12 Pro Wrestling Controversies

We all know wrestling is not real. That tension you see between the wrestlers is sometimes fake, sometimes real. But the world of wrestling is not without occasional controversy. Here are some of those controversies.

1. The Montreal Screwjob was and STILL IS the biggest screw-over in the history of wrestling

-For those unfamiliar with wrestling terminology, "screwjob" refers to a last minute change in the closing move made by one wrestler on another. In this famous case, World Wrestling Federation champion Bret "The Hitman" Hart was arguably one of the biggest and most successful wrestlers. He was due to start working with World Championship Wrestling in December 1997. It was due to issues he was having with WWF chairman Vince McMahon.

-Being the reigning champion, he was told that he would have to face his ultimate rival, pretty boy Shawn "Heartbreak Kid" Michaels. The face-off match would be Survivor Series '97 in Montreal on Nov. 9, 1997. The script was simple; Hart would lose the title of World Wrestling Federation champion to Michaels. But it was not that easy. Hart - a proud Canadian - refused to lose to someone he thought of as arrogant, on Canadian soil in front of his fans. He believed that if he lost on Canadian soil, his reputation would take a serious hit. Alternative wrestlers were suggested, including switching out Shawn Michaels for Stone Cold Steve Austin or he could drop the title to Michaels in Detroit on Nov. 6. But McMahon and Hart couldn't agree on any of those ideas. This simple disagreement led to one of the biggest controversies in wrestling history - The Montreal Screwjob. One week prior to this, Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels and another executive had a phone call planning out what would go down, how to get the title away from Hart.

-Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and producer Pat Patterson met before the match to discuss how it would go. Shawn Michaels gave an interview in 2019 to ESPN.com about it. He spoke candidly about how he felt about his involvement in a plan that basically stabbed Bret Hart in the back. "[It] was just an uncomfortable day knowing what you know, [how others] assume it's going to happen, and then you having to be the one to orchestrate it all...It's one thing to make the decision to do this. It's a whole 'nother thing to actually have the person to make it happen and not have any idea about how you're going to go about doing that. And then, even if you are successful, it's absolutely going to be the worst thing that could ever happen to you...From a professional standpoint, reputation standpoint, even though I wasn't the most loveable guy back then, it was still just an absolute miserable day [a] very uncomfortable day."

-The plot of the match that Hart was aware of went like this: referee Earl Hebner was to be knocked down, Michaels would apply Bret's own move, the sharpshooter, against him, a second referee would enter the ring and the Hart Family and another wrestler named D-Generation X and start a fight. Instead, what really happened was that after Hebner got knocked down, he rose to his feet slowly as Michaels applied the sharpshooter move to Bret. As soon as Michaels had the move applied to Bret, he had to yell to Michaels that he had it wrong; it was supposed to be the other leg because Michaels had messed it up. Once Michaels had the sharpshooter move correctly applied, the referee rang the bell after Hart read McMahon's lips telling the ref to do so. Hart was declared the loser and Michaels declared the winner. Before leaving the ring, Hart spit right in McMahon's face, landing a direct hit with it

-The realization that Hart had been stabbed in the back by his soon to be former boss hit him like a freight train. Michaels, as the plan went, acted as if he knew nothing. When McMahon came back stage, he didn't see Hart; Bret was in the shower getting ready to leave. He came out, wrapped a towel he found on the floor around him and forcefully punched McMahon in the face. Because of this, the relationship between Hart and McMahon suffered badly. They didn't speak for more than five years. In 2000, Bret had retired from wrestling due to a severe concussion inflicted by wrestler Bill Goldberg and one of his famous powerful roundhouse kicks to the head. He was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. Bret mentioned that they began speaking to one another in 2002 after the WWE CEO called Hart in the hospital while he was recovering from a stroke. Bret Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 and continued working for the company in 2009. Bret Hart hosted the Dec. 29, 2009 episode of Monday Night Raw and that's when the bitter rivalry between Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Shawn "The Heartbreak Kid" Michaels came to an end. As Hart mentioned in an article in the Calgary Herald in 2010 "My impression was that (Michaels) was actually pretty sincere. He apologized for a lot of what happened...I think it was like a million pounds off of his back...There was a couple of times when it looked like he was going to start crying. There was a lot of real emotion in that little segment...I think it was a surprise to him as much as to me."

2. Triple H simulating necrophilia in the story of Katie Vick

-This is certainly one of the strangest and yet sadder stories to emerge from the world of WWE. It came in 2002 and involved wrestlers Triple H, Kane and a woman named Katie Vick. The story was born on Oct. 7, 2002, on that night's episode of Monday Night Raw. Triple H approached Kane backstage and asked him if the name "Katie Vick" meant something to Kane. This implied Kane had a secret involving this woman. Prior the taping of the episode, Kane had revealed that Katie Vick was a high school friend of his, that she had died, but it was accidental. The wrestler said that they had gone out one night and he did the safe thing by offering to drive Vick home because she was intoxicated. He was unfamiliar with driving a stick shift car and he crashed Vick's car when an animal jumped into the path of the oncoming car. Kane survived, but Vick was killed on impact

-Of course, Triple H didn't buy the innocent, just-trying-to-help-a-friend story. He implied Kane had also been under the influence and joked about Kane's love for his friend Vick. He even went so far as to accuse Kane of having intercourse with the deceased. A claim that angered Kane enough to leave the venue lest he do something he'd regret. On the Oct. 2, 2002 episode of Monday Night Raw, Triple H took it one step further. He came out wearing a Kane mask and was shown trying to seduce a woman lying in a casket that bore all too much resemblance to Katie Vick. This storyline had now hit the headlines. The story was supposed to be comical, but Vince McMahon wanted it more like a soap opera. Not surprisingly, a lot of WWE staffers had a bad taste in their mouth on this story. A lot of them quit because they probably felt that the death of a close friend is personal, not something to be milked for laughs. Years later, a former writer for WWE named David Lagana, tweeted that the stock for WWE was at the lowest price ever - $7.10 - in October 2002. A lot would say there is a coincidence here

3. Vince McMahon dying in a fiery explosion

-We all know WWE and the world of professional wrestling is full of drama. Like a hillbilly soap opera in the eyes of some. The storylines are more dramatic than those you would find on most daytime soap operas. WrestleMania 23 seen former US President Donald Trump and WWE boss Vince McMahon, both of whom are good friends with each other, getting hyped up for "Battle of the Billionaires". On the June 11, 2007 episode of Monday Night Raw, the entire episode was even called "Vince McMahon Appreciation Night", the episode consisted of various wrestlers calling him out on their poor treatment from him instead of praise for him. The episode ends with a saddened McMahon getting into his limo, closing the door, only to explode. The car bursts into flames before the scene fades to black. Many watching really believed that McMahon was dead.

-Triple H gave a 2008 interview on the Opie and Anthony Show. He admitted the skit was so realistic that if he had not seen the prior footage of McMahon getting in and out of the limo, he would have been scared his boss had actually been killed. Triple H said "What kills me is that so many people called [the WW headquarters], like Trump called and was like 'something happened to Vince'. That's the magic of television." The WWE treated his "death" as a legitimate news story. Some actually believe it happened. The next day, a press release was sent out stating McMahon was "presumed dead" and wondering who had planted the deadly bomb. A memorial was even scheduled for the June 25, 2007 episode of Monday Night Raw. Of course, there's always an angle with WWE. Sure enough, this time there was. The storyline goes that McMahon would reappear suddenly, admitting to faking his own death, with the help of an accomplice who would be pushed as the next big superstar for WWE.

-Of course, a REAL tragedy struck the day this fake "memorial" was to be held. World famous wrestler Chris Benoit was found by police. He was deceased. Instead of the fake tribute, a real tribute and memorial was held in honor of Benoit, with McMahon appearing and saying at the start of the show how he had to admit to faking his death.

4. How the steroid trials changed the world of wrestling forever

-The city of Hershey, PA usually creates images of chocolate everywhere, not human growth hormones and steroids. In the late 1980s to early 1990s, a doctor out of Hershey was on trial in a federal court room, accused of drug trafficking that nearly destroyed Vince McMahon. Dr. George Zahorian was a physician who worked ringside to tend to the various injuries wrestlers received. In 1984, he started supplying McMahon and wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, The Ultimate Warrior with steroids, human growth hormones and other substances. An investigation by the Justice Department revealed that from 1984-1989, Zahorian supplied 43 wrestlers, 37 of whom were employed by the WWF, with drugs designed to improve speed, healing and more, with out a prescription. The packages containing these drugs were sent to the wrestler's homes, to the venues and to the WWF headquarters in Connecticut

-In 1988, the trafficking of steroids became a large crime. Federal agents started investigating Dr. George Zahorian because he started selling to amateur bodybuilders, which McMahon and others in the WWF world didn't know. One of the people that Zahorian had sold drugs to was William Dunn, a government agent undercover as a bodybuilder. Zahorian was caught on tape, saying that Dunn "gave better prices than the wrestlers". The doctor was arrested and in March 1990, he was on trial accused of 15 counts of drug trafficking. June 1991 seen him convicted of at least 12 of these counts.

-His trial garnered major media attention due to his connection with the WWF. Four wrestlers, including "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, testified. Hulk Hogan's name appeared in the stories on the news, suggesting he used steroids. According to Bret Hart in his memoir Hitman, Hogan had used them from time to time to bulk up on muscle. Bret Hart only used steroids to try and heal from the various injuries he suffered. It wasn't until July 1991 that McMahon sent out a press release to the WWF that stated wrestlers would start being tested for steroids and other human growth hormones. This didn't stop the government from investigating. 1993 seen him being indicted on two counts of distributing steroids and one count of conspiracy to distribute steroids.

-July 1994 seen the trial for McMahon. Prosecutors hoped to show McMahon had required the wrestlers under his employment to use steroids. The main witness was Hulk Hogan, who was now working for rival wrestling company WCW. Hogan refused to implicate his former manager, stating that while he did use steroids, he had a prescription for it and a medical necessity for it. He had received them from Zahorian, but McMahon never asked him to take the steroids. He also stated McMahon never bought steroids on behalf of Hogan. Out of 11 wrestlers who testified, only one - Kevin Wacholz, aka "Nailz" - claimed the WWF manager had pressured him into using steroids. McMahon's attorney simply dismissed Wacholz's statement as someone looking for payback after being fired by the WWF. The trial ended with a "not guilty" verdict after the judge seen there was insufficient evidence that showed the trafficking occurred within the court's jurisdiction

5. New Jack really injured his opponent in the "Mass Transit" accident

Eric Kulas

Axl Rotten

D-Von Dudley

Jerome "New Jack" Young

The Gangstas: Mustafa Saed and Jerome "New Jack" Young

-1996 seen Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) being born. This world of wrestling was known for it's extremely violent, bloody matches. On Nov. 23, 1996, it was about to get even more violent and bloody. Eric Kulas was a 17 year old aspiring wrestler with a gimmick known as "Mass Transit", which was a spinoff of Jackie Gleason's character on The Honeymooners. The night of Nov. 23, 1996 seen him showing up at the ECW house with his gear, because it was normal for wrestling promoters to need extra hands on site. That's what happened that night. Axl Rotten was declared a no-show, which left ECW booker Paul Heyman without a tag team partner for that night's wrestler D-Von Dudley in his match against The Gangstas (Jerome "Jack" Young and Mustafa Saed). With his father's support and his father by his side, Kulas volunteered to take Rotten's place to keep the match on. Kulas had, of course, lied about his age in order to get this gig. He also lied about how famed wrestler Killer Kowalski had trained him

-Prior to the match, Kulas was warned that at some point in the match, he would "get color" or "bleed". He had never "bladed" or even cut himself before. He asked New Jack to do this for him. This was a bad idea; The Gangstas were known for extreme violence inside the ring. Kulas got the typical beating from New Jack and Saed, at one point hitting Kulas with toasters and crutches. Towards the end of the match, New Jack restrained Kulas and used a surgical scalpel to cut him across the forehead. The cut was deeper than expected; it severed two arteries and sending fresh blood over fans sitting ringside. Despite Kulas screaming in pain and his father yelling to end the match, New Jack and Saed continued beating him until paramedics entered the ring. Thankfully the match wasn't televised, but there was video footage of it on the ECW FanCam. While the footage did catch New Jack asking if Kulas was okay, it also caught very damning footage of New Jack saying into the microphone "I don't care if the motherf----er dies!"

-The aftermath of the match was one of high tension. The Kulas family appeared on the TV news show Inside Edition and showed the teenaged aspiring wrestler as a victim and blamed the ECW for not properly protecting him. Resulting from this, the ECW's pay-per-view provider refused to broadcast Barely Legal, which was supposed to be ECW's first PPV event. There was supposed to be a lawsuit against ECW, but it never came. The Kulas family did sue New Jack a few years later, charging him with assault and battery with a deadly weapon. He was acquitted after testimony proved that Kulas had asked New Jack to cut him and was proved accurate by other witnesses on the stand. Kulas was also shown to have lied about his age and wrestling training. When New Jack learned that Kulas had lied about being over 18 and about receiving training from Killer Kowalski, he stated he had zero remorse about what he had done. Of course, he still had zero tolerance or remorse for the aspiring wrestler. He even responded to the death of Eric Kulas years later when he died at age 22 from complications from gastric bypass surgery. "I hope he rots in motherf----ing hell, that fat b----rd!"

6. Muhammad Hassan and the Terrorism Controversy

-From 2004-2005, Marc Copani's wrestling angle was that of a Muslim-American WWE wrestler named Muhammad Hassan. He was shown as a villain, taking on wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker. July 2005 seen him at the core of a controversy due to a skit that aired the same day of a major terrorist attack

-On July 7, 2005, Islamic terrorists pulled off four suicide attacks in London. Three of the bombings occurred on the Tube (subway system) during the heavy morning rush hour and the other on a red double-decker bus later that day. In addition to the terrorists who committed suicide, the bombings killed more than 50 UK citizens and injured an additional 700 people.

-That same day, US TV aired a WWE show where the Undertaker was assaulted by five people with masks and Hassan's manager treated as a martyr. Despite the fact the skit didn't air in the UK for obvious reasons, the US did include a broadcast warning on the content. The backlash it received in the aftermath of the London bombings was quick and harsh. The controversy caused rang the death knell for Muhammad Hassan. In a 2020 interview with Copani, he admitted that he didn't think a character like Hassan should be portrayed now. He told interviewer Chris Van Cliet. "I think [the way Hassan was portrayed] was insensitive. It became very insensitive towards Muslim Americans and Arab American people. The way that the character changed from being this Arab-American who was upset at the unjust treatment of his people to a more radicalized Muslim and Arab young man who was lashing out violently, I don't think that would be appropriate at this time. I don't think that would be fair to portray any Arab American or Muslim American in that way." Luckily, all's well that ends well for Copani. He had quit wrestling and took a position as a junior high school principal

7. Jeff Hardy was clearly intoxicated while wrestling

-February 2011 seen Jeff Hardy losing the Total Nonstop Action (TNA) World Heavyweight Championship belt to Sting. It was later proven he hadn't prepared for the match and was given no advance warning about who his opponent was, so a No Disqualification match was set. It was set for March 13 and would be a pay-per-view event called "The Victory Road".

-From the moment he showed up, it was clear something was off about him. Even the fans noticed something was awry about him. Referee Brian Hebner even put up an "X" sign before the match, signaling that Hardy was in no condition to wrestle. But the match still went on. It didn't last long, though. Two minutes into the match, Sting forcefully pinned Hardy to the mat. The ref counted Hardy out and once again, Hardy lost, with Sting retaining the title. The crowd or Hardy's opponent liked Hardy's behavior. One fan yelled "Bulls--!" Sting responded "I agree! I agree!"

-The day after, TNA sent Hardy home from that week's tapings of Impact. A few days later, "Immortal", a TNA alliance for wrestlers headed by Hulk Hogan and Impact's executive Eric Bischoff, both severed any connection with Hardy. Hardy didn't step into a ring until Sept. 8, 2011. He addressed the crowd on that episode of Impact. "The last time I was seen in this ring, I was pathetic. I was messed up! I had a main event match with a guy I've looked up to for a long time, and I failed miserably. I let everybody down. I can't change what happened at Victory Road, but I can admit that at Victory Road, I had hit rock bottom. I can't expect you [the fans] to forgive me and give me another chance...All I can do is ask. Give me one more shot." The crowd had forgiven him; they chanted "One more shot!

-Hardy continued wrestling, but his alcoholism was determined to win. His alcoholism was even introduced as a storyline in 2020. Meanwhile, Sting, his opponent from "Victory Road" holds no ill will against him. At the 2017 Wales Comic Con Q&A, Sting said "Jeff was in a bad way that day, and he was deteriorating as the hours went on. It got to a point where he was just not ready to wrestle. But you know what, since then, he's turned around, and life is great, and I respect Jeff and love his work and love Jeff, period. So I don't hold anything against him. I don't harbor anything against him, and I wish him the best."

8. On live TV, Hulk Hogan applied the chokehold to a TV host

-The first WrestleMania happened in 1985. The two main wrestlers were "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndoff tag teaming against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. To hype people up for the event, the wrestlers appeared on various talk shows through out the country. On the March 27, 1985 episode of WrestleMania, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T were on Hot Properties, hosted by Richard Belzer. According to their host, the show started off on a bad footing before the cameras event went on. A representative for Mr. T called the host, saying the actor would not appear on the show unless there were at least 50 kids - preferably disabled children - in the audience. A call was made and the producers got the required 50 disabled children.

-The interview seemed to be mostly with Hogan, not a lot of questions going to Mr. T. Belzer then asked for a demo on a wrestling move. Mr T. refused, but Hulk Hogan gladly accepted after pestering from Belzer. Hogan put him into a front chin hold, resulting in the host becoming unconscious. Hogan dropped him to the floor, which resulted in Belzer hitting his head on the floor. Obviously the kids were scared in the audience, but Mr. T and his wonderful ways with kids, assured them that the host was "just sleeping". Their host regained consciousness, but was bleeding from his head injury. He was taken to the hospital to be evaluated and received nine stitches to close the wound. In a 1990 interview with Roy Firestone, Belzer said "[Hogan said] 'Signal me if it hurts', right? So I try to signal, [Hogan] ignored it. Now here, I'm trying to signal and I have no strength, I'm limp, I'm gone."

-Despite the fact that Hogan apologized after saying he was experienced in working with professional wrestlers, Belzer sued Hogan, Mr. T, Vince McMahon and the WWF before settling out of court in 1989 for $5 million

9. Max Caster had to undergo sensitivity training after a controversial rap

-Max Caster was a rapper who was part of a tag team called "The Acclaimed" for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). His wrestling career came to a screeching halt when a rap he did had some controversial lyrics. On Aug. 3, 2021, on the episode of AEW Dark, Caster started rapping about his fellow AEW wrestlers the Sydals and Varsity Blonds as he and tag team partner Anthony Bowens came out to the ring. The lyrics referenced famous gymnast Simone Biles's mental health and the famous Duke lacrosse rape case. Bowens took the microphone and started rapping about a female wrestler's genitals. Social media took an instant dislike and the backlash was immediate. AEW pulled this episode from YouTube, replacing it with Caster's rap cut out. Tony Khan, the president of AEW, called the rap "terrible", telling Busted Open Radio that he had not gone over this rap with Caster prior to the performance as he normally did. He added that it should have been edited out before the episode was posted, but since it wasn't, he would personally take command of editing all AEW episodes from then on.

-In the days following, there were numerous reports stating whether Caster was suspended without pay from AEW for two months and ordered to take sensitivity training. "The Acclaimed" tag team was dissolved and Bowens became a single match wrestler

10. The LGBTQ community gets fired up over the onscreen marriage of Billy and Chuck

-2001 seen wrestler Chuck Palumbo leaving World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and going for its bigger rival, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He was quickly paired with WWE wrestler Billy Gunn. They became a popular tag team, winning the World Tag Team Championships twice. As time went on, they started showing romantic interest in each other. They both had bleached blonde hair and even started wearing matching red uniforms. September 2002 seen Billy accepting Chuck's proposal to be his partner. September 12, 2002 seen their commitment ceremony being aired on SmackDown! During the ceremony, they revealed their relationship was fake. Nothing more than a storyline to promote the WWE. They both stated neither of them were homosexual. The deception angered GLAAD, which had worked closely with the WWE on the story and even helped arrange for mainstream coverage on this. Spokesperson Scott Seomin had this to say. "We supported the representation of Billy & Chuck, NOT the called-off wedding. The WWE lied to us to months ago when they promised that Billy & Chuck would come out and wed on the air. In fact, [Seomin] was told (lied to) the day after the show was taped in Minneapolis that the wedding took place and all was well. The WWE also lied to The Today Show, The New York Times and other media outlets. Many have contacted me to express their disdain for the WWE's unprofessional marketing machine."

-Palumbo did a June 2021 interview with Metro, stating that while he wasn't gay, he had a great time playing this character and, despite the obvious controversy about his relationship with Gunn being fake, he thought the characters were still a highly positive representation about the LGBTQ community. In the interview, Palumbo had this to say. "I remember going to the ring every night, and there were kids dressed up like us! I remember one time, we had these college kids dressed up like us - grown men! It was outlandish, it was silly, but the audience, viewership saw us having fun...I think that is what made it. They saw us having fun, being two bros and having a good time, joking around. They were like "Oh my God, these guys are having a blast!" That's why the character worked." Palumbo did get some heat from other wrestlers for playing a gay character. They would say things like "Why would you do that? Tell them you don't wanna do that." Palumbo said "[But] I'm not living my gimmick. A lot of the guys unfortunately start to believe their character."

11. A doll based on an act of Al Snow was accused of promoting violence towards women

-November 1999 seen Wal-Marts across the nation pulling a doll depicting a wrestler carrying the head of a female mannequin from its shelves for accusations of promoting violence against women. The doll's forehead had "help me" written on it. Two college professors complained to Wal-Mart about it. The doll was based on wrestler Al Snow, whose gimmick was carrying a female mannequin's head into the ring prior to his matches. The VP of WWF's marketing department, Jim Byrne, claimed no complaints had been received about the toy and the act Al Snow did with the mannequin "is as silly as it gets."

12. WWE aired a tribute to wrestler Chris Benoit prior to the details of his death coming out

-On June 25, 2007, the bodies of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and son, were found in their Atlanta home. The cause of death for the 40 year old wrestler appeared to be suicide by hanging. He was a two time world champion with a match coming up on the night of his death. The episode of Monday Night Raw that was scheduled to air that night was supposed to be part of a gimmick from a previous stunt. It was supposed to be Vince McMahon's "memorial", as he had faked his death from a limo explosion. But it was cancelled and in its place, a more reverent memorial to Benoit took place. The WWE released a statement that read as follows: "World Wrestling Entertainment is deeply saddened to report that today Chris Benoit and his family were found dead in their home. There are no further details at this time, other than the Benoit family residence is currently being investigated by authorities."

-Unfortunately, while this memorial was sweet and respectful, it turned out to be something darker than suicide by hanging. Police revealed, in their investigation, that Benoit had murdered his seven year old son and wife in the days prior to his suicide by hanging. This information was given to the WWE just hours before the memorial aired. Wrestlers who had had been truly sad about his death now suddenly tried to gain as much distance away from him as possible, the WWE doing the same. Vince McMahon appeared on TV on June 26 to announce that Benoit's name would no longer be mentioned in connection with ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) events or TV shows.