WrestleMania XL: WWE’s most anticipated premium live event, WrestleMania XL, is just around the corner. While several matches for the event have been announced, many others are yet to be revealed. Among the confirmed matches for WrestleMania XL is the showdown between World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre. Roman Reigns will defend his undisputed WWE Universal Championship against the Men’s Royal Rumble winner, Cody Rhodes.
The Women’s World Champion, Rhea Ripley, will face Becky Lynch, while the Women’s Royal Rumble winner, Bayley, will take on Io Shirai. While these matches are set, there have been several alterations to the original plans. In this article, we delve into three matches that were initially slated to take place but were later canceled.
1- WWE had initially planned a match between The Rock and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL.
Following the Royal Rumble, expectations were high that Cody Rhodes would challenge Roman Reigns for his championship on the subsequent episode of SmackDown. However, instead of Rhodes, The Rock made a surprise appearance and confronted Roman Reigns.
This led to a social media frenzy, prompting WWE to rethink its plans. At one point, WWE was considering booking a match between The Rock and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL. Shortly after the altercation, WWE organized a kickoff press event for WrestleMania XL, where Cody Rhodes challenged Roman Reigns for his championship, leading to the official announcement of their match.
2- WWE had planned a match between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins at WrestleMania XL.
After the Royal Rumble, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins requested a match against Cody Rhodes for WrestleMania XL on the following episode of Raw. With rumors swirling about a potential clash between The Rock and Roman Reigns, it seemed like Seth and Cody would be pitted against each other. However, circumstances changed over time.
While Cody initially challenged Roman, his victory in the Elimination Chamber match secured him a title shot against Seth Rollins instead. This presents a significant opportunity for McIntyre, especially considering the last time he won a championship at WrestleMania, it was during the pandemic, and fans were absent from the arena.
3- WWE intended to book a match between Gunther and Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XL.
Fans were eager to witness a showdown between Gunther and Brock Lesnar. Gunther’s impressive track record has elevated him to star status, reminiscent of Lesnar’s prime days. Gunther’s reign as Intercontinental Champion, the longest in history, has made him a formidable opponent for anyone.
WWE was keen on arranging a match between Brock Lesnar and Gunther at WrestleMania XL. However, Lesnar’s name became embroiled in controversies, forcing the company to scrap the plan. The situation surrounding Lesnar turned sour to the extent that WWE removed him from their intros and associated content. Given the current scenario, it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll witness a match between these two wrestlers.
In conclusion, while WWE had initially planned several exciting matchups for WrestleMania XL, circumstances led to the cancellation of some of these matches. Nonetheless, the confirmed matches promise an electrifying event for fans worldwide.