5 WWE matches advertised for pay-per-views that did not happen
"Card is subject to change." These are the four dreaded words that gave WWE the window to change up their pay-per-view plans.
Up until this week on Raw, Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz was scheduled to take place for SummerSlam. While it was never going to be the plan, the match was changed to Ziggler vs Goldberg. This is just the latest in a long line of instances where WWE advertised a match for a pay-per-view and it did not take place.
There are several reasons why a previously advertised match would not happen. Injuries and illnesses are generally unavoidable, with WWE having no option but to alter certain matches. However, there have been times where a previously advertised match got canceled or replaced due to the creative decision-making of the company.
Whether it was a bait-and-switch or due to real-life circumstances, here are five recent instances where WWE advertised a pay-per-view match that would end up getting canceled or replaced.
#5 The Shield vs The Miz, The Bar, Braun Strowman and Kane (TLC 2017)
Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins reunited as the Shield in the fall of 2017, livening up the post-SummerSlam scene on Raw without the likes of Brock Lesnar and John Cena. Their coming together was the result of issues with a whole host of people. The Miztourage and The Bar all began, or continued, feuding with the members of the Shield. That is why the Shield's reunion match at TLC was initially a 3-on-3 affair.
Soon, Braun Strowman entered the mix to swing the advantage to the heels' favor before Kane returned to further add more odds against the Hounds of Justice, making it a 5-on-3 TLC handicap match for the pay-per-view. However, real-life struck as Roman Reigns was diagnosed as having been brought down by a meningitis virus that had affected a number of people on the Raw roster. This burnt a hole through the TLC card and the heavily anticipated Shield reunion, forcing WWE to name a suitable replacement for the Big Dog merely days before the show.
Rollins and Ambrose were joined by Kurt Angle, in what was his first match in WWE in over 11 years. It was surreal to see the Hall of Fame headliner return to the ring in such a scenario, sporting the full Shield gear with two younger superstars by his side.