5 times WrestleMania was ruined by injuries

WWE's WrestleMania thrives on world-class brawls and exhilarating moments. However, injuries have sometimes plagued pro wrestling’s mega PLE. Whenever key superstars are sidelined with such predicaments, their highly anticipated matches get scrapped, resulting in a disheartened fandom.

With the promotion’s stacked schedules, rigorous training, and the risky maneuvers its superstars perform in every match, injuries are a constant threat.

To that end, WWE’s Creative scrambles to make revisions to what was initially planned for the show. This could either elevate underutilized superstars or dilute The Show of Shows’ grandeur.

This goes to show that, despite WWE’s careful planning, The Showcase of The Immortals is not immune to the unpredictability and fragility of the human body.

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#5. Seth Rollins’ torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus

When Seth Rollins tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus during a show in Dublin, Ireland, in 2015, this cost him what could have been an epic match at WrestleMania 32.

Before his nasty injury, he was scheduled to face off against Triple H during the aforementioned installment of Mania. Instead, The Cerebral Assassin defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns, who successfully captured the title.

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#4. Triple H’s torn quadriceps

Years before WrestleMania 32, Triple H suffered an injury that sidelined him from main eventing Mania’s 23rd installment.

The initial plan was for him to battle it out against then-WWE Champion John Cena for the title, with murmurings of Shawn Michaels being added into the mix. However, The Cerebral Assassin tore his quadriceps before the PLE, resulting in Cena defending his title against Mr. WrestleMania.

The Invisible Man retained his title at the time, though some believed that it would have been a mega-match card if it weren’t for Triple H’s injury.

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#3. John Cena’s shoulder injury

Just like Seth Rollins, John Cena also failed to grace WrestleMania 32 due to an injury. Because of what transpired, Shane McMahon, in a losing attempt, ended up facing The Deadman instead of Cena, who was said to have been scheduled to face The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell Match.

Now that Taker has already hung up his boots, the potential Hell in a Cell match between him and Cena stands as one of the biggest what-ifs in professional wrestling.

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#2. Stone Cold’s neck injury

A scary neck injury was what caused Stone Cold Steve Austin to miss WrestleMania 2000, as this would require surgery.

The Hall of Famer was supposed to headline the PLE alongside The Rock. That match, however, was replaced with a Fatal Four-Way Match featuring The Big Show, Mick Foley, Triple H, and The Rock.

The PLE received a mixed response because both fans and commentators anticipated it to be the year's largest wrestling event, with a conclusion that left everyone perplexed.

#1. CM Punk’s torn triceps cost him WrestleMania XL

When CM Punk returned to the organization, things went well until he suffered an injury that prevented him from competing at WrestleMania 40.

It was disclosed following Royal Rumble 2024 that Punk had torn his triceps, which would take some time to heal. The Second City Saint's fans were frustrated when the news broke since it was rumored that he was slated to have a match against Seth Rollins at the PLE.

The Architect went on to team up with Cody Rhodes instead as they battled The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns and The Rock in the main event of Night One. Last year’s Mania was one of the biggest, but Punk's fans were disappointed by his absence.

Fast-forward to the present, and Punk will finally get to be a part of this year’s Show of Shows, not to mention finally realising his dream of main eventing WrestleMania.