8. Booking A Fake Death, Only For Someone To Really Die
ADRIAN WYLD/AP/Press Association ImagesIn June 2007 the WWE 'killed off' Vince McMahon. It went down on the June 11th Raw when the heel Vince stepped into his limo, only for it to erupt in flames. This might not have been too distasteful had WWE booked it in a light hearted over the top kind of way, but they actually tried to pass the 'death' of as real, the WWE website reporting police at company headquarters. There was even a ten bell salute at the next episode of Smackdown, with WWE wrestlers filling the stage to pay their respects. Less than two weeks later and Chris Benoit was dead for real. Creative had been busy writing a ' McMahon Memorial' episode of Raw which was complete with funeral props, only for hours before the show to be told that there had been a real death. The scripted memorial was cancelled and a real memorial was put in its place. WWE awkwardly had to open with Vince in the ring, telling fans that his death was fake and Chris Benoit really had died. It later emerged during this tribute that Benoit had in fact killed his wife and child before taking his own life. Needless to say, WWE won't be booking any more fake deaths any time soon, they tempted fate and got stung bad with this one.