When you think of WWE, grand stages like WrestleMania and SummerSlam are sure to come to mind. WWE never has an off-season, so the show keeps rolling on in between the bigger pay-per-views and their marquee matches. That means many of these shows can fly under the radar and be somewhat forgotten. That was especially the case in the 2000s, before the days of the WWE Network which has since made WWE PPVs all the more accessible.
When wrestling fans debate the greatest (and worst) shows of all time, it's easy to forget some of these lower-tier shows. Plenty of these matches are worth checking out on the WWE Network if you haven't seen them (and plenty more are worth avoiding).
10 Terrible - Insurrextion 2000
Fans across the pond likely have fonder memories of the brief run of Insurrextion compared to their American counterparts, as these shows were aired exclusively for the United Kingdom audience before WWE began broadcasting RAW and SmackDown internationally. The show suffered from a lot of inconsequential bookings and a weak undercard.
Many of the matches could have easily taken place on RAW, such as a singles match between Road Dogg and Bradshaw. Edge and Christian beat Matt and Jeff Hardy by DQ, while The Rock retained his World title in a convoluted main event. WWE probably won't be bringing back Insurrextion any time soon.
9 Underrated - No Mercy '02
This show may very well be the most exciting thing to ever happen in the bustling epicenter that is Little Rock, Arkansas. It's rare for a crowd to be lucky enough to see a match of the year contender unfold before their eyes, but it happened twice during the 2002 edition of No Mercy.
Brock Lesnar took on Undertaker in what is likely the best match in their storied rivalry while Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle won the tag team titles in a near 5 star classic against Edge and Rey Mysterio. WWE's stacked roster at the time filled out the undercard nicely.
8 Terrible - WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000 isn't terrible by WrestleMania's standards, it's just plain bad. There might not be another show that exemplifies the problems with the Attitude Era more than this one. While the Attitude Era was never short of exciting moments, sometimes things got so over the top and convoluted that they lost their impact.
For example, there is not a single one-on-one contest across this entire show- each match is a multi-man mess. None are more overbooked than the main event fatal 4-way for the WWE Championship between The Rock, Mick Foley, Triple H, and The Big Show. Add in a McMahon family member for each corner, and you have a recipe for a stinker of a WrestleMania main event.
7 Underrated - Backlash '04
The shows before and after WresteMania all regularly fall to the wayside. Fans get so caught up in 'the Granddaddy of them all' that it's easy to forget the classic matches that shows like No Way Out and Backlash have given us.
Backlash 2004 is forgotten in particular due to Chris Benoit's participation in the triple threat main event against Shawn Michaels and Triple H. The three men put on an all-time classic at WrestleMania 20 just one month prior, and this match is arguably even better. Randy Orton was also a made-man after this show, as he beat Cactus Jack in a grizzly No Holds Barred match.
6 Terrible - Judgement Day '03
Judgement Day 2003 has something for everyone that loves terrible wrestling. Looking for a slow-paced snooze fest with a non-finish? Check out Triple H and Kevin Nash's title match.
Prefer the dark days of John Cena's career before he became the main event sensation we know and love today? Check him out in 6-Man Tag Team action alongside Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli against Benoit, Rhyno, and Spanky. Yes, the Spanky. The only match worth checking out here is Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show in a Stretcher Match, but the two have had better bouts elsewhere.
5 Underrated - Unforgiven '06
Unforgiven 2006 is certainly one of the best shows of the decade and is especially a fun trip for fans north of the border. While the Fall and Winter are usually less impactful times for WWE television, the Unforgiven 2006 show was absolutely loaded with quality matches to keep fans hooked after a great SummerSlam a few weeks earlier.
Emanating from Toronto, the show features a surprisingly good DX vs McMahon family Hell in a Cell match, Trish Stratus' last match as a full-time competitor, and an all-time classic Edge vs. Cena TLC match.
4 Terrible: The Great American Bash '04
The 2004 edition of The Great American Bash is the worst of the bunch and is one of the biggest wreck's of a WWE pay-per-view ever, period. When Luther Reigns is your opening match, you know you're in for a rough night.
The PPV was abysmal from top-to-bottom, with an injury to Eddie Guerrero hampering the only quality match on the show when he took on JBL in a now-infamously bloody Texas Bull Rope match. The main event saw The Undertaker drown Paul Bearer in concrete after defeating the Dudleyz in a handicap match. Why? Because he felt like it. The lack of any sensible storytelling left fans scratching their heads after this main event.
3 Underrated - Backlash '07
Just slightly edging out its 2004 counterpart, Backlash 2007 is likely the best iteration of the show we've ever seen. It features a stellar women's championship match between Mickie James and Melina, two of the stables of the women's division following the departure of Trish Stratus and Lita.
MVP and Chris Benoit had the best of their series of matches for the United States title on this night, and we got to see the debut of Doo-Rag Vince, one of the funniest blips in the long history of Vince McMahon. The Undertaker and Batista met in a grueling Last Man Standing match that featured a creative finish, while the night was capped off with a star-studded 4-way for the WWE title. John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, and Shawn Michaels all worked to put on one of the most creative 4-way matches ever. There was truly something for everyone here with a great mix of some excellent comedy, technical wrestling, hardcore warfare, and main-event stars.
2 Terrible - December to Dismember '06
It almost seems too easy to put December to Dismember on this list, but there's no getting around what is undoubtedly the worst pay-per-view in WWE history. WWE's take on the ECW was not successful in the long-term following the short-term success of the One Night Stand shows, and a lot of that probably has to do with the failure of this show.
Aside from a decent Hardys/MNM tag team match, every match on the undercard was terrible to average. This all lead up to a terribly boring elimination chamber match for the ECW Championship. The crowd was behind the young upstart known as CM Punk, but following his elimination, they were quickly lost. ECW never held another exclusive PPV again, instead being relegated to the undercard of other shows. This is truly one of the worst WWE shows to ever happen.
1 Underrated - No Mercy '08
No Mercy 2008 is one of the best shows WWE put on during an absolutely stacked year of competition. That being said, it is definitely worth a revisit over 10 years later. The show showcased the depth of WWE at the time, with Hall of Fame caliber talent like Beth Phoenix, Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio, and Kane making up the undercard.
The final three matches were all excellent in their own way, providing No Mercy with an excellent sense of variety. The Undertaker and Big Show clashed in a battle of the titans while Triple H and Jeff Hardy put on a great display of experience vs. charisma. The night was capped off with the conclusion to the excellent Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels rivalry with a grueling ladder match for the heavyweight championship. That match alone makes No Mercy 2008 one of the best shows of the decade.