10 Most Shameless WWE Promotional Tactics

1. Over The Edge 1999 Continues

Randy Orton Rey Mysterio
WWE

The argument was, for years, that the decision Vince McMahon made on May 23rd 1999 was a thankless and impossible one.

Pilloried for continuing the show in some circles, he was defended in others by those that said there was no right way to handle such an awful and unconscionable situation.

Disagreement, debate and discourse ran for years and years with neither side of the divide shifting their stance. WWE Hall Of Fame stans (these are real) argued with Owen's widow’s wishes that he no longer be used in conjunction with the company’s legacy content. All until an excellent John Pollock audio documentary and a Dark Side Of The Ring profile on the situation noted something far more important - this had been a crime scene.

A man fell to his death due to an accident, but the investigation and scrutiny of that accident shouldn’t have been compromised by the continuation of a fluffy entertainment show. Hart’s good friend Jeff Jarrett worked a comedy match just seconds after his lifeless body was wheeled backstage on a stretcher.

There was always was a right and wrong way to manage it. McMahon picked the latter.

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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