41 Most Disgusting Promotional Tactics In Wrestling History RANKED
1. 1999 - WWF Not Stopping Over The Edge 1999
Owen Hart fell to his death live on pay-per-view at Over The Edge on May 23, 1999.
Owen was meant to rappel to a safe distance and release himself to intentionally “botch” his slapstick fall under the guise of his bumbling superhero alter-ego.
The in-house, preferred stunt rigger specialist urged the WWF to reconsider the equipment that was ultimately used when Owen tragically died. The company instead opted for a harness with a single quick snap release mechanism primarily used not for stunt work, but rather dropping sail boat masts. It required just six pounds of pressure to activate.
“We’ve got a big problem out here…” Jim Ross said, before a pre-taped interview with Owen, under the mask, was broadcast to the pay-per-view audience. Ross had just witnessed Owen fall from the rafters head-first onto the top turnbuckle. The Kansas City fire department revealed that he died instantly, though panicked attempts were made to revive him.
Must the show really go on?
Not at all.
In a recent real-world example, the very important opening fixture of the Euro 2020 football tournament was brought to a halt when Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest. Luckily, he survived, in no small part as a result of his quick-thinking teammate Simon Kjær - but the match was postponed with Eriksen’s life hanging in the balance.
This sort of thing simply does not happen in the legitimate entertainment arena because it’s sick and unconscionable. Every character in the cast was visibly distraught. Some watched on as Owen’s dead body was wheeled past them. Their good friend had just died, brutally. “These people came to see a show,” Vince McMahon would later reason on the ‘Mr. McMahon’ Netflix documentary.
A good half an hour has passed, staring at the blank space on the Google doc used to write this copy. Ultimately, there’s nothing insightful to say. This was one of pro wrestling’s darkest ever days. The decision to proceed with the event was nothing short of evil.
With thanks to Dave Melter and AllanCheapshot.