10 Fascinating Facts About WWE In 2014
6. CM Punk Turned Down Beating Triple H
Bryan beat Triple H en route to bagging that belt at 'Mania XXX, but he wasn't supposed to wrestle 'The Game' at all. That spot was pencilled in for want-away rebel CM Punk. However, it’s vital to note that this story was all one-sided and came from Punk himself during an appearance on Colt Cabana’s podcast post-WWE departure.
According to Punk, Vince McMahon tried to claim his undercard ‘Mania match vs. Triple H would be a “main event” attraction. The disgruntled pro was having none of it. He’d been souring on WWE’s lifestyle for a while, the injuries were mounting up, and he told them to stick WrestleMania where the sun don’t shine.
On Cabana's pod, he also revealed that Hunter's involvement played a part in his decision. “I didn’t want to give [Triple H] the f*cking privilege”, he spat. So, Punk departed and Bryan was quickly slotted in as a late-in-the-day replacement. The rest is history.
Punk is still waiting on that elusive 'Mania main event (a real one), but he's on much better terms with Trips in 2024.