10 Seedy WWE Stories Vince McMahon Wants You To Forget

1. Chris Benoit

vince mcmahon torrie wilson
WWE Network

Just because it can't go away, it doesn't mean Vince McMahon doesn't one day hope that it actually will.

The Chris Benoit tragedy remains the darkest day in wrestling history for what occurred, but the DNA of Benoit's generation of wrestlers still matches his - how men and women were broken into the industry has only really started to shift in the last few years.

Inspired by the late Dynamite Kid, Benoit allegedly followed his bullying sh*thousery almost as much as his superworking style, "welcoming" younger members of the roster to the company with the sort of cruel initiations saved ordinarily for the darkest of high school flicks. Some of those wrestlers remain with the organisation today, and it can only be hoped that they too haven't chosen to pass that legacy on.

'The Rabid Wolverine's steroid and painkiller use was dangerously out of control, whilst his unravelling mental health was poorly monitored by the ill-prepared multi-million pound organisation. The Wellness Policy was tightened in the aftermath, but the hard graft of Benoit's craft took some responsibility too. CM Punk's 2014 exit came with several explosive podcast reveals about the pressure and lack of support he felt from a group making too many similar mistakes. It's been half a decade since then, but have WWE done double the due diligence?

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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