10 Times Wrestlers Won Matches By Accident
2. Dean Malenko's Botch At Souled Out 2000
What's worse than an embarrassing botch on live weekly television? A botch on a high-profile pay-per-view. The fans watching the 2000 WCW Souled Out PPV witnessed such an awkward botch during the Catch-as-Catch Can match between Billy Kidman and Dean Malenko.
As per the stipulations, a wrestler could lose the match if his feet touch the floor, and Dean Malenko let his muscle memory get the best of him and endured a humiliating loss. It's a wrestler's strategy to roll out of the ring to catch a breather after taking some beating from his opponent, and Malenko, being a veteran of the game, had grown used to employing this strategy.
Two minutes into the match, Dean Malenko exits the ring to collect himself for a moment, forgetting the stipulation altogether. Referee Charles Robinson had no choice but to call for the bell and award the victory to Billy Kidman. Malenko looked disappointed with himself after the bell and had to take the walk of shame back to the locker room.
Years later, The Great Khali did something similar by stepping over the top rope during a battle royal, but WWE conveniently ignored it, stating that someone had to throw him over the top rope for him to get eliminated.