Timing is everything in the world of sports and entertainment. Unfortunately the timing has also caused some dream scenarios to be scrapped. In this article, we take a look at some scenarios that should have taken place but ultimately didn’t. Timing is one of the factors, but cold feet by McMahon himself is also a prime reason for some of these scenarios not taking place. For that most part, fans would have salivated at some of these possible angles that came so close to taking place. Seriously who wouldn’t want to see Demon Finn Balor against Brock Lesnar instead of a Triple Threat featuring Brock, Strowman and Kane.

On the flip side, we’ll discuss current scenarios that might be in the works behind the scenes. Unlike the scenarios that didn’t take place, we hope these rumors come to fruition sooner rather than later. A pair of WWE legends recently stirred things up with a possible match on the horizon. We’ll discuss that story, along with various other monumental returns and storylines the company might be planning behind the scenes.

Enjoy the article as we discuss 10 rumored scenarios that were supposed to take place, but didn’t, along with 10 current rumors we want to see unfold in the upcoming weeks or heading into WrestleMania 35. Like always, be sure to share the article with a friend. Without further ado, let’s get started with a recent idea that could have made SummerSlam a lot more interesting!

20 Never Happened - New Japan Versus WWE At SummerSlam

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Chris Jericho dropped this monumental bomb via his podcast. According to Y2J, the WWE actually considered putting on a cross-promotion match for SummerSlam featuring Jericho and Seth Rollins. The real kicker here is both are holding the IC Championships in their respective promotions. Jericho discussed the pitch and process, saying:

“I said ‘what do you think about first time ever Intercontinental champion vs. Intercontinental champion, Jericho vs. Rollins.’ ‘What’s the finish?’ ‘Doesn’t matter.’ ... The finish doesn’t matter. It’s getting people to buy it and get into it. IC title, New Japan vs. WWE, and you could make this happen.”

We’re not entirely sure how close this scenario came to be. However, most can agree the hope is that WWE revisits this type of scenario down the road.

19 Current Rumor - New Women’s Title In Early 2019

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According to recent speculation, it seems as though the women’s division is going to get a new championship. This might come sooner rather than later, with early 2019 as the rumored timeline. The Women’s Tag Titles are also rumored to debut, however, given Vince’s feelings towards tag wrestling, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if the single’s belt debuts before.

As for the championship, it remains unknown what exactly it’ll be. There is a possibility for the title to be defended on both brands by the champion. However there is also the chance of the new belt becoming similar to an IC Championship, in order to push a younger female star.

18 Never Happened – John Cena Turning Heel

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For the longest time it was believed that a drastic heel turn was to take place. This would feature John Cena finally joining the dark side and turning his back on the fans. However, WWE has been insistent on keeping things the same with the 16-time WWE Champion. It should be noted, however, that this isn’t entirely true and according to a former WWE writer, McMahon actually agreed to turn Cena at one point.

According to released WWE writer Kevin Eck, Vince agreed to turn John back in 2012. All the parties involved including John Cena agreed to the scenario. However, once creative put the plan in motion, McMahon cancelled the idea due to a merchandise deal with Kmart. As for who would take Cena’s place as the top babyface, Sheamus was the chosen one in the event Cena turned.

17 Current Rumor - John Cena Breaks The Championship Record At WrestleMania

via wwe.com

WWE's planning for a special WrestleMania 35 this year. Speculation is already running wild pertaining to possible plans. A rumor that just doesn’t appear to be going away is the possibility of Cena winning his record setting 17th WWE Championship. They only stage that can take place on is WrestleMania.

With a potential mammoth HBK and Undertaker rematch on the way, the focus might now shift for something huge involving John Cena. Given he’s always wanted to face Samoa Joe, it is entirely possible the two battle it out at WrestleMania for the championship. Look for this rumor to persist until Cena wins the big 17th championship.

16 Never Happened - Shawn Michaels Versus A.J. Styles At WrestleMania 33

via wwe.com

This was a surprising revelation made by HBK himself. With Shawn starting at NXT and getting back in the ring with talent, some speculated he might have the itch to return. A.J. Styles went as far as to create a photo of himself and HBK with the Royal Rumble backdrop.

Once Vince McMahon got word he approached HBK with a WrestleMania 33 offer. On WWE Network’s Table For 3, Shawn admitted he was flattered by the offer, though he didn’t see much of a point to face A.J. Styles given the context of a storyline between the two. Instead Styles took on Shane McMahon in the opening bout of the night.

15 Current Rumor - Roode Turning Heel On Gable And American Alpha Returning

via wwe.com

We have seen this formula time and time again. WWE takes a couple of struggling stars and puts them in a tag team together. This seems to be the case with Bobby Roode and Chad Gable. However, according to rumors, this should all lead to a Roode heel turn – something the former NXT Champion desperately needs at this point.

As for Gable, it is expected that he’ll rejoin former partner Jason Jordan once he’s healthy enough to return. Given Gable and Roode’s success in NXT with these roles, this is great news for the two struggling WWE Superstars.

14 Never Happened - Chris Jericho Wins Universal Title At WrestleMania 33

via allwrestingsuperstars.com

WrestleMania 33 could have been quite different. The show could have easily featured HBK against A.J. Styles along with Kevin Owens versus Chris Jericho for the Universal Championship. According to Y2J the match would have ended with Chris winning the title – that’s not a bad outcome at all.

However the plans changed once Brock Lesnar decided to work a long-term storyline with Goldberg. The initial plan was for Brock to defeat Goldberg at Survivor Series in a one-off match. This would change due to Brock not wanting to face other WWE stars and believing he’d make the most money alongside Goldberg. It completely changed all the plans and, looking back at what could have been, Jericho might have got the worst of it.

13 Current Rumor - Aleister Black Joins The Shield

via wwe.com

With Seth Rollins' recent injury, rumors are starting to swirl about a replacement within The Shield faction. If Rollins can’t go, they’ll need a new member. In recent days, several names have emerged to take the spot. Kurt Angle is one of the obvious choices, however, various talents from NXT are also in the discussion.

Among the more intriguing names includes Aleister Black. This can be a great way for Black to join the main roster. Ricochet would be another intriguing name to join The Shield, but due to his current North American Title run, this is less likely to occur.

12 Never Happened - Finn Balor & Brock Lesnar At The Royal Rumble

via wwe.com

It took two years for Finn Balor to finally get his rematch at the Universal Championship (he fought Roman on Raw the night after SummerSlam)... As you might expect this wasn’t always the plan. Balor was supposed to take on Brock Lesnar and in fact WWE had already began to plant seeds with segments featuring Finn and Paul Heyman. This could have been such a cool storyline especially with the possibility of Balor turning into The Demon for the match.

McMahon ultimately decided against it. Finn’s size was a major concern. Instead WWE fans got a lackluster Triple Threat Match featuring Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar and Kane... Vince definitely got this one wrong.

11 Current Rumor – Batista Returns Full-Time

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Talking to Sky Sports, Batista admitted he’s still fully open to return;

"For sure. It's always in the conversation. I'm proud to say that I've never really cut those ties with WWE and I've always stayed in contact with them. They know that I'm always open to going back, it just has to be on the right conditions. I have to be available. As long as that makes sense, I'd love to go back because I miss it. I miss the audience, the immediate feedback, the adrenaline rush of the physical performance. It's just something that's still in me, wrestling."

Not only does Batista want to return, but he also wants to make a comeback on a full-time basis, with live events as well. With SmackDown’s 1,000th episode looming, it might be the perfect time for The Animal to return.

10 Never Happened - Vince’s Real-Life Brother Used In Storyline

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This could have been quite the storyline. Former WWE writer Court Bauer discussed the resolution of McMahon’s “passing.” It could have lead to Vince’s real-life brother joining WWE and potentially take over the company. Bauer discusses what was in the works;

"I always think what could've been because we were gearing up to do something with Vince's little known brother Roderick," Bauer said. "His family was going to come in the following week and be part of the funeral for Vince McMahon and I was always pushing that I would love to get another side of the McMahon family involved with WWE. I think it would've been fascinating because people forget that Vince has a brother and I think that that story would've been amazing."

Ultimately the storyline was completely scrapped due to the Chris Benoit incident.

9 Current Rumor - Asuka Turns Heel On Naomi

via wwe.com

Finally, Asuka has returned to television. It was previously reported that she walked out due to creative frustrations. Thankfully, this was deemed as untrue. Since her defeat to Charlotte Flair, it seems as though the WWE has lost a little faith in Asuka. A couple of defeats to Carmella doesn’t exactly spell confidence.

Things might be changing for the better with a much needed heel turn. It is expected that Asuka will turn on Naomi when the time is right. Just prior to her call up, Asuka was working as a heel in NXT and she was thriving in the role. A change in attitude is much needed. We hope this takes place sooner rather than later.

8 Never Happened – The Female Shield

via bleacherreport.com

What if we told you that the WWE was planning on debuting a female Shield? Believe it or not, the company went as far as to developing promo packages featuring the group down in NXT. The video is available for the public to see these days.

The faction was to consist of Paige, Summer Rae and developmental talent Anya who was to play the enforcer of the group. The video was shot in 2013 and it might have gone down had it not been for an untimely injury suffered by Anya. Seeing The Shield’s success, WWE wanted to replicate the same for their women’s division.

7 Current Rumor - NXT Invasion

via thesportster.com

We won’t be seeing an invasion by the female Shield, however, it is very possible that we'll see a different kind of invasion in the near future. According to the recent gossip, WWE might be planning a mega NXT invasion of the main rosters. The timing of it all remains unclear though.

With the Fox deal looming, this can be the perfect way to get NXT some additional attention. It can also help NXT’s brand with a potential Fox deal as well since there's Rumors linking NXT to a possible Fox Sports deal. Without a doubt, this storyline could bring nothing but good results, while pushing some of the young talent. When WWE stars on Fox next fall, this can be the ideal time to pull the trigger on the current rumor.

6 Never Happened - Jericho Uses A Fireball On Roman Reigns

via imdb.com

"I wanted to throw a fireball in Roman's eyes and blind him, like an old-school Memphis idea. If we had a long program, I probably could have got it done."

This could have been something had it went down. The goal was to put Roman over while Jericho would get some major heat over the scenario. However the plan was scrapped when Roman and Y2J did not engage in a long-term storyline. Chris definitely doesn’t shy away from controversial storylines; who can forget the angle featuring Jericho and Shawn’s wife back in the day? Like a true heel, Jericho is all about getting a reaction, no matter what it takes. Even if it’s a fireball...

5 Current Rumor - Rey Mysterio At Survivor Series

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According to Rey Mysterio, he is now waiting on the WWE for the green light, but according to the Wrestling Observer, he won’t be competing at Hell in a Cell. However there is the possibility of Mysterio showing up at the SmackDown 1,000 episode.

The 2K video game is set for a October 9th release. Due to Rey’s involvement in the video game, we expect him back around that time. Survivor Series seems like a solid time for Mysterio to finally return. He has also stated this will be his final run in the pro wrestling industry. With still so much left in the tank, most fans hope his return is a lengthy one before calling it a day.

4 Never Happened - Ryback & Ultimate Warrior At WrestleMania XXX

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This supposed scenario had lots of fans scratching their heads. According to Ryback himself, this match was actually put to paper months before the event. Now The Big Guy admitted he initially thought it was all a rib, however, when high level executives got involved, he thought otherwise.

Dana, Warrior’s wife got involved in the rumored story, completely denying the validity. Ryback seemed adamant about the match being discussed, so much so that we’re actually led to believe that it was in fact a possibility. Nonetheless, it was not to be. Despite the match not taking place, it was a great moment to see The Warrior at WrestleMania one last time, following years of disputes with the company.

3 Current Rumor - The Rock Versus Roman Reigns At WrestleMania 35

via wwe.com

WWE has teased this match in the past and it might finally take place in 2019. Rumors indicate that The Rock has interest in returning to the ring for the WrestleMania show next year. It is all dependent on his hectic schedule at this point. Among the top candidates to take on The Rock are Elias and Roman Reigns.

If WWE fully plans on making Roman main event for a fifth year in a row, he’ll need to do something special. It really doesn’t get any bigger than The Rock. The Great One is also a huge draw in the New York area. The last time he was at the MetLife Stadium venue, Johnson was a huge part of the ticket sales with over 80,000 fans in attendance.

2 Never Happened - Sting Challenges The Undertaker

via prowrestingstories.com

John Cena versus Hulk Hogan. The Rock versus Shawn Michaels. Sting versus The Undertaker. Some dream matches just never happen, whether it be due to timing or various other issues. Unfortunately with this bout in particular, the timing seemed perfect for WrestleMania 31. However, for whatever reason, Taker ended up in a match against Bray Wyatt while Sting fought Triple H.

Sting would later admit that the reason why the match never took place was because of The Undertaker. According to Sting, Taker just didn’t have interest in working with the WCW star. We can all agree this was a big mistake considering Sting’s in-ring days are now done with.

1 Current Rumors - Shawn Michaels Comes Out Of Retirement And Retires The Undertaker

via wwe.com

Both Shawn Michaels and Undertaker proved they still got it recently, well, at least in terms of putting on a compelling promo. Not only was the crowd eating up every word but social media was on fire following the segment. Given the words exchanged by the legends, it feels as though HBK might come out of retirement for one more match. Speculation suggests the return might be the one to end Undertaker’s career once and for all. Now that’s come chilling stuff!

For now he is rumored as the special referee for the Triple H and Undertaker bout set for Australia. It remains to be seen what’ll happen following the match.