Strangest cases of not having a match at a big PPV?

[Jindrak Mark]

Randy Savage just being on commentary for Wrestlemania 9 when he wasn't injured and had been in key spots at the previous Royal Rumble/Survivor Series/Summerslam/Mania.

A lot of big names were missing from Starrcade 97 & 98 and they definitely weren't all injured or unable to wrestle at the time.

John Cena was apparently medically cleared in time for Wrestlemania 32 but Vince chose to just have him in the Rock/Wyatt segment rather than an actual match.

I'm not sure why Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan weren't on Summerslam 2019. They were in a story together that was arguably the top thing on Smackdown at the time. Reigns/Bryan could have been a fun match or at least some kind of tag with Rowan/Murphy who were also involved.

[Aceorton]

King of the Ring winner Steve Austin facing Yokozuna in an under-two-minutes match on the Free-For-All and not the main SummerSlam card was a head-scratcher.

[thecrusherwi]

It made sense in storyline, but it's wild that at the height of Austin's popularity and a point when the roster was really thin, they wasted him as a special guest referee at Judgment Day 1998. It looks from the TV and house show results from this period that he wasn't injured either.

[bluebeach25]

Cena/Taker would have been perfect at 32

[chronocross]

Most recently Bobby Lashley and LA Knight at Wrestlemania. You could have had a match between them coming off the SD battle royal but they didn't book them for whatever reason.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Undertaker being left off Summerslam 1991 was always odd to me. With "The Match Made in Hell" tagline and Warrior being involved whom he was in a big feud with at the time it made no sense to not have him involved in the main event match. However for some reason they thought a manager and a super washed up and out of shape Iron Sheik were more needed in that spot.

[tafkaga]

Apr 21, 2023 13:46:51 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Undertaker being left off Summerslam 1991 was always odd to me. With "The Match Made in Hell" tagline and Warrior being involved whom he was in a big feud with at the time it made no sense to not have him involved in the main event match. However for some reason they thought a manager and a super washed up and out of shape Iron Sheik were more needed in that spot.

Yeah, I could see them altering the story so that Adnan paid Paul Bearer to hire Undertaker as a mercenary.  That would have been much more compelling than the Triangle of Terror.  The only thing I could think is that maybe they thought it would be too much too soon.  Sid as the guest ref was a bigger story than the match itself, and seeing Hogan and Sid in the same ring was a big deal to me.  Maybe they didn't want to Sid/Taker or Hogan/Taker going toe to toe too early because they thought it might eclipse Warrior/Taker.  

[thecrusherwi]

Apr 21, 2023 13:46:51 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Undertaker being left off Summerslam 1991 was always odd to me. With "The Match Made in Hell" tagline and Warrior being involved whom he was in a big feud with at the time it made no sense to not have him involved in the main event match. However for some reason they thought a manager and a super washed up and out of shape Iron Sheik were more needed in that spot.

Adding to the strange booking choices, they did the Hogan and Warrior Vs Slaughter, Adnan, and Undertaker match and released it on the Wrestlefest 1991 video tape - which was released a few days BEFORE Summerslam. Why not have Taker replace Mustafa, and then have both Mustafa and Jake Roberts at ringside? That’s a match that needs Sid Justice to officiate.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Apr 21, 2023 14:33:28 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Apr 21, 2023 13:46:51 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Undertaker being left off Summerslam 1991 was always odd to me. With "The Match Made in Hell" tagline and Warrior being involved whom he was in a big feud with at the time it made no sense to not have him involved in the main event match. However for some reason they thought a manager and a super washed up and out of shape Iron Sheik were more needed in that spot.

Yeah, I could see them altering the story so that Adnan paid Paul Bearer to hire Undertaker as a mercenary.  That would have been much more compelling than the Triangle of Terror.  The only thing I could think is that maybe they thought it would be too much too soon.  Sid as the guest ref was a bigger story than the match itself, and seeing Hogan and Sid in the same ring was a big deal to me.  Maybe they didn't want to Sid/Taker or Hogan/Taker going toe to toe too early because they thought it might eclipse Warrior/Taker.  

Goodness, Iraqi sympathizer hired gun Undertaker. The memes! I mean the memes!

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Apr 21, 2023 14:35:06 GMT -5 thecrusherwi said:

Apr 21, 2023 13:46:51 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Undertaker being left off Summerslam 1991 was always odd to me. With "The Match Made in Hell" tagline and Warrior being involved whom he was in a big feud with at the time it made no sense to not have him involved in the main event match. However for some reason they thought a manager and a super washed up and out of shape Iron Sheik were more needed in that spot.

Adding to the strange booking choices, they did the Hogan and Warrior Vs Slaughter, Adnan, and Undertaker match and released it on the Wrestlefest 1991 video tape - which was released a few days BEFORE Summerslam. Why not have Taker replace Mustafa, and then have both Mustafa and Jake Roberts at ringside? That’s a match that needs Sid Justice to officiate.

Undertaker also interfered in the Warrior/Slaughter match on the April SNME and helped the Triangle of Terror beat him down until Hogan made the save. So it kind of had been built up a little bit. Also showed that they didn't care how odd the undead zombie man helping the Iraqi heels looked.

[Eunös ✈]

It's still kinda suprising Scott Steiner never wrestled at Wrestlemania during his early 00's return.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Maybe not a BIG match but it baffles me that LA Knight didn't have even a SEGMENT through two nights of a WrestleMania that was essentially in his back yard. Total and complete whiff imo.

[CMWaters]

Apr 21, 2023 13:46:51 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Undertaker being left off Summerslam 1991 was always odd to me. With "The Match Made in Hell" tagline and Warrior being involved whom he was in a big feud with at the time it made no sense to not have him involved in the main event match. However for some reason they thought a manager and a super washed up and out of shape Iron Sheik were more needed in that spot.

He was busy about to get involved with the Savage/Liz wedding thing during the same event, which though it took a bit eventually led to his face turn.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Paul Orndorff at Wrestlemania 3. I know there’s the theory that they held him off in case Andre couldn’t go, but I really don’t think that was the case.

[Celexa Bliss 54]

Samoa Joe at Mania 33. The only active Raw/Smackdown guy not on the show. Not even a run-in on the Triple H/Seth match.

Actually, thinking about it, New Day being hosts at the same show, but not wrestling. Same with Bayley a few years ago.

[Red Mage Riot]

Starrcade 1997, for being WCW's biggest show EVER up to that point.....you really wouldn't guess that now looking back at the card. No Giant, no Flair, no Outsiders, hell, Vincent rated a spot on the card in a six-man tag team match somehow?

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

Goldberg's PPV matches or lack-thereof during his 1998 world title reign was weird.

[XaviersSS2015hair]

The answer to this question will always be Flair vs Hogan at WM 8.

Yes I know Bruce/WWE's lame ass excuses for not doing it, but it sure sold a lot of PPV's for WCW just 2 years later.

[CeilingFan]

Apr 21, 2023 22:12:19 GMT -5 Red Mage Riot said:

Starrcade 1997, for being WCW's biggest show EVER up to that point.....you really wouldn't guess that now looking back at the card. No Giant, no Flair, no Outsiders, hell, Vincent rated a spot on the card in a six-man tag team match somehow?

Giant was there, but Nash refused to show up and do the job. Flair was out with a storyline injury.

[Red Mage Riot]

Apr 22, 2023 5:30:44 GMT -5 CeilingFan said:

Apr 21, 2023 22:12:19 GMT -5 Red Mage Riot said:

Starrcade 1997, for being WCW's biggest show EVER up to that point.....you really wouldn't guess that now looking back at the card. No Giant, no Flair, no Outsiders, hell, Vincent rated a spot on the card in a six-man tag team match somehow?

Giant was there, but Nash refused to show up and do the job. Flair was out with a storyline injury.

Sure, but the point is, when you can't find a way to give The Giant some kind of make up match, but you have room for Vincent and Buff Bagwell(who at this point were like the 15th and 12th bananas in the NWO, respectively), it kinda shows you how f***ed to death WCW's priorities were.