10 Times WWE Got Its Ass Kicked
2. The Benoit Tragedy
The tragic events of a June 2007 weekend remain one of the darkest days in the history of professional wrestling.
Of course, WWE had zero direct influence over the deaths of Chris Benoit, Nancy Benoit, and Daniel Benoit. But still, that didn't stop a very public spotlight being shone on WWE and the professional wrestling business as a whole.
At that time, news outlets and talk shows went after WWE hard. Names such as Nancy Grace and Larry King were quick to jump on this story and lead the outcry against McMahon's organisation, and they were just two of many who had WWE in their sights. Steroid abuse was the go-to line for many outlets at that point, and WWE's murky history of steroid use meant that the company was having the finger of blame pointed their way by some. The issue of CTE, and the knotty enablement of and willingness to take such life-altering bumps, continued the furore.
It's fair to say that WWE has always been able to do more when it comes to monitoring the use of banned substances by talents, yet the sad truth of the matter is that only one person was responsible for the heinous acts of that June '07 weekend.