10 Times WWE Ripped Up The Script After WrestleMania
WWE had to improvise when unexpected events led them to rework the scripts after WrestleMania
Being a part of the WWE creative team has to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world.
The unpredictable nature of the pro wrestling industry as a whole applies to WWE as well, and the writers had to adjust the scripts on multiple occasions due to last-minute changes, backstage politics, fan engagement, unforeseen events, and so on. The WWE creative team has worked under these circumstances many times over the years, including the busy WrestleMania season.
With WrestleMania being the biggest event in the WWE calendar, the company often looks toward perfecting the storylines leading up to the event and places even more emphasis on the aftermath.
However, not everything went according to plan, as they faced some setbacks that took them straight back to the drawing board. A prime example is the fan outrage that caused WWE to rewrite the entire storyline between Cody Rhodes, The Rock, and Roman Reigns going into WrestleMania 40 and how it affected the company's long-term plans.
It's not the first time, and it certainly won't be the last, and these instances would prove how WWE handled it in the past.
10. Edge's Retirement
It was 2011, and Alberto Del Rio had just made history by winning the biggest Royal Rumble match of all time (No, the Greatest Royal Rumble doesn't count!) to earn a World Heavyweight Championship match against Edge at WrestleMania 27.
With such a monumental win, it was normal for people to expect Del Rio to headline WrestleMania. While that didn't happen, the fans thought he'd at least go on to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Edge, and that too didn't come to fruition.
With the entire point of Del Rio winning the biggest Royal Rumble match going down the drain, WWE looked to prolong the feud to Extreme Rules 2011. However, Edge's heartbreaking retirement announcement resulted in WWE having to rewrite the entire storyline with Edge's best friend, Christian, as his replacement.
Did Del Rio go on to win the title in the end? Of course not, because Vince McMahon thought it was a good idea to capitalize on the sympathy game and booked Christian to win the title instead. Did Del Rio get any payoff for agreeing to such an end to the storyline? A big one, as he went on to win the WWE Championship later that year.