10 Times Wrestling Shows Became Total Anarchy

When thinking about anarchy, most people will think of Johnny Rotten’s shrill battle cries, capital A’s in dripping red spray paint, and Guy Fawkes’ misappropriated face cast as a plastic mask. This may be a British-centric view, but you get the idea.

Professional wrestling is often chaotic, but the pre-determined and heavily rehearsed nature of the product prevents it from descending into the level of unpredictability needed for pure, untameable pandemonium.

Angles can do a solid job of mimicking it, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Attitude Era run and the Nexus invasion. Yet recently it has failed with acts such as the bland vandals incarnation of The Riott Squad and all of RETRIBUTION.

When anarchy is sparked in sports entertainment it is unbridled mayhem. In its path, it whips up insulted wrestlers, rampant fans, frazzled officials, harangued security guards, and bemused local police. While it often falls short of choreographed chaos in terms of entertainment, this is real chaos.

The thrill of a live wrestling show hinges on the potential for the unpredictable and unexpected. These parameters for excitement can quickly be exceeded, leaving all involved wishing they were watching a well-applied resthold...

To start with a brief burst of anarchy, in its humorous live blooper manifestation, the finish to the 2005 Royal Rumble started with a slip up that snowballed.

After the frantic match, the clash between the final two competitors should be a time to start toasting to another successful Rumble. 2005’s closing minutes proved hectic.

A botched Batista Bomb on John Cena caused ‘The Animal’ to stumble back towards the ropes, flipping both men over to the outside. Referee Jimmy Korderas later revealed that the planned finish had Batista grip onto the ropes as the clear winner. After both men hit the ground simultaneously, a new plan was made on the fly. The Raw referees declared Batista the victor and their SmackDown counterparts backed Cena.

There was a frantic search for Eric Bischoff and Teddy Long to be located backstage to further the ad-lib Raw vs. SmackDown faceoff. Unfortunately, both managers had left early that night, forcing an enraged Mr. McMahon to enter the ring, tearing both his quads in the process. He was forced to pass judgement from a seated position like an impatient toddler waiting for their turn of a board game.

The chairman was snuck out as Batista won following a restart.