8 WWE World Title Changes That Were Going To Happen (But Didn't)
Because plans change, pal.
Throughout the history of professional wrestling, there are so many great 'what if?' stories out there. So often, we've heard about how there were certain plans in place, only for a wrestling promotion to do a complete 180 and totally change plans at the drop of a hat.
Of course, we all know that Vince McMahon is notorious for forever changing plans based on his inscrutable whims. For example, we've come to learn how you never, ever approach Vince when he's hungry. Like a knuckle-dragging caveman of centuries gone by, if McMahon is hungry then he's pissed off - and pissed off means that your push, your new gimmick, or your genius creative idea can be dropped faster than you can say "Somebody get me a steak!"
Whether they were last-minute calls or more ahead-of-time calls, McMahon and his higher-ups have decided to go in so many different directions with the company's biggest prizes over the decades.
For some wrestlers, this has meant they never got to hold the biggest prize in the business, while for others the change of plans maybe wasn't quite as derailing for their careers.
8. Vader Defeating Shawn Michaels - Survivor Series 1996
Poor, poor Leon White.
With Harley Race at his side, Vader was an unstoppable, intimidating force of nature in Ted Turner's WCW as he battled the likes of Sting, Davey Boy Smith, Ric Flair, and Cactus Jack. So, when Vader debuted with the World Wrestling Federation at the 1996 Royal Rumble, this was seen as a huge 'get' for the company. Surely this was a can't-miss signing who would dominate the main event scene for years to come, right?
Sadly not.
After a shoulder injury disrupted Vader's first month or two with the company, he would eventually get a shot at Shawn Michaels' WWF Championship at the '96 edition of SummerSlam. This match would go do in infamy for just how much of a d*ck Michaels was to the Mastodon, as HBK berated his opponent in the middle of the ring over a fluffed spot.
Many believe that Vader was due to win the title that night, that Michaels complained to Vince about how he didn't want to do the J.O.B. - shocking to hear, right? - and how Vader was too stiff. The end result was a count-out win for Vader, a subsequent restart and a DQ win for Vader, and then a further restart that ultimately led to a pinfall victory for Shawn.
According to Bruce Prichard, Vader was never meant to win the WWF Championship at that SummerSlam PPV. He was, however, due to win the gold at that year's Survivor Series.
Instead, Shawn's whining to Vince meant that Sycho Sid replaced Vader in that spot at Survivor Series.