10 Times Wrestling Recklessly Abused Kayfabe On-Air
9. Character Assassination
There's a lot to unpack with this one, but it's the Attitude Era, so of course there is.
In mid-1998, The Undertaker revealed an alliance with his brother Kane after months of fighting, that was in-part to relieve Stone Cold Steve Austin of the WWE Title. Which helped Vince McMahon deal with his biggest problem, making them allies. Until McMahon got a little too cocky about their relationship and had his leg smashed to pieces by the Brothers of Destruction.
Ultimately their fragile relationship crumbled, allowing Kane to turn face and Undertaker to go full heel and form an evil 'Ministry of Darkness' alongside Paul Bearer and a host of pretty useless midcarders. It was within this group that he went off the deep end, committing atrocities under the leadership of a mysterious 'Greater Power' and attempting a hostile takeover of McMahon's entire company.
This in turn actually turned Vince quasi-face. Despite his unending war with Austin, he looked sympathetic on his knees as Undertaker set fire to his daughter's childhood teddy bear.
McMahon bit back, suggesting on television that 'Mark Calaway' was maybe taking his gimmick a little too seriously, suggesting that he really believed he was actually The Undertaker. Because actually trying to be the person you play on television is a...bad...thing?
It was a ludicrous assertion within pro wrestling's complex universe, but was forgotten weeks later anyway, when Vince himself was revealed as the Greater Power after all! All to get to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Massive buyrates. Huge ratings. Zero sense.