10 WWE "Shoot" Moments Absolutely Nobody Believed

As you likely know by now, the term "shoot" in the world of wrestling is used to describe any moment which breaks away from the script or plan. "Shoots" can also come in the form of an unexpected "real-life" event happening on a wrestling product.

Throughout history, these authentic unforeseen moments have come in many shapes and sizes. Yet, almost every one of these genuine "shoots" has been incredibly compelling to watch due to one fairly obvious ingredient. They were believable...which tends to happen when something is true.

However, as time went by, the wresting industry grew to realise that these breaking of the fourth wall moments made for must-see television. So our favourite products slowly started to become infected by scripted "shoots", designed to make audiences wonder whether what they'd just witnessed was all part of the original plan.

Admittedly, sometimes these line-blurring promos or events worked an absolute treat, with CM Punk and Paul Heyman's "Pipebombs" both standing out as two of the finest pre-planned "shoots" to air on TV. But, as is the case with many aspects of the wresting business, for every moment of "shooting" brilliance there's always a "legit" misfire waiting to utterly ruin our viewing experience.

You've likely noticed a referee throw up the "X" gesture on a number of occasions over the years. This signal represents a wrestler having potentially suffered a serious injury inside or outside of the ring and, more often than not, is soon followed by a wave of medical personnel escorting an unfortunate talent out of the arena.

So, with that in mind, it's fair to say that many fans quickly understood the gravity of a situation when a referee was forced to throw up the dreaded "X".

That was until John Cena decided to ramp up the drama during his 2012 feud with a recently returning Kane. After Zack Ryder - the pal Cena had just betrayed by getting off with his love interest, Eve - had been hurled off the stage in a wheelchair, an official and the former WWE Champion rushed to his aid. Cena then decided to throw out the sacred "X".

In doing this, it was instantly clear that Cena was trying to work the crowd into believing that Ryder was genuinely seriously hurt. However, it was also apparent from Super Cena's terrible acting and the farcical nature of the situation itself that Ryder wasn't actually horrendously injured at all - though his knees were likely still smarting a bit from the bump.

Sure enough, Ryder was back on our screens a couple of weeks later - equipped with fake limp and walking stick - and those who doubted the sincerity of the situation following Cena's "X" were left forever distrusting the use of the gesture going forward.