There was yet again a ton of star power involved on the WrestleMania card that took place in New Orleans inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, but one big name missing was Chris Jericho. However, the nine-time intercontinental champion was apparently close to making a surprise appearance in one of the biggest matches on the card, and that's where we begin our look at some of the biggest WWE headlines for Wednesday, May 9. 

Chris Jericho was asked to team with Daniel Bryan

Prior to WrestleMania, SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon suffered from a real-life bout of diverticulitis while vacationing with his family, which put his status as Daniel Bryan's partner to take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in serious jeopardy. Vince McMahon had a backup plan in place, though -- and that plan B was Jericho. 

During the most recent "Talk is Jericho" podcast in which Bryan was the guest to discuss his return to action, Jericho revealed to Bryan and the fans that the elder McMahon had contacted him in regards to replacing his son in the match. Originally not able to appear at WrestleMania due to touring obligations with his band Fozzy, McMahon even offered to charter a flight to make sure that Jericho would be able to make it to the Superdome to compete on April 8. 

As it turns out, somehow, McMahon was able to perform in the match as Bryan's partner after making what we can only assume was a miraculous recovery from a very dangerous disease. Still, especially with Bryan admitting that he himself was never informed that this was a possibility as a backup plan, what a surprise it would have been for Jericho to shockingly trot down the ramp as Bryan's partner while Owens just stared on in absolute horror. 

More WWE news, rumors

  • Charlotte Flair, who earned a spot in the women's Money in the Bank match Tuesday night on SmackDown, will be forced to undergo surgery soon to repair a ruptured implant. PW Insider is reporting that the procedure will be held off until after the current European tour. 
  • Paige maybe could return to the ring ... but not for a very long time. During her appearance on Edge & Christian's podcast recently, the new SmackDown general manager revealed that her doctor informed her she could return to action from neck issues in about 15-20 years. Hey, at just 25 years old currently, it might not be as crazy of a possibility as many believe. 
  • Former WWE 1990s superstar heel Big Bully Busick passed away at the age of 63 on Tuesday. Real name Nick Busick, the former star had battle cancer throughout the last three years of his life. 
  • On Wednesday night's edition of NXT, EC3 takes on Raul Mendoza, while we also get a monstrous tag team battle pitting War Raiders against Heavy Machinery. In the main event, Kassius Ohno seeks to defend the honor of his friend, Johnny Gargano, as he takes on Tommaso Ciampa.