Wrestling fans love talking about the matches that actually happened, but some of the most fascinating stories in WWE history are about the ones that never made it to the ring. Some were canceled at the last minute, others were rejected by management, and a few were scrapped because of real-life tragedies that changed everything.
Here’s a look at four major WWE matches that came close to happening but never became a reality, along with the real reasons they were ultimately shelved.
Justin Bieber Was Almost Going to Wrestle at SummerSlam
Back in 2014, when Justin Bieber was at the peak of his popularity, he came surprisingly close to stepping into a WWE ring. The plan was for Bieber to team up with John Cena and Big Show in a six-man tag team match against The Wyatt Family at SummerSlam.
This wasn’t just a rumor. Big Show later confirmed the story himself during an appearance on the Talk Is Jericho podcast. According to him, Bieber was genuinely excited about the idea and even wanted to train with him and John Cena to prepare for the match.
So why did it never happen? Big Show explained that one WWE executive felt Bieber wasn’t the right fit for WWE’s audience. That opinion alone was enough to stop the plan from moving forward. At the same time, negotiations between WWE and Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, dragged on for weeks without reaching an agreement, and the match was eventually scrapped.
Looking back, it’s easy to see why many believe WWE missed a huge opportunity. Bieber was one of the biggest celebrities in the world at the time, and a match like this could have brought enormous mainstream attention to SummerSlam. Instead, the idea quietly faded away, leaving fans to wonder what a Justin Bieber WWE match would have looked like.
Stone Cold Steve Austin Turned Down a Match With Hulk Hogan
WrestleMania 18 is best remembered for the iconic clash between Hulk Hogan and The Rock, but that wasn’t WWE’s original plan. Before settling on that dream match, the company wanted Hogan to face Stone Cold Steve Austin. On paper, the matchup seemed perfect. Hogan was the biggest star of the 1980s wrestling boom, while Austin had become the defining face of the Attitude Era. Bringing them together in one ring would have been a true clash of two legendary generations.
However, Austin wasn’t sold on the idea. According to reports, he felt Hogan’s slower, more theatrical wrestling style wouldn’t mesh well with his own fast-paced, hard-hitting approach. Austin took great pride in the quality of his matches and didn’t want to risk delivering a bout that fans might find disappointing.
With Austin unwilling to move forward, WWE changed its plans. Hogan was instead booked to face The Rock, and the match went on to become one of the most iconic moments in WrestleMania history. Austin, meanwhile, faced Scott Hall that same night. While both matches were memorable in their own right, fans still look back on Austin vs. Hogan as one of the biggest “what if” dream matches WWE never delivered.
Chyna Was Almost Booked to Beat Stone Cold for the WWE Title
This was one of the boldest ideas WWE ever seriously considered. Back in 1999, the company explored the possibility of Chyna challenging Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam—and even winning the title. By that point, Chyna had already made history by competing against male wrestlers and capturing the Intercontinental Championship. Winning the WWE Championship would have been an even bigger milestone, making her the first woman to hold the company’s top prize.
According to reports, Chyna was genuinely considered as a potential No. 1 contender for Austin’s championship. That shows WWE wasn’t simply tossing around the idea—it was a legitimate creative direction the company discussed. In the end, however, WWE decided to go in a different direction. Instead of facing Chyna in a singles match, Stone Cold Steve Austin defended the WWE Championship against Triple H and Mankind in a Triple Threat Match at SummerSlam.
The exact reason WWE abandoned the plan has never been fully explained. The company may have been uncertain about how fans would react to such a groundbreaking change, or it may have wanted to build toward it more gradually. Whatever the reason, the fact that the idea came this close to becoming reality shows WWE was already considering a historic moment for women’s wrestling years before it became commonplace.
Jackass vs. Umaga at SummerSlam
In the summer of 2007, WWE was working on a major crossover with the cast of Jackass. The plan was for Johnny Knoxville and the rest of the crew to face Umaga at SummerSlam. WWE had even begun promoting the storyline, releasing posters that showed Umaga standing over the Jackass cast with their heads buried in the sand. The concept fit the era perfectly. Jackass was famous for its outrageous and painful stunts, while Umaga’s character was built around being an unstoppable force of destruction. Bringing the two together had the potential to create one of the most entertaining celebrity crossovers in WWE history.
However, everything changed in June 2007. Wrestler Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son before taking his own life, a tragedy that shocked the wrestling world and brought intense negative media attention to WWE. In the aftermath of the incident, Johnny Knoxville reportedly became uncomfortable with being associated with WWE and decided to withdraw from the storyline. Once Knoxville pulled out, WWE canceled the entire plan, even though other members of the Jackass cast were still willing to participate.
It remains one of the rare instances where a real-life tragedy directly derailed a major WWE storyline. The Benoit case had a profound impact on the company’s decisions that summer, affecting not only its television product but also high-profile crossover projects outside the wrestling world.
What These Almost-Matches Tell Us
When you look at all four of these stories together, a clear pattern emerges. Some matches never happen because of business or financial reasons. Others fall apart because a performer turns them down. Some are canceled after company executives change their minds at the last minute, while others are derailed by real-life events that no one could have predicted.
WWE often plans its biggest storylines and matches months, and sometimes even years, in advance. But until a match actually takes place in front of a live crowd, nothing is guaranteed. These four stories show just how different WWE history could have been if a single conversation, one decision, or one unexpected event had gone another way.
Sometimes, the most fascinating stories in professional wrestling aren’t the ones that happen inside the ring. They’re the matches that came incredibly close to becoming reality but, for one reason or another, never happened at all.
Gaurav Sharma
Founder & Lead Writer, Wrestling Nightmare
I’ve been hooked on wrestling since childhood—from the Attitude Era to today’s Bloodline saga, plus AEW and TNA. My favorite match of all time is The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2002), and I’ll always stand by Bray Wyatt’s untapped potential.
At Wrestling Nightmare, I break down news, analyze matches, and drop verified recaps. Got a correction or wanna debate? Hit me up at contact@wrestlingnightmare.com
