10 Controversial Moments That Landed WWE In Huge Trouble

Summary

The video script details 10 controversial moments in WWE history that led to significant backlash and trouble for the company. These incidents include tasteless jokes made by Mad Striker following Steve Irwin's death, the firing of Paul Heyman, Lars Sullivan's racist and homophobic remarks, Abraham Washington's scandal involving a reference to Kobe Bryant, Al Snow's action figure controversy, Jinder Mahal's racist promo, the WrestleMania 34 Battle Royal honoring The Fabulous Moolah, the Muhammad Hassan scandal, the WrestleMania 39 promo package using an image of Auschwitz, and Vince McMahon's use of the n-word. Each event sparked outrage among fans and sometimes led to corporate sponsors demanding action, forcing WWE to issue apologies and make changes.

Takeaways

• 😡 Striker's Insensitive Comment: A joke made by Striker on ECW TV in 2006 about not swimming with stingrays, shortly after Steve Irwin's death, caused a severe backlash and led to a WWE apology.
• 🤔 Paul Heyman's Unexplained Firing: In 2020, Vince McMahon's decision to fire Paul Heyman as head writer of RAW was questioned by fans and reportedly displeased the USA Network.
• 😠 Lars Sullivan's Controversial Remarks: WWE was criticized for not acting on Lars Sullivan's past racist and homophobic comments, leading fans to contact sponsors like Mars Wrigley for action.
• 😡 Abraham Washington Scandal: Washington's firing after a live mic incident referencing Kobe Bryant's 2003 case led to controversy and divided opinions among fans.
• 😨 Al Snow's Action Figure Controversy: An action figure featuring Al Snow with a decapitated head led to complaints, Walmart pulling the figure, and a debate on its appropriateness.
• 😠 Jinder Mahal's Racist Promo: A promo by Mahal mocking Nakamura's accent and comparing him to a stereotyped Japanese character led to immediate backlash and a WWE statement.
• 😡 The Fabulous Moolah Battle Royal Backlash: Plans to honor The Fabulous Moolah with a battle royal and trophy were met with controversy due to allegations against her, leading to sponsor pressure and a name change.
• 😡 Muhammad Hassan Segment: A segment involving religious and terrorist themes aired close to the time of the 7/7 London bombings, causing public outrage and leading to the character's removal.
• 😨 WrestleMania 39 Auschwitz Imagery: An inexcusable error by WWE's production team using an image of Auschwitz in a promo package for a match, which was met with widespread condemnation.
• 😡 Vince McMahon's Use of the N-Word: McMahon's past use of the n-word in a 2005 backstage segment resurfaced and was defended by WWE as a satirical skit, raising questions about the company's history with racism.

Q & A

What controversial statement did Mad Striker make on an episode of ECW TV in 2006?

Mad Striker made a tasteless joke about not swimming with stingrays, which was offensive as it was said shortly after the death of Steve Irwin, who died from a stingray injury.

How did WWE respond to the backlash from Mad Striker's comments?

WWE issued a statement and subsequent apology, acknowledging the remark was disrespectful to Steve Irwin's fans and family.

Why did Vince McMahon's decision to fire Paul Heyman in 2020 raise eyebrows?

The decision was controversial because Heyman was head writer during a well-received period for the show RAW, and his firing led to questions and dissatisfaction among fans and the USA Network, which aired the show.

What was the issue with Lars Sullivan's past comments that led to a fan-led campaign against WWE?

Lars Sullivan's past comments, which included racist and homophobic remarks, surfaced and led to fans emailing WWE sponsors to raise awareness, resulting in a strong negative response from the sponsors.

What was the controversy surrounding Abraham Washington's comments during his WWE run?

Abraham Washington made a reference to the alleged incident between Kobe Bryant and a hotel employee, which was controversial and led to WWE issuing a statement about his comments.

Why did the release of Al Snow's action figure cause a scandal during the Attitude Era?

The action figure, which included a decapitated head, was deemed inappropriate for children, leading to complaints and eventually Walmart ceasing to sell the figure.

What was the controversy surrounding Jinder Mahal's promo on Smackdown in 2017?

Jinder Mahal cut a racist promo, mocking Nakamura's accent and suggesting that all Japanese people look alike, which led to immediate backlash and a statement from WWE.

Why did the introduction of the Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34 cause controversy?

The decision to honor The Fabulous Moolah, who had a questionable past involving allegations of taking wrestlers' pay and sexual exploitation, led to mass controversy and a petition demanding a name change.

What was the scandal involving the Muhammad Hassan character on WWE in December 2005?

The segment involving Muhammad Hassan and a group of masked men was controversial due to its similarity to the 7/7 terrorist attack in London, England, which occurred on the same day the episode aired.

What mistake did WWE make in a promo package for WrestleMania 39 that led to public outrage?

WWE's production team used an image of Auschwitz in a promo package for a match, which was seen as exploitative and insulting to the memory of the Holocaust victims.

Why did the use of the n-word by Vince McMahon in a 2005 backstage segment become a significant issue?

The issue resurfaced when WWE cut ties with Hulk Hogan for making racist comments, leading to questions about McMahon's past use of the n-word and the need for a public apology and explanation.

What was the common theme among the controversies listed in the script?

The common theme was the offensive nature of the comments or actions, which led to public backlash, required apologies from WWE, and in some cases, changes in programming or character development.

Outlines

00:00

🤼 Controversial Moments in WWE History

This paragraph discusses WWE's history of controversy, where certain matches and segments have offended fans and led to significant trouble for the company. It mentions WWE being reprimanded by sponsors or networks and lists 10 specific instances that caused backlash. The first instance involves a tasteless joke by commentator Striker about stingrays shortly after the death of Steve Irwin, which received mainstream attention and prompted an apology from WWE. It also touches on the firing of Paul Heyman as head writer of 'Raw', which was questioned by fans and the USA Network. The paragraph concludes with the controversy surrounding wrestler Lars Sullivan's racist and homophobic remarks, which led to fans contacting WWE sponsors and eliciting a response from Mars Wrigley.

05:00

📺 WWE's Controversial Segments and Promos

The second paragraph delves into more controversial WWE moments. It starts with the Abraham Washington scandal, where a racially insensitive comment led to his firing and a divided fan response. Al Snow's action figure controversy is also highlighted, where an innocent toy was misconstrued as inappropriate, leading to Walmart's decision to stop selling it. Jinder Mahal's racist promo against Shinsuke Nakamura is mentioned, which caused an immediate backlash and a lackluster response from WWE. The paragraph continues with the WrestleMania 34 battle royal controversy, where WWE initially honored a wrestler with a questionable past, leading to a petition and sponsor pressure to change the event's name. The Muhammad Hassan scandal is also covered, where a segment involving Arab characters and terrorism was aired shortly after a real-life terrorist attack, causing public outrage and leading to the character's removal. The paragraph concludes with the WrestleMania 39 promo package that inappropriately used an image of Auschwitz, which was swiftly removed and apologized for by WWE.

10:02

🏆 Top WWE Controversies and Public Reactions

The final paragraph wraps up the video script by listing the top two controversies in WWE history. It mentions the infamous WrestleMania 39 promo package that used an image of Auschwitz, which was widely criticized and led to an official apology from WWE. The number one controversy is the revelation that Vince McMahon used the n-word in a backstage segment in 2005, which resurfaced when WWE cut ties with Hulk Hogan for similar comments. The public questioned why WWE had previously condoned such language, leading to a statement from WWE that framed the incident as a satirical skit. The paragraph ends by inviting viewers to leave comments and promising more wrestling content in future videos.

Keywords

💡Controversy

Controversy refers to a situation that has aroused public debate or disagreement. In the context of the video, it is central to the theme as it discusses instances where WWE has faced backlash and criticism for their programming decisions. For example, the script mentions 'WWE throughout their history have been prone to controversy', highlighting the company's history of sparking debates and causing offense.

💡WrestleMania

WrestleMania is WWE's flagship professional wrestling pay-per-view event. It is significant in the video as it serves as a backdrop for discussing controversies, such as the 'Wrestlemania 34 Battle Royal' and the 'Wrestlemania 39 promo package'. These instances are used to illustrate the video's theme of WWE's controversial moments.

💡Backlash

Backlash denotes a strong negative reaction from the public or a particular group. The term is used in the script to describe the public's response to WWE's controversial actions, such as the 'backlash to Striker's comments' after a tasteless joke was made about the death of Steve Irwin, showing the immediate and forceful disapproval from fans and sponsors.

💡PG Product

PG stands for Parental Guidance, indicating content suitable for all audiences but with parental guidance suggested for younger viewers. The video mentions that 'WWE being a PG product' tries to avoid controversy, yet instances like Jinder Mahal's 'Infamous promo' occurred, where racist content was broadcast, contradicting the PG rating and leading to widespread criticism.

💡Sponsors

Sponsors are individuals or companies that provide financial support for events or organizations. In the video, the role of sponsors is highlighted when discussing the repercussions of WWE's controversial actions, such as when 'WWE sponsors' were offended by certain comments or segments, leading to potential financial or reputational consequences for WWE.

💡

💡Racism

Racism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one race over another, which often results in discrimination and prejudice. The video discusses instances of racism in WWE, such as Lars Sullivan's 'Sinister racist and homophobic remarks' and Jinder Mahal's promo, where he mocked Nakamura's accent and made generalizations about Japanese people, both of which led to significant controversy and criticism.

💡Homophobic Remarks

Homophobic remarks are derogatory comments targeting individuals based on their sexual orientation, specifically homosexuality. The script refers to Lars Sullivan's past comments, which were identified as 'racist and homophobic', indicating a form of prejudice that WWE was criticized for not addressing promptly or effectively.

💡Censorship

Censorship is the practice of officially examining and suppressing or deleting information, images, or commentary that are considered politically unacceptable. The video mentions censorship in the context of fans having their 'pro-Washington signs confiscated', illustrating the control exerted over fan expression in response to controversial incidents.

💡Action Figure

An action figure is a poseable character figurine, made of plastic and associated with a brand or character. The video recounts the controversy surrounding an Al Snow action figure that included a 'decapitated head', which was deemed inappropriate for children, leading to Walmart stopping its sale and becoming a significant scandal of the Attitude Era.

💡Promo

A promo, short for promotion, in the context of wrestling, refers to a segment where wrestlers speak to the audience, often to hype up an upcoming match or event. The video cites Jinder Mahal's 'Infamous promo' as an example of a promo that caused controversy due to its racist content, showing how promos can sometimes lead to public outcry.

💡Petition

A petition is a formal request, typically signed by many people, addressed to an authority or organization with the intent to express views and demand action. The video mentions a petition demanding that WWE change the name of the 'upcoming Battle Royal' from the Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal due to allegations against Moolah, demonstrating how fans can mobilize against controversial decisions.

💡Racial Slur

A racial slur is a derogatory term used to disparage a person or group based on their race or ethnicity. The video discusses the fallout from Vince McMahon's use of the 'n-word' in a backstage segment, which resurfaced and caused public outrage, questioning WWE's past tolerance of such language and prompting an official apology.

Highlights

WWE has a history of controversy leading to backlash from fans and sponsors.

Striker made a tasteless joke about Steve Irwin's death, causing severe backlash.

WWE issued an apology for the disrespectful remark regarding Steve Irwin.

Vince McMahon approved of the controversial comment made by Striker.

Paul Heyman was fired as head writer of Raw, causing questions and dissatisfaction.

USA Network was reportedly unhappy with the decision to fire Paul Heyman.

Lars Sullivan's racist and homophobic remarks led to fan outrage and sponsor responses.

Mars Wrigley expressed disgust over Lars Sullivan's comments and sought action from WWE.

Abraham Washington's controversial comments led to his firing from WWE.

Fans chanted Washington's name and had pro-Washington signs confiscated.

Al Snow's action figure controversy involved a decapitated head, leading to its ban in Walmart.

Jinder Mahal mocked Nakamura's accent and compared him to a racist stereotype.

WWE's statement on Mahal's promo lacked remorse and did not acknowledge the issue.

WrestleMania 34 Battle Royal was named after a controversial figure, The Fabulous Moolah.

Fans and sponsors petitioned against celebrating Moolah, leading to a name change.

Muhammad Hassan Scandal involved a segment resembling a terrorist attack, causing outrage.

WWE had to drop the Hassan character after sponsor and network pressure.

WrestleMania 39 promo package mistakenly used an image of Auschwitz, causing international criticism.

WWE apologized for the Auschwitz image, claiming it was an editing mistake.

Vince McMahon's past use of the n-word resurfaced, leading to questions about WWE's values.

WWE defended McMahon's use of the n-word as part of a satirical skit.

Transcripts

and WWE throughout their history have

been prone to controversy certain

matches and segments have led to the

company offending a portion of their fan

base and this in turn has resulted in

the company getting into big trouble

either WWE is reprimanded by their

sponsors or the network for either raw

or Smackdown are forced to question WWE

on their Antics join us now's

WrestleMania looks at 10 moments that

got WWE into big trouble be sure to

subscribe and hit that notification Bell

for daily wrestling videos and follow us

on Facebook for exclusive lists number

10 match Striker's tasteless joke on an

episode of ECW TV in 2006 mad Striker

made a comment stating that the fans

wouldn't catch him swimming with

stingrays this was controversial as

Stryker said this shortly after the

passing of beloved figure Steve Irwin

Irvin was a hero to many who tragically

died while swimming with stingrays the

backlash to Striker's comments was

severe as Striker's comments received

mainstream attention WWE responded by

issuing a statement and subsequent

apology which read we at WWE apologize

for the remark alluding to the death of

Steve Irwin which was made on ECW on

sci-fi Tuesday night the remark was in

the least disrespectful to Mr Irwin's

fans and family it was reported by

several sources including PW Insider

that McMahon approved of the tasteless

comment so what on Earth would ww be

thinking 9. WWE fire Paul Heyman again

even though Paul heyman's methods are

questionable at times there's no denying

that Heyman is one of the most

intelligent in gifted Minds in pro

wrestling history a number of years ago

Heyman was having a run as head writer

of raw the raw product at this time was

receiving great reviews as Haman despite

being micromanaged by Vince McMahon was

managing to create a compelling product

that appealed to everyone then randomly

out of the blue in 2020 Vince McMahon

decided to fire Heyman this decision

naturally led to fans questioning my

McMahon had yet again decided to let

Heyman go and fans weren't the only ones

wondering this as it was reported by

Dave melts in the wrestling Observer

newsletter that the USA Network which

was the home of raw were unhappy with

the change they mentioned I know USA

Network was unhappy with the change very

unhappy by the way I don't think that

they were happy with the ratings but

they understood the ratings they were

told a long time ago that this was a

rebuilding period and it was going to

take time and they understood that the

ratings were a lot higher and then the

pandemic came and that's what really

knocked it down the last three months

number eight the last Sullivan

controversy venturing last Sullivan's

main roster run past comments had

surfaced in which Sullivan shared some

rather Sinister racist and homophobic

remarks WWE were called upon the actor

but they failed to do anything and this

later WWE fans taking it upon themselves

to email WWE sponsors to make them aware

of Sullivan's comments one fan would

email the Mars Wrigley confectionery

company and the response highlighted how

disgusted they were regarding the matter

we learned of Lars Sullivan's comments

recently and share in your shock and

disgust as a values-based company we

find this Behavior abhorrent and

unacceptable we've engaged the WWE to

discuss this situation and seek to

understand what actions they will take

to swiftly address this matter number

seven the Abraham Washington Scandal

Abraham Washington was mostly known for

his run as a manager in WWE for

Washington's WWE run was overshadowed by

his rather controversial firing a few

weeks before SummerSlam 2012 whilst

Washington was managing Titus O'Neill

Washington who had a live mic at

ringside would declare tadis O'Neill is

like Kobe Bryant at a hotel in Colorado

he's Unstoppable now this was a direct

reference to the alleged incident

between Bryant and a hotel employee back

in 2003 WWE were forced to issue a

statement on Washington's comments and

it would be released a number of days

later whilst WWE in Washington did

indeed receive criticism for his

comments there was a strong portion of

the fan base who believed WWE

overreacted interestingly there was a

trend of chanting Washington's name

during rotten Smackdown and there were

even reports of fans having their

pro-washington signs confiscated and

2012 SummerSlam number six Al Snow's

action figure one of the biggest

scandals of the Attitude Era

surprisingly revolved around an action

figure WWE would release an action

figure for popular star Al Snow along

with trusted sidekick head the figure

received extensive criticism as it were

people legitimately saying that snow was

carrying a decapitated head and the

figure wasn't remotely appropriate for

children the complaints grew and grew so

much that Walmart in the United States

decided to stop selling the figure

altogether Al Snow would reflect on this

rather crazy story during an interview

with NBC Sports Boston two women who

were all things assistant professors of

communications at College in Georgia

went into a Walmart and without any

study without any homework without any

research jumped to a very wild and

completely innocuous conclusion that but

the action figure that I had which

included a Barbie doll head that was

popped off had helped me a ride across

it was a decapitated woman's head and

then wrote to a letter to the Atlantic

Constitution and of course because

wrestling was so hot at the time the

Atlantic Constitution printed it without

doing any actual research themselves and

then of course Walmart saw it panicked

and then it led to where the toy was

banned Across the Nation in every retail

outlet which just LED them to selling

out that much quicker wall mount would

not sell the figure as they feel it's an

endangerment to the community now

granted you can still go to Walmart

buying a hunting gun with ammo and a

hunting knife to cut up your victim but

you can't buy a pregnant Barbie or my

action figure number five Jinder Mahal's

Infamous promo a due to WWE being a PG

product they try to avoid causing any

controversy however in 2017 they found

themselves in hot water after WWE

Championship Mahal cut of racist promo

live on Smackdown the primary in

question took place during Mahal's

Infamous fever Nakamura and during the

promo he would mock nakamura's accent

and would claim that all Japanese people

look alike and even compare Nakamura to

Mr Miyagi from The Karate Kid movie

franchise naturally the backlash to the

segment was immediate with everyone

collectively calling out WWE the

backlash was so bad that WWE were forced

to issue a statement but this statement

lacked any type of remorse and WWE

evidently saw nothing wrong with the

content of the promo number 4. the

Wrestlemania 34 Battle Royal for

Wrestlemania 34 WWE was set to introduce

the fabulous Moulin Memorial Battle

Royal in honor of The Fabulous Moolah

the winner was to receive the fabulous

Mueller Memorial trophy however this

decision caused Mass controversy as fans

and media Outlets were questioning why

WWE had decided to celebrate someone

with such a questionable past the

allegations aiming towards Muller

included that she took a large

percentage of other wrestlers pay and

even sexually exploited women under a

leadership ex-wrestlers and those

trained by Mula also weighed in with Mad

Max scene a wrestler trained by Muller

stating that Mula was the most monstrous

person she had ever encountered a few

weeks before the event a petition was

issued online demanding that WWE changed

the name of the upcoming Battle Royal

and reportedly hit almost 10 000

signatures eventually the sponsored

WrestleMania Snickers was made aware of

the backlash to the matchup and they

called it a decision to onamulla

unacceptable just a matter of days after

Snickers declared their disappointment

WWE removed muella's name from the

Battle Royal number three the Muhammad

Hassan Scandal December 2005 saw one of

the most questionable segments in

history go down in WWE on the July 7

2005 edition of SmackDown The Undertaker

would wrestle davari and after the Dead

Man's Victory Muhammad Hassan will begin

to prey on the ramp and this summoned

five mass men armed with clubs and piano

wire after choking The Undertaker out

the masked man would carry davari above

their heads and carry him away the

segment were there the same day as a 7-7

terrorist attack in in London England

and WWE were forced to take

accountability the particular edition of

SmackDown had been taped days prior but

WWE had enough time to Simply edit the

segment out the public outrage was

justified and Kevin Dunn made things

worse when Dunwood state that he was

proud of the WWE product smackdown's

Network UPN were utterly disgusted with

WWE and they insisted that the Hassan

character was dropped with immediate

effect number two the Wrestlemania 39

promo package a WWE's video packages are

usually tremendous but in April of 2023

WWE's production team made an

inexcusable blunder in a video package

for the ray vs Dominic Mysterio matchup

at WrestleMania 39 they bizarrely used

an image of Auschwitz fans were quick to

call out WWE for the promo package as it

wasn't before long that human rights

groups saw the footage and even the

Auschwitz Memorial Twitter account which

has over 1.5 million followers tweeted

the fact that Auschwitz image was used

to promote a WWE match is hard to call

an editing mistake exploiting the site

that became a symbol of enormous human

tragedy is Shameless and insults the

memory of all victims of Auschwitz in an

official statement WWE put the incident

down to an error and stated that the

imagery has been removed we had no

knowledge of what was depicted as soon

as we learned it was removed immediately

we apologize for this error and number

one Vince McMahon uses the n-word when

WWE cut ties with Hulk Hogan in 2015

WWE's questionable history with the

n-word came into Focus Hogan was

virtually erased from WWE for a period

for making racist comments but Vince

McMahon had infamously used VMware

during a tasteless backstage segment in

2005 and the world wanted to know why

WWE thought it was okay all those years

ago to use the n-word for each other

2005 segment of McMahon using the word

went viral across all major social media

platforms and he had no choice for Tavis

spokesperson issue a statement which

read surely everyone would recognize the

2005 segment was an outlandish and

satirical skit involving fictional

characters similar to that a many

scripted TV shows and movies

there you have it folks 10 moments that

got WWE into big trouble be sure to

leave your comments down below I'll see

you next time with some more wrestling

content