10 Times Wrestling Was More Hardcore Than "Real" Sports
6. Real Rivalries
Sports: Even today the public pretty much expects that pro athletes will demonstrate some level of good sportsmanship. The more famous the athlete generally the higher the expectation of good behavior. Unfortunately, even the worlds greatest athletes seem to be petty, grudge holders. Michael Jordan has admitted he kept Isaiah Thomas off the 92 Olympic "dream team", despite the fact that the team was weakest on guards and Thomas was the best guard in NBA. In what is a really small time attempt to get back at Jordan, Thomas told the press he considers Lebron James a superior player to the Bulls leader. On a more serious note, Shaq talked about threatening to kill Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant in his autobiography. None of these men ever had a serious, physical altercation with the other, they just tried to ruin each others reputations and complain like some Real Housewives cast members. Pro Wrestling: It would be redundant to point out that occasionally people who pretend to fight for a living get into real fights with each other. But, even when wrestlers are play fighting it can get much too real. Shoot wrestling or doing amateur, Olympic style wrestling moves with the guys backstage is considered fine form, but it got way too real on the infamous Plane Ride From Hell. Curt Hennig AKA Mr. Perfect, a second-generation pro wrestler decided to test NCAA champion Brock Lesnars mettle with a little shoot wrestling on the floor of the plane. The semi-friendly brawl almost popped open an emergency exit door according to wrestler Justin Credible and it took Dave Finlay, Paul Heyman and Triple Hs combined efforts to separate the two. Hennig was later fired for the incident.
