WWE’s Most Epic Hype Train Derailments: When Promises Met Reality!

Ever wonder why wrestling fans are so skeptical these days? WWE has a special talent for building mountains of hype, only to deliver disappointment. 

Here are five times WWE’s marketing machine went into overdrive, leaving fans scratching their heads and reaching for the remote.

1. The Anonymous Raw General Manager (2010-2011)-When a Laptop Stole the Show

The mysterious laptop that terrorized Raw might be one of WWE’s most frustrating storylines ever. Every week, that signature “Can I have your attention please?” email alert would sound, and Michael Cole would scurry to the podium like an excited puppy. 

WWE masterfully created an aura of intrigue around this nameless, faceless authority figure. 

Fan theories exploded online – was it “Stone Cold” Steve Austin making a grand return? The Rock preparing for a comeback? Maybe even a retired Shawn Michaels pulling strings behind the scenes?

For months, this storyline dominated Raw, with the anonymous GM making life difficult for everyone from John Cena to Edge. The anticipation built to a fever pitch, only for WWE to literally forget about it. 

The identity wasn’t revealed until years later on a random Raw episode, where it was casually mentioned that Hornswoggle was behind it all along. No explanation, no grand storyline resolution – just a throwaway revelation that made the entire years-long mystery feel like a colossal waste of time.

5 Times WWE’s Hype Went Horribly Wrong

2. The Gobbledy Gooker: When Thanksgiving Came Early (And Nobody Asked For It) 

Throughout the fall of 1990, WWE toured with a giant egg. Yes, you read that right – a massive egg. They treated this egg like it contained the second coming of Hulk Hogan. 

Promotional spots ran constantly, mainstream media covered it, and wrestling magazines speculated wildly about what could be inside. Was it a new superstar? A revolutionary character? Maybe even some kind of game-changing announcement?

The egg finally hatched at Survivor Series 1990 and out came a man in a turkey costume. Not just any turkey costume – a particularly goofy one, worn by Hector Guerrero (Eddie’s brother). 

The Gobbledy Gooker proceeded to dance around the ring with Mean Gene Okerlund, while the audience sat in stunned silence. The gimmick was so poorly received that it became synonymous with terrible wrestling ideas.

3. The Higher Power: When the Devil You Know Was Just… Vince 

The Ministry of Darkness storyline in 1999 was peak Attitude Era darkness. The Undertaker had assembled a cult-like group, performing sacrifices and dark ceremonies on WWE television. 

The storyline reached new heights when Taker began referencing a mysterious “Higher Power” pulling his strings. This led to weeks of speculation – could it be Jake “The Snake” Roberts returning? Maybe Paul Bearer with a twisted new role? 

Some fans even thought WWE might go full supernatural and reveal an actual demonic entity.

The build-up was masterful, creating a genuine sense of dread and anticipation. Then came the revelation – it was Vince McMahon all along! 

Yes, the same Vince McMahon who had been fighting against The Undertaker, trying to protect his daughter Stephanie from being forcibly married in a dark ceremony. The same Vince had been portrayed as a victim of the Ministry’s attacks. 

The revelation made absolutely no logical sense, contradicted months of storytelling, and left fans feeling cheated out of what could have been a legendary storyline.

5 Times WWE’s Hype Went Horribly Wrong

4. The Summer of Punk-How WWE Cooled Off Their Hottest Star 

CM Punk’s “pipe bomb” promo in 2011 felt like a watershed moment in wrestling. Breaking kayfabe barriers and shooting from the hip about WWE’s problems, Punk became the hottest thing in wrestling overnight. 

His storyline of winning the WWE Championship and threatening to leave with it was compelling, fresh, and felt genuinely unpredictable. 

The victory at Money in the Bank 2011, with Punk blowing Vince McMahon a kiss before disappearing through the Chicago crowd, was perfect storytelling. Then WWE panicked. 

Instead of letting the storyline simmer and build anticipation for Punk’s return, they rushed him back after just one week. They hotshot a tournament to crown a new champion, had Triple H take center stage in the storyline and gradually turned what felt like wrestling’s next “Austin 3:16” moment into just another wrestling angle. 

By fall, the revolutionary feel of Punk’s character had been replaced with standard wrestling storylines, and a once-in-a-generation opportunity slipped through WWE’s fingers.

5 Times WWE’s Hype Went Horribly Wrong

5. The Invasion: Wrestling’s Biggest Missed Opportunity 

When WWE purchased WCW in 2001, wrestling fans dared to dream big. The potential was astronomical – dream matches between the biggest stars of both companies, shocking betrayals, complex storylines about company loyalty, and the chance to tell the ultimate David vs. Goliath story. 

Instead, what we got was the wrestling equivalent of ordering a steak and getting a hamburger.

Due to contract issues, most of WCW’s biggest stars (Goldberg, Sting, Hogan, Nash, Hall) weren’t involved initially. The invasion was led by Shane and Stephanie McMahon, turning what should have been a war between wrestling companies into another McMahon family soap opera. 

ECW was thrown in as an afterthought, with Paul Heyman quickly being sidelined. The WCW/ECW Alliance was portrayed as weak and inferior, with WWE stars dominating most encounters. By the time some bigger names like DDP and Booker T arrived, the damage was done. 

The storyline limped to its conclusion at Survivor Series 2001, leaving fans to forever wonder what could have been.

The Hype Machine Never Stops These moments stand as cautionary tales in wrestling history, reminding us that sometimes the biggest promises lead to the biggest disappointments. 

Yet somehow, WWE’s hype machine keeps rolling, and we fans keep hoping the next big thing will live up to expectations. Maybe that’s the real magic of wrestling – the eternal hope that the next big reveal will be the one that delivers.

5 Times WWE’s Hype Went Horribly Wrong

The Never-Ending Cycle of WWE’s Hype and Hope

Looking back at these monumental letdowns, you might think wrestling fans would’ve learned their lesson by now. But that’s the fascinating thing about WWE’s relationship with its audience – no matter how many times we’ve been burned, there’s always that glimmer of excitement when the next big announcement comes around. 

Maybe it’s because we remember the times when WWE delivered on their promises – moments like The Rock returning to host WrestleMania, or Edge’s miraculous comeback in 2020.

This ability to keep fans coming back, despite these notorious missteps, might be WWE’s most impressive magic trick of all. And who knows? Maybe the next big reveal will be the one that finally lives up to the hype.

Avatar photo
Web Asset
Articles: 100

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *