The Most Shocking WWE Moments Fans Never Saw Coming

This past week, the pro wrestling world saw plenty of surprises. On Monday, Carmelo Hayes joined 946 (Royce Keys, OTM, and Jaida Parker)—a faction that has committed arson, kidnapping, and vehicular manslaughter on TV. Then, TNA released Max Caster shortly after his unscripted rap on current events. On AEW Dynamite, Edge announced he is retiring in 2027. Finally, Cody Rhodes executed a punt kick to Baron Corbin on SmackDown. Here are several examples of when WWE fans didn’t see it coming.

Sami Wins the Big One: Night of Champions 2026 In Saudi Arabia

At Night of Champions, Sami Zayn pinned Cody Rhodes in a triple threat involving Gunther for the WWE Undisputed Championship. This was his first in the WWE, and Zayn made the most of his nine-day reign. He won for a second time on Monday Night Raw, but some backstage officials opposed the title change. He is now set to face Roman Reigns for the Crown Jewel Championship in Saudi Arabia.

The EST and B.O.S.S. Make History: WrestleMania 37

Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks were on a collision course for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Neither woman found out they were main eventing the day before, and gravity didn’t hit until their match. For the first time in company history, two black superstars headlined WrestleMania. What a moment.

Time for Owens to Play the Game: Monday Night Raw Aug. 2016

Kevin Owens competed in a Fatal Four-Way to determine the new Universal Champion on Monday Night Raw. His challengers were Big Cass, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins. Triple H got involved in the match and swerved the fans when he hit Rollins with the Pedigree. Owens couldn’t believe what happened and won the title. There was no follow-up on why Triple H helped Owens win.

The SHIELD Implode/Lore: Raw after Payback/Feb. 2019

First, Seth Rollins took a chair to Roman Reigns’ back, and a fan shouted ‘NO’ before he betrayed Reigns and Ambrose. Rollins joined the Authority and was the first superstar to cash in at WrestleMania.

Years later, Reigns relinquished his belt due to health issues. Rollins and Ambrose were kept in the dark when they hugged their stablemate on the ramp. Before the leukemia announcement, creative planned for Ambrose to turn heel. They said it was their decision, and the crowd was stunned when Ambrose hit Rollins with a Dirty Deeds onto the exposed ground.

The Streak is Over: WrestleMania 30

No one believed it would ever happen, not even the Undertaker. Heading into WrestleMania 30, the Phenom was going to wrestle Brock Lesnar. In many interviews, he found out the outcome changed hours before the match. Vince McMahon had the final say, and Paul Heyman has since revealed that very few people knew. This is one of the most surreal moments in WWE history.

Pillman’s Got a Gun: WWF Raw 1996

No one knows if the gun was loaded. Brian Pillman was a loose cannon in the WWF and in a rivalry with Steve Austin. He invaded Austin’s home and pulled out a gun as a threat. USA Network ended the broadcast abruptly and threatened to cancel Raw. This prompted Pillman to issue an apology, but not without one of the wildest moments in the company’s history.

Pillman's son is now in NXT as Lexis King and a member of the Birthright faction.

The most surprising revelation is still to come, because Crown Jewel is scheduled for November 7 th and will air on ESPN at Noon/EST. Dave Meltzer reported that everyone he spoke to doesn’t want to go to Saudi Arabia. The power lies with TKO, and reports suggest they’ll miss out on 50 million dollars if they don’t go. It’s going to be an interesting few weeks in WWE, so stay tuned to see what will happen.