10 Biggest Wrestling Scandals Of The 2010s
Hulkamania dies, Triple H targets the UK boom, and sportswashing in WWE begins...
For most of the 2010s, WWE remained unopposed as the top dog in the wrestling game. Aside from the emergence of AEW right at the end of the decade and an ill-fated attempt by TNA to restart the Monday Night Wars right at the start, Vince McMahon and his emporium of muscled-up freaks fully ruled the roost.
In light of any real competition, WWE decided to become their own worst enemies. The years 2010-2019 contain some of the most shocking, disgusting, and downright criminal news stories to ever hit the wrestling headlines.
It wasn't just WWE. The entire industry was awash with shameful behaviour...that is, if anyone in wrestling can actually feel shame. While some scandals can be light-hearted or even funny, many of the ones you are about to read are not. This list contains discussions about death, suicide, sexual abuse, and all kinds of unpleasant topics. Reader discretion is very much advised.
Considering that any one of these stories could have sunk the companies involved, it's amazing there was any wrestling left by the end of this disgraceful decade.
10. WWE Crushes BritWres
Going back to the days of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks, the United Kingdom has always been a haven for pro wrestling. In the 2010s, the country's wrestling scene experienced a major boom; one that was destined to end in tragedy.
'BritWres' is the term used to describe the thriving independent wrestling scene in Britain in the early-to-mid 2010s. Promotions like Progress and RevPro were firing on all cylinders, while the likes of Pro Wrestling EVE were showcasing some of the finest female talent from across the world. Unfortunately, this caught the eye of the Sauron of this analogy - WWE.
Keen to break into this market and crush all competition, WWE conducted a ruthless assault on BritWres from all sides. Beginning with their United Kingdom Championship tournament in 2016, the US company began snapping up top British and Irish talent such as Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Jordan Devlin, and countless others.
This process culminated with the launch of NXT UK, which all but destroyed everything BritWres had worked so hard to create. The fact that WWE went to all this effort, just to discontinue the brand after less than five years, left a very poor taste.