9 Most Disappointing Wrestling Surprises Ever

5. Why Rikishi, Why?

Rock Rikishi Foley
WWE.com

At the 1999 Survivor Series, tragedy struck Stone Cold Steve Austin as the Texas Rattlesnake got hit by a car. It was a hit and run attack alright, but the identity of the assailant remained a secret. The story ran for 11 months (ELEVEN MONTHS). Who ran over Austin? Could it have been Triple H? Was it Vince McMahon? Hornswoggle? The 1997 Denver Broncos?

Well, not quite. Mick Foley felt sure he had got to the bottom of the case, pointing the finger square at WWF Champion The Rock. Foley was wrong however, and Rikishi of all people confessed to running over Austin. He then famously proclaimed that he did it, for The Rock.

You know, it all kinda makes sense. Rikishi wanted to protect his family's spot at the top of the business, I can accept that. But it was yet another poorly-planned attempt to turn a wildly popular babyface heel that ended with disaster and thumb-twiddling.

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Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.