Too real
Fans love when WWE feuds get personal. It's all about the the real, believable emotions behind the pre-planned punches, kicks, and clotheslines. They just seem to hit a little bit harder if there's something on the line.
But sometimes, the feuds gets a little too personal, and the involved characters go to a dark place beyond the title belts. They stop attacking each other with fists, and they move on to chairs. And if that doesn't solve things, they move on to sledgehammers and gasoline. Or vehicles, driven at top speed.
Here are the most notable times that WWE wrestlers have "attempted murder" on each other and crossed that fine line between competitiveness and homicidal tendency. Many of these moments have been buried and forgotten, with visual footage of them difficult to find. But try as we might, we can't get them out of our head.
Roman Reigns Uses An Ambulance As A Weapon
The ongoing Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman feud is something special. Strowman set the bar high on the evening after WrestleMania 33, when he pulverized Reigns backstage and then
WWE needed the jaws of life to extract Strowman from the wreckage, and when he emerged, he had blood running down his face.
Kane Lights Jim Ross On Fire
When WWE decided to unmask Kane in 2003, the decision was controversial. And the writers knew they had to establish, very quickly, that new Kane was just as unbalanced and dangerous as old Kane. That resulted in this segment, where Kane poured gasoline on Jim Ross, and then
The Miz, Sheamus, Cesaro, And Kane Crush Braun Strowman In A Garbage Truck
This is the most recent entry on this list. Strowman turned on his teammates during their match against The Shield at TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (2017). And The Miz, Sheamus, Cesaro, and Kane decided, collectively, that they were better off eliminating Braun instead of trying to work with him. They stuffed him in a garbage truck, and then they yelled at some poor WWE schlub to pull the lever.
Because this is WWE, Strowman
The Undertaker Drowns Paul Bearer In Cement
After his match against the Dudley Boyz at the The Great American Bash (2004), The Undertaker had a change of heart. Rather than saving manager Paul Bearer, Undertaker
This was also one of the few times in the company's history that
Rikishi Commits Hit-And-Run On Steve Austin
After a botched piledriver that nearly paralyzed him from the neck down, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin needed neck surgery. And since he would be out of action for a considerable amount of time, WWE decided to have a mystery wrestler
The culprit turned out to be Rikishi, who was acting on orders from Triple H. It didn't go over with fans, who liked Rikishi's babyface dance routine. And after a mercifully brief run, Rikishi went back to being a good guy, and no one ever mentioned his homicidal past again. As for the Texas Rattlesnake, he would get his revenge a year later at the 2000 Survivor Series...
Steve Austin Traps Triple H With A Forklift
One year after plotting the hit-and-run on Austin, Triple H faced off against him in the main event at Survivor Series. But this time, the Texas Rattlesnake was ready for anything. When Triple H got in his car (the match was a No DQ and spilled into the backstage area), Austin
The following night on Raw, Stephanie McMahon came out to the ring to confirm that Triple H had survived the fall. Austin came out to confirm his intentions, and he bragged that he should have sent Triple H to the morgue instead of the hospital.
Triple H Swings His Sledgehammer
How is this even a thing? There's is no way to wave it away; whenever Triple H
The first time Triple H used the sledgehammer was on Raw in 1999--he locked The Rock in a casket, and then he used his signature weapon to bash massive dents into the box. After that, It just sort of hung around under the ring, where Triple H had easy access to it.
It used to be that when Triple H clocked someone, the opponent would "blade" and bleed all over the mat. But these days, Triple H is more likely to use the weapon for a gutshot rather than a headshot, which is hilarious WWE logic. Is this somehow meant to be less extreme? It's a sledgehammer; a gut shot could certainly kill someone too. In a business founded on suspension of disbelief, this is one of the larger leaps of faith.
Hulk Hogan Drives A Mack Truck Into The Rock
Hulkamania is strong. So strong, in fact, that when Hogan returned to WWE to fight The Rock at WrestleMania X-8, the fans booed Rocky and cheered for Hogan, despite the Hulkster's attempt on the Rock's life several weeks prior.
With the help of Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, Hogan padlocked The Rock in an ambulance and then
There were of course, zero repercussions for this. Hogan, Nash, and Hall
Kane Lights The Undertaker's Casket On Fire
The Undertaker has been "killed" so many times by so many wrestlers over the years. Usually, it's a clever way for Mark Calaway, the man behind The Undertaker, to take time off. And then, when he "rises from the dead" weeks or months later, he's more powerful than ever.
One of the most memorable "deaths" was at the Royal Rumble (1998), when Kane trapped his brother in a casket, poured gasoline on it,
The Undertaker Hangs The Big Boss Man
Oy. By any metric or standard, this segment was in incredibly poor taste. In 1999, The Undertaker was in full Satan worship mode as the head of the Ministry of Darkness, and he fought the Big Boss Man in a massive steel cell at WrestleMania XV.
At the conclusion of the match (Undertaker scored a non-competitive victory), the Brood--Edge, Christian, and Gangrel--descended from the ceiling and dropped a noose to Undertaker. He cinched it around Boss Man's neck, and signaled for Paul Bearer to raise the cell.
Most of the time when there is a "murder" moment in WWE, the camera pans away or doesn't show the moment of contact so that WWE can use a stunt double, dummy, or editing trickery to make it look real. But this took place in the center of the ring. Big Boss Man even kicked his legs and did the "dance of death" before finally going limp.
The
The Big Boss Man Kills Pepper The Dog
One more thing, just in case you start feeling bad for The Big Boss Man. During the Attitude Era, Boss Man was one of the most despicable heels on Raw, a show that also had mock crucifixions, and that's saying something. There was the time that he crashed Big Show's father's funeral and
Yes, you read that correctly. There was actually a storyline where Big Boss Man kidnapped Al Snow's beloved chihuahua companion, Pepper, and
Fans love when WWE feuds get personal. It's all about the the real, believable emotions behind the pre-planned punches, kicks, and clotheslines. They just seem to hit a little bit harder if there's something on the line.
But sometimes, the feuds gets a little too personal, and the involved characters go to a dark place beyond the title belts. They stop attacking each other with fists, and they move on to chairs. And if that doesn't solve things, they move on to sledgehammers and gasoline. Or vehicles, driven at top speed.
Here are the most notable times that WWE wrestlers have "attempted murder" on each other and crossed that fine line between competitiveness and homicidal tendency. Many of these moments have been buried and forgotten, with visual footage of them difficult to find. But try as we might, we can't get them out of our head.
Roman Reigns Uses An Ambulance As A Weapon
The ongoing Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman feud is something special. Strowman set the bar high on the evening after WrestleMania 33, when he pulverized Reigns backstage and then
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that was taking "The Big Dog" to the ER. But Reigns got his revenge at the Great Balls of Fire PPV. After stuffing Strowman in the back of an ambulance, Reigns got in the driver's seat and floored the gas, launching the vehicle
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.WWE needed the jaws of life to extract Strowman from the wreckage, and when he emerged, he had blood running down his face.
Kane Lights Jim Ross On Fire
When WWE decided to unmask Kane in 2003, the decision was controversial. And the writers knew they had to establish, very quickly, that new Kane was just as unbalanced and dangerous as old Kane. That resulted in this segment, where Kane poured gasoline on Jim Ross, and then
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. There was no wink or tip of the hat; WWE played this completely seriously. The entire time Steve Austin begged Kane to stop to no avail.The Miz, Sheamus, Cesaro, And Kane Crush Braun Strowman In A Garbage Truck
This is the most recent entry on this list. Strowman turned on his teammates during their match against The Shield at TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (2017). And The Miz, Sheamus, Cesaro, and Kane decided, collectively, that they were better off eliminating Braun instead of trying to work with him. They stuffed him in a garbage truck, and then they yelled at some poor WWE schlub to pull the lever.
Because this is WWE, Strowman
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eight days later on Raw. It was as stupid, ridiculous, and awesome as professional wrestling gets, which why the fans love it so much.The Undertaker Drowns Paul Bearer In Cement
After his match against the Dudley Boyz at the The Great American Bash (2004), The Undertaker had a change of heart. Rather than saving manager Paul Bearer, Undertaker
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in cement. WWE got a several complaints for showing such a graphic act on television, and the company was forced to clarify in a statement that Bearer was still alive.This was also one of the few times in the company's history that
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leaked to the public. Bearer was never in any real danger; much of the segment was filmed beforehand and then spliced together with footage from the live show.Rikishi Commits Hit-And-Run On Steve Austin
After a botched piledriver that nearly paralyzed him from the neck down, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin needed neck surgery. And since he would be out of action for a considerable amount of time, WWE decided to have a mystery wrestler
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at the 1999 Survivor Series.The culprit turned out to be Rikishi, who was acting on orders from Triple H. It didn't go over with fans, who liked Rikishi's babyface dance routine. And after a mercifully brief run, Rikishi went back to being a good guy, and no one ever mentioned his homicidal past again. As for the Texas Rattlesnake, he would get his revenge a year later at the 2000 Survivor Series...
Steve Austin Traps Triple H With A Forklift
One year after plotting the hit-and-run on Austin, Triple H faced off against him in the main event at Survivor Series. But this time, the Texas Rattlesnake was ready for anything. When Triple H got in his car (the match was a No DQ and spilled into the backstage area), Austin
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, and then dropped it upside down onto hard concrete.The following night on Raw, Stephanie McMahon came out to the ring to confirm that Triple H had survived the fall. Austin came out to confirm his intentions, and he bragged that he should have sent Triple H to the morgue instead of the hospital.
Triple H Swings His Sledgehammer
How is this even a thing? There's is no way to wave it away; whenever Triple H
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he's seeking to cave his opponent's skull in.The first time Triple H used the sledgehammer was on Raw in 1999--he locked The Rock in a casket, and then he used his signature weapon to bash massive dents into the box. After that, It just sort of hung around under the ring, where Triple H had easy access to it.
It used to be that when Triple H clocked someone, the opponent would "blade" and bleed all over the mat. But these days, Triple H is more likely to use the weapon for a gutshot rather than a headshot, which is hilarious WWE logic. Is this somehow meant to be less extreme? It's a sledgehammer; a gut shot could certainly kill someone too. In a business founded on suspension of disbelief, this is one of the larger leaps of faith.
Hulk Hogan Drives A Mack Truck Into The Rock
Hulkamania is strong. So strong, in fact, that when Hogan returned to WWE to fight The Rock at WrestleMania X-8, the fans booed Rocky and cheered for Hogan, despite the Hulkster's attempt on the Rock's life several weeks prior.
With the help of Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, Hogan padlocked The Rock in an ambulance and then
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. Jim Ross screamed, "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" as Hogan backed up and drove the truck into the ambulance again and again. When Hogan finally got out of the truck to look at what he had done, he had a funny look of panic and regret on his face.There were of course, zero repercussions for this. Hogan, Nash, and Hall
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to "apologize," and from then on, it was business as usual.Kane Lights The Undertaker's Casket On Fire
The Undertaker has been "killed" so many times by so many wrestlers over the years. Usually, it's a clever way for Mark Calaway, the man behind The Undertaker, to take time off. And then, when he "rises from the dead" weeks or months later, he's more powerful than ever.
One of the most memorable "deaths" was at the Royal Rumble (1998), when Kane trapped his brother in a casket, poured gasoline on it,
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. But two months later, the Dead Man resurrected himself and defeated Kane at WrestleMania XIV.The Undertaker Hangs The Big Boss Man
Oy. By any metric or standard, this segment was in incredibly poor taste. In 1999, The Undertaker was in full Satan worship mode as the head of the Ministry of Darkness, and he fought the Big Boss Man in a massive steel cell at WrestleMania XV.
At the conclusion of the match (Undertaker scored a non-competitive victory), the Brood--Edge, Christian, and Gangrel--descended from the ceiling and dropped a noose to Undertaker. He cinched it around Boss Man's neck, and signaled for Paul Bearer to raise the cell.
Most of the time when there is a "murder" moment in WWE, the camera pans away or doesn't show the moment of contact so that WWE can use a stunt double, dummy, or editing trickery to make it look real. But this took place in the center of the ring. Big Boss Man even kicked his legs and did the "dance of death" before finally going limp.
The
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is commentator Michael Cole, who probably realized how bad this all looked and tried to save the segment by yelling loudly about "symbolism." Sorry Cole; there was nothing symbolic about this. It was exactly what it looked like; a scripted, live execution on national television.The Big Boss Man Kills Pepper The Dog
One more thing, just in case you start feeling bad for The Big Boss Man. During the Attitude Era, Boss Man was one of the most despicable heels on Raw, a show that also had mock crucifixions, and that's saying something. There was the time that he crashed Big Show's father's funeral and
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with his car. But there was also the time that he killed a dog.Yes, you read that correctly. There was actually a storyline where Big Boss Man kidnapped Al Snow's beloved chihuahua companion, Pepper, and
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in a hotel room. Jerry Lawler's shocked, horrified face at the end of the segment says it all.
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