10 Times WWE Ripped Up The Script After WrestleMania
6. Ricky Steamboat Losing To The Honky Tonk Man
When a promotion starts grooming a wrestler for a significant push, it's normal for them to expect him to work a rigid schedule. WWE Hall of Famer Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat found himself in such a position in the mid-80s when the company made him the No.1 contender to "Macho Man" Randy Savage's Intercontinental Championship.
The storyline led to Steamboat defeating Savage to win the title at WrestleMania 3 in a classic match. WWE had plans to have Steamboat enjoy a lengthy run, but Steamboat asked for some time off from action several weeks after winning the title to be with his wife, who was expecting the birth of their first son.
Not that it was an unfair request, but the impromptu nature of the appeal resulted in Vince McMahon losing his cool since he expected Steamboat to adhere to the schedule and do justice to the push he received.
WWE had to make new plans for the Intercontinental Championship and did so in a petty way by trying to make him lose the title to Butch Reed. But since Reed didn't show up to the event, WWE had Steamboat lose the title to The Honky Tonk Man.