10 WWE Superstars who received death threats in real life
Death threats in any scenario should be taken very seriously. Die-hard fans of wrestling take WWE a bit too much to heart at times. As children, most fans believe that everything that happens in WWE is real. The divide between fantasy and reality widens for most fans as they grow older.
However, there are still fans who take the action and drama they watch on television as very real. This has caused problems for Superstars which have led to arguments with the WWE Universe on social media and during meet-ups.
While some fans just like to poke certain Superstars who are playing heel characters, others have been known to take things too far and threaten Superstars based on on-screen characters and storylines.
On the other hand, some real-life occurrences have also prompted certain people to make death threats to WWE Superstars, making things more difficult for the performers.
Keeping in mind how some WWE Superstars may struggle to keep their personal lives and characters different from their on-screen ones, let's look at 10 Superstars who’ve received death threats in real-life.
#10 WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair received death threats from football fans
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is among the most well-respected individuals in the wrestling industry. While Flair has received a lot of love from the wrestling community, he was targeted by some football fans in 2014.
Flair did not attend a playoff game between the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers in early 2014 because he received death threats from fans before the big event. Flair gave a pep talk to the ‘49ers before the game, and that did not settle well with the Panthers’ fans. But it certainly should not have warranted death threats.
“When the 49ers reached out and WWE asked Ric to jet up there, of course he said yes,” says Melinda Morris Zanoni, Flair’s agent at Legacy Talent and Entertainment, “and he’s friends with a bunch of the 49ers just like he is with the Panthers, Packers, and many other NFL players. But no, Ric does not intend on attending the Panthers vs. 49ers game this weekend.” “What can I say? I’ve always been a very good heel!” added Flair.
Flair has lived in Charlotte for decades and his love for the 49ers did not settle well with the Panthers’ fans. The controversy began after Flair said that his heart was with the 49ers only days after Panthers players revealed they had been using Flair’s famous “WOOOOO” chant to celebrate wins.
Reports suggested that Carolina fans felt betrayed, and went as far as to offer death threats to The Nature Boy.
“We know fans are passionate about their teams, but some of the choice language we have been receiving is scaring off our interns,” says Melinda.
Flair’s “Wooooo” cheer was often used on the scoreboard during Panthers’ games, but some legal disputes led to it being removed.