WWE’s Best Matches That Never Happened: Dream Bouts Fans Wanted

WWE wrestling is more than a display of athleticism; a storyline is embedded in a fantastic, larger-than-life persona and larger-than-life-esque performances. For years, WWE has treated us all to matches that really, genuinely have defined and set the tone for their respective eras, the kind that people so fondly hold inside them. And for every game that does take place, there will always be several dream bouts that have been either lost in time or never happened at all. These are the matches that the fans play out in their minds, the ones that would have been had they taken place, to change the course of wrestling history. This article will impartially and with candor explore WWE’s best matches that never were, looking at those dream bouts fans always wished to have seen realized.

The Rock vs. Shawn Michaels
The Icons of Different Eras Among the most tantalizing dream matches in WWE history is Shawn Michaels versus The Rock. Two of the biggest, greatest superstars to ever grace the wrestling scene will define each of their respective eras. The Rock, with his unparalleled charisma and electrifying presence, became the face of the Attitude Era.
Shawn Michaels, famously recognized as “The Heartbreak Kid,” was the ultimate architect of the New Generation Era, the top linchpin of the Attitude Era either by his technical brilliance or his participation as a leading event player who could steal the show.

Potential for Magic
Though they were both active during the late 1990s and early 2000s, The Rock and Shawn Michaels were contemporaries who never got to wrestle each other in a one-on-one contest. This match presents one hell of a money potential since so huge is the lyrical contrast between the two: take The Rock’s high-energy, crowd-popping offense versus Michaels’ technical mastery and storytelling.

Fans have had that question in mind so many times: What would a collision between these two icons look like, especially on the grand stage of WrestleMania?

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. CM Punk

Rebels from Every Generation
Stone Cold Steve Austin and CM Punk exuded this kind of liberator attitude and related to many WWE fans. Austin would be the dispatch case, tequila-swilling anti-hero upfront of the Attitude Era, with Punk the straight-edge savior of the voiceless in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Both guys thumbed their noses at authority and managed to crank audiences with their peculiar charisma and mic work.

Intro BIO 3
The prospect of Austin versus Punk is mouthwatering; this about has everything going for its in-ring potential, but above all, the storyline possibilities are genuinely intriguing. Austin’s hatred for authority contrasted expertly against an anti-establishment Punk with his straight-edge lifestyle; this would have created almost a story’s worth of drama and intensity. The promos leading up to the match would be unprecedented, as both created moments in their time and are enshrined for being able to blur real life with drama.
Hulk Hogan v John Cena

Generational Showdown
Hulk Hogan and John Cena are, of course, the two most prominent, most recognizable faces in WWE history. Hogan was the 1980s hero, a wrestler of mammoth stature, bringing wrestling into the mainstream with cartoony, larger-than-life attributes coupled with famous catchphrases. Cena was the face of WWE from mid-2005 to mid-2015, refusing to yield under any circumstance and becoming the face of hard work, bearing the company into new generations.

Passing the Torch
A match between Hogan and Cena would have genuinely been a generational battle. It would indeed have been something to see the ultimate torch-passing moment: from Hogan, the original megastar, to the latter-day megastar in the form of Cena. This would have been the match to main-event any WrestleMania—a spectacle that panned through the ages.

The Undertaker vs. Sting

Dark Icons
It is perhaps the most sorrowfully-regretted dream match that never happened: The Undertaker vs. Sting. Both are synonymous with darkness and mystique, binding an audience with their enigmatic personas. The Undertaker, with his undead gimmick and the aura of something supernatural, versus Sting, with his crow-inspired character and vigilante spirit, embodied what was truly theatrical about wrestling.

A Legendary War
This was the match that fans awaited for years, especially when it was confirmed that Sting signed for WWE in 2014. For these two legends to have faced each other, with their storied careers and deep connection with wrestling history, in the grandest stage of them all, it would have been a dream realized. The visual of Undertaker and Sting staring each other down in a WWE ring is one fans can only create in their imaginations.

Bret Hart vs. Kurt Angle

In Bret Hart and Kurt Angle—one technically comeback-gifted skirmishers, WWE put on. Bret Hart, known as “The Hitman,” prided himself on in-ring precision and storytelling. Angle brought an Olympic gold-medalist intensity and athleticism that few could match. Both men respect the art of wrestling and have delivered countless classic matches.

Wrestling Clinic
A Hart vs. Angle match was going to be about pure wrestling, awe with technical prowess, mat wrestling, and psychology in its purest sense. Often, fans argue which one is a better technical wrestler. Such a match could have shut up that argument once and for all. The possibility of in-ring chemistry and storytelling between those two could make it an instant classic—probably one of the greatest matches ever.

AJ Styles vs Shawn Michaels
Superb Fight
People call AJ Styles “The Phenomenal One,” he is compared a lot to Shawn Michaels for the similarities in their ring styles, sort of able-to-steal shows. Even in retirement, Michaels has been seen as a dream by Styles, who has not stopped bringing up his desire to get in the ring with the Heartbreak Kid whenever asked.

Spectacle of the bout
A Styles–Michaels match would have been something of an aerial exhibition, perhaps extremely fast. Both high-flying athletes with creativity and the ability to weave a story within the ring, most would agree that with these two stacked up, it will be nothing short of remarkable.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Shawn Michaels
Latino Heat vs. The Heartbreak Kid Eddie Guerrero and Shawn Michaels are but two in a long line of the most beloved and revered wrestlers in the history of WWE. Guerrero, through being “Latino Heat,” had secured a place in many a fan’s heart through charisma and technique, getting how he constantly connected with them. Michaels, as mentioned, is celebrated for his in-ring showmanship and prowess.

Dream Match
With all the ability to tell a story between the ropes, Guerrero and Michaels would stand out, making their matches emotionally resonate. With all the skill in the ring between Guerrero and Michaels, magic could be expected as fans would be left in absolute awe of the two’s abilities.

Triple H vs. The Rock (WrestleMania Main Event)

Historic Match
Triple H vs. The Rock: The possibility of being one of the greatest feuds of the Attitude Era, the two men waged war with each other several times under the lights over the Intercontinental and WWE Championships. What, however, strikes hard is the fact that they never had a singles match against each other at WrestleMania, which is quite a chink in the armor of their rivalry’s legacy.

The Greatest Stage
A nice wrap for the rivalry would be a main event at WrestleMania: Triple H vs. The Rock. Both are masters at working ring psychology and sweetly juggling the sticks. The build to that encounter would be epic, with those two finally locking horns on the grandest stage ever.

Daniel Bryan vs. Kurt Angle

Dream Match
The two indeed come together for being two of the best, if not the absolute best, technical wrestlers of their respective eras. Here, Bryan’s underdog mentality mixed with his intensity to make any submission meaningful and painful-looking would have squashed a man like Kurt Angle — headlined only by his intensity, fighting an intensity all its own.

Pure wrestling
For years on end, this Bryan-Angle match has been in the pipeline of dreams for many a fan who pictures a bout full of technical exchanges, submission holds, and high drama between these two men. Both men have strongly expressed their respect for one another and their want to face off, thus making this another missed opportunity that wrestling fans continue to lament. Brock Lesnar vs. Batista Superpowers Clash But two of WWE’s most physically dominant superstars—Brock Lesnar and Batista—would be a clash of titans. With Lesnar coming from an MMA background and being a raw powerhouse, and Batista having unparalleled raw power and strength, this would make a battle of the giants. Dream Match Realized Fans of hard-hitting, powerhouse wrestling would salivate at the prospect of a Lesnar vs. Batista bout. Coming as it did from two of the best powerhouses of the company during the last decade, the physicality and intensity in this match would have genuinely been enough to make it a sight when both losers took each other to their very limit. The debate on who would come out victorious is one that fans have argued over for years—hence making it a dream match.

Conclusion
There are a lot of “what if” situations in professional wrestling and plenty of dream matches that just never happened. WWE might have granted many bouts that were worth remembering to the fans over the years, but it’s the ones that never took place that always seem to stick in the heads of the public. Some of the dream matches that are still wished by wrestling fans include: The Rock vs. Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. CM Punk, Hulk Hogan vs. John Cena, The Undertaker vs. Sting, Bret Hart vs. Kurt Angle, AJ Styles vs. Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero vs. Shawn Michaels, Triple H vs. The Rock at WrestleMania, Daniel Bryan vs. Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar vs. Batista. Such hypothetical matches not only talk about lost opportunities but also elicit the truly unique appeal of watching professional wrestling.

Speculation on these matches cements the energy and genius the wrestling community harbors. Even though these dream matches will never see the light of day, they become chapters that are vital to wrestling folklore, wherein countless debates and discussions take place among fans. Dream battlefields in WWE evolve, and even the company grows and develops with new superstars; the whole landscape changes annually. However, these matches will still be attractive, and only that could be considered an ode to professional wrestling. Even such dream matches, which may never happen to turn into reality, keep this aura of world wrestling vitally pulsating and indeed make the show live and spontaneous.