10 Major WWE Matches That Changed At The Last Second

1. Triple H vs. The Rock vs. Steve Austin €“ Survivor Series 1999

With Triple H riding high as WWE Champion in the fall of 1999, a huge first-time-ever Triple Threat match was signed for Survivor Series €“ Triple H would defend against Steve Austin and The Rock. He had managed to retain his title over Austin the previous month at No Mercy, but surely, not even "The Game" could prevail against these odds. The match itself would never happen, though. After the announcement, but before the Survivor Series, it was determined that Steve Austin would need spinal fusion surgery and would miss up to a year of in-ring action. Rather than pull Austin from the match, WWE decided to go with a good old-fashioned bait and switch. On the Pay-Per-View, Austin was lured into the parking lot and run over by a car, giving a kayfabe reason for his absence. He was replaced in the match by The Big Show, who would go on to win the championship. Fans got to see something important in a title change, so they were less likely to complain about the substitution, but it was the very definition of an 11th hour switch-up.