Handicap matches can be hit and miss, and not every handicap match that has featured in WWE has been memorable. However, there have been some dramatic ones over the years, and especially when a WWE world champion puts their championship on the line it casts some doubt in the reigning champion's mind to see if they are going to retain or not.
Just because a WWE world champion has a title, it doesn't mean that they defend the championship on every single pay-per-view. It's interesting to see how a WWE world champion deals with the odds stacked against them. Although, there have been some occasions where the WWE world champion isn't disadvantaged and has one or two partners in their corner. Nevertheless, the storyline has ranged from great to pointless, in which a WWE world champion has featured in a handicap match on a pay-per-view.
10 Hulk Hogan - SummerSlam 1991
The rivalry between Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter from WrestleMania VII continued until SummerSlam 1991. Hogan was the reigning WWE Champion, and he teamed up with former WWE Champion The Ultimate Warrior. They collided with Sgt. Slaughter, Gen. Adnan, and Col. Mustafa in a two-on-three handicap match at SummerSlam 1991 with Sycho Sid as the special guest referee.
This match was poor considering all five men were not the best inside the squared circle at this point in their careers. Of course, Hogan and Warrior had a polarizing reception, and despite having the one-man disadvantage they prevailed.
9 Bobby Lashley - Backlash 2007
At WrestleMania 23, Mr. McMahon was humiliated after getting his head shaved bald by Bobby Lashley and Donald Trump. Therefore, the deck was stacked against Lashley at Backlash 2007 as he defended the ECW Championship against The McMahons and Umaga in a three-on-one handicap match.
The Chairman of the Board took a backseat for the majority of the match, and he let his son Shane and Umaga do the dirty work. Ultimately, the Samoan Bulldozer laid out Lashley, and Mr. McMahon did the unthinkable by pinning Lashley to become the new ECW Champion.
8 Brock Lesnar - Rebellion 2002
An underrated gem of a handicap match took place at Rebellion 2002. Brock Lesnar's WWE Championship was up for grabs, and he teamed up with his agent Paul Heyman to go head-to-head with Edge. Edge was on a tear during his time on SmackDown, and it was abundantly clear that he was going to become a future WWE Champion.
This match was tons of fun, and it was great to see Edge and Lesnar mix it up. It would have been intriguing to see both at the peak of their powers have a feud with one another. It wasn't plain sailing for Lesnar as Edge gave it his best shot but the Next Big Thing wasn't ready to part ways with the WWE Championship.
7 The Rock - Unforgiven 2001
WCW owner Shane McMahon was doing everything in his power to get the WCW Championship back in the Alliance camp. McMahon teamed up with five-time WCW Champion Booker T and they challenged The Rock for the title at Unforgiven 2001 in a handicap match. The Great One was in a rich vein of form, and he had good chemistry with both men.
Shane O'Mac equipped himself very well here, and he knows his way around a ring. This match was never going to have a clean fashion as Test and Bradshaw interfered. Nevertheless, Booker failed to regain the WCW Championship as Rock planted Booker with his trademark Rock Bottom to seal the deal.
6 Braun Strowman - Backlash 2020
Braun Strowman's Universal Championship reign was a massive failure in all honesty, and a handicap match for the gold against The Miz and John Morrison at Backlash 2020 wasn't going to strengthen his cause as a credible Universal Champion either.
Miz and Morrison did dominate a huge chunk of the match, and Miz nailed Strowman with the Skull Crushing Finale, but Morrison was the legal man and he executed a move from the top rope onto Strowman. The Awesome One pulled Morrison off Strowman as he wanted to win the title himself. Nonetheless, the Monster Among Men regrouped and he planted Morrison with his patented running powerslam to retain the Universal Title.
5 Vince McMahon - Judgment Day 2007
Inevitably, Bobby Lashley invoked his rematch clause in his bid to recapture the ECW Championship from Mr. McMahon at Judgment Day 2007. Just like their encounter at Backlash, this was once again a three-on-one handicap match with The McMahons, and their insurance policy Umaga looking to put Lashley out of his misery once more.
This time it was an extremely quick match. Mr. McMahon never physically got involved, as Lashley tore through Shane and Umaga with ease. The Boy Wonder took the fall but Lashley did not take home the ECW Championship as he did not pin the evil genius.
4 Kurt Angle - No Way Out 2003
Before Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar could think about their WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XIX, they competed in a two-on-three handicap match at No Way Out 2003. The Olympic Gold Medalist was the reigning WWE Champion, and he teamed up with his Team Angle allies, the WWE Tag Team Champions Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin.
Lesnar and Chris Benoit were supposed to have Edge on their side but his neck issues flared up which caused Edge to miss action for one year. The action was fast and furious, and there was some good technical wrestling throughout. Ultimately, the Rabid Wolverine cinched in the crossface on Haas who was helpless, and he tapped out.
3 AJ Styles - Royal Rumble 2018
The WWE Championship match opened up a Royal Rumble extravaganza for the first time at the 2018 iteration of the event. However, the Phenomenal AJ Styles had his hands full as former Universal Champion Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn was bidding to end Styles' WWE Championship reign.
Despite the numbers being stacked against Styles, he equipped himself very well to keep both Owens and Zayn at bay. The Canadians were in cruise control for large portions of the match but Styles rallied to retain the WWE Championship with a roll-up on the Prizefighter.
2 The Ultimate Warrior - Survivor Series 1990
For just the only time in the history of Survivor Series, the survivors of their respective Survivor Series elimination matches met in the main event at Survivor Series 1990. The Ultimate Warrior was the WWE Champion, and along with Hulk Hogan and Tito Santana they were at a severe disadvantage in a three-on-five handicap Survivor Series elimination match.
Ted DiBiase, Rick Martel, The Warlord, and Power and Glory were made to look like chumps. This match was simply designed for Warrior and Hogan to power their way past their adversaries with ease, and they did just that as they reigned supreme.
1 Steve Austin - Insurrextion 2001
Fans in the UK were treated to a blockbuster main event at Insurrextion 2001 with the WWE Tag Team Champions comprised of WWE Champion Steve Austin, and Intercontinental Champion Triple H colliding with The Undertaker. However, there was an added incentive for the Deadman to win this bout as Austin's WWE Championship was up for grabs.
The Two-Man Power Trip worked as a cohesive unit to keep things fresh with Undertaker on his lonesome. Moreover, Undertaker sustained a nasty cut to his ear as Austin's golden knee brace caught Undertaker's ear which caused Undertaker to bleed. Ultimately, Mr. McMahon interfered, and he accidentally nailed his son-in-law with a steel chair shot. The Undertaker capitalized and he chokeslammed and pinnedTriple H but he did not leave with the WWE Title as he did not pin Austin.