10 Wrestling Moments That Should Have Been Huge (But Weren't)

2. What Could Have Been

Stone Cold Steve Austin The Rock
WWE.com

The end of CM Punk's WWE 2011/12 Championship reign was probably written in Vince McMahon's blood, so foreshadowed and definitive as it was from the moment The Rock announced his Royal Rumble 2013 title shot the prior July.

Since then, Punk had turned heel, ended Ryback's undefeated streak, broken a longevity record and risen above prior expectations to become a bonafide megastar. Further to that, some canny internet mathematician noticed that WrestleMania 29 would mark Day 500 of Punk's incredible stint. Fantasy bookers everywhere proffered a gigantic 'Title Vs Streak' battle between 'The Straight Edge Superstar' and 'The Deadman', basking in the incredibly fortuitous timing of the show.

But WWE had to get to (the ultimately disappointing) Rock/Cena 2. It was all about the rematch to a contest they'd already labelled 'Once In A Lifetime'. Rock had signed off on that and that alone upon returning to the fold in 2011, and everybody - through gritted teeth - knew it.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett