Former WWE Superstar Mr. Kennedy has opened up about the original plan that would have seen him become World Heavyweight Champion — a dream moment ultimately derailed by injury and a fateful misdiagnosis.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Kennedy recalled being informed by Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon of WWE’s detailed plan for his Money in the Bank cash-in, which was set to take place after an injury to The Undertaker accelerated creative timelines.
“Vince and Stephanie laid out the scenario,” Kennedy explained. “Taker was going to have a cage match… barely squeak out. Somebody else was going to come out and do more damage to him, and then I was going to come out and pick the bones, cash in the briefcase, cover him — 1, 2, 3.”
The plan was for Kennedy to capitalize on a vulnerable Undertaker and walk away with the World Heavyweight Championship — but a match at a house show days before changed everything.
“Batista gives me a little clothesline… I felt something pop in my tricep,” Kennedy said. The injury was believed to be a full triceps tear, and WWE reacted quickly.
“Stephanie called me and said, ‘We still need to get that title off of Taker, though. So we’re sending the jet to pick you up. You’re going to come to Penn State. Edge is going to challenge you for your briefcase, and then he’s going to go on and do what you were supposed to do.’”
In a twist of cruel irony, Kennedy later discovered that the injury wasn’t as serious as initially feared.
“I go down to Birmingham, Alabama, sitting on Doctor Andrews’ table. He’s just feeling my arm, and he goes, ‘That’s not a tear.’ It was just a large hematoma.”
By then, the damage was done — both storyline-wise and to Kennedy’s momentum. The briefcase had already been transferred to Edge, who went on to cash in and defeat The Undertaker, securing the World Title in Kennedy’s place.
Kennedy recounted a comment made to him by fellow WWE star MVP, which still lingers to this day:
“You were a misdiagnosis away from becoming World Champion.”
The story stands as one of WWE’s biggest “what could have been” moments — a misdiagnosis that shifted the trajectory of a rising star’s career and altered WWE history.
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(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
