10 MORE Shocking WWE Plans You Won’t Believe

4. WorstleMania

Melina Moustache
WWE

WrestleMania 30 was one of WWE's most decorated acts of fan service ever. The rocky road to title supremacy for Daniel Bryan lifted an already-stacked card to an iconic precipice, tipped over by the unforgettable ending of The Undertaker's unbeaten streak by Brock Lesnar. A show-opening promo featuring Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock together for the very first time set the grandest stage.

But it was nearly so terribly, terribly different. Triple H lost to Bryan in a scintillating opener to allow the 'Yes Man' a spot in the evening's main event. But 'The Game' had initially been scheduled to go at it with CM Punk until the 'Straight Edge Superstar' put wrestling with booze and pills in a list of things he profoundly refused to do. A planned title topliner between Randy Orton and Batista was doomed the very moment Big Dave scored a loathed Royal Rumble victory. Fans resolutely refused anybody but Bryan.

His shift was the biggest of all. With minimal story, Daniel was scheduled for the dictionary definition of a nothing match with Sheamus. The butterfly effect of Punk's walkout alongside Bryan's unflinching crowd support thankfully saved the day.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett