10 Worst Worked Wrestling Shoots Of All Time

By Jack G King / July 30, 2015

Worked-shoots are an incredibly risky concept. Occasionally, if handled with care, they can inject a genuine sense of believability and tension into an otherwise bog-standard angle. Jerry Lawler's legendary feud with Andy Kaufman blurred the lines between reality and kayfabe by convincingly involving a mainstream celebrity, while the 'Summer of Punk' storyline built upon real backstage grievances and proved that worked shoots could still work in the internet age. However, with wrestling scrutinised and criticised in the same manner as any other scripted television show these days, worked shoots tend to fail more often than they succeed - often with horrendous consequences. Fans and reporters are now quick to doubt the legitimacy of a supposed shoot, meaning that even incidents such as Jeff Hardy's infamously drugged-up showing at Victory Road 2011 are treated with great suspicion. The reason for such mistrust is simple: most wrestling promotions have never quite let go of the fact that the industry secret is out, and are determined to inject some sense of authenticity back into a business which doesn't really need it anymore. Angles with realistic themes and emotions are lauded, of course, but only to a point. Once a storyline goes out of its way to break the fourth wall, the overall product can be damaged. In short, the ends of a worked shoot rarely justify the means, as we're about to find out. Here are the ten worst worked shoots in wrestling history.