The WORST Wrestling Story Every Year (1989-2025)

2005 - Kurt Angle Vs. Booker T

Everything that involved Muhammad Hassan was disgraceful. WWE aired a terrorism angle on the day of the London Underground bombings that claimed the lives of 56 deaths, having very quickly showed its ass. They never had any intention of presenting Hassan as a complex character.

But the feud between Kurt Angle and Booker T, premised on Angle’s psychosexual fixation on Book’s wife Sharmell, was probably worse - if only because you’d have expected far more from it. The subject matter was equally questionable.

Kurt and Booker were two very different, gifted comedy characters who, to varying levels, could flat out go between the ropes. This programme could and should have been a light, daft bit of midcard b*llocks. Kurt was amazing at being baffled; Booker T was the most inexplicable dude on the roster. The prospective chemistry was off the charts. The pairing should have yielded comedy gold.

Instead, Angle was booked to sexually harass, intimidate, and even assault Sharmell, with whom he wanted to have “beastiality” sex. The implication of this particular line was grotesque.

Rank controversy bait, which was the style of the time - Ruthless Aggression did not in fact happen, the Attitude Era lasted until 2007 - Angle Vs. Booker T was also terrible, timing-wise. WWE had recently promoted WrestleMania 21, a night that felt like McMahon had scored an impossible number of wins and reset itself with a new identity.

Vince however only knew one, grim way of doing things - so much so that it’s really a wonder that he waited until 1998 to push it on his audience.