4 Times veteran WWE Superstars went into business for themselves

WWE Superstars usually follow the creative team's plans and do what's best for the Stamford-based promotion. However, there are instances when some wrestlers have abandoned the original plan and taken matters into their own hands.

In this article, we shall explore four instances when WWE Superstars went into business for themselves:

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#4. Shawn Michaels oversold Hulk Hogan at WWE SummerSlam 2005

Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan locked horns in the main event of WWE SummerSlam 2005. Before the match, reports indicated that the original plan was for a competitive feud between the veterans.

However, backstage politics changed everything. Hogan refused to lose, insisting the match end with his victory. As for Michaels, he never wanted to be outmaneuvered and had other plans.

At the PLE, the match turned into quite a spectacle, thanks to Shawn Michaels, who often oversold every move to an exaggerated and almost humorous extent.

Although the bout ended with Hulk Hogan securing the victory, HBK stole the spotlight, proving that even in defeat, The Showstopper always leaves a lasting impression.

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#3. The Honky Tonk Man refused to drop the Intercontinental Championship

The Honky Tonk Man was once the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, with a reign of 454 days before ultimately being outdone by Gunther. However, many believe his record-setting run with the title would have ended six months earlier than it did had he not refused to give up the title.

Vince McMahon asked the Honky Tonk Man to lose his treasured title to 'Macho Man' Randy Savage on the NBC special The Main Event. However, he refused, arguing that the show would be viewed by tons of people and that such a high-profile loss would harm his bargaining power if he wanted to leave and join another promotion.

To preserve his IC Title reign, Honky Tonk often deliberately got himself counted out or disqualified in his matches, since he could only lose the gold by pinfall or submission. However, he was finally overwhelmed by The Ultimate Warrior at WWE SummerSlam 1988, a 31-second destruction job from which he never really recovered.

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#2. JBL legitimately beat up The Blue Meanie

WWE Hall of Famer John 'Bradshaw' Layfield crossed some boundaries during his face-off against The Blue Meanie at ECW One Night Stand 2005.

JBL, a then-SmackDown Superstar, came face-to-face with former ECW wrestler Meanie after the main event, a tag team match that the Dudley Boyz won. However, a huge brawl began after the ECW Originals came out. Backstage heat escalated into a legitimate physical altercation, as the 6'6" JBL took things personally and injured The Blue Meanie in the process.

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#1. John Cena stopped The Nexus' push

John Cena is widely considered to be responsible for stopping The Nexus' push. This occurred through a very significant victory for Team WWE (John Cena, John Morrison, R-Truth, Bret Hart, Edge, Chris Jericho, and Daniel Bryan) over the villainous faction at SummerSlam 2010.

This booking decision is widely considered a major mistake by many. Former Nexus members and wrestling insiders cited the match outcome as the main reason for the group's rapid decline thereafter.

Edge and Chris Jericho revealed that, originally, The Nexus was meant to win the match and go over, till John Cena had a change of mind, effectively demolishing the young stable's push.