10 Tables Matches Where The Wrong Wrestler Won

The history of tables matches in WWE have seen quite a few memorable moments of superstars going through the weapon. WWE made it clear that the rule of the match was to put the opposing wrestler through the table to win. Tables matches became a staple of shows like TLC and Extreme Rules with occasional appearances on television events or other PPVs.

However, the finishes to the matches were not always ideal with questionable decisions. Quite a few scenarios could have seen things playing out for the better if the losing wrestler was booked to win. The match quality may not have changed but everyone would be better off with a different result.

10 The Dudley Boyz vs The Brothers of Destruction vs Edge & Christian (No Way Out 2001)

The Undertaker and Kane forming the Brothers of Destruction team made them a top act peaking in 2001. WWE started to place them into tag division matches a bit too often which hurt the attraction appeal, especially when taking losses.

The Dudley Boyz won the tables match against Edge & Christian and the Brothers of Destruction to gain more momentum at No Way Out 2001. However, the loss for Undertaker and Kane came due to the interference of Rikishi and Haku which just hurt their momentum during WrestleMania season.

9 Natalya vs Ruby Riott (TLC 2017)

The Riott Squad targeted Natalya as their enemy in late 2017 heading into the TLC PPV. Ruby Riott specifically made it personal by referencing the passing of Natalya's father Jim Neidhart in the promos leading up to the tables match.

WWE often relies too much on Natalya to provide a top spot in the women’s division even though she never comes off as an equal to the top tier names. Natalya defeating Ruby in the tables match slowed down the latter’s momentum and played a role in the Riott Squad falling apart shortly after.

8 John Cena vs. R-Truth (Raw: June 27, 2011)

Many fans forget that R-Truth defeated John Cena in a tables match just minutes before CM Punk cut his infamous pipe bomb promo. The June 27, 2011 edition of Raw saw Punk costing Cena the match to help R-Truth steal the victory before the incredible moment unfolded.

Cena losing was a weird move since he was done feuding with R-Truth at the time. Punk could have easily attacked Cena after the victory to remove the involvement of R-Truth in the feud. Cena was heading into the biggest program of the year with Punk and didn’t need a pointless loss right before the bigger matches.

7 Sanity vs New Day (Extreme Rules 2018)

WWE clearly never believed in Sanity as an important faction when calling them up from NXT. The trio of Eric Young, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe never developed momentum on the main roster and missed having Nikki Cross with them.

New Day took the loss when trying to get Sanity over at Extreme Rules 2018 in a tables match. The loss for the top tag division act was for nothing since WWE stopped pushing Sanity within a few weeks and the group completely flopped.

6 Randy Orton vs Wade Barrett (TLC 2011)

WWE always experimented with Wade Barrett eventually becoming a main eventer, but they never went all the way with him. Barrett was getting pushed in late 2011 about a year after Nexus fell apart since WWE needed new top heels.

Randy Orton feuded with Barrett from the face side and scored another victory over him at TLC in a tables match. The win was meaningless for Orton who wasn’t even entering the title picture any time soon and just made Barrett look like he wasn’t able to hang with the top names yet again.

5 Bobby Lashley vs Rusev (TLC 2019)

The feud between Bobby Lashley and Rusev in 2019 saw them getting involved in a love triangle with Lana. Rusev returned to WWE as a face, but Lana arrived as a heel and the new love interest of Lashley to make things personal.

The big tables match at TLC 2019 saw Lashley taking the victory as he ended up winning most of the matches between the two. Rusev badly needed the win to get some momentum after looking foolish in the feud for weeks.

4 The Dudley Boyz vs The Usos (Raw: April 4, 2016)

One of the most counterproductive tables matches in WWE history came just one night after WrestleMania 32. Despite The Usos cleanly beating the Dudley Boyz on the biggest show of the year, the two teams had a rematch with the tables involved one night later.

Bubba Ray and D-Von scored the victory to get a win back against The Usos. The booking made little sense since The Usos were clearly the more important team and the Dudley Boyz were ending their run a few months later when their contracts expired.

3 Big Show vs Cody Rhodes (Extreme Rules 2012)

The rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Big Show for the Intercontinental Championship was booked strangely from WrestleMania 28 to Extreme Rules 2012. Big Show winning the title at the former event saw him defending it at the latter in a tables match.

WWE wanted the title back on Cody without pinning Big Show, so the title change came here. However, it ended poorly with the finish of Big Show accidentally stepping on a table to break it. Fans were confused at the horrible ending and Big Show would have been better off retaining if WWE wanted to keep him strong.

2 Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch (TLC 2016)

Becky Lynch was the first Smackdown Women’s Champion and initially was the person selected to help build the division following the brand split. WWE started to lose interest in Lynch while Alexa Bliss’ stock began to rise.

Bliss never had much singles success in NXT, but her heel work instantly placed her in a top spot for WWE. The title change came at TLC 2016 when Alexa won in a tables match. Lynch lost the title too soon and suffered for years due to it until her 2018 resurgence. WWE could have kept Becky strong by keeping the title on her for another month or two before the change.

1 Sheamus vs John Cena (TLC 2009)

The most controversial tables match in WWE history came when Sheamus shocked the world with a WWE Championship win over John Cena. Sheamus was only a few months into his main roster debut with no impactful feuds ahead of the title shot.

The use of the tables allowed WWE to have Sheamus beat Cena without actually pinning him at TLC 2009. Fans had mixed reactions to the title change, but Sheamus was hurt in the long run for winning the belt too soon. Cena retaining and Sheamus working his way up the ladder would have benefited him more.

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