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Professional wrestling has been around for a long while now. The predetermined sport has wowed generations upon generations of fans and has turned into a global phenomenon. WrestleMania, the biggest wrestling show of the year, attracts thousands of fans from more than 60 countries every year.
Wrestling has provided the fans with unforgettable moments like Hulk Hogan slamming Andre The Giant, Austin 3:16 and CM Punk's pipebomb.
On the other hand, there have been some instances that went on to ruin the image of pro-wrestling in more ways than one. Let's take a look at three moments that damaged the reputation of this industry, almost beyond repair.
#3 Vince McMahon buys WCW
The late 90s was the greatest time to be a wrestling fan. WWE and WCW went toe to toe for almost half a decade, both companies coming out on top on multiple occasions.
This was a time when wrestling used to be must-see TV. The fear of losing to the competition always kept the promoters on their toes, resulting in the Monday Night Wars and the Attitude Era.
Weeks before WrestleMania 17, Vince McMahon bought his rival, WCW. With no competition around, WWE slowly began taking a turn for the worse, with ratings reaching record lows. Now that AEW is making its publicized debut on 25th May, we might get to witness The Monday Night Wars come to life again.
#2 David Arquette wins WCW title
WCW was the pet project of billionaire Ted Turner, and he gave Eric Bischoff free rein to run the show the way he liked. It worked at first, with Hogan turning heel and forming the NWO.
But as years passed, WCW programming went downhill. When the movie "Ready to Rumble" was on the horizon, WCW did the unthinkable to promote the movie.
On an episode of WCW Thunder, the lead actor of the movie, David Arquette, won the WCW title in a tag match, much to the horror of the fans. Arquette's win resulted in the WCW title becoming a sad joke, and WWE purchasing a bankrupt WCW in 2001.
#1 The Chris Benoit murder and suicide
When news broke out that Chris Benoit had died and took his family's life before killing himself, the wrestling world came to a standstill.
The news was covered by almost every major media house, and WWE had to bear the brunt. Former wrestler Christopher Nowinski stated that Benoit might have suffered from brain damage due to years of chair shots to the head. Wrestlers from the past began bashing the company for not taking care of its wrestlers and putting them in vulnerable positions inside the ring.
WWE did some serious damage control after the incident. Chair shots to the head were banned. The entire WWE video library was modified, with almost all mention of Benoit removed from the collection. The WWE Wellness Policy immediately came into effect, which now helps past wrestlers if they need rehabilitation.
The Benoit incident changed the landscape of the WWE forever and made sure that a sure shot Hall of Famer would never become a part of the prestigious list, ever.
