10 Times WWE Caved To Public Pressure

8. Testing Times

Fabulous Moolah
WWE

Ultimate Warrior's WrestleMania 8 return was a bit of a f*cking mess, in truth. The mammoth Hoosier Dome crowd seemingly didn't give a toss as pyro rained down on the former WWE Champion and impending 'retiree' Hulk Hogan as the show went off the air, but there was plenty that didn't feel right about his literal run-in at the end of 'The Hulkster's match with Sid Justice.

His return followed the awkwardly late arrival of newcomer Papa Shango, set as they were to feud over the summer months in the absence of either man closing the 'Show Of Shows' in 1992. Hogan was bailing - the intense media scrutiny on him as the face of an under-fire WWE had become too great, not least after he catastrophically lied his way through a misguided Arsenio Hall air-clearing segment the prior summer. Sid wasn't far behind. Latter reports suggested that he'd actually failed a steroid test before the show, but was permitted to work against Hogan then the upcoming European Tour before serving his suspension. Rather than sit out, he walked out.

Warrior's return was already greeted with scepticism thanks to his new haircut and shrunken physique, but he'd returned to his more familiar presentation by the end of the year. Along with Davey Boy Smith, he was forced out of the door. The pressure had forced Vince into genuinely ousting known and flagrant steroid users. Warrior and Bulldog weren't the first big names to depart, and wouldn't be the last.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett