Professional wrestling likes to be dramatic, that much is certain. The very fabric of the industry is built on drama, something which was only heightened when Vince McMahon turned old-school 'wrasslin' into the bright, garish world of 'Sports Entertainment'. Suddenly, with the advent of such trademarks as Hulkamania, WrestleMania and WWF Superstars, wrestling was expected to be more than just two men vying for a prestigious championship belt. A new wave of fans demanded colourful characters, more emphasis on music, personality and ceremony rather than simply wrestling matches, and the mid-80's must have been a strange time to be a longtime grappling fan. The industry was changing, and rapidly - suddenly, McMahon wanted to give his audience more and more to sink their teeth into, and that vision has even extended to effectively booking death on his television programs. None of the examples here obviously feature the actual passing of any pro wrestlers, it was merely booked to shock the fans, and have them continue to tune in. Some of the examples listed are even pretty darn insensitive, touching on subjects that really had no place in the world of wrestling, whereas others are simply so corny that they can't possibly be taken seriously in retrospect.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
