10 Most Infamous Wrestling Wardrobe Malfunctions

Those times clothes didn't do what they were supposed to...

eva marie smackdown
WWE.com

Last week on SmackDown, Eva Marie was supposed to make her long-awaited debut for the blue brand. On the previous episode, she had hurt her knee getting into the ring, cancelling her match with Becky Lynch at the last moment. Surely she had learned her lesson, and would be more careful this time.

Eva wasn't injured on her second attempt, but she suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction - the straps on her top popped off, leaving her at risk of exposure. The referee quickly covered her with a towel and she headed to the back, unable to compete. She's currently scheduled to debut on this coming episode of SmackDown, but who knows what will happen then.

Of course, Eva Marie's wardrobe malfunction wasn't legitimate - it was an angle planned to hold off her debut and (hopefully) get her more heat from the crowd. In reality, though, WWE TV has played host to many real-life wardrobe malfunctions, incidents where the women of the company were inadvertently left exposed before a watching world.

This list counts down 10 of the most infamous malfunctions, ones that got press when they occurred and have found a permanent home on the Internet. Enjoy, and for goodness' sake, keep your hands on your keyboard.

10. Shirt Happens

eva marie smackdown
WWE

AJ Lee starts off the list with a malfunction that certainly could have been a lot worse.

The star, who wrestled in cut-off jeans and a t-shirt, was teaming with Dolph Ziggler to take on The Great Khali and Natalya in a mixed tag team match on an episode of SmackDown. After taking down Natalya during the course of the match, she popped up, revealing that her shirt had ridden up and exposed her chest. She was still wearing a bra, so there was no need for the censors to get worried, but it was still more of a show than she had planned on giving.

Nevertheless, AJ played it up, licking her hand like a cat in an attempt to titillate viewers (or possibly in an attempt to annoy Nattie by mocking her favorite animal).


9. WrestleMania Triple X

eva marie smackdown
WWE

WrestleMania XXX played host to the first (and only) Vickie Guerrero Invitational match, a bout that saw every woman on the roster fight for the Divas' Championship, with the first competitor to score a win getting the decision and the belt.

To say the women were in an unenviable position was an understatement. Not only were thirteen stars given seven minutes with no real buildup, but minutes earlier, The Undertaker had suffered his first-ever loss at WrestleMania. Fans were still shell-shocked, and nobody cared about this match.

That lack of attention was a good thing for Cameron, who suffered an Eva Maria-esque wardrobe malfunction during the course of the bout. The back of her top ripped, meaning that she had to hold it on her chest as she competed (which she did successfully). If it were a singles match it would have harder to hide, but with 12 other women in the ring she could skirt by unseen.


8. The Twins

eva marie smackdown
WWE

On the 22 July 2013 episode of Raw, The Miz hosted a special episode of Miz TV with the cast of E!'s upcoming reality show, Total Divas. Not only were a host of WWE's women's division regulars there, but Eva Marie and Jojo - two divas debuting on the program - made their first Raw appearances.

The segment was a train wreck designed to set Eva Marie up as the "bad girl" of the group (she traded insults with and slapped Jerry Lawler, whose heart attack was still fresh in fans' minds), but it became notable for another reason - Brie Bella, one of the focal points of the show, fell out of her top while clapping at the end of the skit.

Needless to say, videos and pictures quickly circulated online. In response, Brie tweeted:

"I apologize 4 my wardrobe malfunction I'm embarrassed & it looks as though the humidity made my tape come off You'll never see that again! B"

7. Kaitlyn Gone Wild

eva marie smackdown
WWE

Kaitlyn and AJ Lee were once best friends, but when AJ's relationship with Daniel Bryan sent her off the deep end, the one-time "Chickbusters" went their separate ways. After AJ turned heel and joined with Dolph Ziggler, the two became full-fledged enemies, with AJ, Big E, and Dolph doing their best to make Kaitlyn miserable.

Kaitlyn had had enough, and on one episode of Raw, she finally had AJ cornered. She attacked the erratic star in the ring, running amok and trying to tear her limb from limb. Kaitlyn was so animated, in fact, that she popped out of her top on live TV. The fight continued, and when Big E came out to pull AJ from the fray, Kaitlyn was able to adjust herself.

The Divas' Champion had a sense of humor about the incident, tweeting afterward, "Guys, Enough about the wardrobe malfunction on Monday. Lets #Nip this in the bud.""


6. What Is Wardrobe Malfunction?

eva marie smackdown
WWE

Despite being under contract to WWE for an astounding five years, Aksana had almost no memorable moments during her tenure with the company. There are, of course, a few exceptions. During NXT season three, when Matt Striker told her to cut a promo about a llama, she didn't know what a llama was. Striker explained it was like a camel, to which she gave the immortal reply, "What is camel?"

Likewise, she introduced Cesaro to SmackDown as a former boyfriend, making current beau Teddy Long jealous. People suspected there was still fire between the old couple, and sure enough, she confirmed those rumors, gleefully kissing Cesaro out of nowhere after a win and announcing, "Antonio is my lover!"

Her third moment came during a nondescript multi-woman tag match on Raw. When Layla grabbed Aksana by the ankle to prevent her from making a tag, the ill-fitting body sock that she wore came down, exposing multiple parts of her anatomy at once.


5. Live Sex Celebration

eva marie smackdown
WWE Network

Leave it to WWE to book something called a "Live Sex Celebration", then get surprised when accidental nudity results.

Edge became WWE Champion for the first time at New Year's Revolution 2006 after a successful cash-in of the first Money in the Bank briefcase. After ending John Cena's nine-month title reign, 'The Rated-R Superstar' decided he'd celebrate the only way he knew how - by having sex with his valet, Lita, live in the ring. That's a good way to get a staph infection.

The whole segment was pretty graphic, with both Edge and Lita stripping down to their underwear before getting in a bed and under a blanket. Lita took her bra off and some under-the-covers motion ensued until John Cena ran out and interrupted. The segment actually did a huge rating - probably because fans hoped to see some skin.

They weren't disappointed. At one point during their cavorting, the cover came off of Lita, exposing one of her breasts.


4. Totally Exposed

eva marie smackdown
WWE

Women wrestlers are at a greater risk of wardrobe malfunctions than men - their clothes are typically tighter and skimpier, making every situation a bit more precarious. Still, when it comes to getting a bare backside as a result of one's tights or trunks being grabbed, both sexes are vulnerable, as fans have seen numerous times over the years.

Rosa Mendes fell victim to that one on an episode of Main Event. During a tag team match, she tried to climb back into the ring to continue her assault on Summer Rae, but she was pulled off the apron by Layla. Unfortunately, Layla grabbed Rosa by the tights, so when she pulled, the star's entire rear end was exposed to the TV cameras.

The wardrobe malfunction actually became part of the plot of an episode of Total Divas, where Mendes worried that it would lead to her punishment or firing. Needless to say, she wasn't in any trouble.


3. The Penis Suplex

eva marie smackdown
WWE.com

Sorry if this isn't what floats your boat, but those are the breaks. After all, the legendary "Penis Suplex", as described in Mick Foley's classic Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, has become one of the most well-known wardrobe malfunctions in wrestling history, despite taking place at a house show.

According to Foley, perennial sourpuss Bob Holly used to travel with him and close friend Al Snow, but they had a hard time getting him to lighten up. That changed when Foley proposed a rib to Holly, who had been working against Snow on a string of house shows.

After Foley noticed in the locker room that Snow didn't wear underwear under his singlet, he suggested that Holly suplex Snow, pulling his pants up and exposing his manhood as part of the move. Holly was happy to oblige, and the move went off without a hitch. Holly - who was much stronger than Snow - held him upside down and exposed for several seconds. Snow couldn't do anything about it, and by the time he landed, he was laughing hysterically.


2. McMahon Mayhem

eva marie smackdown
WWE

When Triple H returned from his quad injury in 2002, he was a babyface for the first time in years. Still, he was married to Stephanie McMahon, who was one of the company's most hated heels. That led to tension between the pair, and it looked like they might split, but when Stephanie revealed she was pregnant, everything was great again.

The pair scheduled a renewal of vows on Raw, but before the ceremony, Triple H found out that Stephanie was actually lying about being pregnant. That led to 'The Game' dumping his wife at the ceremony (he also shoved her, despite WWE claiming that they'd never depict domestic violence), making the married couple worst enemies. In response, she sided with his upcoming opponent at WrestleMania, Chris Jericho.

On one episode of Raw, a brawl between Triple H and Jericho got heated, and when Stephanie interfered, HHH set her up for a Pedigree on the announcers' table. Jericho made the save before he could deliver the move, but not before Stephanie fell out of her top. Many a wrestling site had a traffic boost the following day.


1. Jacqueline Off

eva marie smackdown
WWE

The most famous wardrobe malfunction in WWE history came at Capital Carnage, a UK-only Pay-Per-View event that aired in December of 1998. At that show, Sable and Christian took on Jacqueline and Marc Mero in a mixed tag team match.

The two women had been involved in a heated feud for months, dating back to Mero mistreating Sable, then dumping her for Jacqueline. They were at each other's throats, and when Jacqueline accidentally ended up sitting on the shoulders of referee Tim White, Sable saw her chance. She grabbed Jacqueline by the t-shirt, but instead of pulling her down, she simply tore the shirt off. Jacqueline was left bare-chested on live PPV.

Granted, calling it a "wardrobe malfunction" may be a bit misleading - WWE had been pushing the envelope in regards to nudity, and Jacqueline was wearing a loose t-shirt with nothing underneath. Planned or not, though, in the strictest sense of definition, that shirt certainly malfunctioned.


In this post: 
Eva Marie
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Articles published under the WhatCulture name denote collective efforts of a number of our writers, both past and present.