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Vince McMahon was responsible for every WWE Championship change between 1982 and 2022. Former WWE star Ryback recently recalled how McMahon once planned for him to win the company's most prestigious title.
In 2016, Ryback left WWE after failing to come to terms on a new contract. Toward the end of his 12-year association with the promotion, The Big Guy held discussions with McMahon and Triple H about his creative direction.
On Ryback TV, the 41-year-old revealed details of a heated conversation he had with Triple H backstage. He also spoke about his meeting with McMahon, who promised to make him the WWE Champion if he re-signed:
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"I just expressed to him I'm not signing the contract that they have, told him everything that happened with Hunter [Triple H] with everything, and so he then offered me more money and a run with the WWE Championship," Ryback said. "And I looked Vince in his eyes, and I told him if we can agree on several other things, that he has a deal." [2:51 – 3:07]
Although Vince McMahon wanted Ryback to stay, the former Intercontinental Champion decided to let his contract expire instead. He wrestled on the independent scene between 2016 and 2018 before taking a lengthy break from in-ring competition to deal with a serious shoulder injury.
When Vince McMahon planned to book Ryback as WWE Champion
In 2016, Roman Reigns defeated Triple H in the WrestleMania 32 main event to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At the same event, Ryback unsuccessfully challenged Kalisto for the United States Championship on the kickoff show.
Ryback added that Vince McMahon originally wanted him to beat Kalisto before entering the world title picture later in the year:
"I was told that I was gonna be having a program with Kalisto for the US Championship where it was gonna be to put me over to eventually have my run as the WWE Champion. Kalisto and myself are told we have a featured spot on the WrestleMania card for the US Championship, as we build me back up for eventually the WWE Championship, but all those plans fall through." [5:03 – 5:25]
AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Triple H held the WWE Championship in 2016. In the same year, the newly introduced Universal Championship was held by Finn Balor and Kevin Owens.
Do you think Vince McMahon should have booked Ryback to win a world title in 2016? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Ryback TV and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
