10 Major WWE Rumors That Never Came To Pass
The Undertaker nearly became The Savior, dressed all in white?
When it comes to WWE, rumors are always a huge part of what keeps fans invested in the product. There have been so many unpredictable scenarios to play out over the years that the WWE Universe knows that anything they hear - or even dream - can't be dismissed immediately. The company has historically played up this uncertainty, telling fans that "anything can happen in WWE."
Where we stand with those rumours is anyone's guess - the future can bring anything. When it comes to the past, though, we've got a clear view of the events as they happened - which means it's possible to look back at some of the top rumours from years past and see which ones materialised, and which ones didn't.
Here are 10 major WWE rumours that never came to pass...
10. Rick Rude/Earthquake/Steve Williams Coming To Feud With Steve Austin
Steve Austin's WWF Championship reigns in 1998 and 1999 may have been great for business, but they didn't offer a whole lot in terms of variety.
During the first two, he feuded exclusively with Mick Foley, The Undertaker, and Kane. In the second two, The Rock was added into the mix. Had certain plans played out, though, Austin would have faced a deeper array of opponents.
"Dr. Death" Steve Williams, for instance, was brought in ultimately as a foil for Austin. In order to prove Williams's tough-guy reputation, WWE constructed the Brawl For All tournament, a non-staged shootfighting battle that Williams was supposed to win. Instead, Bart Gunn knocked him out and injured him badly, and WWE considered him unfit for a push after that (if you're wondering why a tournament meant to get one specific person over was a shoot, then you're smarter than Vince Russo).
Former World Tag Team Champion Earthquake was brought back to the company in 1998, with the idea being that he'd return as a monster heel and feud with Austin. As the Canadian behemoth was only 35 at the time, the plan could have had legs, but given that he had lost so much weight since his days as a Natural Disaster, the company switched plans and made him Golga of The Oddities. He didn't reach the main event under that gimmick.
Finally, Rick Rude retired in 1994 due to a back injury, but by 1999, the then-40-year-old was back in the gym training for a comeback. He was meant to come to WWE and feud with former stablemate Austin, but sadly, he passed away before it could come to fruition.