WWE just gave fans another reason to overanalyze everything. Season 2 of WWE Unreal officially dropped on January 20, 2026, and while the show itself doesn’t spell out every detail, the discussion surrounding its release has brought renewed attention to a wave of behind-the-scenes creative plans for summer 2025 that were mapped out internally before being changed.
The picture that emerges is a version of WWE programming that looks radically different from what fans actually saw on television.
One of the biggest changes involved the women’s division. Money in the Bank was originally expected to feature IYO SKY challenging Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship. Evolution was also set to lean heavily into star power, with Nikki Bella penciled in for a singles match against Liv Morgan. Even the women’s tag division was slated for a marquee spotlight, with plans calling for the Bella Twins to challenge Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez for the Women’s Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam.
Tournament season was also shaping up with finals that could have shifted the trajectory of multiple top stars. The King of the Ring final at Night of Champions was projected to be Cody Rhodes vs. Rusev, while the Queen of the Ring final was expected to be Rhea Ripley vs. Giulia.
SummerSlam itself was looking like a completely different beast on paper. Internal plans included Roman Reigns facing Bron Breakker in a generational showdown, Finn Bálor bringing back The Demon persona against Dominik Mysterio, Sami Zayn clashing with Seth Rollins, and Jey Uso going to war with Rusev.
Some of the changes weren’t just about opponents, but also about locations and timing. Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre was originally positioned for Clash in Paris instead of WrestlePalooza.
Even WarGames would have felt completely different. Early plans had Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu aligned with Roman Reigns on the babyface side. Across the ring, would have been Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, Bron Breakker, Solo Sikoa, and JC Mateo.
What stands out most is how many major names were involved across every brand and division. These weren’t small creative tweaks. These were top-level directions involving WrestleMania main eventers, championship programs, and legacy acts. It’s a reminder of how fluid WWE’s creative process really is, and how close fans often are to seeing completely different realities play out on screen.
If even half of these plans had gone forward, 2025 WWE programming would have looked like an alternate universe compared to what actually aired.
WWE’s original plans for summer 2025, which were later changed, included the following:
- At Money in the Bank, IYO SKY was set to face Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship
- The King of the Ring final at Night of Champions was planned to be Cody Rhodes vs. Rusev
- The Queen of the Ring final at Night of Champions was planned to be Rhea Ripley vs. Giulia
- At Evolution, Nikki Bella was scheduled to face Liv Morgan
- At SummerSlam, the card was set to include several matches such as:
- Roman Reigns vs. Bron Breakker
- Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins
- Finn Bálor (The Demon) vs. Dominik Mysterio
- Jey Uso vs. Rusev
- Bella Twins vs. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez for the Women’s Tag Team Championship
- The Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre match planned for WrestlePalooza was instead going to take place at Clash in Paris
- Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu were going to be part of Roman Reigns’ team in WarGames
- The heel WarGames team was planned to be Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, Bron Breakker, Solo Sikoa, and JC Mateo
Which of these scrapped matches or story directions do you wish WWE had followed through on, and which ones are you glad never happened? Share your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.
