10 Times WWE Screwed Wrestlers Out Of Huge Matches
6. Everybody in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal – WrestleMania 37 Onwards
The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was introduced in 2014 as a way to get more talent on the WrestleMania card — a feel-good, midcard showcase for underutilised stars. But in 2021, WWE quietly moved the match to the SmackDown before WrestleMania, stripping it of its 'Mania status entirely.
No pyro. No big entrances. No crowd. Just a rushed segment on a go-home show.
The real-world reason? WWE was still operating under pandemic restrictions and wanted to streamline the WrestleMania 37 card across two nights. But instead of cutting the match altogether or saving it for a future event, they shoved it onto SmackDown like an afterthought.
For the wrestlers involved — many of whom had no other WrestleMania plans — it was a gut punch. What was once a symbolic “WrestleMania moment” became a glorified dark match. And it’s a trend that’s continued in years since.
WWE didn’t just move a match. They devalued an entire concept — and screwed dozens of wrestlers out of the one night a year they were guaranteed a spot on the card.