10 Worst Anti-American Wrestling Gimmicks

3. Chris Nowinski

crush mr fuji
WWE.com

A short-term personality shift shortly before post-concussion syndrome would force him out of the industry permanently, Chris Nowinski's position as a conscientious objector to 2003's United States invasion of Iraq didn't jive with the company's bombastic support of the conflict.

Already positioned as a know-it-all heel per his Harvard background, the verbose Ivy League star took the Government to task for waging a war he felt wholly unethical. This lead to an infamous segment on an April edition of Monday Night Raw, in which he debated the issue with 'Big Poppa Pump' Scott Steiner.

Initially drawing tongue-in-cheek comparisons to great political debates in American history, the segment looked to have an understanding of itself until Nowinski was far too articulate in his takedown of the invasion, and Scott Steiner was...Scott Steiner.

The Harvard Graduate posited that America was bullying smaller nations with military superiority, suggesting that only more war would follow once the United States had pillaged all of Iraq's oil. Absorbing those hard truths, the 'Big Bad Booty Daddy' lived down to expectations, suggesting that even though he'd wrestled all over the world, America was the 'best country of them all'.

On a roll, Steiner made a 'master debater' joke, then said the US were only finishing what terrorists started. Denigrating the 'the Dixie Chicks and those Hollywood numbnuts' that also opposed the War, he concluding by comparing France to Hell.

A bewildered Nowinski joined 3 Minute Warning and Rico in a beatdown to silence the comical barrage.

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