10 WWE Wrestlers That Were Thrown Off By The Crowd

6. Jim Ross

The Rock
WWE

Eternal company man and thorough professional Jim Ross was forced to think on his feet (and perhaps take bad headset advice) as the WrestleMania X8 audience elevated the already-iconic battle between Hulk Hogan and The Rock into something truly epic.

Barely a punch had been thrown in anger before the mammoth Toronto crowds made their feelings clear not just on this clash of ages but of which side they were going to take for the night.

Fans roared themselves hoarse for heel Hollywood Hogan from the second they arrived, seeing not the villain in black and white but their childhood hero live and in living colour for WWE for the first time in nearly 10 years.

Ever the master in a situation set up to benefit him, 'The Hulkster' played up to the adoration, forcing The Rock to think on his feet and (selflessly) turn heel for the duration of the match.

In contrast to 'The Great One's deft switch, WWE's trustworthy anchor had to briefly sell himself out. Referring to the response as a "mixed reaction", Jim Ross inadvertently provided a soundbite so far removed from the action that it may as well have been pre-recorded. Even best plans for a positive reaction wouldn't have covered this reaction.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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