10 Wrestlers Who Killed Their Own Push
The higher the pedestal, the greater the fall.
Success doesn't always come easy in professional wrestling. While the likes of Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar seemed pre-ordained to make it in the business, reaching the top usually requires years of struggle and sacrifice. Getting there is only half the battle, however, as pushes can be handed out or taken away in an instant - and if a wrestler can't stay in management's good graces, they'll soon be replaced.
This isn't always the performer's fault, and it often seems like wrestlers are pushed and de-pushed on a whim, without rhyme or reason. Wrestling is a high-turnover sport, and personal mistakes are fatal. A single misstep can send a would-be megastar tumbling down the ladder, and wrestling history is littered with stories of those who've had their push nuked after betraying their employer's trust.
Wrestlers are just as error-prone as anybody else, and the cost of letting your company down is far greater when you live in the public eye, as the performers within know all too well.
From Wellness Policy busts to social media missteps, here are the wrestlers who shot themselves in the foot at the worst possible time...
10. R-Truth
The idea of R-Truth as a pushed wrestler might seem ridiculous today, but he almost broke out in 2011.
Truth went from working forgettable C-show matches to headlining Capitol Punishment with John Cena, and it all kicked off with an April heel turn. Truth went nuts after losing a number one contender’s bout to John Morrison by destroying his supposed friend before adopting the crazed villain persona that saw him leap up the card.
Truth couldn’t beat Cena for the WWE Championship, but he remained prominent afterwards. He and The Miz formed The Awesome Truth, and soon became one of WWE’s biggest heel forces. The headlined Survivor Series against The Rock and Cena, but Miz turned on Truth in the aftermath, with the reason soon becoming clear.
It was announced after the event that Truth had violated the company Wellness Policy. He was suspended for 30 days, and while this was his first transgression, it killed his push. Truth turned face after returning and formed a hastily thrown-together tag team with Kofi Kingston.
This ultimately went nowhere, and his slide down the ladder continued to where he is today.