10 WWE Pushes That Were Blatant Apologies

The world of Sports Entertainment can be a rather cruel one... even at the best of times.

And it's not exactly uncommon to witness an exciting in-ring talent getting dealt a rather crappy hand at one point or another, either due to perhaps another star being the more favourable option for the folks calling the shots in WWE or thanks to a simply baffling call from someone in a position of power.

Thankfully, though, there have been those few occurrences over the years when the bizarre decision to boot a star out of the promotion or yank a World Championship off of a well and truly over performer hasn't gone unnoticed by those in charge of booking the chaos.

That's right, every once in a while, a royally squashed babyface hero or humiliated veteran is actually given a reward for doing the J.O.B. or having their gimmick utterly buried on national television in the form of the most sacred of wrestling commodities; a glorious PUSH.

Whether they were handed another opportunity to sport some gold after a soul-crushing battering, gifted a phenomenal 'Mania programme due to still not doing enough to earn a main event, or just presented like the icon they truly were after years in the wilderness, these are those WWE pushes that may as well have come with the word "SORRY" slapped all over them.

After growing into the sort of babyface, fighting World Champion fans could truly get behind in the lead-up to the 1993 Show of Shows, Bret Hart was shockingly bested by Yokozuna in the main event of WrestleMania IX, only for a recently returning Hulk Hogan to suddenly pop up to check on a screwed Hitman.

He'd then go on to somehow win the WWF Championship and help forge arguably the worst 'Mania ending in the event's history.

So, clearly sensing he needed to make it up to his audience, and Bret, after that absolute debacle in Caesars Palace, Vince McMahon set about rehabilitating his Hitman heading into the following year's tenth Showcase of the Immortals.

Sure enough, by the time WrestleMania X came around, not only had Hart come away with a Royal Rumble victory (alongside Lex Luger), but he'd also been gifted the chance to showcase his brother Owen's brilliance, too, with the pair feuding in the lead-up to the PPV and putting on an absolute classic inside of Madison Square Garden.

McMahon wasn't done there, however. By the time the dust settled on the main event, Bret was once again at the top of the mountain, redeeming that foolish bit of business a year earlier by besting Yokozuna as the ring filled with his proud peers.

You love to see it.