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Over the last few decades, there have been several matches in WWE that were canceled for various reasons. Whether it was a change in plans or other circumstances, WWE had to do what they could to make sure the show went on. This is something that has occurred even more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These were some of the high-profile PPV matches that WWE was forced to cancel or replace:
#7. Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt - WWE TLC 2017
Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt spent a good part of 2017 feuding against one another. While their rivalry was abruptly halted in favor of a Seth Rollins-Bray Wyatt feud, it resumed later on, including a SummerSlam match that lasted a little more than ten minutes.
Their rivalry escalated, and we were supposed to see something more unique at TLC 2017. Finn Balor teased the debut of an alter-ego of The Demon King, and Bray Wyatt was set to compete as Sister Abigail.
It was a highly-anticipated match. WWE fans weren't expecting a match of the year candidate, but there was a lot of curiosity about Bray Wyatt and how he would appear.
Due to a viral infection, two top WWE stars were taken out of the TLC PPV - Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns. Both men were removed from their matches and subsequently replaced.
Kurt Angle replaced Roman Reigns to join The Shield for one night. SmackDown's AJ Styles was called back from a live event tour in South America to face Finn Balor in a dream match.
Those who followed New Japan Pro Wrestling know that AJ Styles debuted in the promotion in 2014 - the same year that Finn Balor (then known as Prince Devitt) departed for WWE. Styles also took over as the leader of The Bullet Club, making it a dream match.
Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles was a dream classic waiting to happen. While there was no actual build to the match, it was a match of the year candidate. The match delivered beyond expectations, and AJ Styles was rewarded for it even in defeat.
Proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was a company man, AJ Styles would soon be thrust into the WWE title picture on SmackDown. He dethroned Jinder Mahal to kickstart a year-long reign with the title.
Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt took place at SummerSlam 2019. While Balor was his normal self in the match, Wyatt wrestled as his demonic alter-ego — The Fiend.
#6. Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch - WWE Survivor Series 2018
Post-WrestleMania 34, WWE made sure that the RAW Women's Division was centered around their hottest acquisition, Ronda Rousey. It made a lot of sense, especially given how things turned out.
Meanwhile, Becky Lynch had a little momentum, but she quietly picked up the best winning streak on SmackDown in 2018. It led to a SmackDown Women's title shot against Carmella at SummerSlam. Charlotte Flair returned and stole her thunder. The Queen was added to Carmella and Lynch's SummerSlam match, making it a triple threat contest. Charlotte even won the SmackDown Women's Championship, as a result.
This led to WWE turning Becky Lynch into a heel. Unintentionally, this move made her the biggest babyface in the company. She defeated Charlotte Flair to win her second SmackDown Women's Championship and was scheduled for a dream clash against RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series 2018.
On the RAW before Survivor Series, Nia Jax legitimately punched Becky Lynch. Lynch suffered a concussion and a broken nose, and she was pulled out of the match against Rousey. Charlotte Flair replaced her, but the lasting image of Becky Lynch standing tall in the crowd with a bloodied face made her the hottest star in the company.
That moment served to benefit her in the long run, as WWE was convinced that Becky Lynch was the woman to take the company forward. She went on to become the first woman to headline WrestleMania alongside Rousey and Flair. Lynch defeated both of them at the event to become a double Champion.
#5. CM Punk vs. Triple H - WWE WrestleMania 30
CM Punk left WWE after Royal Rumble 2014, citing years of frustrating experiences as the reason for it. He was unhappy about his place on the WWE card. Even in 2014, it wasn't his year, as Daniel Bryan rose to the top instead.
CM Punk revealed on Colt Cabana's podcast later that year that he was happy for Daniel Bryan. However, Punk also revealed that he was supposed to face and defeat Triple H at WrestleMania that year.
PWMania also reported that CM Punk vs. Triple H was penciled in for WrestleMania 30, with a "Summer of Punk" type of run planned for later in the year:
For what it’s worth, it’s said that Triple H vs. CM Punk for WrestleMania XXX is a lock. Plans are to do another “Summer of Punk” style program, possibly leading to Punk vs. Batista at SummerSlam.
Unfortunately, it didn't come to be as CM Punk walked out while still being under his WWE contract. Ultimately, it ended up benefiting Daniel Bryan in the long run. Bryan faced Triple H in a classic opener at WrestleMania 30 before going on to win the main event and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
As per a sheet that CM Punk shared on his Instagram story, he revealed the originally planned WrestleMania 30 card, including Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus:
It ultimately worked out for the better, as Daniel Bryan was able to get his big WrestleMania coronation.
#4. Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns - WWE WrestleMania 36
It's hard to imagine how different the landscape of WWE would have been had Roman Reigns faced Goldberg at WrestleMania 36. Goldberg had defeated The Fiend in a controversial outcome in Saudi Arabia to win the Universal Championship. Roman Reigns confirmed himself as Goldberg's WrestleMania challenger by simply saying, "I'm next."
It was a big marquee match that WWE would have had for WrestleMania. Not long before the event, Roman Reigns pulled out of the clash. It was rumored that the COVID-19 pandemic and his health risk were the reasons for his decision. However, he seemed to deny that on a video on Instagram, stating that his family was a large reason for pulling out of WrestleMania.
As a result, WWE quietly replaced Roman Reigns with Braun Strowman, and the latter defeated Goldberg in minutes to capture his first Universal Championship. The outcome would have been the same had Roman Reigns been in the match. But if he hadn't pulled out, we may never have gotten the heel version of Roman Reigns that dominates SmackDown today.
The Tribal Chief persona itself may never have come to fruition, so things ultimately worked out better for WWE due to this cancelation.
#3. Brock Lesnar vs. The Rock - WWE WrestleMania 30
"The Rock vs. Brock" was the tagline that WWE used for SummerSlam 2002 - where a young Brock Lesnar decimated The Rock to win the WWE Championship just four months after his debut. There was never any WWE superstar pushed as hard as Brock Lesnar right from the get-go. After the PPV, The Rock wouldn't hold the WWE title for another 10-and-a-half years.
The Rock confirmed on Twitter that there were talks between himself, Lesnar, and Vince McMahon about a potential "Rock vs. Brock" rematch for WrestleMania 30:
As it turns out, The Rock wasn't able to compete at WrestleMania 31 either. He appeared in the opening segment of WrestleMania 30 alongside Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. At WrestleMania 31, he appeared alongside Ronda Rousey in a confrontational segment involving Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
Brock Lesnar, on the other hand, ended The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak in 2014. Lesnar went on to headline WrestleMania 31 the following year, where he lost the WWE Championship thanks to Seth Rollins' MITB cash-in.
#2. The Rock vs. Triple H - WWE WrestleMania 32
WWE had several plans for WrestleMania 32, especially since it was going to be the largest attendance of any show in WWE history. While WWE ended up filling the stadium as expected, the card itself was plagued with injuries and various issues.
Roman Reigns vs. Triple H ended up being the main event, but it was an underwhelming one. There were reports that WWE was planning to book Triple H vs. The Rock as the main event of WrestleMania 32. Looking back on a backstage segment that aired on the 15th anniversary of SmackDown, it seemed clear that it was true.
In the video below, you can see the tensions escalate once the two WWE legends started speaking about a WrestleMania match. Triple H suggested that the match would be in front of 100,000 people:
Triple H confirmed that he was supposed to face The Rock at WrestleMania 32, citing that match as the reason why he controversially defeated Sting at WrestleMania 31 in the latter's WWE debut.
I was already booked to work with The Rock at the following year’s WrestleMania and we’ll build it for more than a year. That was the intent, belief, everything else." Triple H continued, "Just as time went on, Rock’s schedule changed later in the year and we weren’t able to do the match for the following year’s WrestleMania one-on-one against The Rock.”
Would this have ended up being a better main event for WWE than Triple H vs. Roman Reigns? It probably would have.
#1. John Cena vs. The Undertaker - WWE WrestleMania 32
John Cena vs. The Undertaker was the dream WrestleMania match that many WWE fans wanted to see. Given the pedigree of WWE superstars that The Undertaker has faced at the Grandest Stage of Them All, it's a bit surprising that John Cena was never an opponent until 2018.
There were a lot of rumblings from late 2015 that The Undertaker would face John Cena in a defining blockbuster WrestleMania 32 match. The stage was perfect, and what better place to do it than in front of the biggest crowd in WWE history?
Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that the original plan for WrestleMania 32 was, in fact, to go ahead with The Undertaker vs. John Cena. The latter suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out until mid-2016. As a result, Shane McMahon was brought back to WWE to face The Undertaker.
Shane McMahon made his return to WWE after seven years to one of the biggest standing ovations of the past decade. Vince McMahon revealed his son would have to beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 to take control of WWE. The high-stakes match-up and the two big names reportedly boosted WrestleMania ticket sales in a big way.
The Undertaker ended up facing John Cena at WrestleMania 34, and the match was disappointing. It lasted less than three minutes and The Deadman defeated the former franchise player of WWE.
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