5 best kept secrets in WWE history
WWE is as much about moments as it is about wrestling. The sports entertainment factor is what keeps fans engaged, and that is the reason why there must be good booking from the company's side.
Over the years, WWE has tried their best to provide their fans with surprises and shocks. Given the advent of social media and how difficult it is to keep anything under wraps, it is always exciting to see an organic surprise materialize in this day and age.
Vince McMahon and company make their commentators drill "you never know what's going to happen" into our heads at least once a week. However, we can't deny the fact that sometimes, it rings true above and beyond our wildest expectations.
In that regard, here are five of the best secrets WWE kept that dropped all jaws when they were revealed.
#5. On our list of the best-kept secrets in WWE history: Edge's return to in-ring competition
When Edge retired from wrestling in 2011 due to a severe neck injury, no one ever thought they would see him perform in the ring again. Fans were also disappointed to see an all-time great retire too early.
Fast-forward to the 2020 Royal Rumble pay-per-view and the Men's Royal Rumble Match. Predicting a winner was fairly easy, with Drew McIntyre the overwhelming favorite to outlast 29 other men. As a result, there was not much excitement heading into it.
As the countdown for entrant number 21 ran down, no one in their wildest dreams expected it to be The Rated-R Superstar. Out he came from heavy smoke and Metalingus blaring from the speakers to a raucous reaction. Fans were beyond excited to see him back and have the secret well-hidden from them.
#4. Sting making his debut
Sting was an icon of WCW and one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. His loyalty to his home meant that he had never stepped foot in a WWE ring. However, time can make anything possible, and it did so in the Stinger's case.
Survivor Series 2014 saw a main event that promised to change the landscape of the show. Team Cena battled Team Authority in a 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series matchup that had incredibly high stakes. If Cena and his team lost, they would be fired from the company. If the Authority were defeated, they would have to leave their place of work.
The villains looked set to win after Team Cena lost many members in quick succession. When all hope was lost for the faces and sole survivor Dolph Ziggler, the lights went out and help came in the form of The Vigilante making his WWE debut.
Everyone watching went crazy as a man who they never thought would appear made his way to the ring and confronted Triple H. He attacked the COO and helped Ziggler take the final pin on Seth Rollins to help Team Cena take victory.
#3. AJ Styles' phenomenal debut
Royal Rumble 2016 was shaping up to be a historic show. It marked the first time a world championship was being defended inside the titular Royal Rumble match. The then-champion Roman Reigns was forced to defend his title against 29 other men.
The opening exchange saw Reigns dump #2 entrant Rusev out of the match and fired up for his next opponent. However, he and fans heard completely new entrance music that sent them into silence. That was until the words 'I am phenomenal' showed up and drew a massive pop.
As AJ Styles marched to the ring, fans couldn't believe that he was actually a WWE Superstar from that moment on. There was nothing before the show that even remotely suggested he would show up at the event, making it one of the best secrets the company has kept.
#2. CM Punk's contract situation
The secrecy surrounding kayfabe was something that became public a long time ago. Even if WWE orchestrated the best possible feud with deeply personal undertones, fans know that it is scripted.
However, 2011 saw a feud that for a brief period blurred the line between kayfabe and reality. It was public news that CM Punk's contract was expiring at Money in the Bank, but everyone thought he would be renewing it.
Instead, what transpired in those months saw Punk edging closer and closer to an exit from the company. A whole pipebomb, suspension and return later, he had a WWE Championship match against John Cena lined up, but no new contract.
Fans were expertly kept in the dark regarding his situation as the possibility of a public walkout from the company loomed larger with every passing day. Despite The Voice of the Voiceless re-signing eventually, it was a secretive masterclass from the superstar and the company.
#1. The Montreal Screwjob's execution
There was only ever going to be one winner. What transpired on November 9, 1997 sent shockwaves across the wrestling world, as a secret conspiracy took shape in the form of an ugly incident that is hotly debated to this day.
Vince McMahon decided to screw over departing champion Bret Hart in front of his home fans despite him agreeing to drop the title immediately afterwards. He hatched a secret conspiracy and executed it in front of everyone watching.
As Hart was caught in a Sharpshooter courtesy of his opponent Shawn Michaels, McMahon ordered the referee to call for the bell and award Michaels the win and the title. The Excellence of Execution had no idea that he would be cheated that way, and it remains the most shocking secret WWE kept from fans until it was exposed in dastardly fashion.