10 Wrestling Matches That Inadvertently Became Infamous

9. Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs Kane Vs The Undertaker Vs Mankind (Capital Carnage)

Chris Benoit Elijah Burke
WWE

With an electric crowd reacting favourably during another climactic Attitude Era main event, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Kane and Mankind were unaware of a real-life drama occurring mere feet away at ringside.

December 1998's Capital Carnage was the company's return to UK Pay-Per-View after the critically acclaimed One Night Only event in 1997, as the organisation continued with the upgraded house show format they'd stick to until bringing television tapings across the Atlantic in in 2004.

The commercial success of another riotous WWE card was sadly overshadowed by a Bell's Palsy relapse suffered by Jim Ross midway through the main event match. It concluded a desperately sad weekend for Ross, who had learned of the news that his mother had passed away upon landing in London for the show.

A robust professional, the mourning JR insisted on calling the show, but was undone by the stress levels he was presumably stifling in order to perform to the best of his abilities.

Remarkably completing the broadcast, Ross was taken off television and given time to recover. But the cynical pencil of Vince Russo scripted the perennial fan favourite to return as an embittered heel, p*ssed off with the world for neglecting his continued suffering.

It was abhorrent treatment of the ever-reliable Oklahoman, and was thankfully dropped around the time Ross returned to full time commentary duties in April 1999.

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