10 notorious WWE rumours and the conspiracy theories around them

The sports world is rife with rumours and wrestling is no stranger to them. Over its 35-year history, it should come as no surprise that WWE, previously WWF, has fallen victim to rumours given some of the outrageous storylines that the franchise themselves script.However, fans of the franchise aren’t fazed by all the mumbo-jumbo one bit. In fact, they seem to relish it, going so far as to fuel a long list of rumours and conspiracy theories themselves that the NSA would be quite intrigued by. With that in mind let’s take a look at 10 such notorious WWE rumours:

#10 Vince McMahon Owned ECW

Vince has been the mastermind responsible for WWE’s survival

This rumour actually has a tiny germ of truth in it. In wrestling glory days, three federations stood in the form of WWE (then WWF), WCW and ECW. ECW was infamous for its hardcore fights which led to many wrestlers making the switch from WWF to ECW and vice versa.

This gave rise to speculation that ECW was the secret brainchild of WWE CEO Vince McMahon. Now McMahon didn’t own ECW but did aid it with financial support and had a major hand in wrestlers switching franchises from both parties.

#9 Ultimate Warrior Died And A Lookalike Took His Place

James Brian Hellwig aka The Ultimate Warrior passed away last April, but a large portion of the fans believed he perished in 1992. The rumour of his death spread after Ultimate Warrior appeared of WrestleMania VIII with his signature long hair was chopped and his muscle mass greatly decreased.

This led to speculation that Ultimate Warrior had died and was replaced by a lookalike. What was the speculated cause of his death? The tautness of his tassels which cut the supply of blood to his brain! The truth was soon revealed but the enormity of the rumour has become somewhat of a legend.

#8 Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake Had umm...something going on

Brtus Beefcake, Jimmy Hart and Hulk Hogan

The WWE fanbase seems to be quite fascinated with gay affairs as you’ll find out later, but this one is quite bizarre. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and good friend and trainer Hulk Hogan were believed to be having a “in the closet gay relationship.”

And where did the rumours originate? From the mouths of the two men’s estranged wives! In fact Linda, Hogan’s ex-wife, went on record to say that she found it absurd how Beefcake would help Hogan on the toilet seat after the latter underwent a back operation. However, both men denied the claims, with beefcake going as far as filing a defamation suit against Linda for tall claims.

#7 Triple H married Stephanie McMahon to have more control in WWE

Many people actually do believe that his marriage was for gaining power

After his relationship with fellow wrestler Chyna ended, Triple H had an on-screen relationship with Vince McMahon’s daughter Stephanie in 2000 which soon morphed into a real one and the couple were soon married in 2003.

And while both the newlyweds would go on to have a strong married life which produced three children, many fans speculated that Triple H married Stephanie just so that he could have a greater foothold in WWE and inherit the empire from her father Vince whenever he decides to call it quits.

However, if their 12 year-old marriage is indeed a farce it’s a rather excellent one.

#6 Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon Were Lovers?

One of the most absurd rumours to ever grace WWE was that Shawn Michael and WWE CEO Vince McMahon, a man who was happily married since 1966, were in a secret gay relationship.

The origin of the rumour is still unknown, nevertheless it took no time to spread like wildfire and is now a modern fable. Besides having an excellent professional relationship with McMahon, Michael further fuelled the rumour mills by doing a photoshoot for playgirl magazine that targeted mostly women and homosexuals back in 1996.

The rumour was eventually proven to be false, but the question as to how it arose in the first place is still unknown.

#5 Vince McMahon Had A Hand In Randy Savage\'s Delayed Induction Into The WWE Hall Of Fame

Randy Savage’s alleged relationship fuelled Vince?

WWE’s infamous owner Vince McMahon’s name pops up countless times on this list, but this theory is extremely unnerving. The late Randy Savage, widely considered as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, induction into the WWE Hall of Fame was overly delayed due to the strained relationship he had with Vince McMahon.

It turns out Vince’s daughter Stephanie dated Savage as a 17-year-old, a relationship her father did not approve of which led to the strained relationship between the two men. Fans eagerly waited for Macho Man Randy to receive his finest hour but were disappointed year after year which led to speculation that Vince had something to do with the delay.

Savage was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame this year and even received a tribute from McMahon who called him “one of wrestling’s all time greats”.

#4 Vince McMahon Helped Cover Up a Murder

Did Vince go that far to protect one of his superstars?

One of the more sinister rumours was the WWE majority owner and CEO Vince McMahon used his clout to cover up wrestler Jimmy Snuka’s alleged murder of his girlfriend Nancy Argentino. Snuka was a strong suspect in the murder due to a coroner’s report which stated that Argentino died of traumatic brain injuries as a result of a moving head striking a stationary object as well as more than two dozen cuts all over her body.

However, Snuka was never officially charged, which led to speculation that McMahon used his enormous wealth and influence to cover it up. Most people believed McMahon’s involvement due to them pegging him as a stereotypical fat cat who’d do anything to protect the image of his franchise. The case still hasn’t been officially closed, while the rumour continues to grow strong.

#3 Andre The Giant Was Big Show\'s father

Not like father and certainly not his son

When Big Show first started his WWE career he went by the name ‘The Giant’, which unwitting caused a large portion of the public to think that he was Andre The Giant’s son. Of course, the WWE executives had a field time and even made Big Show wear a replica of Andre’s tights to further fuel the speculation and most importantly capitalise the situation.

After months of speculation, the rumour was finally confirmed as just a rumour in 1996 but its legacy lives on in many fans’ memory.

#2 WWE Has Links To The Illuminati

Alright, this rumour is so astoundingly bizarre that Dan Brown could write a novel on it. One of WWE’s biggest rumours is that the organization is a branch of the Illuminati. Things that have been used to link WWE to the mysterious organization include some of the logos WWE uses as well as the gestures some of the wrestlers make.

In fact, the logo on Triple H’s shirt, as well as the ones worn by The Ascension, are extremely similar to the Illuminati brand which have further fuelled speculation. People have gone so far as to state that the organization provided Vince McMahon with money to buy the company from his father and create the franchise as we know it today.

#1 Owen Hart Deliberately Broke Stone Cold\'s Neck

Owen Hart’s piledriver that shortened Austin’ career

One of the most outrageous rumours was that the late Owen Hart, widely respected by his peers for his wonderful personality off-stage, deliberately broke Stone Cold Steve Austin’s neck at SummerSlam back in 1997. The injury happened when Hart performed a sophisticated pile-driver move on Austin which went horribly wrong.

While many thought that it was an unfortunate accident, a select few were brazen enough to think it was intentional. Hart, who was one of the most respected wrestlers of his time, received unanimous support from fans and colleagues alike, which helped put the rumour to bed but it still remains one of the most outrageous to grace WWE.

Edited by Staff Editor