10 Biggest Swerves WWE Made Before WrestleMania

5. Eddie Guerrero Wins The Title From Brock Lesnar (2004)

Sycho Sid Bret Hart
WWE.com

Former WWE creative mind Bruce Prichard told on his podcast that Vince McMahon couldn't believe how small Eddie Guerrero was upon meeting him. Vince's very words to Bruce were, "he's so tiny", suggesting that the single most powerful man in WWE would never entertain thoughts of making Guerrero a World Champion in his promotion.

Pouring endless colour over a relatively dreary WWE landscape and outshining many via his antics on SmackDown, the feisty Guerrero had become one of the most popular stars on the roster by 2003. Heading into 2004 though, it appeared the charismatic Eddie would have to settle for a lower-card spot at WrestleMania XX.

Nobody could have imagined that he'd be booked to beat Brock Lesnar (a WWE pet project) and win the WWE Title at No Way Out less than a full month before 'Mania, but that's exactly what happened.

It appeared WWE fancied a Lesnar vs. Goldberg title showdown for the card. Instead, plans switched when Brock made it clear he wanted out of the company and Goldberg's contract ticked down; left reeling over the loss of two big stars, McMahon finally turned to Guerrero and gave fans an almighty surprise at No Way Out.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.