6 Things Vince McMahon almost canceled in WWE

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon still has a firm grip over the running of his company and makes almost all of the key decisions in the WWE. McMahon who has taken the WWE to new and greater heights over the last 25 years and has taken some important calls that have resulted in having a major impact on the company.

There have been some decisions that McMahon changed or canceled, while others that he considered before putting those thoughts to bed.

Here, we take a look at 6 things Vince McMahon almost canceled in WWE:

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#6 Canceling SmackDown after Eddie Guerrero's death

Vince McMahon was deeply affected by Eddie Guerrero's sad demise in 20015

Eddie Guerrero sadly passed away in 2005 at the height of his career, which was set to have more title reigns and memorable moments. Guerrero was a much-loved figure within WWE and his death had a profound impact on everyone backstage.

Chavo Guerrero, Eddie's nephew and then WWE Superstar, revealed that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon actually considered canceling one SmackDown show that was set to take place just after Guerrero's death.

McMahon rarely, if ever, cancels shows - which was evident in 2020 when he continued with WrestleMania 36 despite it being held during a pandemic - but he was unsure about having a show just after Eddie Guerrero's death.

Here is what Chavo Guerrero said about what Vince McMahon asked him following Eddie Guerrero's death:

"Vince is always, 'The show must go on.' The same thing happened when Eddie passed away. I was in the hallway of his hotel room and here comes Vince, Triple H and Shawn Michaels. We're all talking and he was like, 'What should I do? Should I cancel?' I go, 'Absolutely not. Eddie would want the show to go on, for sure.'' (H/T WrestlingInc)

#5 Canceling 205 Live

205 Live is WWE's brand for the cruiserweights

205 Live has some of the most exciting in-ring action each week in WWE, as the company's phenomenally gifted cruiserweights put on fantastic matches. But, there was a point when the brand was about to get canceled.

Former WWE Superstar Enzo Amore previously disclosed that WWE and Vince McMahon wanted to cancel 205 Live, but a conversation that Amore had with the WWE Chairman changed his mind, back in 2017.

“We were at a point in time where they were going to cancel 205 Live and I stepped in and told Vince that I wanted to work with Neville so that he could get the opportunity to get back onto the main roster and stop carrying his workload.”

205 Live began in 2016 and has been moved around quite a bit, from airing after SmackDown to before NXT to its current time slot, which is after SmackDown on Fridays. William Regal is the current GM of the brand after Drake Maverick stepped down as the brand's GM.

#4 John Cena's babyface run

John Cena

John Cena has had a Hall of Fame career in WWE and was the face of the company for over a decade, a run that saw him win numerous titles, and become a 16-time World Champion. Cena, throughout his run as the main guy of the company, was a babyface and was loved and adored by fans, especially kids.

But, there was a point when WWE and Vince McMahon considered turning Cena heel, which is something that is unfathomable. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter revealed that WWE had created new ring gear and plans were laid out for Cena to turn heel, only for the WWE Chairman to change his mind at the last minute:

"There was even a time, I think most people know this, that Vince had decreed that John was going to turn heel and it had all been agreed to. John had agreed to it. John got his heel gear made and then Vince goes, Vince started thinking about it and he goes, 'It's f****** stupid, he's our #1 merchandise seller. He's the face of our company doing all this make-a-wish stuff. And at the point, it was like, he's never going to turn heel and he never did and I think it would have been completely stupid for him to do it."

#3 Batista being a part of Evolution

Evolution

Batista signed with WWE in 2000 and was assigned to OVW, where he trained alongside future greats Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and John Cena. But, his call-up to the main roster didn't go as expected, and his career on the main roster blossomed only after joining Evolution - the faction that included Ric Flair, Triple H, and Randy Orton.

But, there was a possibility of Batista not joining the faction after an injury that he sustained. Mark Jindrak was set to take his place, and WWE even filmed vignettes of Jindrak with Flair, Triple H, and Orton, as Vince McMahon felt that Jindrak would "fit" in the group.

Batista said that he was not happy about Jindrak replacing him in the group and that he felt that it was his "spot".

“Some people thought that [Jindrak] had been replaced with me, which irked the sh*t out of me because that was always my spot and they held out and passed on Mark Jindrak and waited for me to return and get that spot… They believed in me enough that they waited and knew that I belonged in that position and they waited for me to come back. That’s when Evolution really got strong." (H/T Fightful)

The Animal did finally join Evolution, which helped him become the megastar that he eventually became in WWE.

#2 The Undertaker's streak in 2006

Kurt Angle could have ended Undertaker's streak in the 2000s

The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak was one of the hallowed aspects of WWE and The Phenom's gimmick in the company. His streak was ended by Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 in 2014 when he lost to The Beast Incarnate. The Deadman's 21-0 win record at The Show of Shows was one of the most memorable win streaks in pro wrestling history.

But, there was a possibility that it could have ended a few years earlier in 2006. Kurt Angle revealed in 2015 that The Undertaker wanted to have a "five-star match" at The Show of Shows, and wanted to face Angle, and suggested that the streak end there.

While The Deadman was willing to sacrifice his streak, Vince McMahon was not very keen, as Angle revealed:

“I was champion in 2006 and Undertaker approached me and said he wanted to face me at WrestleMania. Until then, Undertaker didn’t have a WrestleMania moment with a five star match. He thought he could have that with me, and he was considering possibly losing as long as he had that moment he wanted, and I don’t blame him. Vince said no way, and I agreed with Vince.

#1 Roman Reigns as the face of the company

Roman Reigns and Vince McMahon

Roman Reigns has had quite a decade in pro wrestling. He joined WWE in 2010 after his football career ended. After learning the trade in FCW, he debuted alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose as The Shield, in 2012.

But, back then, no one expected The Big Dog to be in the position that he is now, as one of the most important - if not the most important - Superstar in the company. Reigns became WWE Chairman Vince McMahon's pet project, and he got a huge push by the company to be "The Guy" of WWE.

This is surprising as McMahon was, in fact, not keen on giving Reigns the big push just a few years ago. Wrestling Observer Newsletter (H/T Inquisitr) reported a few years ago that McMahon was not keen on Reigns being the face of the company and had actually wanted The New Day's Big E to be the face of the company.

Triple H convinced McMahon to go with Reigns, which is what happened eventually.