Rio. Plus, as the champion, he drew tepid crowd reactions.

Two months into what would be a six-month reign, Sheamus was delivering in the ring, but he hadn’t been involved in a captivating feud. At WWE No Way Out 2012, Sheamus' defense against Dolph Ziggler was no different. This pairing could easily have been involved in the night’s United States Championship Match. It felt like a match between two mid-card talents.

On the other hand, the show's WWE Championship between CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Kane in a triple threat was quite compelling. The star power of these participants, and the involvement of AJ Lee, made this match a solid program.

.@WWESheamus put the World Heavyweight Championship on the line in a battle against @HEELZiggler at WWE No Way Out 2012!Relive this encounter in its entirety HERE: https://t.co/OvL4HH2Sr9Courtesy of @WWENetwork. pic.twitter.com/LAwOVAdb1U

— WWE (@WWE) September 13, 2020

The success of WWE RAW's main event match made SmackDown's failure even more apparent. Sheamus and Ziggler have both had successful careers in WWE, but this match wasn't the best showing for either competitor.