10 REAL Backstage Wrestling Fights You Didn't Know About

5. Paul Orndorff Vs. Tony Atlas

Eddie Guerrero Hawk
WWE.com

When you first read the story of why Paul Orndorff and Tony Atlas had a bloody, ultra-violent scrap by the side of a road, you'll probably laugh. It's ridiculous. The conflict, and the way in which it was handled, is so disproportionate as to be funny. Then, you think about it a bit more deeply and start to get it.

Orndorff and Atlas had a fight - one so vicious that it ended when Orndorff bit off Tony's ear - over leg room.

That's what ultimately made an already volatile situation combust. Brian Blair, who was in the car, insists that Tony was in a vile, angry mood the whole journey, bragging that only André the Giant had half a chance of beating him in a fight. Orndorff bristled at this - he was renowned as a tough guy - and was annoyed that Atlas had the passenger seat reclined all the way back. He told Tony that he couldn't kick his ass, Tony offered him outside, Orndorff suplexed him on the concrete, and may have feasted on every morsel of flesh had the police not hurried them all away.

While this seems totally absurd, have you ever tried to sit down on public transport, but some awful person has taken the aisle and put their bags on the window seat?

These people deserve to go to jail.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!