10 Genuinely Disturbing WWE Heel Beatdowns

2. Nailz Hammers The Big Boss Man

Stone Cold Steve Austin Lita
WWE

Ill-informed observers may chuckle at the cartoonish spectacle of an overblown ex-convict assaulting a former law enforcement officer in the confines of a professional wrestling ring, but to tackle only the loud literal betrays the fabulous character portrayals of two believable brutes.

'Limited' would be a complimentary way to describe the in-ring ability of Nailz, but this in fact mattered little within the tight narrative of the character and this programme. He had been incarcerated and was conditioned to survive using chokes and punches rather than dropkicks, side suplexes and clotheslines. There were no ropes to run whilst working out in a prison yard.

Boss Man had been threatened by an eerie voiceover for weeks ahead of the eventual attack, and when Nailz struck as promised he did so with ferocious force and uncomfortable menace. Boss Man absorbed countless shots to the head, body and legs with a nightstick, all whilst handcuffed. The very implements of his once-brutal enforcement were used to completely debilitate him - an act so unapologetically violent that the ex-con heard the the mix of terror and hate from the stands even if his acts were allegedly rooted in redemption.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett