10 Times WWE Took a Wrestler’s Idea and Gave It to Someone Else Instead

Mr. Kennedy

10.⁠ ⁠Elias - The “Monday Night Messiah” That Never Was

In early 2020, Elias was actively looking to move beyond his guitar-playing persona. He pitched a darker evolution: a “Messiah-like cult leader” character rooted in biblical imagery. Elias envisioned himself as a pied-piper-style heel who would recruit followers, send disciples on missions, and operate under an “Old Testament, eye-for-an-eye” philosophy. He had long-term plans mapped out, including faction members and layered storytelling. The idea was flatly rejected. Elias was told by WWE’s creative team, “We don’t see you doing that.” Within weeks, however, Seth Rollins debuted a strikingly similar character as the “Monday Night Messiah,” complete with stained-glass-style visuals and a manipulative cult leader presentation. The timing and execution made the similarities difficult to ignore.

9.⁠ ⁠Lance Storm - The Superhero Sidekick Angle

Coming off his work with The Hurricane in 2003, Lance Storm pitched a creative twist that leaned into comedy without abandoning credibility. The idea was for Hurricane to be attacked during a match, only for a masked superhero sidekick to make the save. Backstage, Storm would deny involvement, teasing a hidden, childlike alter ego beneath his serious exterior. Storm saw it as a viable babyface tag team that could elevate inexperienced heel teams. Creative shut it down, insisting both Storm and Hurricane were singles guys. Instead, Storm was saddled with a dancing gimmick that he has since said contributed directly to his decision to retire. Just two months later, WWE introduced Rosie as The Hurricane’s superhero in training, effectively using the core of the Canadian's rejected pitch.

8.⁠ ⁠Lenny Lane - The “Single White Female” Obsession Story

While working WWE dark matches in 2005, former WCW wrestler Lenny Lane pitched a storyline inspired by Single White Female. His version involved becoming obsessively infatuated with Chris Jericho. Both Jericho and Paul Heyman were receptive to the idea. Lane believes the turning point came when he pitched the concept alone to Stephanie McMahon instead of alongside Triple H, as originally planned. Shortly afterward, Lane received a fax asking him to sign a release relinquishing rights to the idea. Around the same time, Mickey James had pitched a super fan stalking angle—initially for Lita—which was later redirected to Trish Stratus. The two concepts were merged, producing the critically acclaimed Trish Stratus–Mickie James storyline. Moreover, Lane was never signed by WWE.

7.⁠ ⁠The Blue Meanie - The Val Venis Gimmick

The Blue Meanie has long claimed that he and Al Snow conceptualized the Val Venis adult film star gimmick while watching Danny Doring wrestle in ECW. Seeing Doring’s sleazy charisma, they pitched the idea to Paul Heyman, who was enthusiastic about it. Roughly six months later, the Val Venis character debuted in WWE with Val Venis portraying the role. While Meanie believes Heyman passed the idea along, Vince Russo—then WWF’s head writer—has also stated he independently came up with the gimmick based on Venis’ resemblance to adult film stars. The end result suggests overlapping ideas rather than a single clear origin.

6.⁠ ⁠Paul Burchill - The Mixed Tag Title Match

Paul Burchill became so known for pitching ideas that were later reassigned to others that the locker room coined the term “being Burchilled.” One notable example involved a mixed tag team proposal with his on-screen sister, Katie Lea. The pitch was for them to challenge Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston and Women’s Champion Mickie James in a winner-take-all match. The concept eventually appeared at SummerSlam 2008—but with Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix instead. The Burchills were reduced to enhancement roles during the build. Soon after, Paul Burchill was jobbed out, removed from television, and relegated to WWE’s third brand.

5.⁠ ⁠Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins - The “Fired” but Sneaking Back Storyline

Struggling to gain television time, Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins pitched a storyline where they would be fired and then sneak back into arenas to interfere with matches. Friends with John Cena, they asked him to help present the idea. Cena loved it, calling it killer, and requested a DVD with promos to show Vince McMahon. Cena delivered the pitch. The very next week on Raw, The Miz and R-Truth were fired in a storyline that mirrored Reks and Hawkins’ concept almost beat for beat. Cena later admitted to them that they had been Burchilled, and the two remained stuck at the bottom of the card.

4.⁠ ⁠Dominik Dijak - The Lion Gimmick

Dominik Dijak struggled to get creative traction with Vince McMahon, who rejected most of his ideas. Aware of McMahon’s tendency to associate wrestlers with animals, Dijak pitched a primal “lion” persona. This time, McMahon was fully engaged, instructing him to “go out there and be the lion.” Despite the initial enthusiasm, the idea never materialized for Dijak. Weeks later, Veer Mahaan debuted as “Veer the Lion.” Dijak has suggested that McMahon likely remembered the concept but reassigned it to someone higher on the company’s priority list.

3.⁠ ⁠Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson - The Parking Lot Brawl

In 2017, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson pitched a gritty backstage angle involving a violent parking lot brawl with Enzo Amore and Big Cass, incorporating vehicles to heighten the chaos. Vince McMahon reportedly loved the idea. Nothing came of it for them. The following week, Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman headlined a nearly identical parking lot brawl segment on Raw, which became one of the show’s most-viewed clips. Gallows and Anderson remained unused in meaningful storylines for the rest of the year.

2.⁠ ⁠Kaval (Low Ki) - The Mask vs. Mask WrestleMania Plan

In 2010, Kaval laid out a detailed long-term storyline that involved him wearing a mask, sabotaging Rey Mysterio’s career, and ultimately challenging him to a mask vs. mask match at WrestleMania 27. Rey Mysterio himself helped facilitate a call with Michael Hayes, who praised the concept as well thought out. According to Kaval, WWE repurposed the idea for CM Punk, who later wore a mask in a storyline that culminated with Big Show unmasking him. Kaval has since openly criticized WWE creative for taking wrestlers’ ideas and presenting them as their own.

1.⁠ ⁠Mr. Kennedy - The Matt Hardy Rivalry That Went to MVP

The celebrated 2007 SmackDown rivalry between Matt Hardy and MVP was originally designed for Mr. Kennedy. The storyline framework—competition, jealousy, and escalating personal stakes—was pitched to Vince McMahon and immediately approved. An injury to Kennedy forced a creative pivot. With Kennedy’s blessing, MVP took his place in the program. MVP later acknowledged that the contrast between himself and Hardy may have made the rivalry even stronger, making this one of the few examples where reassigned creative worked out for all involved.