Former WWE star only returned to the company 8 years ago to replace John Cena - Reports

John Cena is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in WWE history. The Leader of Cenation has been part of many WrestleMania over the years and he is all set to compete in his last Show of Shows next year in Las Vegas. One of the iconic 'Mania moments in his career came in 2016 when he came out to save The Rock from The Wyatt Family.

While John Cena did get physical in the segment, he reportedly sustained a shoulder injury before WWE WrestleMania 32, which nixed the plans of him facing The Undertaker. However, the unexpected injury opened the door for the return of Shane McMahon, who went on to face The Deadman in a Hell in a Cell match.

In episode six of Netflix's docuseries, Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon revealed how his 2016 return came through. Shane O'Mac said Vince McMahon pitched him the idea for a storyline that involved his return and facing The Undertaker. On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed how John Cena’s injury opened doors for Shane's return to the company.

Meltzer noted that John Cena was booked to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32. However, ahead of the match, he got injured and the company was in a tough spot as their other major stars Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, and Randy Orton were also dealing with injuries. Eventually, the WWE creative team came up with the idea of bringing back Shane O’Mac.

"The key reason he [Shane McMahon] was brought back for that WrestleMania was John Cena was the one who was gonna wrestle The Undertaker at that WrestleMania and then John Cena got hurt. So you had John Cena, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, and Bray Wyatt all got hurt at the same time so desperation leads to desperate measures and that was the opening for Shane McMahon to return to the company as an active performer," Meltzer said. [H/T: TJR Wrestling]

Shane McMahon revealed how he earned former WWE Chairman's respect

Shane McMahon's match against The Undertaker inside a Hell in a Cell was one of the most brutal matches in WrestleMania history. Toward the end of the bout, Shane climbed up the HIAC structure to deliver an elbow drop to The Deadman on the announce table. However, The Phenom just moved in time and McMahon came crashing through the table.

This was not the first time that Shane McMahon tried risky moves, as he has been involved in many brutal spots in his career. The final episode of Netflix's Mr.McMahon docuseries sheds light on Vince’s relationship with his son Shane. While narrating the story, Shane O'Mac revealed that he did all the risky spots in his matches to get a pat on his back from his dad.

Shane revealed he earned his dad’s respect after his Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker at WWE WrestleMania 32.

Shane McMahon is rumored to join AEW after a photo of his "private meeting" with Tony Khan surfaced online. The former WWE authority figure most recently coincidentally met The Young Bucks at an airport.