10 WrestleMania Matches History Deprived Us Of (That Weren't Actually Impossible)

4. Brock Lesnar Vs. Daniel Bryan - WrestleMania 29

Bret Hart Randy Savage
WWE/WWE

The reaction to Triple H's teased retirement at SummerSlam 2012 really should have compelled WWE to scrap plans for the WrestleMania rematch.

It was tepid because the prospect was inconceivable. The preceding match, with Brock Lesnar, was logical and well-worked but unexciting, and the manufactured emotion just triggered fears of the inevitable rematch.

That sequel achieved precisely nothing. Brock Lesnar's aura was diminished yet further in defeat, Triple H generated further resentment towards his forced tough guy babyface act, and the match itself yielded even less excitement than the original. It was twenty five minutes of dull, slow, trademark WWE storytelling. Brock Lesnar Vs. Daniel Bryan was the perfect substitute. Bryan didn't have to win - he would have benefitted from a battling loss. Lesnar would have recaptured his aura and his heat by annihilating the universally-adored Bryan. It would have been win/win, but Triple H - the man who has positioned himself as the creator of the next generation - wouldn't have had his mandated major 'Mania match.

The match itself would have been something incredible - a submission-heavy and more credible update on the timeless David versus Goliath mode. Bryan had already wrestled an incredible series with a similar dynamic, opposite Takeshi Morishima in 2007, and with respect to him, he was no Brock Lesnar.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!