10 Times WWE IGNORED The Fans (... And Got It Right!)
Because the WWE Universe isn't always correct.
Since WrestleMania 39, one constant amongst wrestling discourse is whether or not WWE should've had Cody Rhodes topple Roman Reigns to become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at this year's Granddaddy of Them All.
Going into 'Mania 39, it seemed a shoe-in that the American Nightmare would finish his story and slay the Head of the Table, precuring himself the title that his father never won. Instead, Solo Sikoa interference saw Rhodes come up short, and he now finds himself in the midst of a rivalry with Brock Lesnar.
As per Paul Levesque in the post-WrestleMania 39 press conference, Cody's story isn't finished and instead has simply had further chapters added to it. From the Game, the 'Mania loss for Rhodes was all part of a greater plan. What that greater plan looks like remains to be seen, but WWE opting to ignore the huge support behind Cody at the Showcase of the Immortals was certainly a bold choice.
Of course, over the years WWE has never been afraid to go against what its fanbase wants. And in fairness to the market leader, there have been times when those seemingly odd, stubborn decisions have actually turned out to be correct.
With that in mind, then, here are ten times WWE was proved right by ignoring its audience.
10. The Undertaker And John Cena Keep It Short 'N' Sweet
Regardless of how John Cena goofily sat in the crowd supping beer, pondering whether the Undertaker was actually going to show up to answer Cena's challenge at WrestleMania 34, everyone watching knew full well that we would be seeing these two icons go one on one at the 2018 edition of WWE's Showcase of the Immortals.
Anticipation was high for an all-time classic between two of the biggest names in modern-day history, with us all expecting a 20-minute war much akin to the pair's usual 'Mania appearances. In fact, 'Taker told Chris Van Vliet earlier this year that he initially believed the contest would be at least half an hour.
Instead, New Orleans' Mercedes-Benz Superdome played host to a 'match' that lasted just two minutes and 45 seconds.
While fans didn't get what they were hoping for here, it was absolutely for the best. Rather than a lengthy back-and-forth between two titans, what was served up was a dominant greatest hits victory for the Phenom.
This brief encounter was fun for what it was, but most importantly it didn't expose an Undertaker who was in the endgame of his career by this point. The Deadman only wrestled seven more televised matches after WrestleMania 34, with two of those being horrendous half-hour offerings in Saudi Arabia. In fact, the only time the Undertaker had a genuinely good outing after 'Mania 34. was the final match of his career, which was of course the cinematic Boneyard showcase with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36.