10 PPV Main Events WWE Sacrificed For Part-Time World Champions
Because it's just a matter of time before Brock decides he wants the belt back...
WWE's relationship with their fan base since 2013 has been tumultuous to say the least. For all the talk of brass rings, part-timers, and struggling to create future stars, it's hard to refute that for the most part, WWE has been standing in their own way on these issues since the end of a certain 434-day WWE Championship reign.
Whether they lean on The Rock, Batista, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg or even Vince McMahon's heir-apparent Triple H himself to headline WrestleMania while simultaneously torpedoing fledgling careers of those who could be the aforementioned future stars, there's no question that the company painted themselves into a corner. Even as recently as last month's Hell In A Cell PPV, WWE had current and future superstar Drew McIntyre relinquish his title to Randy Orton and gave The Miz the Money in the Bank briefcase.
We're right where we were at this time ten years ago. While there have been a handful of brilliant moments in this era of revolving doors, there are countless potential star-making matches that have been left on the cutting room floor.
10. CM Punk (C) Vs. The Rock Vs. John Cena - WrestleMania 29
The simplest solution on the list involves merely rotating the furniture. In January 2013, CM Punk was on the run of his career. He had recently surpassed the longest WWE Championship reign of the previous 25 years, he was the only superstar in the company that could legitimately challenge John Cena's claim to being the "Face of the WWE", and had effectively demonstrated his "Best In The World" moniker by turning away all challengers set in front of him.
Whether revered as the anti-establishment "Voice of the Voiceless" or reviled as the dastardly yet resourceful Paul Heyman guy, the mantra remained the same and that was Punk wanted respect... and a WrestleMania main event.
In-ring acumen is no match for box office receipts.
For the sake of this entry, let's say Punk retains against The Rock at Royal Rumble 2013 with an assist from The Shield. No Vince McMahon threatening to strip Punk of the belt, no Rock demanding a restart to the match, just have Punk retain under dubious circumstances. Now you have the longest-reigning WWE Champion of the modern era, resourceful, calculating and most importantly, desperate to win at all costs, defending the title against two of the biggest names in WWE (and Hollywood shortly thereafter) while The Undertaker moves into a program with Chris Jericho instead.