6 times fights spilled outside the ring between WWE Superstars
WWE and professional wrestling in general is all about sportsmanship. It is the art of two people working in tandem to create something unique, bringing joy to millions around the world. These professional athletes put their lives on the line every day to entertain wrestling fans.
There are very few sports where teamwork and concentration play a significant role, and that’s what it takes every night for these performers to come out of their matches safely.
In the past, there have been many great rivalries inside the squared circle. From the Austin-McMahon feud to the Taker-Austin angle, these feuds created magic on-air, and almost made the fans believe that these Superstars genuinely despised each other.
From trying to hurt each other in storylines to going as far as crucifying people, we’ve seen almost everything in professional wrestling. But sometimes, the action spills out of kayfabe and that’s when the lines are crossed: professional rivalry turns into personal animosity.
In this article, we take a look at six real-life brawls in WWE history.
#6 WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar
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.@RealKurtAngle puts the #WWETitle on the line against @BrockLesnar in a classic at #WrestleMania XIX: Courtesy of @WWENetwork.
FULL MATCH ▶️ ms.spr.ly/6010VEb6Y https://t.co/8TuiQzeMRE
One of the most thrilling feuds that made SmackDown must-see in 2003 was the rivalry between Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle. The two men had multiple classics during Brock's first run with WWE. However, the rivalry was not limited to the ring, as the two men faced each other backstage in 2003 before a show in North Dakota.
Speaking on the Talk is Jericho podcast, Angle here's what Angle had to say about the incident:
Someone asked him how I would do against him and he said, ‘He’s too small, I’d kill him. So I walked up to him and said, ‘Did you say I’m too small for you that you would kill me?’ He said to me, ‘Kurt, you’re what? 215 (pounds)?' I said, ‘I’m 225 (pounds)’. He said, ‘Well I’m 315’. I said, ‘Well, I don’t have a problem, let’s get in the ring’.
Angle was able to get the better of Lesnar in this backstage fight. However, this bout strengthened the bond between the two legends, turning them into friends.
#5 Batista and Booker T
In 2006, King Booker was involved in a feud with Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. Many know that Batista was in a relationship with Melina, who had issues with everyone backstage, including Booker’s wife.
Apparently, they both got into a war of words during the photoshoot for the SummerSlam PPV, and Booker asked Batista if he wanted to settle it in a fistfight, and Batista accepted the offer.
As things turned out, Booker T got the better of The Animal, before security and WWE backstage staff separated the two Superstars. Batista was also well known for having attitude issues, and had apparently boasted about his rise to fame and insulted the business.
Booker, being the veteran that he was, decided to take matters into his own hands to teach Batista a lesson.
#4 Chris Jericho and Shane Helms (The Hurricane)
Many people know that Chris Jericho and Shane Helms are good friends, and even used to ride together. But then, alcohol had its effects on people and their behavior, and a few beers resulted in a few shots exchanged between the two friends.
After having a cold one, they both got into an argument, which led to a fistfight between the two. But that wasn’t the end of the scuffle. Jericho and Helms were arrested for causing trouble and their mugshots went viral on the internet.
Both Superstars sported black eyes and although they resolved their differences, the incident brought some negative PR for WWE back in the day.
#3 Chris Jericho and Bill Goldberg
Now to one of my favorite wrestling stories of all time. Chris Jericho and Goldberg were never friends during their time in WCW. During their spell in WCW, they were to be part of an angle that was dropped. The reason for it was Goldberg's reluctance in getting into a program with Jericho, who he believed was “beneath” him.
Chris Jericho then jumped ship to WWF and became a megastar. Y2J was crowned the first-ever Undisputed WWF/E champion after defeating The Rock and Austin in one night.
When Goldberg signed with WWE, the two old foes had a showdown once again. Apparently, Jericho heard Goldberg talking about him in poor taste and confronted him. Jericho ended up getting the better of Goldberg before the officials separated the two. This proves that Jericho, who trained in Stu Hart’s Dungeon, can take anyone down and also that size doesn’t matter in an old school fist fight.
#2 Brock Lesnar and Curt Hennig
In a story dubbed the "Plane ride from hell", many things happened during a long flight involving the WWE crew. This began with the Vince McMahon-Kurt Angle scuffle, which resulted in The Undertaker choking out Angle. It was one journey the WWE crew would never forget.
The biggest incident, however, was a scuffle between then-rookie Brock Lesnar and "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, who had just returned to WWE.
Apparently, Curt taunted Lesnar, which resulted in Lesnar taking up Curt's challenge and tackling him in the aisle of the airplane. Rumor has it that the whole plane shook due to the impact, and Hennig was released from his WWE contract soon afterwards. Talk about "shaking things up"!
#1 Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels
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Controversy was redefined in the infamous Montreal Screwjob at the 1997 #SurvivorSeries during a #WWEChampionship match between
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Perhaps the greatest rivalry in professional wrestling, the Bret Hart-Shawn Michaels saga is infamous for the way it shook up the wrestling industry, and is even cited as one of the main reason for WWE’s rise in popularity in the 90s. The two legends had their own differences, which escalated when Michaels accused Bret Hart of having an affair with Sunny, who was Michaels’ then-girlfriend.
Bret confronted Shawn Michaels in the bathroom area, which resulted in a scuffle between the two.
Bret got the better of Michaels, ripping a chunk of his hair out in the process. This led to Michaels leaving WWF for a while.