10 Dumbest Wrestling Controversies That Went Too Far

7. HOOK No-Sells The Piledriver

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What did you do over the holidays?

Did you stuff yourself daft and drink away the misery of 2021, surrounded by loved ones?

Or, if you don't celebrate, did you simply appreciate the break, if in fact you were allowed one?

Or, did you piss and moan about a 22 year-old pro wrestler no-selling a piledriver in his third professional match?

Wrestling is exaggerated theatre that has only approached realism for about half a decade in the level below the majors in Japan's worked-shoot mini-boom. And yet, HOOK no-selling a piledriver in a spot designed to get him over as a badass drew a wildly disproportionate online response. He was, yes, killing the business, which was strange: hadn't the Young Bucks already killed it? Didn't Taz do this spot, and didn't the WWF enter a second boom by ripping off ECW?

Rampage was broadcast on December 25, and even if you don't celebrate the holidays associated with that date, have a day off, man. Nobody does anything whether you believe or don't. It's the one day a year where the bullsh*t doesn't or shouldn't matter.

Tisn't the season to pollute Twitter with cry-laugh emojis, lads.

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!