12 Wrestling Stars Who Profited From Controversy

There's an old saw that says there's no such thing as bad publicity. While that may not be true, don't try telling that to wrestling promoters - for years, they've been trying to make money off of controversy on-screen and off, real-world and wrestling-based. More often that not, it doesn't really work - turning backstage heat or internal frustration into television feuds or storylines typically doesn't appeal to fans who are less than concerned with the all the pettiness of the inner workings of the industry. Using real controversy - such as current events - often comes off as insensitive and helps contribute to the poor reputation the wrestling business has in mainstream media. Still, combing through the vast swathes of Vince Russo shoot-turned-works and Muhammad Hassan-style tastelessness proves that there have been some instances where taking a controversial tack has paid off. In some cases, pushing the boundaries of good judgment gave a past-his-prime star some extra mileage or a midcarder the best run of his career. Sometimes, superstars were made. In at least one case, the wrestling industry was changed forever. This list looks at the times when wrestling promoters gambled and won huge...

12. Eric Bischoff

Eric Bischoff has always believed that controversy creates cash - in fact, that was the title of his autobiography. Bischoff took control of World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s and proceeded to become the industry's biggest iconoclast, breaking almost all of pro wrestling's unwritten rules - and nearly putting WWE out of business in the process. With Ted Turner's billions behind him, Bischoff was able to lure WWE's established players away from the company, giving WCW a huge leg up in terms of name value. With the stars of pro wrestling locked under contract, Bischoff debuted Monday Nitro, a wrestling show that paved new ground by delivering marquee matches for free every week - and by airing directly opposite Monday Night Raw. If that didn't have WWE's higher-ups shaking in their boots, the formation of the New World Order and Bischoff's on-screen turn as a heel authority figure (before Vince McMahon did the same thing, it should be noted) surely did the trick. Bischoff has been routinely criticized for his tactics, especially in the years since WCW collapsed. Many have said that only Turner's checkbook allowed him to compete with WWE, and that he was devoid of any creative instinct of his own - even the nWo storyline, Bischoff has admitted, was inspired by the UWF invasion of New Japan. Still, Bischoff got people talking, and it made WCW the most successful wrestling promotion in the world, if only for a limited time.