9. Triple H Retains The WWF Championship WrestleMania XVI
WrestleMania 2000 saw Triple H somehow retaining his WWF Championship courtesy of a Vince McMahon double-cross. Initially, it looked as if the plan was for The Rock to challenge Triple H for the WWF Title at Mania, with many predicting The Great One to be the all-conquering babyface who finally took The Games belt. Then Big Show and Mick Foley were added to the mix, with many believing that those additions were purely to give an alternative way of getting the gold on The Rock without Hunter doing the J.O.B., only the match was made into an elimination affair. Still, Rocky was a shoe-in to walk out with the strap, right? Even though a Vinny Mac heel turn was always a possibility in the mind of some fans, most believed that it was a cert that The Brahma Bull would overcome any such shenanigans and walk out of Mania XVI as WWF Champion. It just had to be, and everything up to that point had suggested as such. On that night, though, Triple H got the duke and The Rock had to wait until a month later at Backlash before he got his big moment.