10 Times WWE Got Its Ass Kicked

Many fans are well aware of the collapse of the XFL, both back in 2001 and more recently the declaration of bankruptcy put forward by the relaunched football league only a matters of weeks ago, but some may have zero idea that the WBF once existed.

Not content with having toppled the wrestling business and amassed the biggest sports entertainment organisation on the planet, 1990 saw Vince McMahon cast his eyes on dominating another industry: professional bodybuilding. And so, the World Bodybuilding Federation was created.

Wanting to start a brand to rival the International Federation of BodyBuilding, Vince officially launched the WBF in January 1991. With the promise of glitzy PPV events and major prize money on offer, the WBF proved to be a flop from the get-go - largely because bodybuilding enthusiasts weren't fond of the pro wrestling sheen McMahon brought to the sport, while wrestling fans had minimal interest in bodybuilding.

Of course, Vince eventually hung his hat on Lex Luger as a way to appeal to both bodybuilding and wrestling audiences. Whether Lex would've proved to be the saviour of the WBF, that's highly debatable. Unfortunately for McMahon, Luger would be involved in a motorcycle accident that put him on the shelf. And by the time Lex was ready for action, McMahon had already had to axe the WBF due to appalling PPV buyrates.

For the then-World Wrestling Federation, WWF programming was utilised to hype up Vinny Mac's jacked-up new venture - and the financial fallout of the WBF's failings would likewise be felt by McMahon's wrestling promotion.