Throughout the years, WWE has been the subject of criticism because of all the scandals that the company has been tied to. Whether it is the lawsuits faced by former CEO Vince McMahon or the infamous moments that WWE has shamelessly aired over the years, there is always something to criticize them for.
While there are plenty of people waiting to slam WWE for their many shortcomings, this article will delve into the details of some iconic yet nail-biting scandals that raised many eyebrows and filled many hearts with absolute fear.
Here are 3 Scandals that shook the WWE universe.
Top 3 Scandalous Moments of the 90s WWE
1) Pillman’s Got a Gun
Stone Cold Steve Austin and Brian Pillman were part of a tag team known as the Hollywood Blondes during their time in WCW. So, when these two arrived in WWE, the company already had plans to do an angle with them. However, the way it unfolded was beyond everyone’s wildest imagination.
Around this time, Stone Cold was on his way to being the biggest thing in WWE and had just started a feud with Bret “The Hitman” Hart. To build up the feud between Bret and Austin, Stone Cold was sent to Brian Pillman’s home to crash an interview. However, Pillman, who was in crutches at the time, pulled out a gun to protect himself, and the camera cut out before we could see what happened, thus making it a cliffhanger ending.
This display of violence and guns on TV was a little too ahead of its time for WWE. The backlash faced over this incident was so bad that Monday Night RAW almost lost its home on the USA Network.
2) Ringboy Scandal
The Ringboy Scandal is one of the biggest scandals in the history of WWE. There are allegations that WWE announcer Mel Philips, who passed away in 2012, used to recruit teenage boys and sexually exploit them. Once the first report came out, the floodgates opened, and many Ringboys started coming forward and accusing the WWE of being aware of the sexual exploitation going on behind the scenes.
Tom Cole, who was the first Ringboy to raise his voice, stated that Mel Philips would ask him to hire teenagers from broken families and would then try and sexually exploit them. After the smoke blew over, Philips had to spend the last two decades of his life away from the public eye. On the other hand, the co-founders of WWE Vince and Linda McMahon got away scot-free and enjoyed being a part of the company up till 2023.
3) Owen Hart’s death
On May 23, 1999, WWE star Owen Hart tragically passed away. Hart was minutes away from fighting in a PPV but couldn’t even make it to the ring. Owen was suspended in the air and was making a spectacular entrance when his equipment malfunctioned. As a result, he fell to his death in front of a live audience.
While Owen’s death was an unfortunate accident, the scandalous part is that Vince McMahon decided to keep the show rolling. Vince lost one of his biggest stars and didn’t break a sweat before continuing the show because there was still money to be made. This move was widely criticized by many, both inside and outside the WWE.
Also Read: Linda McMahon and Vince McMahon Relationship Timeline: Controversies, Allegations, Affairs and More
To this day, Owen’s family blames Vince and the company for his death and has not forgiven him for keeping the show rolling. If Owen was a bigger star, Vince might’ve faced more backlash, as he should.
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