10 Astonishing Times Wrestlers Swore On Live TV

4. Vince McMahon

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WWE

It's not just that the rank and file of WWE are handed naff, damaging promo material; there's one rule for them, and another for the boss. Brad Maddox was fired just prior to this incident for calling a house show audience "pricks".

McMahon, with searing hypocrisy, said the second most offensive word on live TV weeks later.

The magic of the Mr. McMahon character has gone, but, not considering the actual, gaping storyline, his performances in 2016 retained the old brilliance. He didn't say anything remotely connected to poop, or of scooping up poop, but instead threatened the returning prodigal son, Shane, with regretting his decision to ever come back under his vile auspices.

WWE - with interest peaked in the heat of WrestleMania season - tends to leverage and intensify that interest by blurring the PG parameters. Ahead of WrestleMania XXVIII, CM Punk said Chris Jericho was "bullsh*t", as John Cena and the Rock exchanged several expletives couched in real tension. Four years later, Vince outdid them all.

"I have one last chance," he said, "to give you a f*cking beating."

The delivery was excellent. Quiet and menacing like an approaching storm, there was grim subtext to the actual content, too, one that suggested a far darker backstory to this quasi-fictionalised McMahon family than ever revealed in canon.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!