2 WWE gimmick match ideas that were rejected and 3 that surprisingly made it to TV
WWE’s weekly in-ring action on Raw, SmackDown and NXT usually revolves around one-on-one matches and tag team matches.
However, every once in a while, Superstars will compete in specialty matches, such as Tables matches or Ladder matches, as well as the annual Royal Rumble and WrestleMania Battle Royal.
When pay-per-views take place, certain events are based around a specific type of match (Elimination Chamber, Money In The Bank, TLC etc), while larger shows like WrestleMania often include high-profile gimmick matches (e.g. The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon in Hell In A Cell).
Throughout the years, the aforementioned match types have successfully become a regular part of WWE programming. Other match ideas, meanwhile, have not stuck around as long or, even worse, they did not even get a chance to appear on television.
In this article, let’s take a look at three unique WWE gimmick matches that made it to TV and two ideas for match concepts that were rejected.
Honourable mention: WarGames
Following the demise of WCW, it was often speculated whether WWE would begin using the WarGames concept on its programming. Other WCW names and ideas, such as Great American Bash and Starrcade, have since been used by the company, so it did not seem too far-fetched that Vince McMahon could approve the use of the steel structure at a WWE PPV.
Speaking to Wrestling Inc. in 2017, former WWE writer Court Bauer revealed that McMahon always used to reject the idea of WarGames and he had no intention of ever introducing it.
“We had some good brawlers and I thought well we could build to something with this. We were just talking out loud and [Vince McMahon] turned down WarGames, he always does and always will.”
The reason why, presumably, is that WWE has its own variations of matches inside a steel structure (Hell In A Cell and Elimination Chamber), so there was no need to introduce another similar match type.
Of course, since Bauer’s comments, Triple H has brought back the WarGames concept in NXT, so this could technically belong in both of our 'Rejected' and 'Made it to TV' categories.