John Cena's Debut & 9 Other Huge WWE Moments That Were Decided At The Last Minute

In WWE most fans look at the storyline choices the company makes and think that the creative team has thought through different ideas and come up with plans a long time in advance. However, that isn't the case, as some of the biggest decisions in the history of the company have been made at the last second.

Whether this is because of injuries, backstage issues, or just a quick creative change, there are moments when WWE has made a call late on that has ended up creating some of the most iconic situations in the history of the company.

10 Dolph Ziggler Cashes In

Dolph Ziggler's successful Money In The Bank cash-in is often considered to be one of the greatest in the history of that gimmick, taking place the night after WrestleMania 29 this was a special situation. The response was right from the fans, and it created a great moment that people still remember to this day.

However, the call for that to happen was done late on, and ended up being a late one, and was due to Jack Swagger getting into legal trouble in real life. He was originally going to win the World Heavyweight Championship the night before, but because of that the plug was pulled, and that led to Ziggler getting the chance the next night.

9 Kevin Owens Becomes Universal Champion

Kevin Owens winning the Universal Championship was a huge moment that fans wondered if it would ever happen due to where he came from and his physique. He wasn't a typical Vince McMahon main eventer, therefore seeing him achieve that goal and become the top star in the company was brilliant to see.

However, this only got arranged at the last minute due to the fact Finn Balor was legitimately hurt when he won the title at SummerSlam the night before. WWE had to scramble to create a new champion, and KO was the man who fell into that slot.

8 John Cena's Debut

Because John Cena is one of the biggest WWE Superstars in history, his debut is something that fans look back upon a lot to see where things began. Coming to the ring and ushering in the Ruthless Aggression era, challenging Kurt Angle was a huge situation, but it was a last-minute call by WWE.

Cena was only brought onto that particular episode of SmackDown because there were no other options at that time, and that is something that led to him getting shot, which he took. The debut ended up being a success, and the rest has proven to be history, which WWE is likely very thankful for.

7 The Heist Of The Century

The climax of WrestleMania 31 is an incredible one that is filled with energy and excitement as Seth Rollins cashes in his Money In The Bank briefcase to defeat both Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns to end the night as WWE Champion being an iconic moment in the history of the show.

It was an incredible piece of booking from the company, and it helped to create a brand new main event player for WWE. However, Rollins was only told about the fact he was winning a couple of hours before the show ended, with this being a late call by Vince McMahon.

6 Summer Of Punk Begins

CM Punk defeating John Cena at Money In The Bank in 2011 is one of the biggest main events in the history of WWE, and it led to the 'Summer of Punk,' which saw him become a major name in wrestling to a new level. This storyline was so good that most people think it would have always been planned, but that isn't the case.

WWE was legitimately having to convince Punk to sign a new contract with the company, and that isn't something that he did until the last minute. Because of that, WWE didn't book him to actually win and walk away with the title until late on in the build to this one.

5 Becky Lynch Attacks Charlotte Flair

Sometimes a last-minute decision that is made by WWE ends up going completely against what they wanted, only for it to become a success anyway. Becky Lynch attacking Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam 2018 was a late call, and it was something the company planned to use as a means of turning Lynch heel.

In the end, fans cheered the situation heavily as that is what they wanted to see because they felt she was being overlooked. It might not have gained the response WWE had hoped for, but it ended up creating The Man gimmick, which took Lynch to new levels of popularity.

4 Hulk Hogan Face Turn

The WWE version of the nWo wasn't quite able to connect in the same manner that it had in WCW, and that was something that began to change following WrestleMania 18. It was perfect booking, but that was something guided by the fans due to the live reaction he received in the match against The Rock.

Because fans wanted to get behind Hogan again, WWE made a last-minute change to embrace that, which led to the end of the nWo, as Hogan was pushed again, even getting a run with the WWE Championship.

3 The Planet's Championship Run Begins

Daniel Bryan has had plenty of major moments in WWE, but his run as the Planet's Champion is arguably the best work he has ever done. Bryan was able to tap into legitimate aspects of his life while turning things up to the next level as a heel, and that was a wise move on his behalf.

However, the victory against AJ Styles to get this kickstarted was a situation that came late on, and was mainly to do with Brock Lesnar. Styles was supposed to face the Beast at Survivor Series, but WWE didn't want AJ to lose the same match two years in a row, so the title change happened just one week prior.

2 Chris Jericho Becomes Undisputed Champion

Chris Jericho Undisputed WWE Champion Vengeance 2001 Cropped

Chris Jericho defeating The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin in one night was something that instantly made him as a top WWE Superstar, with fans being able to take him seriously at that level because of it. However, he wasn't the original idea to become the Undisputed Champion, as that was Kurt Angle.

For some reason, WWE decided to make the switch to mainly give fans an unpredictable moment, but it's something that worked out well in the long-term as it helped put Jericho on a new level.

1 The Undertaker's WrestleMania Streak

The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak was an iconic situation, and seeing Brock Lesnar end it was something nobody expected heading into the match. The stunned silence after the three count is a response no match has ever created, but the call to make that happen was done late.

Because it was such a big decision, it was one that Vince McMahon reportedly went back and forth on at times, even needing to have a conversation with Undertaker himself to go through the situation before committing to it.