5 unfortunate script disasters in pro wrestling

Professional wrestling is often known for its extravagance, while the performers are known for their showmanship. For years, promoters such as the recently deceased Verne Gagne and Jim Crockett worked hard to ensure that the fans and media take professional wrestling seriously, although it confined the boundaries for growth of the sport. Vince McMahon Jr., with his innovate ideas and the ambition to transcend the sports genre and enter into Hollywood, globalized the WWE, and in the process, played a pivotal role in the evolution of the industry.One of the important ingredients of professional wrestling is delivering a good script, and ensuring that the performers stick to the basics and do the little things right. However, with professional wrestling going live with live PPVs and live shows/events, there have been instances when the scripted segments and matches turned into a colossal mess.In this article, we take a look at the five greatest script disasters in the history of professional wrestling.

#5 The debut of The Shockmaster

“They put me in a Storm Trooper mask which they painted and covered in glitter, I couldn't see a thing. I got to the wall and put my hands up like a double axe handle and bust through. The top broke perfectly, but the bottom didn't give. The momentum took me through the wall and to the floor.” – Ottman on The Shockmaster’s debut

One of the most infamous incidents that is still talked about in the professional wrestling circuit was the debut of The Shockmaster in WCW. Shockmaster was supposed to make a grand entrance, to team up with Sting, Dustin Rhodes and Davey Boy Smith to take on the villainous team of Sid Vicious, Big Van Vader and Harlem Heat at Fall Brawl.

When Sting announced to the world that their partner would “shock the world”, and called out The Shockmaster, Ottman, who was wearing a Storm Trooper’s helmet with glitter burst through a wall. It was then that everything went wrong for The Shockmaster, as he stumbled and fell down, with his helmet falling off. As the performers were visibly chuckling, Davey Boy was heard saying, “He fell flat on his arse!”

Although Shockmaster was supposed to be the new big babyface, after the incident, WCW gave him the gimmick of being a klutz before writing off the character. The debut of The Shockmaster, to this day is one of the biggest script disasters in professional wrestling history!