10 Biggest Promises WWE Broke In 2020

Bray Wyatt hacked his old self with a chainsaw, but the hack came back.

Bray Wyatt Hack
WWE

Denting a cynical narrative, WWE did uphold the exact promise you were certain they would break in 2020.

The big f*cking pandemic you're sick of reading about compelled two key players - Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn - to go home. WWE circulated the message that no performer would get punished for making that decision.

And fair f*cks to the pair of them, but that's by the by. Roman was always going to return to a top spot, enduring only the odd scripted dig at his decision. Zayn was another matter entirely. An incredible performer of just remarkable range - WWE's best uppity bell-end of a heel was the post-monopoly indie circuit's most beloved folk hero - that perception was never shared by management. They recognised his value, yes, but he was buried onscreen for his overbearing perfectionist attitude and frequently fell into the creative abyss.

He was odds-on to get some sort of hypochondriac repackage - to complain of a high temperature mid-match and take the count-out loss. That didn't happen. He of course took several count-out losses, because WWE can't book, but he was presented following his return as a genuine player entrusted to carry angles and deliver in cracking matches.

You're better off telling Vince McMahon to go f*ck himself than you are meekly building up the courage to approach his office door.

WWE did however break promises to...

10. Karl Anderson And Luke Gallows Get Sold Up The River

Bray Wyatt Hack
WWE

After signing lucrative contracts designed to keep Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson away from the clutches of AEW - it was later revealed that original plans called for the Club to beat down the Elite on the Dynamite premiere - the Club were reintroduced as a stable on WWE programming.

They since became known as the 'OC' which A) wasn't correct, since Finn Bálor led the original Bullet Club and B) drew suboptimal comparisons to a famous teen drama.

This was bad for SEO and indeed the idea that these were meant to be hard lads beating people down, and not rich a*seholes moaning about their nice lives. Then again, several WWE wrestlers did this in 2019, so it made sense from a psychology standpoint.

Gallows and Anderson were released as part of Black Wednesday as part of WWE's bid to ensure record profits amid a pandemic. A disgusting, needless decision, it developed an even more depressing air when it was later revealed by Anderson that Triple H had used WWE's stability and entrenched market presence as a negotiating hand. "We'll always be there," Triple H said.

"For just $9.99 on the award-winning WWE Network!"

"Yes, you'd banked your future on WWE. That's unfortunate. But the first month is free, so."

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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!