10 Most Controversial Wrestling Shows Of All Time

8. WCW Hog Wild

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WWE.com

The extent of Eric Bischoff's uncontrollable ego manifested itself with 1996's Hog Wild, a show whose entire existence was predicated on Easy E's motorbike mania. There was nothing wrong with that, in and of itself. After all, the only harm caused was to WCW's bottom line, as they pointlessly paid talent to perform in front of zero paying customers.

The issue wasn't so much Bischoff's idiotic business sense, but his myopia. He correctly predicted that a crowd of 5000 Hell's Angels would make for a totally unique atmosphere. What he failed to foresee was the precise flavour of that atmosphere: vociferous abuse directed at the African-American tandem of Harlem Heat, as Confederate flags wafted in the background. It was something of a disgrace to the company - and one they repeated for the next three years.

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 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