10 Times WWE Screwed Wrestlers Out Of Huge Matches

At Night of Champions 2011, after appearing to align with Triple H, Kevin Nash was slated for a nostalgia-fueled return that many thought could at least offer one more final ride. The plan was to pit Nash against CM Punk—a matchup that had been quietly brewed in WWE’s booking playbook. However, what ultimately happened was far from the anticipated showdown.

Despite the buzz among a small core of older fans, Nash was never medically cleared to step into the ring. Sidelined by ongoing heart issues and the necessity to remain on blood-thinning medication, he couldn’t get the green light from his doctors. In effect, this wasn’t a last-minute booking change but a reality many had predicted; logistics simply didn’t allow for a proper comeback. WWE, rather than openly acknowledging the setback, used his absence as a sort of tease—leaving the audience and even Nash himself in a state of limbo.

With news that the clearance process would take six to eight weeks, it became clear that this wasn’t a full-fledged return, but more of a “what if” scenario. In the end, the planned matchup evaporated into an anticlimactic moment, leaving both fans and Nash mildly disappointed and wondering whether they’d ever see the veteran in the ring again.