Professional Wrestling is just like any other television show in that it is scripted. However, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry and the same is true for wrestling. Injuries, botches, and even deaths happen in pro wrestling and really make the sport seem a lot more real and open people's eyes to things they don't want to see. So here are 16 times Wrestling got a little too real.
The Undertaker catches on fire. February 21, 2010. WWE Elimination Chamber PPV
In 2010, The Undertaker was in the middle of a very long World Heavyweight Championship reign and was set to defend his title inside the Elimination Chamber. While making his entrance for the match, the normally eight minute long spectacle lasted only three minutes. Why? Because one of the fireballs used in the entrance caught The Undertaker's long trench coat on fire and badly burned his skin. Taker would end up wrestling the match, but seeing The Deadman run to the ring like that was pretty shocking.
Paige mocks Charlotte's dead brother. November 16, 2015. WWE RAW
In late 2015, Paige and Charlotte, who is the daughter of WWE Legend Ric Flair, were feuding over the WWE Divas Championship. Before their match the following week at Survivor Series, Paige and Charlotte had a contract signing for the match, during which Paige stated that "You might be strong, but your brother Reid wasn't." Reid Flair is Charlotte's brother and another former pro wrestler who died of a heroin overdose at the age of 25 in 2013. While this was a scripted promo, the use of Reid's name was not offered clearance by the Flair family and was still seen as poor taste by WWE.
Daniel Puder tries to break Kurt Angle's arm. November 4, 2004. WWE Smackdown
In 2004, WWE's reality competition contestant's on the show Tough Enough were sent to the taping of Smackdown in order to get some noterity for the show. While in the ring, Kurt Angle, a former WWE Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist in Greco-Roman Wrestling, offered $1 Million to any rookie who was willing to beat him in a legitamate wrestling match. The first victim was Chris Nawrocki, who legitamately broke his ribs wrestling Angle. Daniel Puder, a former MMA fighter for Strikeforce in Japan, was not going to go down without a fight. Puder would grab Angle's arm in an armbar and would pull and legitimately tried to break it. Seeing no way out, Angle leaned far enough back onto Puder and was awarded a pinfall victory by the ref despite Puder's shoulders not touching the mat. Angle got up, told Puder he was "a f***ing idiot" and Puder was fired from WWE shortly after.
Sid Vicious breaks his leg. January 14, 2001. WCW Sin PPV
Injuries happen in sports and also in pro wrestling. While it is scripted, accidents and injuries do happen. In 2001 at the WCW event SIN, Sid Vicious was fighting for the WCW World Championship against Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner and Animal. Sid would try to perform a leap of faith onto Scott Steiner and plant his boot into his face. Sid would jump, Steiner rolls away, and Sid's leg snaps cleanly in two in the most horrific wrestling injury of all time and one that lead to Sid's eventual retirement.
Hulk Hogan vs Jeff Jarrett at Bash at the Beach 2000. July 9, 2000. WCW Bash at the Beach PPV
This entry is weird because there are two sides to every story. In the main event of Bash at the Beach 2000, Hulk Hogan was to lose to Jeff Jarrett in a match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. According to general manager Vince Russo, Hogan had agreed to do the match except he refused to lose to Jarrett. Russo was angry and when the match started, he ordered Jarrett to lie down and let Hogan pin him. Hogan pinned Jarrett in 1 minute and 20 seconds and then told Russo that "crap like this is why this company is in the toilet." Hogan would leave the arena and Russo would return, telling the fans that they would "never see that piece of s*** in WCW ever again." Hogan would ask for his release from WCW a week later.
Undertaker loses to Brock Lesnar and passes out backstage. April 6, 2014. WrestleMania XXX
On April 6, 2014, the unthinkable happened. Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania, snapping The Deadman's 21 straight win streak at The Show of Shows. While this was scripted to be Undertaker's first Mania loss, Undertaker had suffered a concussion earlier in the match and struggled to get to his feet. The Undertaker would make it to the back, but would then pass out and have to be rushed to the hospital in New Orleans, as WWE Owner Vince McMahon would leave the arena as well to help his friend. It was the first time The Undertaker looked more like Mark Calaway to the fans.
The Mass Transit Incident. November 23, 1996. ECW
Extreme Championship Wrestling is most remembered for being, at one point, the most violent wrestling promotion in the United States. The promotion featured hardcore matches that featured barbed wire, flaming tables, and thumbtacks. One November night in Revere, Massachusetts, a hardcore tag match was scheduled to take place between The Gangstas, New Jack & Mustafa, against Axl Rotten and D-Von Dudley. Unfortunately, Rotten couldn't make the show saying he had a family emergency. Looking for a spot, ECW Owner Paul Heyman found a kid named Eric Kulas who wrestled as Mass Transit and put him in a match. Kulas told Heyman he was 23 and had been trained by Hall of Famer Killer Kowalski. Kulas was actually 17, and during the match was cut open by New Jack. The cut was deeper than New Jack expected and Kulas freaked out and eventually passed out from blood loss. The match was recorded, and New Jack, still in character, yelled to Kulas' dad, "I don't care if the mother f***er dies! He's white and I hate white people!" The event almost caused ECW to lose their spot for their upcoming Pay Per View Barely Legal, but all charges toward New Jack and ECW were dropped. Kulas died on May 12, 2002 following complications from gastric bypass surgery.
New Jack tries to kill Vic Grimes. February 2002. XPW
New Jack is quite possibly the most controversial wrestler of all time. In 2001 at a show for Xtreme Pro Wrestling, or XPW, New Jack and Vic Grimes were fighting in a match on top of a 15 foot balcony. Grimes was supposed to throw New Jack off the balcony and New Jack would catch himself. However, Grimes held on to New Jack's leg, falling off the balcony too and landing on New Jack's head. The match gave New Jack vision problems to this day, a concussion, and made the Gangsta blind for two months. At New Jack's next match six months later, a 40 ft scaffold match against Vic Grimes, New Jack would shock Grimes with a taser and throw him off the scaffold. Despite having 20 tables in the ring to break the fall, New Jack would say "I was trying to implale him on the ring post. He got lucky and hit one on the way down and hit the ropes instead. I wanted to kill him."
CM Punk drops a "Pipebomb." June 27, 2011. WWE RAW
CM Punk was a very angry wrestler in the summer of 2011. His contract was expiring and Punk had a WWE title match coming up with then champion John Cena. At the end of the June 27, 2011 episode of RAW, Punk would interfere in Cena's match with R-Truth, putting Cena through a table in the process. Punk would then cut a seven minute long promo talking about how much the fans have disrespected him in his five years in WWE, how he has had no publicity given to him, and would tell John Cena that "you can't wrestle, but you're pretty good at kissing Vince McMahon's a**." Punk would then say that he was going to steal the WWE Title from the company when his contract ended after the Money In The Bank Pay Per View. It was a shocking promo and will always be remembered as "The Pipebomb."
CM Punk steals the WWE Title. July 17, 2011. WWE Money In The Bank PPV
In the follow up to CM Punk's epic promo, CM Punk and John Cena would meet in Chicago, Illinois on the last day of Punk's contract. In a shocking turn of events, and in what would be the first five star match in WWE since 1997, CM Punk would literally walk out of Allstate Arena with the title. The story got major news coverage from TMZ and Fox Sports, and changed the face of WWE history. Of course, Punk would return to WWE TV three weeks later with a new contract, but the shock of the title leaving the company was felt around the world.
Steve Austin breaks his neck. August 3, 1997. SummerSlam PPV
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin was set to have a major breakthrough in 1997. He had just won King of the Ring, had cut the infamous Austin 3:16 promo, and was fighting Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship. However, Hart would botch a tombstone piledriver, dropping Austin on his head. The Rattlesnake would be temporary paralyzed from the neck down. Austin would recover and go on to be one of the best WWE Champions of all time, but we were close to never seeing Austin ever wrestle again.
Undertaker almost kills Mankind. June 28, 1998. WWE King of the RIng PPV
In 1998, Undertaker and Mankind ended their epic three year rivalry in a Hell in a Cell match. In just the second Cell match of all time, Undertaker and Mankind fought on top of the Cell, resulting in Taker throwing Mankind off the top of the Cell through the announce table. Many people thought Mankind was seriously injured. The famous words of announcer Jim Ross "good God almighty! They killed him! As God as my witness, he's broken in half." While being stretchered away, Mankind would get off the stretcher and climb the Cell again. Taker would give Mankind a chokeslam onto a steel chair, but the impact caused the roof to give way, sending the masked man 20 feet to the canvas. Mick Foley hit the canvas so hard that a tooth could be sticking out of his nose. In an interview after the match, Undertaker said "I honestly thought Mick was dead. I was terrified." Mick Foley now walks with a limp to this day because of this match.
The Montreal Screwjob. November 9, 1997. WWE Survivor Series PPV
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels had arguably the greatest rivalry of all time in professional wrestling. From WrestleMania 12 in 1996 to Survivor Series 1997, the two legitamately hated each other. Eventually, Hart's contract expired, and he was going to leave the WWF for their competition, WCW. WWF Owner Vince McMahon was going to let Hart leave, only if he would drop the title. Hart siad no, because he did not want to drop the title in his home country of Canada to Shawn Michaels. Not wanting to be embarrassed, McMahon would run to ringside in the middle of the match while Michaels had a submission move locked on to Hart and rang the bell before Hart tapped out. Michaels was declared champion, and Hart went ballistic in the ring, throwing chairs and even punched McMahon backstage. The relationship between McMahon, Hart, and Michaels wouldn't be healed until 2010 when Hart entered the WWE Hall of Fame.
Jerry Lawler's Heart Attack. September 10, 2012. WWE RAW
From 2010-2012, WWE announcers Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler were embroiled in a televised feud. Cole felt disrespected by the fans and Lawler because he took the job of Lawler's friend Jim Ross as head WWE play by play announcer. On September 10, 2012 in Montreal, Jerry Lawler stepped back into the ring to take on CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler in a tag match with Randy Orton. After the match, Lawler returned to the announce booth and collapsed. Paramedics rushed to Lawler's side and took him to a local hospital. Cole then had to announce the rest of the two hour show and almost broke down not knowing if his best friend. Lawler would return one month later, and Cole would finally gain the respect of the fans after this show.
Owen Hart Dies. May 23, 1999. WWE Over The Edge PPV
Owen Hart was one of the greatest wrestlers from one of the greatest wrestling families of all time. Hart was a two time WWF Intercontinental Champion and a four time WWF Tag Team champion. In 1999, Hart had donned a mask and became a comedic wrestler known as The Blue Blazer. At the Over The Edge Pay Per View, Hart was going to be lowered from the top of the arena via zipline. Unfortunately, the line snapped, and Hart fell 78 feet, hit the ring post, and landed in the ring. The fans thought this was a comedy routine, until Hart didn't get up. Paramedics rushed to Hart's aid, but it was too late. Jim Ross had to look into the camera 20 minutes later and say "The Blue Blazer, aka Owen Hart, has died tonight." Owen Hart was 34 years old.
Chris Benoit Murder-Suicide. June 24, 2007. Atlanta, GA.
This is a hard subject to talk about in the pro wrestling world. Chris Benoit was one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time. He was a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, ECW Tag Team Champion, WCW World Heavyweight Champion, WWE World Heavyweight Champion and a former WWE Triple Crown Winner. On June 23, 2007, Benoit was going to wrestle CM Punk for the ECW World Championship at the WWE Vengance Pay Per View. Benoit never showed up for the match, telling friend Chavo Guerrero that he was sick. The match changed to CM Punk vs Johnny Nitro, and the show went on. The next day, Benoit's body, along with the bodies of his wife Nancy and son David, were found at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. Benoit had been a heavy user of illegal steroids and pain killers, and had gone on a rampage strangling his wife, son, and then hanging himself from a weight bench. Later, scientists did an autopsy of Benoit and determined that he had the brain activity and damage of an 80 year old man. These events lead to Benoit's past WWE history being erased from the archives, and a report that alleged Vince McMahon gave his superstars, such as John Cena, Edge, and Carlito, steroids, and was the reason many stopped watching wrestling. Chris Benoit was 40 years old.
