Things That Happened Or Got Over By Accident

   What I love about professional wrestling is the unpredictability of it all.  You never know what's going to happen!  Things started to change in the 90's when sometimes promotions had to call an audible when something unexpected happened.  For example, All Japan Pro Wrestling founder Giant Baba realized how regarded Mitsuharu Misawa was by the fans and had him defeat Jumbo Tsuruta. Sometimes fans end up dictating how wrestling angles go and the best thing to do at that point is to let it ride instead of fighting it.  I wanted to list some instances where these strange things took place.

Big Show cheered over Floyd Mayweather

   In early 2008, the Big Show returned to the WWF after nearly a year.  He attacked Rey Misterio after his match and had a confrontation at ringside with boxing great Floyd Mayweather, who came to Rey's aid.  The feud escalated on Raw soon after when Mayweather broke the Big Show's nose.  A Boxing Match between the two was set for WrestleMania XIV.  I was not happy about this for a few reasons.  One, I'm generally against celebrity involvement in wrestling and two, it's not realistic.  I don't care how good Mayweather is, there's no way he would beat Big Show in an actual Boxing match.  Look at the size difference!  There's a reason Boxing has weight classes.  Mayweather is 5'8 and 150lbs.  Big Show is almost three times that size.  Plus, Big Show bent down to let it happen.  As amazingly quick as Mayweather is, he wouldn't have been able to use that combination with Big Show standing. 

   According to the Big Show, he willingly let Mayweather break his nose to generate heat between the two and a reason for the fans to get involved.  Here's where it all started to go wrong.  The Big Show was supposed to be the heel in this scenario and Mayweather was supposed to be the babyface, stemming from what happened with Rey Misterio.  The fans, however, cheered Big Show over Mayweather.  In my opinion, the reason that happened is that he's known as a full of himself jerk and the fans knew it.  I personally can't stand the man.  Plus, if you noticed, he did some heelish things, such as always having his entourage with him and showboating as a heel would.  Mayweather won the match but it took his entire crew and brass knuckles to do it.  Clearly, Big Show was not supposed to be cheered, but he was.  

Hulkamania Runs Wild Against The Rock

   Hulk Hogan made his WWF return in February of 2002 with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash as the nWo.  He was in his heel Hollywood Hogan persona at the time.  Together, they cost Stone Cold Steve Austin the WWF Championship and attacked The Rock the next night.  In fact, Hogan placed the Rock into a vehicle and then climbed into a Mack Truck and purposely rammed into the car with the Rock inside.  I know it's just wrestling but that's basically attempted vehicular homicide.  The Rock had challenged Hogan to a match at WrestleMania and it was truly a dream match.  No one ever thought they would get to see The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan.

   The pre-match stare-down was incredible and had the fans on their feet.  Something odd happened during the match, though!  Hogan, trying his best to stay within his heel persona, started to get cheered.  It wasn't just slight cheering, it was a lot!  I doubt that Vince McMahon and the creative team planned on this happening.  Some fans even started booing The Rock.  Hogan nearly killed The Rock but the fans were on his side.  When Hogan "Hulked Up," the fans went bananas!  The Rock won the match in the end but all the Hulkamaniacs came out of the woodwork, including myself.  The two shook hands and the Rock even saved Hogan from an attack by Hall and Nash, with a full-on Hogan babyface turn.  I guess Hulkamania never died!

West Texas Rednecks

   By 1999, WCW started doing some really questionable things. To stay relevant, they always wanted to be involved with celebrities outside of wrestling when those things were hot.  Sometimes it worked, such as the use of Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone. Sometimes it didn't, as evident by David Arquette's unfortunate WCW Title win.   They started a partnership with Rap sensation Master P and his group known as the No Limit Soldiers.  Master P and his crew befriended the Filthy Animals, members including Rey Misterio, Billy Kidman, Konnan, and Disco Inferno, to name a few. The Filthy Animals were very over as babyfaces at the time and the thinking was that by association, a well-known Rapper like Master P would be as well.

   To combat this movement, WCW created a heel faction to go against them, the West Texas Rednecks.   Their sole mission was to play Country music and they hated everything about Rap.  The group consisted of Curt Hennig, Barry Windham, Kendall Windham, and Bobby Duncum Jr.  The Windhams and Duncum were Cowboys from Texas but Hennig was from Minnesota and it was so ridiculous to see him use a Southern accent.  Together, they started singing songs and their biggest single was called "Rap Is Crap."  In an odd turn of events, the fans did not connect with Master P and company, yet rallied behind the West Texas Rednecks.  I myself, thought it was hysterical and I still know the words to "Rap is Crap."  I like Rap as much as the next guy but Master P was just awful and no one was buying the No Limit Soldiers.  Yet, the West Texas Rednecks, who were designed as a Country music parody, somehow got over.

Damien Mizdow

   After years away from WWE, Aaron Stevens returned as a character called Damien Sandow, who proclaimed himself to be the "Intellectual Savior of the Masses."  After a few years of this character, he seemed to be going nowhere.  He was stuck doing imitations of other wrestlers or celebrities. However, this was quite entertaining and they decided to expand on his comedic talent.  At the time, due to the success of his WWE movies, The Miz's character direction went towards being a big star and thus, he was in need of a stunt double.  Enter Damien Sandow, who became Damien Mizdow.

   He imitated almost every single action The Miz would take.  It was intended to be comedy, and while it certainly was, it was not meant to get over.  The fans would boo The Miz for his actions, yet cheer Mizdow for the imitations of Miz's actions.  It got over enough to the point that Mizdow had to finally break away from The Miz and be on his own.  Unfortunately, his popularity wasn't capitalized on and his career fizzled again.  He formed a team with Curtis Axel, where he would imitate "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Axel would imitate Hulk Hogan as a Mega Powers parody. Damien Mizdow was something not meant to get over, but did.  It was also a catalyst in the progression of The Miz and that's equally as important.

The New Day

   I don't want to conclude that The New Day was not supposed to get over.  What I will say is that
The New Day wasn't meant to get over to the degree they did and still are to this day.  It wasn't designed to become the ultimate money maker it has become.  Before Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods came together onscreen, there were rumors about what The New Day was.  The rumors likened them to a new Nation of Domination of sorts.  Vignettes started with some kind of preacher-like gimmick. They started as babyfaces but the audience did not take to that and WWE were forced to make them heels.  As heels, their charisma really started to show.

   Their antics as heels become so over to the point where they were turned babyface once again. From their proclamation that "New Day Rocks" to Xavier playing the trombone, to Booty-O's, the fans were into everything The New Day did.  They are nothing short of entertaining on the mic and their abilities in the ring shine as well.  They held the Tag Team Titles several times and even broke Demolition's record for longest reign.  Together, they've used the "Freebird" rule and there's no telling which combo their opponents will face.  They are top merchandise sellers.  Every catchphrase is gold and fans love every minute of it.  Who knew how far The New Day would go?

Daniel Bryan In General

   I have to put Daniel Bryan into one category because there were several Daniel Bryan moments that happened or got over by accident.  The first is where it all began, the start of the "Yes Movement."  At the beginning of 2012, Daniel Bryan was fresh off cashing in his "Money In the Bank" contract to become the World Champion.  In something he borrowed from a UFC fighter, he started chanting "Yes" as he came to the ring.  At WrestleMania, he was to defend his Title against Sheamus.  People were looking forward to the match, especially because their encounter at the previous WrestleMania never took place and was changed to a Battle Royal.  As the bell rang, Daniel kissed girlfriend at the time, AJ Lee, only to turn around and get planted with a Brogue Kick.  In 18 seconds, Sheamus beat Bryan for the Championship.  The fans were so angry that the match, and specifically Daniel Bryan weren't given an opportunity, so they embraced the "Yes" chants loud and clear to display both their frustration for the outcome and support for Daniel Bryan.  

   The "Yes Movement" followed Daniel Bryan everywhere he went, even through his "No" phase, and team with Kane as Team Hell No.  At SummerSlam 2013, he defeated John Cena to become the WWE Champion, only for Randy Orton to cash in "Money In the Bank" and join Triple H's "Authority."  Later that year, the World Titles were to be unified as John Cena and Randy Orton would go one on one.  Shorlty after, a "Championship Ascension" ceremony was set, consisting of a Cena/Orton face-off, as well as all the former World Champions that were around, both active and retired.  It was a who's who of performers, as fans saw Big Show, Rey Misterio, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Kane, and Daniel Bryan himself.  Though the focus was supposed to be on the Champions, the fans chanted "Yes" nonstop for two minutes.  It was quite amusing and clearly not what was expected to happen. You could see CM Punk and Mark Henry visibly smiling because of it, and Cena even acknowledged it.  The ceremony became all about Daniel Bryan.  The most amused and taken aback was Bryan himself.

   Fast forward a month later to the Royal Rumble, where he would face Bray Wyatt.  Bryan lost to Wyatt but was assumed to enter the Royal Rumble match.  Batista had just returned and was rumored/pretty much guaranteed to be in the main event of WrestleMania. As the Rumble match progressed, the fans started growing restless for the sight of Daniel Bryan, but it was not to be.  The buzzer rang for #30 and poor Rey Misterio got booed out of the building when fans discovered Bryan wasn't coming out.  People wanted him in it and to win it.  It would have actually been the perfect opportunity to have the last entrant be Bad News Barrett.  The last three men in the ring were Batista, Sheamus, and Roman Reigns.  The fans started booing relentlessly.  After Sheamus was eliminated and they knew the inevitable outcome of Batista winning, they flocked to Reigns and actually cheered the Shield member in  protest of Batista.  The fans "hijacked" the show because Daniel Bryan did not appear and win.  They continued to do this until Bryan was entered into the main event of WrestleMania and finally won it all.

   The last moment is something WCW did that bit them in the behind during the Monday Night Wars. At the time, WCW President Eric Bischoff was known for giving out their competition Monday Night Raw's results on Nitro because WWE's Raw was taped. It was a ruthless and cutthroat time and it had served WCW well so far.  This particular night is known for two things that may not have to do with the other necessarily, but ultimately helped lead to WCW's demise less than 2 years later.  The first moment happened on Nitro in what is referred to as the "Fingerpoke of Doom," as Kevin Nash laid down for Hulk Hogan and practically gave him the World Title, leading to the nWo factions getting back together, as it was all a ruse to get the belt off Goldberg the night before.

   Later on, WCW was at it again, as Bischoff instructed WCW commentator Tony Schiavone to let out the result of Raw's main event.  It just so happens that this was the night Mankind won the WWF Title for the first time.  In something that hadn't failed WCW yet, Schiovone was told to let out this result and sarcastically say "that'll put a lot of butts in seats!"  In fact, that's exactly what happened, as an extremely large amount of people switched from Nitro to Raw to witness this historic moment.  I should know, as I was one of them!  I had to find out about Nitro's end the next day because I was so happy for Mick Foley. It was an incredible moment and it's funny how an intended insult to Foley became his greatest achievement in wrestling.

   When things happen or get over when they weren't intended to, it really makes wrestling fun. There are plenty of other examples but these are the ones I thought of.  If you have anymore to add, please let me know.  I hope you enjoyed reading this!

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