6 WWE Superstars who booked themselves to win a big match
Backstage politicking in WWE and wrestling has taken place throughout the course of the industry's history. While top superstars in WWE and outside were notorious for abusing creative control, that has undoubtedly reduced in the modern age.
A lot of that has to do with ego, but it doesn't mean that some superstars have stopped pushing for big victories. On this list, we look at six WWE legends who booked themselves to win a big match.
#6 Edge - Reportedly pushed for a Royal Rumble win upon his WWE return in 2021
Edge returned to WWE in 2021, immediately announcing his entry into the Men's Royal Rumble match. The last time he was seen was Backlash 2020, where he suffered a major injury in "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" (as dubbed by WWE) against Randy Orton.
Edge's Royal Rumble victory made him the third man in the company's history to win the match from the No.1 spot. In doing so, he also joined an elite list of seven other WWE legends who won the Royal Rumble match twice.
The Rated-R Superstar chose to face Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37, making the jump to SmackDown. While Roman Reigns vs. Edge was the originally scheduled main event for WrestleMania 37 Night 2, WWE added Daniel Bryan to the match, making it a triple threat.
Around the build to WrestleMania 37, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter was discussing the difference between Edge and Daniel Bryan - both of whom had creative control. He noted that Bryan used his creative control to put over other superstars, while the WWE Hall Of Famer personally pushed for his Royal Rumble victory and WrestleMania main event.
"It is notable the difference with Edge and Daniel Bryan on the creative team. It was notable that they were the two people who got substantial interview time leading to the match, but Edge, at 47, was pushing for a main event title shot, while Bryan, at 39, in his position was pushing constantly to get other people over."
If it's true, it doesn't put the Rated-R Superstar in a good light. Either way, Edge still helped elevate Roman Reigns in the WrestleMania 37 main event when he was pinned along with Daniel Bryan.