Top 6 Things WWE Ruined

Over the years, the WWE has given wrestling fans countless memories and moments. However, one thing that is never mentioned is all the things that the WWE has ruined over the years. From wrestlers to pay-per-views to entire organizations, the WWE has ruined a lot of great things over the years. On WWE's "Are You Serious" Youtube Show, they always say "WCW ruins everything". Well, I'm here to go back and give a run down of all the great things WWE has ruined over the years. 

WWE ruined the once prestigious Crusierweight Title. 

In 2001, the WWE bought out WCW. In the process, they decided to carry over the WCW Cruiserweight Championship and continue its lineage in the WWE. The WCW Cruiserweight Championship was held by legendary performers such as Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman, Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, the Ultimo Dragon, and Dean Malenko.  The WWE was never able to really recapture the magic of the WCW Cruiserweight Division, but that's not what ruined the Cruiserweight title. It was ruined in 2007 when Hornswoggle captured the Cruiserweight title. Hornswoggle who isn't even an actual wrestler won the Cruiserweight title and actually held it longer than legends like the Ultimo Dragon, Chris Candido, and Lance Storm. As a result of this, the Cruiserweight title lost all its credibility. Sadly, Hornswoggle was also the last Cruiserweight champion as the belt was vacated and decommissioned after Hornswoggle's reign. A title once known for amazing battles between Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero went out with a "leprechaun" as the final champion. Thanks a lot WWE. 

WWE Ruined The Great American Bash Pay-Per-View

Once upon a time, The Great American Bash was one of the hottest pro wrestling pay-per-views on the market. It was once headlined by classic encounters such as Sting vs Ric Flair in 1990, Ric Flair vs Lex Luger in 1991, and was even home to the infamous "Human Torch Match" where Sting was lit on fire by Vampiro and fell off the the top of the Turner Tron in 2000. Once the WWE bought out WCW in 2001, it appeared that The Great American Bash had come to an end. However, WWE decided to revive the WCW pay-per-view in 2004 with an updated logo. The new logo was a reflection of what the new WWE version of The Great American Bash would come to be... generic. The new logo took all the American attitude out of the classic logos and replaced it with a totally generic looking logo that looked more like something you'd see on a campaign sign in someone's front yard.  Unfortunately, the WWE was never able to put together a memorable Great American Bash of their own. The revamped WWE version came across as "just another pay-per-view" rather than a true homage to the original. The only classic match that took place at the WWE's Great American Bash was the Bobby Lashley vs John Cena WWE Championship match in 2007. Aside from that match, it was just a really watered down version of the original. This was yet another attempt by WWE to "WWE-ize" something great that WCW created. It was another failed attempt by the WWE to try to out do something that WCW did better. To make matters worse, in 2009 the WWE changed the name from "The Great American Bash" to just "The Bash"... which made no sense and made it seem EVEN MORE generic than before. WWE has trashed The Great American Bash's reputation so badly that it's not even a pay-per-view spectacular anymore as last month (July 2012) The Great American Bash was nothing more than a glorified special edition of Friday Night Smackdown on the SyFy network (The only positive aspect of this edition was that WWE changed the name back from "The Bash" to "The Great American Bash").  The last Great American Bash that aired on Friday Night Smackdown was headlined by mid-carder Zack Ryder winning a battle royal to decide who would be the Smackdown General Manager for one week. It's amazing how far The Great American Bash fell once WWE got a hold of it. 

WWE Ruined ECW

In 2006, Vince McMahon decided to relaunch the ECW promotion as a new brand. The cult organization was popular for its extreme matches, racy sexual themes, and liberal use of profanity which at the time pushed the envelope farther than any wrestling organization ever had and truly established itself as an alternative to the traditional wrestling programs that WCW and WWE (then known as WWF) offered. When Vince decided to relaunch ECW he did a pretty decent job of trying to stay true to the original product and as a result it was a financial and critical success with events such as ECW One Night Stand in 2005 and the beginning of ECW in 2006. When the show relaunched, it featured mostly original ECW superstars like Paul Heyman, Sabu, Taz, and RVD and even brought back ECW commentator Joey Styles. The show was even produced differently from the WWE shows. However, as time passed ECW became more and more like the other WWE programs and began to strip away the very things that made the brand a success. Slowly, Vince McMahon managed to turn a true homage to the original ECW into nothing more than another Velocity (Velocity was a WWE show that featured only lower mid-carders and jobbers). As time went by, the ECW Originals were released and replaced with a bunch of no names. WWE managed to take away everything that made ECW what it was and then wondered why the ratings fell. People that tuned in to watch Rob Van Dam, The Sandman, and Sabu instead were forced to watch a bunch of no names such as Kevin Thorn and Marcus Cor Von. To add insult to injury, after they pretty much got rid of all the ECW Originals they even changed the classic title belt to a silver belt that looked really awkward. Why would a Heavyweight Title be silver? Silver is universally recognized as 2nd best. No one wants to win a Silver Medal so why would you want to win a Silver Belt? They even watered down the logo by taking the barbwire off of the letters and watered down the theme music.

WWE Ruined Hell in a Cell

Back in the day, the match to end all matches was the Hell in a Cell match. Hell in a Cell was a match only used to end the most bitter of feuds. It was also only used to settle the Undertaker's feuds. Undertaker used Hell in a Cell to help end feuds with Shawn Michaels and Mankind, and because it was only used to end feuds it would go on to breed some of the most legendary wrestling matches of all-time. Fast forward to the present, and the Hell in a Cell is an entire gimmick pay-per-view. Part of the allure of the Hell in a Cell match was that you never knew when one would take place. Now, you see it every year at the same pay-per-view, and it's not just one Hell in a Cell match at the pay-per-view... it's as many as three. As a result, the match has lost a lot of its aura and value because it's over used and now anybody could wind up in a Hell in a Cell match. Before, there was only a handful of guys that you MIGHT see in a Hell in a Cell match. Now, even Alberto Del Rio has been in a Hell in a Cell match. The match isn't used only to end the biggest feuds anymore. Now, it's just another match... much like the Steel Cage match. I don't even get excited for Hell in a Cell matches anymore because they're not near as brutal as they used to be, the match is over used, and it's often times not used in the proper circumstances. It was only supposed to be used when all other options have been exhausted and the feuding wrestlers had nothing else left. 

WWE Ruined Diamond Dallas Page

In WCW, Diamond Dallas Page established himself as the original people's champion, a hard working talent who got himself over the old fashioned way. It was because of this every man gimmick that DDP was able to become a 3-time WCW World Champion and arguably the greatest U.S. Champion of all-time. However, after Vince bought out WCW... Diamond Dallas Page just had to be "WWE-ized". So, instead of being the hard working people's champion that he had become known for... WWE thought it would be a good idea to make DDP a deranged pervert by stalking the Undertaker's then wife Sara. This storyline was lame because it didn't make any sense with DDP's already long established personality as an honest every man. Why the WWE thought they would take one of WCW's biggest names and make him a mid-card stalker is beyond me. It was a complete waste of DDP's talent and abilities. WWE's Diamond Dallas Page was just way too cartoony and over the top. It only took the WWE a couple of months to completely ruin DDP. 

WWE Ruined the U.S. Title

Throughout the illustrious history of the United States Championship, it has been held time and time again by some of the greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots. In the titles prime, it was held by such greats as Harley Race, Ric Flair, Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, Lex Luger, Sting, Scott Hall, Steve Austin, Diamond Dallas Page, and Bill Goldberg. Much like the Cruiserweight title, when WWE bought out WCW they decided to continue the lineage of the US Championship. The title lost a lot of importance in WWE due to the fact that there was another 2nd tier belt (the Intercontinental Title), and the overall quality of wrestlers holding the belt took a dip early on but the title remained relevant. However, after 2006 the US title began to lose its credibility, prestige, and importance because it was being defended less and less often. For instance, during the Miz's first US title reign he held the title for seven months, but he only defended the title a couple of times during that whole seven month period. He seemed to spend all his time defending his tag team title with the Big Show, and the US Championship was ignored completely as The Miz would go months without defending it. This now seems to be the pattern among the 2nd tier champions in WWE. They win the US Championship, hold it for 3-4 months, but only defend it like twice during their entire reign as champ. Gone are the days of fighting champions like Diamond Dallas Page and Bill Goldberg, who took on all comers each and every week. It's sad that the US Championship doesn't mean anything anymore. It's just a belt now. In WCW, you had champions like Sting, Ric Flair, DDP, and Goldberg. In WWE, you got Santino Marella as the champion. In WCW, Santino would've never been the US Champ. Comedy gimmicks were for the TV Title like Disco Inferno back then. I remember when people bought WCW PPVs to see Goldberg and DDP defend the US Championship. It's amazing how far the US Championship has fallen off since WWE took it over.