5 Times WWE Superstars hit their opponents for real

WWE has been around in the pro-wrestling industry for several decades at this point and has been churning out content on a weekly basis for a long time now. The basic premise of WWE, and any other wrestling promotion for that matter, is to present engaging storylines in front of an audience, with these angles culminating in wrestling matches on PPVs. It goes without saying that these matches are rehearsed, scripted and Superstars are fully aware of who's coming out the victor when all is said and done.

There are exceptions though. In rare instances, Superstars go out of their way to turn things real and hit their opponents for real, even though it's possibly the most unprofessional thing they could do. Nevertheless, it has happened several times in the past, enough to create a listicle featuring those moments. Let's take a look at 5 WWE Superstars who hit their opponents for real in the ring.

#5 Michael Tarver and John Cena's real-life beef

Michael Tarver was one of the original rookies in NXT who had targeted John Cena during the stable's invasion of Monday Night RAW, back in 2010. Tarver didn't do much of note after Nexus' aura died down following the group's SummerSlam loss to Team WWE. By mid-2011, Tarver had been released by WWE.

Soon after he was released, Tarver posted a lengthy rant on social media and declared that WWE veteran John Cena has purposefully fractured his arm during a PPV match. Tarver also stated that Cena laughed about the same in a backstage area, and nothing came of it. Cena never responded to Tarver's accusations. and the story died down soon after. After his WWE stint, Tarver actively wrestled in the NWA, NJPW, and a handful of independent promotions.