10 Times WWE Pressed The Panic Button

Vince McMahon writes sins, not tragedies...

Sasha Banks, Bayley
WWE

"I tried to say I loved you, but the words got in the way" were the paraphrased and cribbed Gloria Estefan lyrics used in an exceptional piece on Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in the then-exceptional Raw Magazine all the way back in 1997. The article questioned if WWE was big enough for the both of them less than a year before it profoundly proved not to be. They were career rivals, performers capable of having legendary matches if they could park their emotions long enough to lock-up. The year was a story of false starts between the two, before their long-overdue match concluded with a false finish.

Vince McMahon will argue until his puce cheeks turn blue that he had no choice but to screw 'The Hitman' at the Survivor Series, but history will always reflect the act as a calculated assassination rather than the divisive judgment call it appeared as on screen. Triple H's Bad Luck Fale-esque "F*CK HIM" was even included in a WWE video game recounting of the plot, so embedded in company lore as it now is.

Just 24 hours later, Eric Bischoff was waving miniature Canadian flags in support of his incoming new signing on WCW Nitro - he'd smelled more blood in the water from what appeared to all the world as the most panicked misfire of Vince McMahon's life. The Chairman played his cards perfectly in the aftermath, somewhat vindicating his devious misdeeds. If only he always employed such near-the-knuckle logic...

10. All About The Game

Sasha Banks, Bayley
WWE

Triple H was in the midst of a scintillating organic babyface turn when Stone Cold Steve Austin returned in late-2000 to test his mettle with the audience, but the proof was in the pop when 'The Game' emerged to save 'The Rattlesnake' from a beating at the hands of Kurt Angle and Rikishi at the end of a November Raw.

It was (as it often was back then) a set-up all along. Donning a black glove to batter Austin after cleaning his clock with a sledgehammer, Hunter revealed himself as Rikishi's hit-and-run accomplice, steering Stone Cold's attentions away from the Samoan and towards him with Survivor Series on the horizon.

The booking was logical enough with where the pair were at at the time of the original Austin assault, Triple H's involvement was as much a fire escape for the entire storyline as it was the next narrative progression. Rikishi simply couldn't compete with 'The Toughest S.O.B', nor did Austin want to let him, and the angle was subsequently transferred for the good of all involved - especially the future COO.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett