10 WWE Nightmares That Thankfully Never Came True

The present day is a rare time when Vince McMahon's wildest dreams are, for now, marrying up with those of his audience. At WWE's September supercard No Mercy, Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Title against Braun Strowman in an end-of-days monster mash, whilst John Cena and Roman Reigns compete for his affection in the ultimate McMahon machine cockfight.

But alas, the times feel a little rare. Longterm fans will know that a stinking storyline or creative calamity aren't ever that far away, even when the entire product is at its hottest. Now more than ever McMahon has the freedom to try anything he likes, and perhaps appropriately not, ensure his relatively stable boat remains un-rocked.

This removes much of the company's propensity for unpredictability, rendering certain three-hour flagship broadcasts virtually unwatchable, but also restricts the key decision-maker from engaging in something so ridiculous it threatens to tank an entire industry.

CM Punk once infamously accused Vince McMahon of surrounding himself with "glad-handing nonsensical douchebag yes men", but that thankfully wasn't always the case. Had it not been for whichever particular voice of reason got in the ear of the Chairman, some of his worst throwaway concepts could have been legendary low-points.

It was with some trepidation that Bret Hart returned to the WWE fold in 2005, but the mutually beneficial compromise at least ensured one of the finest performers in company history wouldn't be immortalised by a low-rent hatchet job designed to sell out a legacy the man himself cared deeply for.

'Bret 'Hitman' Hart - The Best There Is : The Best There Was : The Best There Ever Will Be' was the DVD boxset the five-time WWE Champion desperately wanted. Criticised for his occasionally sanctimonious self-aggrandising, the 'Hitman' was at least correct in his assertions about his own skill. There were few ever better than Bret, and the exhaustive documentary and carefully curated match selection summed up the commitment and dedication to a career not defined by one ugly peek into wrestling's grim reality.

It was ever so nearly a very different story.

Lacking Bret's involvement in the project for a period, the company had started work on 'Screwed: The Bret Hart Story', focusing predominantly on the infamous 1997 night in Montreal at the expense of his 20+ years as one of the finest to ever step between the ropes. Hart had only to view 'The Self-Destruction Of The Ultimate Warrior' (and already-recorded criticisms form Jerry Lawler, Hulk Hogan, and others) to realise how his own profile would turn out, and got involved to steer the ship to safety.