Can a finish make or break a match for you?

[Marty McFourth]

I think it used to in the past, but I have chilled out a bit now. I look at the result as a separate entity, I know it's all pre-planned so that personally helps me. I know the ideal booking choice usually isn't how it goes.

With that being said, a great finish can definitely enhance a match. If you have just an okay match with a shit finish, I'm going to forget about it really quickly.

Reason I ask is there is many times a show will finish and people will say it was trash just based on the results or their favourite guy didn't win. I have personally come on to the internet after enjoying a show and nobody gives any of the matches any credit because they hated the results.

This happens a lot when I re-visit matches as well. Sometimes in the past I wrote matches off because of the results (when I cared a lot) and I realize they were actually not that bad.

 

[Chris]

A finish can make or break that match for me yeah. A lot of times I can separate it as "great match, poor finish" but sometimes it's just too bad. The main event of a show I weigh pretty high on my overall enjoyment as well so if it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that sucks but specifically the finish of a main event, if the match is otherwise good, won't really make me hate a WHOLE PPV like I've seen before lol

Also on the flipside, I can be kinda bored with a match but if the finish is just absolutely amazing I'll end up liking it. Can't think of any real examples of that happening though tbh

 

[TOP GUY TIME]

IMO, you are more likely to remember the ending of a match than some of the spots, so that definitely will affect your opinion on stuff. Like the double Nut SHot in Backlash 2018. Meh show, brought to poop by Styles/Nakamura. Or the Main Event will make a show. Austin/Rock is probably the reason WM 17 is regarded so highly

 

[Dale]

Absolutely it can, you only gotta go back a few weeks ago to whatever the name of that AEW exploding shit was.

 

[Chris]

Absolutely it can, you only gotta go back a few weeks ago to whatever the name of that AEW exploding shit was.

Seems like the only people that ruined the PPV for were people that didn't watch in the first place

 

[TOP GUY TIME]

Seems like the only people that ruined the PPV for were people that didn't watch in the first place

the botches and Itoh&Rosa/Riho/Baker ruined it for me

 

[Marty McFourth]

if the match is otherwise good, won't really make me hate a WHOLE PPV like I've seen before lol

Yeah lol, that is what I was talking about. I have definitely seen that before on the internet, seems a bit extreme. I think it's because some people get so caught up in the moment.

 

[Chris]

the botches and Itoh&Rosa/Riho/Baker ruined it for me

Man said the PPV was ruined for him by a pre-show match This is why I can't discuss AEW with you Blaine.

Another example I thought of is the Hogan/Piper match at like SuperBrawl I think it was (they had a few) where the finish was just horribly botched and match wasn't all that great in the first place....kinda killed the whole PPV too lol

 

[Marty McFourth]

I think one of the prime examples I have of letting a finish ruin a GREAT match is Brock vs. Cena at Extreme Rules 2012. Brock should have won that match, and it was very weird to see Cena suddenly win at the end. That result soured me on the match for years until I went back to it.

That was an incredible match, especially for PG era.

The result made me forget how good that show was on an overall level. Very solid show. It's why I stopped putting so much stock in to the end of the show.

 

[Chris]

I think one of the prime examples I have of letting a finish ruin a GREAT match is Brock vs. Cena at Extreme Rules 2012. Brock should have won that match, and it was very weird to see Cena suddenly win at the end. That result soured me on the match for years until I went back to it.

That was an incredible match, especially for PG era.

The result made me forget how good that show was on an overall level. Very solid show. It's why I stopped putting so much stock in to the end of the show.

Ah yeah great example, I love this show and love this match but the ending really fucked it up for me. It was textbook Super Cena which they hadn't done as much during that time for one, Brock's first match back for two, and most importantly they were trying to run with some Cena losing big matches gimmick after 'Mania....only for him to win against Brock at the next PPV

 

[Dale]

I feel like we could back and select plenty of Cena matches that fit this criteria

 

[Marty McFourth]

Ah yeah great example, I love this show and love this match but the ending really fucked it up for me. It was textbook Super Cena which they hadn't done as much during that time for one, Brock's first match back for two, and most importantly they were trying to run with some Cena losing big matches gimmick after 'Mania....only for him to win against Brock at the next PPV

At least they made up for it with Summerslam 2014, I guess

What a beautiful beat-down that was

Although, that one kid that constantly shouts "Let's go Cena!" over and over again drives me nuts, it's why I barely re-watch it

 

[Chris]

I feel like we could back and select plenty of Cena matches that fit this criteria

True and I'm even a fan of the guy his run from 2006-2007 (before the injury and ignoring K-Fed shit) I honestly love but...man they really did not give the crowd what they wanted in any of those matches Let's not even talk about the Nexus match

 

[Marty McFourth]

True and I'm even a fan of the guy his run from 2006-2007 (before the injury and ignoring K-Fed shit) I honestly love but...man they really did not give the crowd what they wanted in any of those matches Let's not even talk about the Nexus match

I miss BIG MATCH JOHN these days, at least his matches had a big fight feel. I think I got numb to the finishes over time

Nexus was a joke, had such a promising debut and then...yeah

 

[Chris]

I miss BIG MATCH JOHN these days, at least his matches had a big fight feel. I think I got numb to the finishes over time

Nexus was a joke, had such a promising debut and then...yeah

tbf I think once JBL coined that name for him, he wasn't even winning a ton anymore and was just putting on some great shit. Maybe outside of some cheesiness that stuck around from the early PG era.