5 WWE Conspiracy Theories Debunked

Wrestling is a crazy world. While kayfabe was quite intact in the 20th century, the age of the internet brought a complete change to wrestling - from the fanbase to the perception of the product.

There were old internet forums and chat rooms back in the day where hardcore fans would sit and discuss wrestling, but it wasn't as widespread as it is now. Today in the age of internet, a widespread fanbase is well aware of the workings of the business, including rumours and backstage stories.

During this period, a vast array of conspiracy theories have floated around. While some are realistic, there have been some that have fallen under the category of outright bizarre! This list takes a look at the line in between, with conspiracy theories that may have little substance to it but are ultimately untrue. We debunk these theories for you.

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#5 Daniel Bryan wasn't cleared because it would affect Roman Reigns' push

There's no denying that WWE has gone out of their way to push Roman Reigns. He's Vince McMahon's personal project and for years was pushed heavily so he could succeed John Cena as the face of the company.

Superstars such as Dean Ambrose and even Braun Strowman, who had serious momentum heading into WrestleMania lost it in favour of Roman Reigns, who the fans continually rejected. This obviously isn't a criticism on Reigns but management, rather.

But either way, Daniel Bryan was forced to retire in 2016 and over the course of the following year, he openly stated his desire to return to the ring, saying that only WWE doctors hadn't cleared him.

However, there was a theory going around that Daniel Bryan was not being medically cleared because it would affect Roman Reigns' push (his popularity dwindled as fans preferred Daniel Bryan over him in 2016).

However, now that all is said and done, it's quite clear that WWE was not holding Bryan back. Bryan himself stated that he understood why WWE did what they did. They're a publicly traded company and if anything were to happen on him, it would reflect badly on them.

Now that he was medically cleared in early 2018, it puts that little conspiracy theory to rest.

#4 The tale of two Warriors

The Ultimate Warrior was penned in as Hulk Hogan's successor and when he beat the legend at WrestleMania VI, it seemed like the future had come. Unfortunately, due to a lot of issues and disputes, Warrior left the company and only returned at WrestleMania VII, helping Hulk Hogan from an attack by Papa Shango and Sid Vicious.

Here's the thing, Warrior looked a lot different when he returned. He was a lot less bulky and had certain differences about his appearance. The simple fact of the matter was that WWF, at the time, was undergoing the steroid scandal, so they naturally had to become strict about its usage, which was quite open earlier.

Warrior didn't last long in WWE during his second run either and further contract disputes saw Vince McMahon fire him once his obligated dates were over. But it was still the same Jim Hellwig!

#3 Brock Lesnar wasn't supposed to end the streak

WrestleMania XXX saw one of, if not the most shocking moment in WWE history where Brock Lesnar pinned The Undertaker to end his legendary WrestleMania undefeated streak at 21-1.

The match itself wasn't particularly a classic, with The Undertaker not being in good physical shape. What's well known is the fact that when being hit with an F-5, The Undertaker suffered a bad concussion.

The conspiracy theory is that The Undertaker was supposed to kick out but was too concussed to do so and that Brock Lesnar ended the streak because he wanted to and despite the fact that he was supposedly scheduled to lose. Paul Heyman himself during a talk appearance with Inside The Ropes played off this conspiracy theory brilliantly and gave a whole possible scenario as to how it was entirely possible.

However, watch it knowing that this is just Heyman putting a twist on things to entertain an audience. The truth is that it was always planned, with the objective being that Lesnar would get a dominant and that the WrestleMania next year could see the coronation of their new golden boy - Roman Reigns. As we know, it didn't exactly work that way.

#2 CM Punk's pipebomb was not planned

Ah, the famous pipebomb. CM Punk wasn't like other superstars, so he wouldn't just go for a beatdown on John Cena. He went for something much bigger. The microphone is any superstars' most powerful tool and it can make or break them. And this particular segment shot CM Punk to new heights.

Punk's WWE contract was legitimately ending in three weeks from then, which was right around Money In The Bank, the PPV in which he would be competing (in his hometown, no less). In the promo, he even hinted at taking the WWE title and going to Ring Of Honor with it.

The conspiracy theory is that Punk legitimately went off script and started shooting. However, the truth is that the segment falls under what's termed as a "worked shoot", where the lines between fiction and reality were blurred. What really happened was just that Punk was told he could run his mouth and break the fourth wall. He was likely instructed that once they felt he was entering territory that was far more uncomfortable, they would cut the mic off.

It was the most talked-about topic in wrestling at the time and made it the hottest feud of the summer of 2011.

#1 The Montreal Screwjob was a work

The infamous Montreal Screwjob saw an outcome of a WWE title match manipulated by Vince McMahon. Shawn Michaels had Bret Hart in the sharpshooter, but the champion Bret Hart didn't tap. Vince McMahon signalled to referee Earl Hebner to ring the bell and that's exactly what happened.

Shawn Michaels was declared the winner and new WWE Champion without Hart having tapped. This match was originally set to be Bret Hart's final match in WWF, as he was leaving to WCW for a bigger money deal.

Since Survivor Series took place in Bret Hart's home country of Canada, he refused to lose and agreed with Vince McMahon that the match would end in a DQ and he would relinquish the title the following night on RAW.

However, the sudden change in finish without his knowledge infuriated Bret Hart, who spat on Vince McMahon, trashed the ringside area and wrote the words "WCW" in the air.

The common belief is that the entire Screwjob was scripted to get Vince McMahon more heat (The Mr McMahon character debuted right after this incident). However, it's well known that this isn't the case, with Bret Hart even reportedly punching McMahon backstage. Thank goodness that they let bygones be bygones years later.

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