11 Of the best "worked shoots" in wrestling history
Kayfabe is an integral part of professional wrestling. There are wrestlers and individuals portraying characters on the screen, and they are in storylines meant to entertain audiences. However, not all that is said on the mic is necessarily fiction. There have been several instances where real life incidents have been mentioned and referenced.
In the last decade or so, when all the fans were aware of the fact that pro-wrestling is a work, there have been certain promos and angles in which it is difficult to identify where the line has been drawn between storyline and reality,
However, “worked shoots”, as they are called, are not a new concept. They have happened multiple times in the past, and not just in the WWE. Here are 10 instances where wrestling blurred the lines between fiction and reality:
#11 AJ Lee gives The Total Divas a reality check
Before the boom in the women’s division on NXT which saw the rise of stars such as Paige, Emma, the four horsewomen – Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Bayley & Becky Lynch – among others and change people’s perspective on women’s wrestling, there was the Divas era.
Women were being hired more for looks rather than talent and they were given little time to even try and prove themselves. AJ Lee stepped in, and rose to the top of the division, holding the Divas champion for a record 295 days (which would then be broken by Nikki Bella).
AJ Lee was the standout among this batch of women and she was respected by the fans for being a talented overall superstar. On the August 28th, 2013 episode of Raw, AJ Lee dropped a pipebomb on the Total Divas – The Bella Twins, Eva Marie, The Funkadactyls and Natalya, insulting them of not having earned the same opportunity and referred to them as “plastic mannequins”.
She then went on to say this famous line: “No matter how many red carpets you guys wanna walk in your 4000 dollar ridiculous heels, you will never be able to lace up my Chuck Taylors”.
It is a shame that AJ Lee left when she did because she undoubtedly was one of the women who fueled the engine for the boom of the women’s division that we see today. And there is no doubt that she would’ve fit in just perfectly today.