10 Most Controversial Wrestling Shows Of All Time

The shows must go off.

Antonio Inoki Ric Flair Collision In Korea
WWE

If WWE actually go ahead with their Crown Jewel show come November - and all the murmurings coming out of the company suggest they will - then it'll go down as surely their most problematic pay-per-view of all time.

And to think, they only set the last record back in April. That's a level of bungling ineptitude that's almost admirable.

It's not like everybody outside of Riyadh didn't warn WWE of the potential pitfalls of their partnership with the Saudi General Sports Authority either. Even before the full, grim picture materialised during the female-free Greatest Royal Rumble agitprop, commentators made clear the risks the company was taking in become paid mouthpieces for the repressive regime.

Now the proverbial's really hit the fan, and anything but a full withdrawal from the deal will result in brand suicide. Perhaps it won't matter. $450 million is probably enough to prop a business up even without any consumers.

Depressingly, we all know which way they'll go. Crown Jewel will soon become the jewel in the crown of the shows where they just should have said "no". These are the ones it beat into first place.

10. Great American Bash 2006

Antonio Inoki Ric Flair Collision In Korea
WWE.com

In June 2007, WWE's underwrought wellness policy was placed under enormous scrutiny when Chris Benoit killed himself and his family and police investigating his Atlanta home discovered a drug prescription sheet as long his arms were short.

It set the second half of the company's year into a tailspin as fines and suspensions were dished out to try and make good for the bad that had already occurred. WWE, as has often been the case, should have been more in front of it beforehand.

A year earlier, the policy went largely ignored after coming to life in the wake of Eddie Guerrero's November 2005 death. All until Great American Bash time, in which half the card seemed to go missing with an otherwise unheard of ailment. The Great Khali, Super Crazy and Bobby Lashley were all pulled from the show late with "Elevated Liver Enzymes". Though never outwardly confirmed (especially when WWE didn't even need to), most made assumptions about steroids that were anecdotally hard to argue.

The cloud over the show grew larger when an injury to Mark Henry resulted in a fourth match being changed before showtime. It was a challenging evening from a promotional standpoint, but the catastrophic events it eerily foreshadowed cast an even greater shadow.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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