10 Times Wrestling Changed Due To Fan Backlash
2. Bret Hart Makes It To 'Mania
It's astonishing to flash back to Daniel Bryan's 2013-14 anti-push (when not flashing back through WWE's polished presentation of how it played out) and wonder just how the organisation were prepared to be as antagonistic as they were at times.
The joyous WrestleMania XXX catharsis that greeted his iconic championship victory could have been achieved without such gross alienation beforehand, but WWE's welcoming of the disdain flew in the face of their practices two decades prior. Much like in 2014, 1994's Royal Rumble finish was disputed, but it was at least booked as such.
Just four months after Vince McMahon failed to pull the trigger on Lex Luger's WWE Championship win at SummerSlam 1993, he instead put a bullet in the push entirely when Bret Hart won an on-the-night battle of the pops. With referees raising the arms of both, the fans made their preference profoundly clear.
McMahon's intent was always to send both to the 'Show Of Shows', but his two title match arrangement was, from that moment, destined to end in victory for 'The Hitman'. He'd not drawn brilliantly in his first reign and wouldn't in his second, but he was at least the choice of Vince's diminishing hardcore sect.