10 Biggest Swerves WWE Made Before WrestleMania
7. Chris Jericho Becomes World Heavyweight Champ (2010)
Batista's spontaneously cruel win over a knackered John Cena wasn't the only major swerve to come out of Elimination Chamber 2010. In just the one show, WWE decided to change the entire landscape for WrestleMania, and that included plans for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Held by The Undertaker heading into the pay-per-view, the 'other' World Title in WWE would be around the waist of Chris Jericho come the end. Jericho wasn't permitted to earn a clean win over 'Taker; instead, the opportunistic Canadian picked up the pieces after Shawn Michaels appeared out of nowhere and cracked Undertaker with a Superkick right at the death.
In the span of this one event, WWE set the scene for major 'Mania matches like Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (itself a rematch from 'Mania XXV), John Cena vs. Batista, and Chris Jericho vs. Edge.
The surprise here is that Undertaker seemed a dead cert to hit WrestleMania and defend the World Heavyweight Title, perhaps against Michaels; HBK had been trying to talk 'Taker into a rematch for weeks before Elimination Chamber, explaining away his Superkick interference as a way to get his foe's attention.
Now, the belt was on Chris Jericho, someone nobody expected going into the February pay-per-view.