10 Alternative Happy Endings To Universally Hated Wrestling Storylines

4. Twice In A Lifetime

Cm Punk Triple H
WWE.com

The Reality:

Three consecutive WrestleManias are essentially wasted by reinforcing a message long drilled into the psyche of the WWE fanbase: John Cena is the be all and end all. At WrestleMania XXVII, he loses to The Miz following the interference of The Rock. One year later, 'Once In A Lifetime' happens, and Cena loses to the Rock in a dirty strand of the clean finish in that he loses, more so than Rock wins. Then, at the conclusion of an unnecessary three-year arc, CenaWinsLOL.

The Alternative:

Once In A Lifetime.

The Rock (logically) doubts Cena's supremacy after The Miz cleanly defeats him in Atlanta, creating both an actual headliner (as opposed to a glorified headliner), and a reason for the WrestleMania XXVIII main event - which Cena wins, negating the need for both retconned premise and regurgitated retread. The Rock does perform at WrestleMania 29 - and suffers a loss to CM Punk, preserving his enthusiasm for the business in the process.

We are spared the most pointless rematch in living memory, spared the demotions of two full-time talents, and WWE still gets to make the most money it has ever made from a single show.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!