10 Insane Things WWE Will Never Do Again
Flirting with disaster.
As an organisation, WWE aren't always known for their ability to learn from their mistakes. From pushing unwanted stars as main eventers to their insistence on polluting Raw and SmackDown with godawful comedy segments, they're destined to repeat the same missteps ad nauseam.
The McMahons are inherently stubborn. They'll do whatever they want, whenever they want, particularly in the 21st century, throughout which they've been emboldened by their untouchable market position.
Vince McMahon is no fool, though. You don't reach his level of success without considerable savvy, and while his creative choices often leave us bamboozled, the man at least recognises when something has been a total disaster (Roman Reigns' bombed babyface push aside).
Unfortunately for the boss, WWE history is full of spectacular self-immolations. It takes an extreme level of failure for the Chairman to wise up and take action, usually manifesting as a seven-figure financial loss, widespread audience outrage, or a sour cocktail of both.
Each of these incidents left a mark, though some were clearly more damaging than others. Whatever the case, each was too problematic to ever be repeated, and unless Vince finally loses his mind, we'll never see them again...
10. Live Suicide Attempts
WWE have a long, checkered history when it comes to handling sensitive issues in disgustingly insenstive ways. Their track record with topics like race relations, sexuality, and addiction is abysmal, and while the inevitable backlash should dissuade WWE from such angles, they’ve never been known to learn from their mistakes.
Suicide - the most delicate of delicate issues - has been broached by WWE several times, with Road Warrior Hawk’s example the most prominent. Drawing on the legendary tag wrestler’s real-life addiction struggles, a 1998 storyline saw an intoxicated Hawk develop suicidal tendencies, culminating in him scaling the Titan Tron in an attempt to end his life. The storyline went over predictably poorly, with both Legion Of Doom members resigning in its wake.
WWE revisited the topic in December 2005, taking on a far more flippant approach with Tim White’s ‘Lunchtime Suicide’ series. These dumb videos saw the former official try to poison, hang, and shoot himself over a number weeks, with the running ‘joke’ being his inability to complete the deed. Unbelievably, the first one took place just one month after Eddie Guerrero’s death. With mental health finally being taken seriously by the broader populace in the decade since, hopefully the company have wisened up to such gratuity.