Every wrestling match is an art form that involves tons of choreography and timing between the competitors to ensure the best match output. However, with the volume of pro wrestling matches happening on our TVs weekly, there are bound to be slip-ups by performers that are recorded for a global audience to view and scrutinize.
WWE is known, especially recently, to give finishes that go against fans' wishes, but some endings completely go off script due to mistakes in the ring. These are the ones that continue to be talked about, and the same will be done below as well.
10 Kurt Angle Vs Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania 19)
A milestone WrestleMania that had the two new top dogs of WWE go head-to-head for the most coveted prize in the business almost ended in disaster. Brock Lesnar's disastrous Shooting Star Press almost ruined a great match, broke his neck, and went down in infamy.
Somehow, he and Kurt Angle managed to finish the match with the intended ending, but things could have been a lot worse as Lesnar fell flat on his head. It's a wonder he walked out of the bout by himself, holding his newly-won title aloft.
9 Rey Mysterio Vs Eddie Guerrero (SummerSlam 2005)
It was ludicrous enough that in 2005, Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero fought over the former's son, Dominik Mysterio. The newly-heel Latino Heat's taunting had set up a highly-personal Ladder match for "custody" of the boy between the former best friends.
Despite a typically excellent match, the finish was almost ruined, as Eddie's wife, Vickie Guerrero, missed her cue and almost spoiled the ending. They somehow finished the match with the correct winner, but what will be most remembered is Eddie's expletive-laden tirade at his wife for missing her timing.
8 Kevin Owens Vs AJ Styles (Battleground 2017)
Kevin Owens and AJ Styles are good enough to put on a match even in their sleep, but even they can have off days. It didn't help that the referee, Brian Nguyen, was a stickler for rules and completely went off script in terms of the winner.
United States Champion Styles and Owens were amid a feud for the star-spangled strap when they met at Battleground 2017, with the former slated to retain. However, the challenger reversed a submission into a pinfall. Despite the plan being for the champion to kick out, the referee counted to three as his "shoulders were on the mat," leaving Styles frustrated and fans shocked by an obvious botch.
7 Hardcore Battle Royal (WrestleMania 2000)
This was quite the kerfuffle of an ending, with a new winner coming out despite the champion being intended to retain. 11 people won the Hardcore Championship in a 15-minute Hardcore Battle Royal at the Showcase of the Immortals, but it's the action between the final two that is notorious.
As the clock counted down the seconds, Hardcore Holly defeated Crash Holly, his storyline cousin, to clinch the title. However, he was supposed to have started the pinfall a few seconds later so that Crash escaped by the skin of his teeth, but they got the timing wrong.
6 Divas Battle Royal (RAW August 20, 2012)
Kaitlyn may have won the Divas Battle Royal on this WWE RAW episode to become the new number one contender to the Divas Championship, but that was not the intended finish. Eve Torres, the planned winner, could not land on the apron after being Clotheslined over the top rope, thus getting eliminated.
This happened right before then-Divas Champion Layla, who was left stunned by what had happened. Luckily, as Kaitlyn revealed later, Vince McMahon "was laughing hysterically" backstage when she returned to the backstage area, so the wrestlers were spared any punishment.
5 Ronda Rousey Vs Becky Lynch Vs Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 35)
This is perhaps one of the most notorious botches in WWE history, and it came during such a landmark moment for the company and women's wrestling: in the WrestleMania 35 main event. The plan was for Becky Lynch to roll up Ronda Rousey, who would escape before the former forced Charlotte Flair to submit.
However, despite Rousey's shoulder being up, referee Rod Zapata hit the mat thrice to signal the title change. Rather than being protected in defeat, Rousey was handed her first loss in WWE. Becky got her big moment but at the cost of a botch that will be talked about for years.
4 Steve Austin Vs Owen Hart (SummerSlam 1997)
This match is remembered for only one thing, and rightly so. A rising Steve Austin was taking on Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1997 when the botch happened.
Despite Austin's reservations, Owen hit him with a Piledriver, which he horribly botched, before a feeble Stone Cold weakly rolled him up. It paralyzed the former for some time and left him with a broken neck, which was why his career was shortened by years.
3 Royal Rumble 2005
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The most perfectly timed botch in wrestling history, maybe? This Royal Rumble 2005 final-two confrontation between Batista and John Cena is up there. A quad-busted Vince McMahon sitting down, and barking orders made the situation even more surreal.
The plan was for Batista to throw out John Cena in a dominant win, but somehow, they tripped over the top rope and hit the floor simultaneously. An injured Vince ordered the match be restarted, and the two rising stars somehow got to the intended finish.
2 Roman Reigns Vs Kevin Owens (Royal Rumble 2021)
This would have been one of the best matches in recent history, but the prop Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens used betrayed them. At the conclusion of an intense Last Man Standing match, the latter handcuffed the champion to an in-ring set, and the plan was for Paul Heyman to free him using the keys.
However, the wise man couldn't do so, taking ages to get it right and forcing the referee to stop counting. What should have been a fantastic bout that kept champion and challenger strong ended on a very anti-climactic note.
1 The Rock vs Kurt Angle (No Way Out 2001)
The Rock had seemingly won the WWE Championship from Kurt Angle at No Way Out 2001 after hitting his Rock Bottom. However, referee Earl Hebner stopped counting just before the 3-count, even though Angle had not kicked out.
The second Rock Bottom was supposed to finish the match, but because Hebner had apparently forgotten about the first one, he stopped the count. A clearly agitated Rock hit another Rock Bottom, mouthed something at Hebner, and finally got the win. Chalk this down to a bad day in the office for the experienced official.