The Mandela Effect refers to the phenomenon where a large group of people remember an event differently than to how it originally occurred. This can be due to various reasons, such as initial misinformation or people confusing the event with a similar but different occurrence.
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Some of these have also happened within the WWE universe over the course of the past few decades, with the majority of fans having a falsified memory of such events.
10
The Bloodline Existed Long Before 2020
Their Faction Name Had Been Sporadically Used Over The Years
- The Bloodline faced off against the Club on the May 9, 2016, episode of Raw.
- The Usos had joined Roman Reigns for his feud with The League of Nations.
- The trio were once again then featured regularly together in the fall of 2019.
Many fans believe that it was not until Roman Reigns’ industry-shifting heel turn in 2020 that him and the Usos got the faction name of The Bloodline. However, in reality, the trio has been using the name since early 2016. This happened following WrestleMania 32, where the then WWE Champion Roman Reigns got into a feud with AJ Styles.
The rivalry then turned into a full-blown faction warfare as Reigns was joined by The Usos, while Styles had his Bullet Club buddies Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson provide him back up. During their bouts, WWE would repeatedly advertise the Samoan trio as The Bloodline.
9
Y2J’s Millennium Clock Was Not As Long As Fans Remember
The Countdown Only Lasted For 6 Weeks
- The clock first appeared on the June 28, 1999, episode of Raw.
- Jericho debuted exactly 6 weeks later, on the August 9, 1999, episode of Raw.
One of the biggest deflections from WCW to the WWE during the Monday Night Wars was when Chris Jericho, someone who seemed destined to be the next top guy at the Turner-owned wrestling promotion, showed up on Raw as the newest star signed by Vince McMahon.
In recent years, when fans talk about Jericho’s arrival in the promotion, they tend to recall there being a long countdown before he finally showed up. This turns out to be a false memory, perhaps due to Jericho using the same format for his number of returns to the company in the 2 decades that followed.
8
The Rock’s Full-Time WWE Career Was Surprisingly Short
The Current TKO-Director’s Initial Run Only Lasted For Around 6 Years
- The Rock made his WWE debut at Survivor Series 1996.
- His match verus Goldberg at Backlash 2003 marked the end of his full-time WWE tenure.
When fans talk about The Rock’s full-time run with the WWE, they believe that the People’s Champion had a lengthy run with the company similar to his other contemporaries like Triple H, Shawn Micheals, and the Undertaker.
However, in reality, The Rock’s run was indeed a short one with him only serving as a full-time wrestler for a mere 6 years. One can argue that it was the chaotic nature of the Attitude Era, which makes the fans remember the period as a longer one.
7
The ‘Dog Poop Match’ That Never Happened
Fans Have A False Memory About The Rock’s Interaction With The British Bulldog
- The Rock has only had two singles matches against The British Bulldog.
- The “dog poop” segment happened on the October 4, 1999, episode of Raw.
Speaking of the Rock, many fans remember him and The British Bulldog squaring off during the Attitude Era in a “Dog Poop on a Plate Match.” However, many would be surprised to know that such a bout never happened.
Instead, the memory some have is actually from when the two were feuding in 1999, and The Rock shoved the former Hart Foundation member’s face into a pile of dog feces as a means of humiliating him.
6
Curt Hennig’s Name
Fans Incorrectly Remember The Name Of Mr. Perfect
- His full name was Curtis Michael Hennig.
- Hennig made his WWE debut in January 1982.
For many decades, the WWE audience has incorrectly pronounced and spelled the name of Mr Perfect as Curt Henning, when in reality the name was Curt Hennig.
Funnily, the issue has been such a wide-spread one, that at occasion even commentators and wrestlers failed to pronounce the Hall of Famer’s name correctly.
Many Confuse It With A Different Promo
- Steve Austin won the King of the Ring tournament back in 1996.
- He defeated Jake Robers in the final.
The wrestling industry experienced a seismic shift following Austin’s King of the Ring win, as he followed the victory with a promo that gave the world perhaps one of the biggest stars to step foot inside the squared circle.
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The promo marked the birth of the “Austin 3:16” moniker, as the rattlesnake said the infamous “Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your a**”. However, many fans also believe Austin to have said “And that’s the bottom line, ’cause Stone Cold said so!” in the same promo as well, which is not the case.
4
The Kliq Was Never An On-Screen Group
The Infamous Crew Remained Exclusive To Behind The Scenes
- The group consisted of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall & Sean Waltman.
- They became famous among fans for the iconic “Curtain Call” at Madison Square Garden in May 1996.
While many fans do believe they have seen the group on WWE programming, reality cannot be anymore different. While their members made the various incarnations of the legendary D-Generation X and NWO factions, all five members were never a group onscreen.
A possible reason for this false memory can be that, in recent years, many WWE documentaries have emphasized the influence the stable had on the industry, which might have reshaped the recollection of the group in the minds of fans.
3
The Rock’s Custom Brahma Bull Belt Was Never Used on WWE TV
Many Remember The Rock Carrying It On WWE Programming
- In 2024, The Rock carried the “People’s Championship”, which is a modified version of the Brahma Bull Belt.
- Over the years, WWE Shop has sold replicas of the Brahma Bull Belt.
Similar to how Stone Cold Steve Austin had the Smoking Skull version of the WWE Championship during the Attitude Era, some people think that The Rock too used to carry the Brahma Bull Belt during one of his title reigns.
While WWE did commission a customized title for The Rock and its pictures are available on the internet, it was never brought on screen as the idea was eventually dropped by the management.
2
Hulk Hogan Was Not The First To Body Slam André The Giant
Fans Have Self Created A Myth Regarding The Spot
- Hulk Hogan defeated André the Giant to retain the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 3.
- The event marked the biggest attendance gate in the industry at the time.
It has been widely believed by fans that Hogan became the first wrestler ever to bodyslam Andre when he performed the move in the main event of WrestleMania 3. This is certainly not the case.
Over the preceding years, stars such as Harley Race and Stan Hansen had already performed the incredible move. In fact, Hogan himself had body slammed the “8th wonder of the World” a few years earlier, back in 1980.
1
“That’s Gotta Be Kane!” Was Said By Vince McMahon
Fans Have Long Misattributed The Quote To Jim Ross
- Kane made his WWE debut at Badd Blood: In Your House 1997.
- He interrupted the Hell in a Cell Match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.
The wrestling world witnessed one of the most bone-chilling debuts of all time when Paul Bearer walked down alongside Kane, and hence revealing the world to what was his second kayfabe son.
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For years, fans have believed that the iconic “That’s Gotta Be Kane!” line was said by Jim Ross as The Big Red Monster walked down the ramp. However, it was instead said by McMahon, who was in his final days working as an on-screen commentator.
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