7 Greatest Backfires In Wrestling History

7. Bret And Shawn Lead The "Clean" WWE

For most of the 1980s, WWE's locker room was filled with rampant steroid use. Dr. George Zahorian, a ringside physician for the company, was instrumental in getting drugs for the talent (and Vince McMahon). When steroid regulations tightened, Zahorian was busted, but he rolled over on McMahon, leading to a federal trial for the WWE chairman.

McMahon was ultimately acquitted, but as the heat came down, he decided to clean up the company. In 1991, independent steroid testing was implemented for the first time. The crackdown on drugs actually helped push many of the established stars out of the company, and it was the younger, smaller, more athletic men who were chosen to take their places. Two of them - Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels - would go on to become among WWE's all-time greatest champions.

The drug culture in WWE and the subsequent steroid trial was very nearly a disaster for McMahon and the company, but it also led to the breakout of two future legends.