10 WWE Pitches Vince McMahon Refused to Approve

Hollywood Hulk Hogan in WCW

10- Mick Foley Winning the 2004 Royal Rumble

In late 2003, Mick Foley met with Vince McMahon to pitch a massive comeback story. Foley wanted to enter and win the 2004 Royal Rumble match. His grand plan involved him challenging both the Raw and SmackDown world champions to a triple threat match at WrestleMania 20, where he would win and unify the titles. Vince was not impressed with the idea and told Foley he had no interest in doing that. Instead, Foley entered the Rumble briefly just to eliminate Randy Orton and continue their feud.

9- CM Punk Winning the Extreme Elimination Chamber

The December to Dismember pay-per-view in 2006 is infamous for its poor quality, but Paul Heyman had a plan to save it. He pitched for CM Punk to enter the Elimination Chamber first and quickly make the Big Show tap out. This would have instantly made Punk a superstar in the eyes of the fans. While the writers and wrestlers loved the idea, Vince McMahon hated it. He was adamant that Bobby Lashley should be the one to win the title, leading to a disastrous finish and Heyman's departure.

8- A Bullet Club Reunion in WWE

When illness forced Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt off the TLC 2017 card, WWE had to scramble. This led to a dream match between AJ Styles and Finn Balor. Given their history in Japan, a pitch was made to have the two leaders join forces with Luke Gallows and Carl Anderson for a full-scale Bullet Club reunion. While the idea was discussed to capitalize on their shared past, Vince McMahon ultimately showed no interest. It is speculated that he didn't see the value in referencing a stable from another promotion.

7- Chris Jericho Tattoos CM Punk

During their personal feud leading into WrestleMania 28, Chris Jericho wanted to perform a truly heinous act to get under CM Punk’s skin. He pitched an angle where he would handcuff Punk to the ropes and forcibly tattoo his own initials, CJ, onto Punk’s body. Vince initially agreed to the segment, but changed his mind on the day of the show. The boss reportedly got cold feet because he feared the sight of a bleeding tattoo would upset PG sponsors. Jericho believed someone had influenced Vince’s decision.

6- Randy Savage’s Retirement Feud with Shawn Michaels

In the early nineties, Randy Savage was determined to have a career-ending masterpiece. He pitched a two-year-long program with a young Shawn Michaels, believing Michaels was the only one who could match his intensity. The story would have culminated in a WrestleMania match where Savage would lose and officially retire to the commentary booth. Vince McMahon rejected the long-term plan, stating that the company was moving toward a youth movement. This rejection and the feeling that Vince thought he was finished led Savage to leave for WCW.

5- John Cena as Kurt Angle’s Retirement Match

In 2019, Kurt Angle knew his legendary career was coming to an end. When he approached Vince McMahon about his retirement match at WrestleMania 35, his one specific request was to face John Cena. It was a poetic pitch, as Cena had debuted against Angle years earlier. While Vince liked the idea, he told Angle he would have to wait an additional year to make it happen. Since Angle physically couldn't last another twelve months, he was forced to settle for a widely criticized match against Baron Corbin.

4- Triple H vs. Batista: Hell in a Cell 2

For their final encounter at WrestleMania 35, Triple H and Batista wanted to go out with a brutal bang. They specifically requested that their No Holds Barred match take place inside the Hell in a Cell structure. They envisioned it as a spiritual sequel to their classic 2005 Vengeance encounter. However, Vince McMahon nixed the gimmick for the grandest stage. His reasoning was that WWE already had a dedicated Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, and he didn't want to use the cell outside of that specific event.

3- A Hulk Hogan Heel Turn After WrestleMania 6

Following WrestleMania 6, Hulk Hogan realized the Ultimate Warrior was the new face of the company. According to Hogan, he pitched a shocking post-match angle where he would fake his departure only to return and attack the new champion. He wanted to be rebranded as Hollywood Hulk Hogan, becoming the company’s top villain years before the nWo existed. Vince rejected the idea, firmly believing that fans would never accept Hogan as a bad guy. Ironically, Hogan later used this exact transformation in WCW to change the wrestling industry forever.

2- Bully Ray in WWE

After returning in 2015, Bubba Ray Dudley grew tired of being used primarily to put over younger talent. He pitched a heel turn on D-Von to bring his successful Bully Ray persona from TNA to WWE. However, Vince McMahon shot it down immediately. He feared the company would face massive public backlash for having a character named Bully while simultaneously promoting their Be a Star anti-bullying campaign. Bubba even suggested a redemption arc where he eventually became a spokesperson for the campaign, but Vince still refused the pitch.

1- Baron von Bava

Writer Dan Madigan pitched a character for Heidenreich that left Vince McMahon speechless. The idea was to repackage him as Baron von Bava, a Nazi stormtrooper who had been cryogenically frozen since World War II. To make matters worse, Madigan suggested that Paul Heyman, a Jewish man whose mother survived the Holocaust, should be the manager. After Madigan demonstrated the character by goose-stepping around the room, Vince simply stood up and walked out of the meeting without saying a word. This remains one of WWE’s most offensive rejected ideas.