Most damaging losses?

Warrior losing to Slaughter didn't really do him any favours. He was immediately out of the title picture because Hogan beat Slaughter the next PPV.

powers of pain at wm5

they had great heat and fans were into them. then they kinda fizzeled out. they had no match at summerslam89, but were a huge part of survivor series on dibiase's team. i feel POP and demo shoulda traded the belts a couple times in there somewhere. demo was in the 6-man with duggan at summerslam so POP coulda been champs during that time and had a big title match on the card.

Not sure which was most damaging but Ryback losing to Punk, then Shield, then Henry, then turning heel only to lose to Cena after being white hot with the Goldberg push. And Braun failing to cash in MITB. Miz losing to Shane at Mania is another. 

You're right. So many wrestling "pundits" state this as integral to the fall of WCW, one of the dominoes that fell earlier on. Saying that the crowd didn't want Goldberg to lose, that it didn't make sense moneywise, and it hurt Goldberg beyond repair.

They booked themselves into a corner with Goldberg. He would have got stale, maybe sometime in 1999. But they needed new, interesting. And they went back to the past.

The Death of WCW states that the idea behind the NWO Elite was so Goldberg could run through them. Which is one way of booking him strong post-streak. But maybe it'd have been better to have Goldberg disappear for a while, learn to talk and then come back and run through the NWO, instead of doing it straight away. Because I believe Goldberg should have learned to cut a promo. He was never the same after Starrcade and people think it was the result, when I think it was because they had nothing for him and he never developed his character. If he had learned to talk, he could have backed up his in ring skills with the ability to sell a feud....

I also think had they continued the streak, the fans would have turned on him in 1999 and cheered others against him. And they should have him turn heel, cut promos/have a manager and be unbeatable (eg Brock-Heyman).

Nakamura losing to Styles was one of the worst IMO. He turns heel, has 2 mediocre mid card title reigns and then basically becomes a jobber.

He was white hot from 2016/2018 and never recovered from the Mania loss.

HHH beating Orton at Unforgiven 2004; I think even if though Orton was the mess. We could of got the belt off him at NYR 05.
or; we could rearrange the year and force the strap on HBK after say Unforgiven 04 and have the HHH program end at the end of 04/05. Then put it on HHH. Or find creative way to put the strap back to HHH after Beniot reign. Orton going down in that way just is icky to reflect on. Really damaging.

It wouldn't have been as bad if they followed the direction of the young star won it all lost it all; and chased HHH to Mania to get back the gold. I think that lost would of been execused. But I have hard time buying a very long term Orton babyface run then. I think our best world would be.

Babyface Orton drops the title at NYR 05 or RR 05. And loses some rematch on Raw; and loses direction in himself and wants to make impact at WM 21 over Tista/HHH. Goes after Taker; he's heel again.


Rock-Punk RR 13 to me was damaging. Punk's whole second half of his reign centered around this big match and if Punk would make it to RR 13. I think; Punk losing in a way belittled the second half of that reign to some extent. I think if he went over; and simply lost it at Elimination Chamber 2013 it would of fixed that whole program. I think Punk Vs. Rock Vs. Cena would of been the right call for WM 29.
But; Cena-Rock II was money. And I understand it. And Punk-Taker was still phenomenal.

I think Sheamus's first WWE title reign was damaging. You beat Cena by a fluke; BS finish with Orton and lose it in the Chamber. Job to HHH at Mania; get your win back win back the title in June? Sheamus was built up as this big threat monster heel. And I like Sheamus.
But; little 10 year old me never took him serious as a heel champ. And his second title reign just kina had him flounder. WWE was hell bent on fixing it or making Sheamus be imposing. King Of The Ring and brief US Title reign shortly followed.
So if he look at his spread sheet of about 2 years on the main roster that's pretty damn good. But; I don't think Sheamus started to fight his mojo as a star until 2011-2012. And Sheamus rebounded; and in a way took on the face of SmackDown in 2012; and if there was brand split still active he would of more so taken on that.

Along with I think for small kids him and Ryback competed for that #3 baby face spot. But the booking and title runs he got in 2010 really damaged in. And I think he makes so much more of credible heel now then he did years ago.


Booker at WM 19; even if HHH was who you wanted. Booker could of still dropped the title back before SS 03. End of story.

Theres some very modern ones we can't talk about; but holy s*** was it bad. but I'll hint back to his first character run as Bray Wyatt. That Cena lose at WM 30 could be questionable; I think it was damaging. But it seems every big program he had he lost it or didn't really benefit. Chris Jericho I believe he swapped wins/loses with it. Roman Reigns/Taker/ just every big match he had was a loss. I can't find one that damages more then the rest.
I understand in the 2012-2015 time period everyone just had Jericho job to everyone. Jericho should not have been jobbed out that match end of story. But one person he should of totally jobbed for was Wyatt imo.

The end

True but I was looking at how far they've fallen since Mania VI. Jobbing to these guys in quick fashion.Jeeze

I said this in the past but man I wish we got a proper feud between LOD and Demo. Just Hawk/Animal vs Smash/Ax with the big match happening at this Mania.Demo wouldve no doubt lost but man it wouldve been a proper end to their run.

Goldberg losing to Nash basically led to the death of WCW.