20 WWE WrestleMania Matches We Almost Got (And Why We Didn't)
19. Hulk Hogan vs. The Big Show - WrestleMania 23
At WrestleMania 23, the big selling point was the Battle of the Billionaires, where Vince McMahon and Donald Trump would put their hair on the line if their chosen superstar lost the match. McMahon chose Umaga, while Trump had ECW Champion Bobby Lashley.
The original plan however was to see a repeat of the iconic Irresistible Force vs Immoveable Object of 20 years prior. But as Andre the Giant had long-since passed away by that point, the role went to his once-kayfabe-son The Big Show. At the show, Hogan would obviously have won following a recreation of the famous bodyslam & leg drop combination, and the WWE Chairman would have been shaved bald.
Why didn't it happen?
Both competitors withdrew from the show for different reasons. Big Show was the first to leave, wanting to take time off to heal lingering injuries and lose some weight. The plan then changed to the Great Khali entering the fray but Hogan had a falling out with McMahon wanting a huge payday for the show that McMahon refused to grant, so Hulk didn't appear at all.
The match eventually became Lashley vs. Umaga, with the dominator going over. The Great Khali meanwhile, fought Kane at the event and recreated the bodyslam in a pretty dreadful match.