Professional wrestling is filled with storylines that were dropped, abandoned or left without a proper resolution. In Wrestling Unsolved Mysteries, I’m putting on my investigative hat and reopening these forgotten cases by examining what happened on television, reviewing the available clues, considering the most common theories and separating what was established in kayfabe from what has been confirmed behind the scenes.
Each case will conclude with one of three Final Verdicts: Cold Case, meaning the storyline was abandoned before its payoff and no official explanation has ever been given; Implicated, meaning the answer was never officially confirmed, but later events provide enough evidence to reasonably identify the culprit or explanation; or Case Closed, meaning subsequent events or official statements definitively solved the mystery.
In early 1987, Dusty Rhodes was embroiled in a feud with Larry Zbyszko in Jim Crockett Promotions. On February 28, Zbyszko’s valet, Baby Doll, appeared with a mysterious envelope that she claimed contained damaging secrets about Dusty. She threatened to reveal its contents unless he granted Zbyszko an opportunity at the United States Championship. Dusty appeared visibly shaken by the threat, suggesting that whatever was inside the envelope was both serious and potentially damning.
Years later, Baby Doll revealed that the envelope was intended to contain incriminating photographs of Dusty Rhodes in bed with another woman, with additional portions of the photos set to be revealed over several weeks as part of an ongoing blackmail storyline. However, the angle was abruptly abandoned when Baby Doll was released from Jim Crockett Promotions before it could play out. Although various explanations have been offered over the years for her departure, no official reason was ever publicly confirmed.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, Although Baby Doll later revealed what the envelope was intended to contain, the storyline itself was abandoned before those contents were ever revealed on television. With the angle dropped and no on-screen resolution ever provided, the mystery remains one of Jim Crockett Promotions’ forgotten unsolved storylines.
In the summer of 1999, Kevin Nash was feuding with Randy Savage and his Team Madness. On the June 7, 1999 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, Team Madness lured Nash into a limousine, which was then struck multiple times by a white Hummer in one of WCW’s most infamous mystery angles.
Several people were accused or implied as being behind the attack. Randy Savage was clearly the mastermind of the setup and claimed he knew who the driver was, but he never revealed their identity. Sid Vicious was also implicated due to his recent return and alliance with Savage, though nothing ever went beyond implication. As the weeks progressed, other suspects emerged. Nash accused Sting at one point, while Lex Luger accused Hulk Hogan after photos surfaced appearing to show Hogan standing next to—or possibly driving—a white Hummer.
The mystery resurfaced on the April 10, 2000 episode of Nitro, when a white Hummer again rammed a limousine, this time with Hogan inside. Eric Bischoff then emerged from the vehicle, creating the strongest on-screen implication that he may have been connected to the original 1999 mystery—or, at the very least, serving as a deliberate callback to the unresolved angle.
Behind the scenes, Eric Bischoff later explained that there was never a concrete long-term plan to reveal the driver’s identity. The white Hummer attack was designed to generate intrigue and intensify the Nash–Savage rivalry rather than build toward a carefully planned mystery, leaving fans to draw their own conclusions.
Final Verdict: Implicated, While WCW never officially revealed who was driving the white Hummer, Eric Bischoff’s appearance emerging from an identical vehicle during a similar attack in 2000 provides the strongest on-screen implication of his involvement. Combined with the absence of any alternative explanation, the evidence points to Bischoff as the most likely culprit, even though the mystery was never definitively solved.
At King of the Ring on June 27, 1999, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin faced Vince and Shane McMahon in a handicap ladder match with control of the WWF hanging in the balance. During the match, Austin climbed the ladder and appeared moments away from retrieving the briefcase when it was suddenly raised beyond his reach by an unseen person. The briefcase was later lowered again, allowing Shane McMahon to retrieve it and restore control of the company to the McMahon family.
The most heavily implicated suspect is the Big Boss Man. Six days before King of the Ring, Boss Man lost to Austin, allowing Austin to choose the ladder match stipulation barring members of the Corporate Ministry from interfering. Vince McMahon then fired Boss Man for the loss, conveniently placing him outside the group and allowing him to potentially interfere without technically violating the stipulation.
The night after King of the Ring, Boss Man confronted Vince on Raw. Although it initially appeared he was seeking revenge for being fired, he instead embraced Vince and was welcomed back into the Corporate Ministry, revealing that his firing had apparently been part of Vince McMahon’s plan all along. While WWF never explicitly showed Boss Man operating the mechanism or had him admit to raising the briefcase, his conveniently timed dismissal and immediate reinstatement strongly implied that he had secretly assisted the McMahons during the match.
Final Verdict: Implicated, While the WWF never officially identified who raised the briefcase, the circumstances strongly point to the Big Boss Man. His suspicious firing before the event, followed by his reunion with Vince McMahon the very next night, provides the clearest on-screen explanation, even though the mystery was never definitively solved.
Goldust was originally intended to be the person behind the hidden-camera segments. The angle debuted as GDTV, a clear reference to “Goldust TV,” before Dustin Rhodes departed the WWF. Years later, Rhodes confirmed that he was indeed meant to be revealed as the person operating the cameras. After his departure, however, the company simply dropped the “D” from the name and continued the concept as GTV without its original payoff.
As the storyline continued, a new ending was reportedly considered. Former WWF writer Vince Russo has claimed that comedian Tom Green was intended to be revealed as the person behind GTV, with Chris Jericho later repeating the same story and explaining that Vince McMahon ultimately decided against using Green. Despite those reported plans, no reveal ever took place, and GTV quietly disappeared from WWF programming before either ending could be realized.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, Although Dustin Rhodes later confirmed that Goldust was originally intended to be behind GDTV, the storyline changed after his departure from the WWF. A later plan reportedly called for Tom Green to be revealed instead, but that idea was also abandoned. Because neither ending ever occurred on television, the identity of the person behind GTV remains unresolved in wrestling canon.
At No Way Out on February 23, 2003, Edge was scheduled to team with Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit against Team Angle in a six-man tag team match. Before the match, however, Edge was found unconscious backstage after an apparent assault. WWE never showed who attacked him, forcing Lesnar and Benoit to compete in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match instead.
In the weeks that followed, Team Angle became the obvious suspects, as they had the clearest motive and benefited directly from Edge’s absence. Chris Benoit even stated that he knew Team Angle was responsible for the attack. However, WWE never officially identified Kurt Angle, Charlie Haas, or Shelton Benjamin as the attackers, and none of them ever admitted responsibility. The storyline quietly moved on without the mystery ever being addressed again.
Behind the scenes, the mystery was never intended to receive a payoff. Edge had suffered a legitimate neck injury prior to the event and required surgery, forcing WWE to write him off television at the last minute. The backstage attack served only as a storyline explanation for his sudden absence rather than the beginning of a long-term whodunit.
Final Verdict: Implicated, While WWE never officially identified Team Angle as Edge’s attackers, they had the clearest motive and benefited directly from Edge’s removal from the match. Combined with Chris Benoit’s accusation on the following SmackDown, the evidence strongly points to Team Angle as the most likely culprits, even though the attack was never officially solved.
On the November 10, 2003 episode of WWE Raw, Booker T was backstage with John Heidenreich when Heidenreich handed him a mysterious note that had been left in his locker area. The note contained only three words: “I still remember.” The moment was given noticeable emphasis on the broadcast, clearly suggesting the beginning of a new storyline.
However, the angle was never followed up on. The note was never mentioned again on television, and WWE never provided an explanation for who sent it or what the message was meant to signify.
Over the years, fans have speculated that the note may have been intended to tease the return of Goldust, given his previous partnership with Booker T. That theory remains entirely speculative, however, as Goldust was released by WWE the following month, and no wrestler, writer, or WWE official has ever confirmed that he was meant to be the sender or that the storyline was headed in that direction.
Behind the scenes, no one involved—including Booker T, WWE creative, or Bruce Prichard—has publicly explained the purpose of the segment or revealed what the intended payoff was meant to be. With no on-screen resolution and no retrospective explanation, the mystery remains completely unresolved.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, The storyline was abandoned without explanation, and there is no official confirmation or credible behind-the-scenes evidence identifying who sent the note or what it was ultimately meant to lead to.
On the October 3, 2005 episode of WWE Raw Homecoming, Triple H made his surprise return from injury and teamed with Ric Flair to defeat Chris Masters and Carlito. After the two celebrated their victory, Triple H suddenly struck Flair in the face with a sledgehammer before launching a brutal backstage assault that left his longtime friend bloodied. Throughout the attack, Triple H repeatedly shouted, “What were you thinking?” but offered no explanation for his shocking betrayal, leaving fans to wonder what had prompted him to turn on his Evolution mentor.
The following week on Raw, Triple H revealed his motivation. He claimed that Flair was no longer the “Nature Boy” he had once admired, arguing that years of defeats and humiliations had turned him into a shadow of his former self. Triple H insisted that watching Flair continue to compete while being disrespected—most notably by Carlito—had become unbearable. In his mind, the attack wasn’t an act of betrayal, but a mercy killing intended to preserve Flair’s legacy before it was damaged beyond repair.
Final Verdict: Case Closed, Triple H explained his actions on the very next episode of Raw, revealing that he believed he was putting an end to Ric Flair’s decline rather than betraying him. The storyline received a clear and definitive explanation, leaving no lingering mystery that people somehow missed.
On the June 11, 2007 episode of WWE Raw, Mr. McMahon walked into his limousine following the show. Moments later, the limousine exploded in a massive fireball, and WWE immediately treated the incident as though McMahon had been killed. The storyline continued online and was set to become the centerpiece of a long-term mystery, with the following week’s Raw planned as a memorial episode and an investigation into who was responsible.
Before the storyline could continue, it was abruptly abandoned following the real-life tragedy involving Chris Benoit. WWE canceled the planned memorial episode for Mr. McMahon, broke character to acknowledge that the limousine explosion was fictional, and never resumed the investigation into who orchestrated the attack.
Over the years, several plans for the storyline have surfaced. The most widely reported version states that Vince McMahon had staged the explosion himself as part of an elaborate scheme, with the mystery eventually leading into his illegitimate son storyline involving Mr. Kennedy. Other early creative pitches reportedly included members of the McMahon family falling under suspicion before Vince revealed he had faked his own death. Because the angle was canceled before any of these plans reached television, none of them became official.
Final Verdict: Implicated, although the storyline never reached its intended conclusion, multiple behind-the-scenes accounts agree that Vince McMahon himself was ultimately supposed to be revealed as the mastermind behind the limousine explosion. While the reveal never happened on television, the available evidence points to Vince staging the incident rather than an unknown attacker.
Following the June 2007 limousine explosion storyline, Mr. McMahon returned to WWE television claiming he had an illegitimate child who was a member of the WWE roster. Over the following weeks, clues were revealed and numerous Superstars were teased as possible candidates, including Mr. Kennedy, Carlito, and others. The mystery culminated on the September 10, 2007 episode of Raw, when Hornswoggle was revealed as Vince’s son.
The reveal was immediately met with skepticism from fans, many of whom believed Hornswoggle was never intended to be the original choice. Mr. Kennedy quickly became the leading alternative due to the numerous hints pointing in his direction, including the fact that his real name on WWE television was Ken Kennedy, echoing Vince’s middle name, Kennedy. The planned reveal was also scheduled to take place in Kennedy’s hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Behind the scenes, those suspicions have since been confirmed. Mr. Kennedy has publicly stated on multiple occasions that Vince McMahon personally informed him he was originally planned to be revealed as the illegitimate son. According to Kennedy, those plans changed after he was suspended following the Signature Pharmacy investigation, forcing WWE to abandon the original direction. Former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz has likewise acknowledged there was no long-term plan after Kennedy became unavailable, with Hornswoggle ultimately chosen as a replacement to conclude the storyline.
Final Verdict: Case Closed, although Hornswoggle was revealed on television, the original plan was for Mr. Kennedy to be Vince McMahon’s illegitimate son. Multiple people involved in the storyline, including Kennedy himself, have since confirmed the creative direction changed following his suspension.
On the June 23, 2008 episode of Raw, Mr. McMahon concluded another edition of McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania by awarding a fan $500,000. Moments later, a series of pyrotechnic explosions malfunctioned, causing lighting equipment and a massive section of the Raw stage to collapse directly onto Mr. McMahon. WWE officials and paramedics rushed to the scene as the broadcast ended with the Chairman buried beneath the wreckage. The following week, Shane McMahon informed the WWE Universe that Vince’s condition would remain private while Raw descended into chaos without its Chairman. WWE presented the incident as a mysterious accident and stated that an investigation into the equipment failure was underway.
In the weeks that followed, several storylines hinted that someone within WWE may have been responsible. The McMahon family struggled for control, Mike Adamle was appointed Raw General Manager, and numerous rivalries intensified, but no evidence ever pointed to a specific culprit. Unlike many mystery angles, WWE never introduced a suspect, conducted an on-screen investigation, or revealed that the stage collapse had been sabotage. Instead, the incident quietly faded from television as Vince McMahon eventually returned without addressing who—or what—caused the disaster.
Behind the scenes, there has never been any credible indication that WWE had a planned reveal. The stage collapse primarily served as a storyline device to write Vince McMahon off television after McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania had run for three weeks. No wrestler, authority figure, or outside force was ever confirmed as the mastermind, and the angle was ultimately abandoned without resolution.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, despite being presented as a mysterious catastrophe, WWE never identified anyone as being responsible for the Million Dollar Mania disaster. Unlike storylines such as Vince McMahon’s illegitimate son, there is no known original culprit that was later changed. Both on-screen and behind the scenes, the mystery was simply dropped, making it one of WWE’s few major angles with no definitive solution.
On the December 12, 2008 episode of WWE SmackDown, a mysterious vignette introduced an unknown man named Hade Vansen. In the cryptic promo, Vansen spoke of darkness, destiny, and prophecy while seemingly targeting The Undertaker. The vignette strongly suggested that Vansen was being positioned as The Undertaker’s next major rival, but he never appeared on WWE television again.
In the weeks that followed, WWE quietly abandoned the storyline without explanation. No follow-up vignettes aired, Vansen never debuted on the main roster, and his name was never mentioned again on television. The abrupt disappearance left fans wondering who Hade Vansen was supposed to be and why the angle was dropped.
Behind the scenes, the mystery has since been largely explained. Hade Vansen later revealed that he had been pitched for a program with The Undertaker, with Freddie Prinze Jr. helping develop the character. According to Vansen, the original concept envisioned him as the leader of a dark, cult-like faction—described by Vansen as an “X-Men-type bad guy” group—that would send followers after The Undertaker before eventually leading to a showdown between the two. However, Vansen later learned that Triple H objected to an unknown developmental wrestler being placed in such a high-profile role, and the storyline was scrapped before it could begin. Vansen has since said he understood WWE’s decision from a business standpoint.
Final Verdict: Case Closed, Although the storyline never progressed beyond a single vignette, those involved have since confirmed that Hade Vansen was intended to feud with The Undertaker as the leader of a planned faction before WWE abandoned the angle prior to his television debut.
On the February 18, 2010 episode of TNA Impact!, Samoa Joe was walking through the parking lot after losing to Orlando Jordan when a van pulled up beside him. A group of masked men dressed in black jumped out, overpowered Joe, forced him into the vehicle, and drove away. The bizarre kidnapping was presented as the beginning of a major storyline, but the identities of the kidnappers were never revealed on television.
In the weeks that followed, fans speculated that Eric Bischoff was responsible after he had repeatedly criticized Joe for lacking the aggression expected of a Samoan warrior. Others believed the masked men were connected to a returning Nation of Violence gimmick or were members of a new faction being assembled behind the scenes. Despite numerous theories, TNA never confirmed who orchestrated the kidnapping or who the masked men were.
Samoa Joe eventually returned with a more aggressive attitude, but the kidnapping itself was largely ignored. No explanation was given for where he had been, who abducted him, or why they targeted him. Behind the scenes, reports indicated the kidnapping was simply intended as a way to write Joe off television temporarily before relaunching his character, but no official explanation for the storyline was ever provided.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, while several suspects and motives were heavily speculated, TNA never revealed who kidnapped Samoa Joe, and no official behind-the-scenes explanation has identified the kidnappers or their intended role in the storyline.
On the June 21, 2010 episode of Raw, WWE introduced the Anonymous Raw General Manager, an unseen authority figure who communicated exclusively through emails read aloud by Michael Cole. The mysterious General Manager immediately established authority over Raw, overruling decisions, making matches, and influencing major storylines without ever revealing their identity. For more than a year, WWE teased that a powerful figure was secretly running the show while dropping numerous hints that the person behind the emails held significant influence within the company. As the mystery unfolded, fans speculated that the General Manager could be anyone from Triple H or Vince McMahon to Michael Cole himself, while others believed the role was being saved for the surprise return of a major star such as Kevin Nash, Steve Austin, or The Rock. WWE fueled the speculation by refusing to provide any concrete clues, allowing countless theories to emerge throughout the storyline.
Behind the scenes, however, there was never a finalized identity for the Anonymous General Manager during the storyline’s active run. Former WWE Head Writer Brian Gewirtz has stated that the mystery was intentionally left open-ended, allowing WWE to decide on the reveal at a later date depending on where the story went. Former WWE creative writer Kevin Eck has corroborated that creative never settled on a definitive identity, revealing that Shawn Michaels was discussed internally as a possible reveal before Vince McMahon ultimately decided not to revisit the storyline. Much like the original Mr. McMahon illegitimate son storyline—which was initially intended for Mr. Kennedy before being changed to Hornswoggle due to injuries and suspensions—the Anonymous General Manager angle evolved without a predetermined ending.
By mid-2012, the storyline had largely run its course. On the July 9, 2012 episode of Raw, Santino Marella exposed Hornswoggle as the Anonymous General Manager, revealing he had supposedly been sending the emails from beneath the ring. The reveal was presented as a comedy payoff rather than a logical explanation, leaving numerous inconsistencies unresolved. Hornswoggle has since acknowledged that he was only informed he would be the reveal shortly beforehand and was originally expected to continue portraying a heel authority figure known as “Big Nick from Jersey” before those plans were abandoned during rehearsals, further reinforcing that he was never the intended identity during the storyline’s original run.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, Unlike most wrestling mysteries, there was never a “real” Anonymous Raw General Manager during the storyline’s active run. WWE intentionally left the character’s identity undecided before ultimately settling on Hornswoggle as a last-minute conclusion after the angle had largely lost momentum. From a creative standpoint rather than an kayfabe one, the Anonymous Raw General Manager was never truly anyone at all—WWE simply hadn’t decided who the character was until long after the storyline had effectively ended.
On the August 30, 2010 episode of WWE Raw, the Undertaker returned to confront Bret Hart before being ambushed by the Nexus. The group left the Undertaker laid out before resurfacing nearly two months later at Bragging Rights 2010, where they interfered in his Buried Alive Match against Kane, attacking him and helping Kane bury him beneath tons of dirt to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Despite playing a pivotal role in the rivalry, WWE never explained why the Nexus had targeted the Undertaker in the first place.
As the storyline unfolded, several theories emerged. Some believed Kane had secretly enlisted the Nexus to help him retain the World Heavyweight Championship, while others argued the group was simply asserting its dominance by attacking one of WWE’s biggest stars, much as it had previously done to John Cena, Bret Hart, and Vince McMahon. However, WWE never confirmed either explanation. Kane never acknowledged any alliance with the Nexus, nor did the group ever explain its motives, leaving fans to speculate about the true reason behind the attacks.
Behind the scenes, no official explanation has ever been provided by WWE or anyone involved in the company’s creative process regarding the Nexus’ motivation. However, multiple backstage reports at the time indicated that WWE was considering a WrestleMania XXVII program between Wade Barrett and the Undertaker, with the Nexus’ attacks potentially serving as the foundation for that feud. Those plans were reportedly abandoned after the Undertaker required shoulder surgery following Bragging Rights, and Triple H ultimately became his WrestleMania opponent instead. Even if that was the intended direction, neither WWE television nor anyone involved in creative has ever confirmed that this was the storyline’s official explanation, leaving The Nexus’ motivation unresolved.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, Although several plausible theories exist, WWE never revealed why the Nexus targeted the Undertaker, and no official explanation has ever been given on television or behind the scenes.
At Hell in a Cell on October 2, 2011, Alberto Del Rio defeated John Cena and CM Punk to win the WWE Championship. After the match, the Hell in a Cell structure was raised, allowing WWE officials and medical personnel to enter the ring. Moments later, The Miz and R-Truth emerged from beneath the ring and launched a brutal attack on everyone inside. As the assault continued, the Hell in a Cell structure suddenly lowered back to the ground, trapping everyone inside while Triple H, John Laurinaitis, referees, security, and the WWE locker room looked on from the outside. WWE even acknowledged the mystery afterward by asking, “Who lowered the Cell?”
Several theories emerged in the weeks that followed. Since The Miz and R-Truth orchestrated the attack, many believed they had an accomplice within WWE who operated the Cell. Others suspected John Laurinaitis due to his growing conflict with Triple H, while some pointed to Kevin Nash as part of the larger conspiracy surrounding Triple H’s authority. Despite the speculation, WWE never identified who actually lowered the structure, and none of the suspected parties ever admitted responsibility.
As the storyline evolved into the power struggle between Triple H, CM Punk, John Laurinaitis, and Kevin Nash, the mystery was quietly abandoned. Neither WWE television nor anyone involved behind the scenes has ever provided an official explanation for who lowered the Cell.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, WWE intentionally presented the lowering of the Hell in a Cell as a mystery but never revealed who was responsible. Despite numerous theories, the identity of the person who lowered the structure remains unknown.
On the May 20, 2015 NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable pre-show, Hideo Itami was found laid out in the Full Sail parking lot after an apparent assault. Due to the attack, Itami was ruled out of the scheduled No. 1 Contender’s Triple Threat Match against Finn Bálor and Tyler Breeze. WWE presented the attack as a mystery, releasing footage of Itami lying injured in the parking lot but never showing who assaulted him.
Several theories emerged following the attack, but one suspect quickly stood out. During the security footage shown on the pre-show, Kevin Owens could be seen walking away from the area shortly after the attack saying “what a shame”. Owens had already established himself as NXT’s top villain, had repeatedly attacked Sami Zayn and other competitors, and had the clearest motive for preventing Itami from earning an NXT Championship opportunity. Although WWE never directly identified Owens as the attacker, the camera’s focus on him strongly implied his involvement.
The mystery was never formally addressed after the event. Shortly afterward, Itami underwent shoulder surgery due to a legitimate injury, and WWE quietly moved on from the storyline. Neither Kevin Owens nor anyone else ever admitted responsibility on television, and no official behind-the-scenes explanation has contradicted the implication presented on screen.
Final Verdict: Implicated, while WWE never officially named Kevin Owens as Hideo Itami’s attacker, the footage shown before NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable deliberately pointed to Owens as the prime suspect. With no alternative explanation ever provided, he remains the most likely culprit.
On the February 22, 2016 episode of WWE Raw, Shane McMahon returned to WWE for the first time in nearly seven years and interrupted the presentation of the Vincent J. McMahon Legacy of Excellence Award to Stephanie McMahon. Shane revealed that he and Vince had made a secret agreement years earlier that protected his position within the company, before demanding control of Raw.
Vince agreed to give Shane the opportunity, but only if he defeated the Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania 32. If Shane lost, he would be required to surrender a lockbox containing undisclosed McMahon family secrets that he had apparently been using as leverage over his father.
Shane ultimately lost to the Undertaker, and on the following night’s episode of Raw, Vince briefly displayed an envelope that supposedly contained the mysterious contents of the lockbox. However, he never opened it or explained what was inside. Despite winning the match and regaining the leverage Shane held over him, Vince inexplicably allowed Shane to run Raw that night and continued giving him authority over the show in the weeks that followed.
Several theories have emerged over the years, including the possibility that the lockbox contained proof that Shane secretly owned part of WWE, evidence of Vince’s personal misconduct or documents connected to the McMahon family’s control of the company. However, none of these theories were supported on television, and WWE never provided any clues specific enough to identify its contents.
No one directly involved has publicly confirmed what the lockbox was intended to contain. It ultimately served as a plot device to give Shane leverage over Vince and establish the stipulations for his match against the Undertaker, before being quietly abandoned after WrestleMania.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, the lockbox was presented as containing damaging McMahon family secrets, but its contents were never revealed on television or confirmed behind the scenes. The mystery remains unsolved and was never mentioned again.
Beginning in July 2019, Shelton Benjamin began appearing in a series of strange backstage segments on WWE SmackDown. During the segments, Benjamin would silently stare into the camera, smile awkwardly, make exaggerated facial expressions, and then walk away without saying a word. The vignettes aired over several weeks, but WWE never explained their purpose or how they related to Benjamin’s character.
As the segments continued, fans speculated that Benjamin was being repackaged with a new gimmick or that the vignettes were building toward a larger storyline. Others believed the behavior hinted at a psychological change in his character. Despite the theories, no explanation was ever given on television, and the segments were quietly dropped without leading to anything.
Behind the scenes, the mystery has remained just as unresolved. In 2024, Shelton Benjamin admitted that he still has no idea what the segments were supposed to lead to, explaining that he was simply given the assignment and performed it without ever being told the intended payoff. No member of WWE creative has publicly revealed what the gimmick was meant to become, and Benjamin eventually returned to his normal persona without the bizarre backstage appearances ever being acknowledged again.
Final Verdict: Cold Case, The vignettes were abandoned without explanation, and even Shelton Benjamin has since acknowledged that he was never told what the gimmick was ultimately meant to become, making it one of WWE’s most unusual unresolved storylines.
In early 2020, cryptic vignettes began interrupting episodes of WWE SmackDown. A hooded figure known only as The Hacker claimed that “the truth will be heard” while exposing secrets and manipulating storylines through surveillance footage. The Hacker’s biggest impact came when hidden video revealed that Sonya Deville and Dolph Ziggler had conspired to keep Mandy Rose and Otis apart, directly influencing the road to WrestleMania 36. Despite months of teasers, the character abruptly disappeared from television without explanation.
Following the storyline’s disappearance, fans overwhelmingly believed the Hacker was Mustafa Ali. The voice, mannerisms, and symbolism all closely matched Ali’s character, and it was later confirmed that Ali had originated the Hacker concept himself, even helping produce the vignettes from home before WWE ultimately abandoned the storyline and shifted creative in a different direction.
The mystery was finally addressed on the October 19, 2020 episode of Raw. As the leader of RETRIBUTION, Mustafa Ali revealed that he had been the mysterious SmackDown Hacker all along, explaining that while he sat on the sidelines he watched WWE’s corruption and exposed the truth for everyone to see. Although the reveal officially identified the Hacker, it was little more than a passing line in a promo and never became a major part of the RETRIBUTION storyline. Ali has since confirmed that he pitched numerous ideas for the Hacker character before WWE abandoned the original concept and folded it into RETRIBUTION instead.
Final Verdict: Case Closed, Although the original storyline was abandoned before reaching its intended conclusion, WWE officially revealed Mustafa Ali as the mysterious Hacker in October 2020. While the payoff was brief and largely disconnected from the original SmackDown angle, the mystery of the Hacker’s identity ultimately received an on-screen answer.
On the November 25, 2020 episode of AEW Dynamite, one week before the Winter Is Coming special, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley arrived at the arena for a contract signing with Kenny Omega. Before the signing could take place, Moxley was found unconscious backstage after an apparent attack, leaving him bloodied and searching for answers ahead of his title defense. Despite the assault, Moxley insisted on competing the following week at Winter Is Coming, where he lost the AEW World Championship to Omega after interference from Don Callis.
In the aftermath, suspicion immediately fell on Kenny Omega and Don Callis. The attack had left Moxley less than one hundred percent heading into the biggest title match of Omega’s AEW career, and Callis’ interference during the championship bout directly contributed to Omega’s victory. Moments later, Omega and Callis fled together with the AEW World Championship, revealing that they had been working together all along. The timing of the assault, combined with their actions before, during, and after the match, led many to believe the attack had been orchestrated as part of their plan to ensure Omega captured the championship.
Although AEW never explicitly identified the attacker, the storyline consistently pointed toward Omega and Callis as the masterminds behind the assault. Neither man admitted to carrying it out themselves, and no third party was ever revealed as the individual who physically attacked Moxley backstage. Instead, the mystery quietly faded as the focus shifted to Omega’s championship reign and his partnership with Callis.
Final Verdict: Implicated, While AEW never officially revealed who physically assaulted Jon Moxley, the circumstances strongly suggest the attack was orchestrated by Don Callis and Kenny Omega as part of their plan to capture the AEW World Championship. Their actions immediately before and after the title match provide the closest thing to an on-screen answer, even without a direct confession or an identified attacker.
Well, there you have it. We were able to solve some of these mysteries, identify the most likely culprits behind others, and uncover the stories behind several forgotten angles. But many cases remain true cold cases—storylines abandoned without explanation that may never receive a definitive answer.
This was a fun deep dive into some of wrestling’s greatest unanswered questions and a unique way of revisiting forgotten moments from the past. Who knows? Maybe one day another interview or backstage revelation will finally close one of these case files.
Until then, the investigation is over. Until next time. ✌️
