10 Times Ego Cost Wrestlers Everything
WWE and WCW stars who believed their own hype to the point that it ruined them.
The pro wrestling biz is ego-driven.
It's not unfair to say that the likes of Steve Austin, John Cena, Becky Lynch and more wouldn't have reached the apex of the industry had they not believed in themselves. Of course, there's a fine line between self-belief and outright arrogance, but knowing when to play the ego card can be crucial to someone's career.
That perception can be the difference between continuing to struggle and dominating on top (Lynch). Or...it can wreck runs completely and end up costing workers everything rather quickly. It's the latter that's focused on here - so many wrestlers ("wrestlers" might be more accurate for one of them) have shot themselves in the foot because they were far too self-absorbed and wouldn't stop until it was too late.
There were extenuating circumstances for some that maybe justifies this to an extent. Wrestling, like any other business, is rarely simple. Nothing is really black and white here, but it's true that common sense did give way to ego and/or ignorance on these occasions.
Be careful who you p*ss off on the way up and down...
10. Buff Bagwell Throws His Weight Around
WCW incomer Buff Bagwell's short 2001 WWF run was just ridiculous.
Jim Ross found himself fielding upset phone calls from Buff's mother Judy about the way her son was being treated. Meanwhile, said son was chucking his weight around in training sessions, getting into fights and generally acting like 'Billy Big B*llocks' for no reason whatsoever.
Apparently, Bagwell believed he'd be a made man when he joined Vince McMahon's league. He couldn't have been more wrong, but Buff might've stood a chance had he not acted like the WWF was super-lucky to have him. His behaviour, and his ego, proved troublesome from minute one.
The federation was never going to tolerate that long-term, especially not when Judy Bagwell was chewing JR's ear off over the phone like some irate mother phoning her kid's school. 'The Stuff' lasted a few short months, and it's perhaps amazing that he even got that long before being cast out.
So much for that.