WrestleMania is WWE’s most important show of the year, so it always comes with a lot of anticipation. WWE usually spends weeks or months building up the matches, but unexpected events can sometimes force changes to the lineup. While some last-minute swaps have been controversial, others have actually improved the event. Here are 5 of the best examples of those positive changes.
5. Brock Lesnar Switches The Match at WrestleMania 35
At WrestleMania 35, Brock Lesnar held the Universal Championship and was scheduled to defend it against Seth Rollins. Originally, their match was planned as the show’s penultimate contest, right before the highly anticipated Winner Take All Triple Threat between Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch. However, Lesnar reportedly believed that having two big match finishes one after the other would diminish their impact, so he requested a significant alteration to the event’s order.
Okay, so here’s what happened – apparently, Brock Lesnar really wanted to shake things up right before the show. He decided he wanted his match with Seth Rollins to kick off the whole night instead of being near the end. It wasn’t an easy ask, though! Both Lesnar and Rollins actually had to talk Vince McMahon into it, but somehow they managed to get it changed within an hour. And honestly, it worked out great! Rollins winning the match was a fantastic way to start things off with a bang, and surprisingly, it didn’t overshadow the main event at all – that match ended up being incredible too. It was a really smart move in hindsight.
4. Hulk Hogan’s Heroic Turn at WrestleMania 18
The match between Hulk Hogan and The Rock seemed perfect on paper – Hogan was playing the villainous ‘Hollywood’ version of himself, and The Rock was a hugely popular hero the fans adored. However, you can’t predict a crowd, and at WrestleMania 18 in Toronto, the audience surprisingly refused to boo Hogan.
The audience was clearly rooting for Hogan throughout the entire match, and both he and Rock were smart enough to adjust their performance based on the crowd’s energy. Although Rock won, the aftermath of the match was even more impactful. The nWo attacked Hogan for losing, but he fought back (with a little help), becoming a fan favorite in the process. Sometimes a planned-out event doesn’t live up to expectations, but this time, the actual result was even better than originally imagined.
3. Stone Cold Bleeds at WrestleMania 13
Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart are widely considered two of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, and their match at WrestleMania 13 is a legendary encounter. This match significantly boosted Stone Cold’s popularity, and it’s best remembered for its dramatic finish: a bloodied Stone Cold refusing to submit to Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter and ultimately losing by knockout.
What’s truly remarkable is that much of this match wasn’t fully planned beforehand. Bret Hart has said they quickly ran out of ideas when initially trying to outline it. Adding to this, it was still early in Stone Cold Steve Austin’s time with the WWF, and there was a strict rule against using fake blood (‘color’). Hart had to get special permission to use it for the finish, and he actually worked to make it happen during the match itself. That last-minute change elevated a great finish to an iconic one, and it remains one of Austin’s most memorable moments.
2. Seth Rollins Cashes In At WrestleMania 31
Money in the Bank cash-ins are always exciting moments, even if they don’t succeed, because they create the possibility of a championship change. When a cash-in does work, the excitement is incredible. While there have been many great ones, Seth Rollins’ cash-in at WrestleMania 31 stands out, especially considering he didn’t learn he was cashing in until the event was already underway.
Seth Rollins had the Money in the Bank contract, which allowed him to challenge for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at any time, while Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar were already fighting for the title. However, Rollins had lost a match to Randy Orton earlier that day. Just before the main event, Rollins decided he would cash in his contract against Reigns, and he did—quickly defeating Reigns with a signature move and becoming the new champion. It was a huge surprise for both the fans at WrestleMania and for Rollins himself, proving that sometimes making a quick decision can lead to a great outcome.
1. Daniel Bryan Becomes a Champion at WrestleMania XXX
WWE originally had different plans for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania XXX, intending to feature Batista versus Randy Orton – a matchup that would have been exciting under normal circumstances. However, over the previous year, fans had strongly supported another wrestler who they felt was being unfairly treated, and their demands to see this star compete only intensified.
The popular wrestler Daniel Bryan received overwhelming support from fans who constantly chanted his name. Despite this, WWE initially stuck with its original plan for WrestleMania, as confirmed by CM Punk through an internal event schedule listing Batista and Orton. However, WWE eventually gave in to the fans’ demands, added Bryan to the main event, and ultimately made him the champion.
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2025-10-30 01:40