10 Wrestlemania Matches That Almost Happened And Why Plans Changed

Wrestlemania has delivered countless iconic matches over its 40-year history, but there are also many that were planned for the Grandest Stage Of Them All, but for some reason never happened.

This weekend will see Wrestlemania 41 take place over two nights in Las Vegas.

Matches on the card include John Cena vs Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns facing Seth Rollins and CM Punk in a triple threat and Iyo Sky defending her woman’s title against Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair.

In the history of Wrestlemania, there were many matches which were pencilled in but never took place.

Here, SportsCasting takes a look at 10 matches that were planned for a specific Wrestlemania but never happened.

10 Wrestlemania Matches That Almost Happened

10. Hulk Hogan vs Big Show – Wrestlemania 23

Hulk Hogan’s last WWE match came against Randy Orton at Summerslam 2006. However, he could have faced The Big Show at the following year in one of the Wrestlemania matches that never happened.

One of 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.

The original plan was to see Hulk Hogan vs The Big Show – to mark 20 years since Hogan’s legendary battle with Andre the Giant.

However, the Big Show wanted to take time off to heal some lingering injuries. The Great Khali entered the fray but Hogan reportedly had a falling out with Vince McMahon.

So in the end, Bobby Lashley represented Trump and Umaga fought for McMahon.

9. Big Show vs Shaquille O’Neal – Wrestlemania 33

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal expressed interest in wrestling The Big Show and it almost happened at Wrestlemania 33.

Talks had been held for years going back to 2009 when Shaq hosted Monday Night Raw and came to blows with the Big Show.

At Wrestlemania 32, they again came to blows briefly during the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and began a Twitter feud.

This was supposed to lead to a match at Wrestlemania 33 but it never went ahead.

“They kept playing,” O’Neal said of WWE on his ‘Big Podcast with Shaq’. “First they said it was me and Big Show. Then, they said it was going to be three-on-three. Then, they canceled it, so when they canceled it, I made other arrangements.”

The Big Show criticised O’Neal’s lack of desire to get into shape, but later said those comments were just ‘good-natured pestering’.

When @SHAQ showed up at Wrestlemania 32 and faced off against @WWETheBigShow 😂

(via @WWE) pic.twitter.com/0Xr9Fs2zMN

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 7, 2020

8. Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania 13

After their iconic Iron Man match at Wrestlemania 12, they were planned to fight again at The Grandest Stage Of Them All.

The storyline was built around their heated real-life rivalry and would likely have seen Bret Hart get his win back to level their series.

Shawn Michaels though claimed he had a knee injury and forfeited the WWE title as he said he had ‘lost his smile’.

However, it has widely been claimed that Shawn Michaels refused to drop the WWE title to Bret Hart.

Hart instead face Stone Cold in a legendary submission match that is seen as one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches of all time.

However, it also led to the controversial 1997 Survivor Series where Hart refused to drop the belt to HBK in his last match – leading to the Montreal Screwjob.

7. CM Punk Vs Triple H – Wrestlemania 30

Leading up to Wrestlemania 30, CM Punk was offered the opportunity to fight Triple H – a man who he had history with during the brief ‘Summer of Punk’ in 2011.

Punk though was not happy with the plans due to his desire to main event Wrestlemania.

He was also suffering with a serious case of burnout and frustration with the WWE creative team. Punk was also not happy following a misdiagnosed staph infection.

So the night after the 2014 Royal Rumble, CM Punk walked out on the company. This forced the WWE to dramatically alter their plans.

Punk would later leak a photo of the proposed Wrestlemania 30 card which included Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus, Roman Reigns vs Dean Ambrose and Batista vs Randy Orton.

He would make his shock return to the WWE nine years later and is set to finally get his Wrestlemania main event alongside Seth Rollins and Reigns on the first night.

6. Bret Hart vs Ricky Steamboat – Wrestlemania 2

Bret Hart and Ricky Steamboat are two of wrestling’s all-time great technicians and they were originally set to meet at the second Wrestlemania in 1986.

Both were known for their crisp execution and storytelling. They went on to have some of the best matches ever seen at Wrestlemania against the likes of Stone Cold and Randy Savage.

It would have been the match of the night however it came at the wrong time in wrestling history.

They were two smaller wrestlers at the time where the WWE was the land of the giants.

According to Bret Hart in his DVD, officials believed that Hercules would be the bigger star, so instead paired him up with Steamboat.

It robbed wrestling fans of what would likely have been an all-time classic.

5. Triple H vs Mike Tyson In A Boxing Match – Wrestlemania 17

Wrestlemania 17 in 2001 is hailed as WWE’s pinnacle with many classic matches.

The show was headlined by Stone Cold vs The Rock, and Triple H needed an opponent.

So the idea was pitched for Triple H to face Mike Tyson in a straight boxing match going over six rounds. The storyline would likely have revolved around Tyson turning on Triple H’s former D-Generation X partner Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 14.

However, it became another one of the Wrestlemania matches that never happened, and Triple H would instead square off against The Undertaker.

Triple H told WWE’s official website: “A lot of ideas get bandied about, but we were going to do me vs. [Mike] Tyson in a boxer vs. wrestler match at WrestleMania X-Seven, with Mills Lane and Earl Hebner both in the ring. We were going to do six rounds.

“I don’t if it was going to be full boxing rules, or whether I was wearing gloves. But it ended up being a deal where the whole thing just would have been a ludicrous amount of money, and it got pushed off. I wrestled ‘Taker [instead] and that ended up becoming one of my favorite matches.”

4. Sting vs Kurt Angle – Wrestlemania 18

One match that doesn’t make this list is Sting vs The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 31. While both men wanted the match, it never was truly planned as Vince McMahon wanted Sting to face Triple H.

However, 18 years before, Sting was in line to fight Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 18.

Sting was in talks to the WWE in 2002 and he was pencilled in to face Angle.

The wrestling icon itted in an interview with former WWE star JBL that there was truth to the story.

“Everything was great, but WWE attorneys, my attorney, and now all of a sudden there’s trouble. Bottom line, I think Vince wanted more of a commitment at the time than I was willing to give,” Sting said.

He added: “I always got that feeling. I watched what happened with some of the guys when they came here, and I never trusted it,” Sting said. “I’m thinking if I go up there, I don’t trust it. I just don’t trust.”

Sting would go on to wrestle Angle later down the line, but when the pair were working for TNA Wrestling.

3. Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair – Wrestlemania 8

When Ric Flair jumped to the WWE in 1991, it looked certain that there would be a clash of the titans between him and Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 8 the following year.

Hogan was the golden boy of the WWE, while Flair was the face of the NWA/WCW.

Early plans were for Hogan and Flair to battle it out for the WWE Championship and headline Wrestlemania 8.

However, backstage politics and tepid house show reactions to matches between the pair led to a pivot. Hulk Hogan fought Sid Justice and Flair battled Randy Savage for the title instead.

Hogan was set for a hiatus and there were reports that he refused to lose on his way out. Those reports added that Vince didn’t want Hogan to take the WWE Title off TV for an extended period of time, which was why he went with Hogan vs Sid and Savage vs Flair.

Hogan later said: “Flair-Hogan was magic. You could have doubled the ticket price and it would have still sold out. We were on that fast track to WrestleMania. Me and Flair. Then, all of a sudden, the gears got switched and I never really figured it out.”

2. Shawn Michaels vs Eddie Guerrero – Wrestlemania 22

Shawn Michaels vs Eddie Guerrero looked like a dream match which would have gone down as one of the best in Wrestlemania history.

The two men had similar journies as fantastic wrestlers who had overcome their demons and enjoyed career renaissances.

Bruce Pritchard put forward the match to Vince McMahon who pencilled it in for Wrestlemania 22.

However, in a tragic twist of fate, Eddie Guerrero died at the age of 38 days after the match was proposed.

Their styles would likely have crafted a match for the ages.

Rey Mysterio would win the title at Wrestlemania 22 in tribute to Guerrero. Whereas Shawn Michaels instead fought owner Vince McMahon in an unsanctioned match.

1. Stone Cold vs Hulk Hogan – Wrestlemania 18

Top of our list for Wrestlemania matches that never happened is Stone Cold vs Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 18.

When Hulk Hogan returned to WWE in 2002, fans began to salivate at the thought of Hulk Hogan finally clashing with Stone Cold.

It was the 1980s vs the 1990s and the biggest star of the WWE’s Attitude Era against the man who was the top dog in WCW during the Monday Night Wars.

However, Stone Cold was not a big fan of the match and itted he didn’t want it go ahead.

“He was open to having a match, me not so much,” Austin said on an episode of Jim Ross’s podcast.

“I thought the styles would clash and I didn’t think it would be that great of a match.

“If my head had been at a little different place, then by all rights, a [match] should have happened.

“Physically and mentally where I was at, I could go. I think Hogan probably would have been a step or two behind that. That wasn’t acceptable to me, and I didn’t want to slow myself down. I say that with all due respect to Hulk Hogan, because he had a hellacious run. That was my thought process back in the day. I didn’t think we could deliver.”

One of the big talking points would have been who went over in the match. Hulk Hogan did lose to The Rock at Wrestlemania X8 while Stone Cold beat Scott Hall.