10 Times WWE Stars Refused To Work With Each Other
Jake The Snake Roberts
10. Stone Cold Steve Austin with Mark Mero
Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mark Mero had previously worked together in WCW and during their early phase in WWE. By May 1998, Austin was the world champion and the biggest star in the company while Mero was a mid-card heel feuding with his wife, Sable. WWE creative suggested Mero as Austin’s next challenger due to a shortage of credible heels. Austin was fine with the idea until he saw Mero get “Sable Bombed” on Raw. Austin felt that Mero being beaten up by his own wife made him look weak and unfit to challenge the world champion. He put the kibosh on the proposed feud and continued working with Dude Love. Mero later acknowledged that the incident cost him a chance to work with Austin but understood the decision because it helped get Sable over.
9. John Cena with Jack Swagger
John Cena, as the top guy, held major influence over creative decisions. Jack Swagger had just won the Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 26. According to Swagger, Vince McMahon asked Cena to drop the WWE title to him on the post-WrestleMania 26 Raw, but Cena responded with a “big fat nope.” Swagger teased cashing in on Cena that night but failed, and a few days later cashed in on Chris Jericho instead to become the World Heavyweight Champion. Swagger later questioned the 17-time champion's reputation as an unselfish top star, although Cena was probably right to turn this one down.
8. Ken Shamrock with Chyna
Chyna was a groundbreaking female star known for competing against men and becoming the only female Intercontinental Champion during a time when the women's counterpart belt did not exist. Ken Shamrock had brief interactions with her but balked at the idea of working a full program. He understood sports entertainment but worried about confusing his children after raising them to respect women. Shamrock stated his refusal respectfully and did not generate major heat, though he believed he may have been asked to job a few times before ultimately quitting the company.
7. Diesel with The Ultimate Warrior
The Ultimate Warrior returned at WrestleMania 12 following a four-year absence and was set for a heavy push. Kevin Nash was finishing up with WWE before heading to WCW. When Nash asked Vince McMahon if he wanted him to put anyone over before leaving, McMahon requested he put over Warrior. Nash refused, believing Jim Hellwig wasn’t “one of the boys” and wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. Instead, Diesel lost to The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels in his final televised matches. Years later, Nash and Warrior developed public beef that escalated to Nash challenging him to a shoot fight.
6. The Rock with Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels had a troubled backstage reputation before his hiatus and later return in 2002. WWE floated the idea of a first-time-ever dream match between Michaels and The Rock. However, the real-life Dwayne Johnson refused. His decision stemmed from Michaels’ prior disrespect toward The Rock’s grandmother, who promoted shows in Hawaii, and for trying alongside Triple H to hold down a young Rocky Maivia. The Rock’s reaction to the proposal was a very strong rejection.
5. Stone Cold Steve Austin with Jeff Jarrett
As a top star, Steve Austin often protected his position. Jeff Jarrett was a favorite of head writer Vince Russo, who wanted to elevate him to main event status. Austin passed on both a purposeless match with Billy Gunn and a full program with Jarrett. His long-standing heat with Jeff and his father Jerry Jarrett dated back to Austin’s rookie days in USWA, where he felt mistreated. He was also unhappy with a shoot-style promo Jarrett cut on him upon returning to WWE. Austin told Russo he would only agree to a single Stone Cold Stunner segment with Jarrett.
4. Brock Lesnar with Bray Wyatt
Brock Lesnar, under a lucrative part-time deal, possessed major creative control. WWE explored a Lesnar vs. Bray Wyatt match several times. A collision course for WrestleMania 32 in 2016 fizzled out, with Lesnar working Dean Ambrose instead. Seven years later, Lesnar was again approached about facing Wyatt at WrestleMania 39 and gave the thumbs down. However, this was not personal. The 10-time world champion reportedly felt the Bray Wyatt character did not suit his style. Lesnar ended up wrestling Omos at WrestleMania 39, while Wyatt was slated to face Bobby Lashley before missing the show due to health issues.
3. Hulk Hogan with Jake The Snake Roberts
Hulk Hogan was WWE’s biggest draw, and many wanted programs with him. A feud with Jake Roberts seemed like a natural hero-versus-villain story. During an unaired Snake Pit segment, the crowd chanted “DDT” and cheered Jake, causing Vince McMahon to get cold feet. Hogan and Jake worked some house shows, but Hogan later claimed their styles did not mesh well. Rather than try to fix things, Hogan quickly moved on to working with Kamala. Jake Roberts turned babyface and still laments that Hogan did not want to make their feud work.
2. CM Punk with Triple H
In January 2014, CM Punk was beat up, burned out, and creatively unsatisfied, ultimately nearing his breaking point. In a meeting with Vince McMahon and Triple H before Raw, Punk passionately outlined his frustrations and stated he did not want to work with Triple H at WrestleMania 30 as planned. On the Art of Wrestling podcast, Punk said he told Triple H, “I do not need to wrestle you. You need to wrestle me. I do not want to wrestle you. I seriously resent you for not putting me over 3 years ago when you should have.” The proposed match contributed significantly to Punk’s decision to walk out.
1. Hulk Hogan with Bret Hart
In 1993, Bret Hart was led to believe he would feud with and defeat Hulk Hogan for the world title at SummerSlam, a promise Vince McMahon made after WrestleMania 9. Hogan pulled out his trusty “he doesn’t work with me brother” card again. He balked at passing the torch to another babyface, especially one smaller than him. Plans shifted, and Hogan dropped the title back to Yokozuna at King of the Ring. The move enraged Bret Hart and damaged his relationship with McMahon. It also created a grudge between Hart and Hogan that lingered for years.
