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WrestleMania X8 took place in the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario Canada on March 17, 2002.
The historic event was headlined by Triple H challenging Chris Jericho for the WWE Undisputed Championship but will be best remembered for featuring the first one-on-one Icon vs Icon meeting of The Rock vs Hollywood Hulk Hogan. The event also featured many stars that fans had never thought they would ever see perform at WrestleMania ever, or again, such as Ric Flair, Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, Rob Van Dam, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.
With names like that not even making up half the card, can you even imagine that WWE planned on it being even bigger by featuring other former big WWE and WCW stars to compete? Well, that is what they wanted and what they almost got with these big three planned matches/appearances that almost happened.
#3 Kurt Angle's match against Sting
Due to how often he spoke out about not wanting to join WWE, many fans are still surprised to learn that Sting was having some very serious talks with WWE in early 2002. At one point WWE thought the Sting signing was a lock and planned for him to have a match with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania X8.
Talks fell through however and Kurt Angle would face Kane instead in a very rushed feud. Sting and Kurt would later have several exciting matches in TNA Wrestling between 2007 and 2011.
#2 Scott Steiner pairing up with Stone Cold Steve Austin
At WrestleMania X8, Stone Cold Steve Austin faced Scott Hall. Surprisingly, even though it involved Austin, the match felt like just another mid-card match, despite that it was pretty good for what they could get out of 10 minutes.
WWE originally had much bigger plans for this match however, at least according to one Scott Steiner. The 'Big Bad Booty Daddy' once revealed that he, like Hogan Hall, Nash, and Sting, was also in talks with WWE in early 2002. Steiner said he would have returned to WWE TV in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, where he and Steve Austin would have teamed up together to face Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in a tag team match.
Steiner claims though that he never negotiated with WWE directly and left it all to his attorney until his attorney reported back the dollar figures that Scott wanted to hear. However, WWE apparently didn't offer anything close to what he had in mind and he wouldn't sign with the promotion until towards the end of the year.
#1 Bret Hart's return to WWE
Perhaps the most surprising story to come out of the plans for WrestleMania X8 were the plans that involved Bret Hart, mainly because this would be the first time since before Survivor Series 1997 that Bret would be offered a deal by WWE.
Bret was still retired at the time so he wouldn't have been competing, but WWE had other big plans for the Hit Man. Triple H had been feuding with Vince McMahon at the time on TV, as well as Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon. The rumored idea at the time was that Vince would interfere during the main event and attempt a screw-job finish to the match while Jericho would've had the Walls of Jericho locked in. Bret then would have emerged from the entrance ramp with his theme music and appearance provoking a huge pop from the Toronto audience and then clock Vince with a punch, preventing him from ending the match. Bret would then officiate the rest of the match itself.
Bret was also offered two other scenarios, to punch Vince in the face during an in-ring promo, or to be announced as the special enforcer for the main event on the prior episode of RAW. Apparently, Bret did actually consider all offers before he ultimately decided he would be too uncomfortable.
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