10 Fascinating WWE WrestleMania 14 Facts
6. Indy Workers Were Used As The Officials In Ken Shamrock's Meltdown
One of the quirks of Shamrock's character was that he was prone to fits of rage, where, if provoked, he would bulldoze everybody in his path, including referees. This quality came into play at SummerSlam 1997, where after being disqualified in a match against The British Bulldog, a fiery, out-of-control Shamrock doled out belly-to-belly throws for Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco, as well as referees Jack Doan and Mike Chioda.
For his reverse-decision loss against The Rock at WrestleMania 14, it was decided that Shamrock would perform the same type of volcanic outburst. There had apparently been some concern post-SummerSlam, as it was later thought that Shamrock's high-waisted throws were a risky move to endure for untrained referees (or even long-retired ex-wrestlers).
When Shamrock flipped out in Boston, he was confronted by four men: three in referee attire, and one in a dark tan suit. None of them were recognizable WWE employees, and were in fact local indy guys brought in to take Shamrock's vigorous suplexes, which is better than subjecting relative "civilians" to a moderately-risky bump.