Most controversial or offensive storylines or incidents ever done in wrestling

GlitchMarner

Typical malevolent, devious & vile Maple Leafs fan
Jul 21, 2017
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When you really think about, wrestling is actually pretty stupid, offensive, perverted and/or tasteless quite often. And it's pretty meh nowadays (well, I'm assuming it is - it was when I last followed it, a few years ago).

There are some memorable matches, story lines, moments that stand out... but man there's a lot of monkey crap.
 

WingsMJN2965

Registered User
Oct 13, 2017
18,106
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Rape seemed to be a common theme in the WWE from 2002-2004 for whatever reason.

Katie Vick (sorta), Sharmel/Angle, Heidenreich/Michael Cole, Kane/Lita.

Pretty sure Vince wanted Stephanie to be part of some incest angle, (Not sure if it was with him or Shane) and she killed it multiple times, thankfully.

... Not sure how anybody's bringing Pillman's got a gun into this. When you accept that it's entertainment, it's actually a pretty good angle if you have two believable characters, which Pillman and Austin were.
 

BKIslandersFan

F*** off
Sep 29, 2017
11,443
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Pretty sure Vince wanted Stephanie to be part of some incest angle, (Not sure if it was with him or Shane) and she killed it multiple times, thankfully.

... Not sure how anybody's bringing Pillman's got a gun into this. When you accept that it's entertainment, it's actually a pretty good angle if you have two believable characters, which Pillman and Austin were.
The thread is about controversial or offensive. The angle doesn't have to be bad to be here.
 

WingsMJN2965

Registered User
Oct 13, 2017
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The thread is about controversial or offensive. The angle doesn't have to be bad to be here.

I guess I just don't find it to be controversial or offensive. Definitely not offensive. Maybe controversial, but this is the kind of stuff you'd see on TV all the time.
 

Lunatik

Normal is an illusion.
Oct 12, 2012
56,176
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Padded Room
What about when they strapped a crying Eugene (whose character was offensive enough) to a chair and forcibly shaved his head, just to get Trump over in his match against McMahon?
 

EpochLink

Canucks and Jets fan
Aug 1, 2006
59,493
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Vancouver, BC
Yup. Cant remember who said it (may have been Cornette), but HHH was never the guy...he was the guy who worked with THE guy

Jim Cornette said it.

He said "Triple H works with the guy who makes the most money". Austin, Rock, Foley, Undertaker, Michaels all of them have made more money.

Triple H from 2002-2004 was probably the most ego driven push I can recall.
Nowadays I don't mind if HHH puts up the boots and wrestles but back then, a lot of people on the internet, wrestling fans loathed how he was getting away with too much.
 

M.C.G. 31

Damn, he brave!
Oct 6, 2008
96,268
18,936
Ottawa
Triple H earned his reputation back in the mid-2000s. He was a selfish, egomaniacal politician.

The Triple H of today, though? This guy puts over everyone under the sun (unless you’re Sting or Dean Ambrose, the latter being a tough position because it was at a network special before Wrestlemania and they were backed into a corner and the former making sense since the hope was to do HHH vs. Rock the year later). This guy takes care of everyone who comes from his baby (NXT). He’s really repairing his image and reputation in the 2010s.
 

Belieber

The Nuge is huge
Jun 23, 2016
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If Triple H had lost all the matches the internet whiners wanted him to lose then the wins over him by Cena and Batista wouldn’t have meant as much. He helped put huge stars over.
 

M.C.G. 31

Damn, he brave!
Oct 6, 2008
96,268
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If Triple H had lost all the matches the internet whiners wanted him to lose then the wins over him by Cena and Batista wouldn’t have meant as much. He helped put huge stars over.
Yeah but a lot of people still can’t get over the reign of terror and not putting over Booker T or Rob Van Dam. That’s a huge smear on his reputation.

Aside from those two talents, 2003 Raw was really shit for contenders so he kind of gets a pass looking back. I mean, he faced Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner and Goldberg.

There were little things, too, though. The Rock putting over The Hurricane on his way out just for Triple H to squash him when Rock was gone. As mentioned, Booker T and RVD not being put over and kind of stalling despite being really over. The stories of him literally not even looking at scripts and just asking “am I f***ing going over?”

He put over Batista big. Cena didn’t need HHH to put him over after JBL, Angle, Christian and Jericho all did it that year alone. When you think of 2006 John Cena, the first thing that comes to mind is that rivalry with Edge; not the match with Triple H at Wrestlemania. Cena would have been fine working Edge at that show but Triple H had to get the match (and Edge was rightfully pissed for that).
 

BigBadBruins7708

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Dec 11, 2017
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Yeah but a lot of people still can’t get over the reign of terror and not putting over Booker T or Rob Van Dam. That’s a huge smear on his reputation.

Aside from those two talents, 2003 Raw was really **** for contenders so he kind of gets a pass looking back. I mean, he faced Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner and Goldberg.

There were little things, too, though. The Rock putting over The Hurricane on his way out just for Triple H to squash him when Rock was gone. As mentioned, Booker T and RVD not being put over and kind of stalling despite being really over. The stories of him literally not even looking at scripts and just asking “am I ****ing going over?”

He put over Batista big. Cena didn’t need HHH to put him over after JBL, Angle, Christian and Jericho all did it that year alone. When you think of 2006 John Cena, the first thing that comes to mind is that rivalry with Edge; not the match with Triple H at Wrestlemania. Cena would have been fine working Edge at that show but Triple H had to get the match (and Edge was rightfully pissed for that).

to be fair, HHH but Batista over because they were buddies. The big problem with HHH was he was still in the Kliq mentallity...put ourselves over and screw everyone else

and agree on Cena. He and Edge made each other in that 06 feud...very reminiscent of the Austin/Rock IC title feud
 

M.C.G. 31

Damn, he brave!
Oct 6, 2008
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Ottawa
to be fair, HHH but Batista over because they were buddies. The big problem with HHH was he was still in the Kliq mentallity...put ourselves over and screw everyone else

and agree on Cena. He and Edge made each other in that 06 feud...very reminiscent of the Austin/Rock IC title feud
Yeah the fact that he and Batista were tight also helped. If Vince wasn’t grooming Cena from 2003, who’s to say Batista isn’t #1 with HHH’s pull? Or HHH politics to go over Cena? Orton didn’t have it as lucky as Batista did, partly because they had him turn face by being kicked out of the group and then having HHH regain the title a month after Randy won it lol (I know he wasn’t ready, but that entire storyline never did anything for me).

I bet if you asked HHH candidly today he’d probably say he wishes he did things differently back then. At least I’d hope. The HHH of today and THAT HHH are two completely different people it seems when it comes to ego. He actually does what’s best for business.
 

BigBadBruins7708

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Dec 11, 2017
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Yeah the fact that he and Batista were tight also helped. If Vince wasn’t grooming Cena from 2003, who’s to say Batista isn’t #1 with HHH’s pull? Or HHH politics to go over Cena? Orton didn’t have it as lucky as Batista did, partly because they had him turn face by being kicked out of the group and then having HHH regain the title a month after Randy won it lol (I know he wasn’t ready, but that entire storyline never did anything for me).

I bet if you asked HHH candidly today he’d probably say he wishes he did things differently back then. At least I’d hope. The HHH of today and THAT HHH are two completely different people it seems when it comes to ego. He actually does what’s best for business.

agree.

I was easily one of those that thought like Punk in his pipe bomb...

I’d like to think that maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon is dead. But the fact is, it’s going to be taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family.

but HHH has completely proven me wrong and won be over with what he's done with NXT. He is a masterful booker and runs one of the best promotions in storylines and in ring work going.
 

M.C.G. 31

Damn, he brave!
Oct 6, 2008
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Ottawa
I wonder if Punk would ever admit that maybe he was wrong about HHH in his role. Probably not, because those two have hated each other from day one (even HBK had to talk HHH down one time, iirc) but I don’t think anyone expected HHH to have such a successful run with NXT and the booking and talent development there.

EDIT: never mind, HBK was burying Punk as well. I must be thinking of something else.
 

BigBadBruins7708

Registered User
Dec 11, 2017
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I wonder if Punk would ever admit that maybe he was wrong about HHH in his role. Probably not, because those two have hated each other from day one (even HBK had to talk HHH down one time, iirc) but I don’t think anyone expected HHH to have such a successful run with NXT and the booking and talent development there.

EDIT: never mind, HBK was burying Punk as well. I must be thinking of something else.

most impressive part about his work with NXT is he has proven it wasnt a fluke. being the minors essentially, he's had to create 4 or 5 waves of main eventers there and does every time.

He also maintains an actual tag team division.
 

Belieber

The Nuge is huge
Jun 23, 2016
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Yeah but a lot of people still can’t get over the reign of terror and not putting over Booker T or Rob Van Dam. That’s a huge smear on his reputation.

Aside from those two talents, 2003 Raw was really **** for contenders so he kind of gets a pass looking back. I mean, he faced Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner and Goldberg.

There were little things, too, though. The Rock putting over The Hurricane on his way out just for Triple H to squash him when Rock was gone. As mentioned, Booker T and RVD not being put over and kind of stalling despite being really over. The stories of him literally not even looking at scripts and just asking “am I ****ing going over?”

He put over Batista big. Cena didn’t need HHH to put him over after JBL, Angle, Christian and Jericho all did it that year alone. When you think of 2006 John Cena, the first thing that comes to mind is that rivalry with Edge; not the match with Triple H at Wrestlemania. Cena would have been fine working Edge at that show but Triple H had to get the match (and Edge was rightfully pissed for that).

He really did stop RVD dead in his tracks and it was too bad. He gave Goldberg the win and that was the only WCW guy I thought deserved it, and I like Booker T, but he’s Mr wcw television and tag champ to me and he shouldn’t be beating one of WWE’s top stars from that era. Glad he got the title a few years later though. I would’ve given 2002 Kane the belt.

I didn’t like/understand HHH beating Orton for the title one month after he won it in 2004. But HHH spent most of 04 putting over Benoit and then went right into putting over Batista. So during that time he took a bunch of big L’s.
 

PeterSidorkiewicz

HFWF Tourney Undisputed Champion
Apr 30, 2004
32,442
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He really did stop RVD dead in his tracks and it was too bad. He gave Goldberg the win and that was the only WCW guy I thought deserved it, and I like Booker T, but he’s Mr wcw television and tag champ to me and he shouldn’t be beating one of WWE’s top stars from that era. Glad he got the title a few years later though. I would’ve given 2002 Kane the belt.

I didn’t like/understand HHH beating Orton for the title one month after he won it in 2004. But HHH spent most of 04 putting over Benoit and then went right into putting over Batista. So during that time he took a bunch of big L’s.

The problem is, there is absolutely NO way you should have done that angle then if Booker wasn't going over. Do something else.
 

Engebretson

Thank you, sweet rabbit
Nov 4, 2010
10,550
437
Minnesota
SummerSlam 2003 was another example of HHH's ridiculous ego.

He's actually injured going into the Elimination Chamber, so of course his pod opens 2nd to last, he gets superkicked by HBK immediately, then takes a nap until it's just him and Goldberg. Then, he gets the sledgehammer and wins it all while doing almost nothing the entire match. He could have just dropped the title to Goldberg here, but he decided to wait until the next month and I'm pretty sure the general consensus is that HHH didn't want to drop the title at a bigger event like SummerSlam.
 

JackSlater

Registered User
Apr 27, 2010
18,041
12,661
The HHH and Booker T feud and conclusion isn't particularly offensive to me, just handled in an incredibly stupid way. It's too simple to call it even basic wrestling as it is just basic storytelling. You have a pompous prick trying to tear down and malign another guy unfairly. It even helps that the other guy is on a lower level of power in this context (and this is without even considering the racial aspect). And then the end comes and the big match happens... and the pompous prick wins cleanly. And in a long, drawn out manner that makes the challenger look as weak as possible. And the story just ends. Incredibly bad booking, particularly with Booker T being a guy who could get fans behind him, on many levels.

One of my favourite instances of HHH's crap came after the peak of his reign of terror. In either 2005 or 2006 he ripped Angle because he could't get Cena cheered as a face (which no one could because he was a goofy idiot and fans used to better hadn't been completely driven off yet.) HHH then stepped up to the plate and failed miserably in the same way that Angle did. HHH being HHH though, he decided to switch gears and just bury Cena by being a smarky face and making Cena look even more like a goofy idiot. Funny how Edge succeeded shortly after, by getting Cena better reactions instead of looking for cheap pops for himself.
 

ottomaddox

Registered User
Oct 31, 2017
10,592
4,600
Toronto
I remember Jim Cornette making a lot of racist jokes in the late 80s.

One I remember was about Ben Johnson being stopped at the border and making a statement to customs officials: " I didn't take no stereos"
 

sabremike

Friend To All Giraffes
Aug 30, 2010
22,532
33,770
Brewster, NY
Whenever they preach anti-bullying people need to show them the Eugene tapes.
That's bad but the crap they pulled on Marou Rinallo (who they knew suffered from a serious mental illness) was far worse. I'd pay to see his best friend Bas Rutten get his hands on JBL, see how tough he really is facing a guy who could break him in half.
 

sabremike

Friend To All Giraffes
Aug 30, 2010
22,532
33,770
Brewster, NY
Welp here's one I saw on Twitter: a Maryland indie promotion tonight did a 10 bell salute for Rockin Rebel. As you may have heard today he killed his girlfriend before offing himself (the police have confirmed it was a murder/suicide). Can't get more lower or scummier than that.
 

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