101 Shocking Wrestling Plans You Won't Believe Almost Happened

Freddie Prinze Jr was one of the writers responsible for putting together a story arc incoming UK wrestler Hade Vansen could be proud of. In December 2008, a few promos aired on SmackDown showing Vansen ominously calling out The Undertaker. They were grainy, gritty and very different to the slick packages fans had come to expect from WWE, so they stood out immediately.

By early-January 2009, word spread that Hade had been released from his contract and wouldn't be part of TV going forwards. Oh well, eh? Here's where things get seriously juicy though. Later, Hansen told interviewers that he was going to face 'Taker at WrestleMania XXV after throwing his own version of the X-Men at the legend.

Wolverine, Cyclops and Beast wouldn't have been working matches or taking Tombstone Piledrivers and chokeslams, but WWE's very own bespoke mutant lineup would. They'd be steadily fed to Undertaker in a bid to soften him up before 'Mania. There, Hade would show himself and try to end an iconic winning streak once and for all.

Vansen's pretty sure that Vince saw him behind the curtain and couldn't believe how small he was. That obsession with size made McMahon doubt whether or not people would buy Hade as a threat to the much larger 'Deadman'. In a heartbeat, he told his writing team that they shouldn't proceed with the story.

'Taker fought Shawn Michaels in one of the greatest matches ever instead, and Hade Vansen had to watch WrestleMania with the rest of us. What a painful tumble in such a short space of time.