ironworks
05-30-2012, 10:04 PM
Source: Bleacher Report
In any business, there are always the guys who make it hell for everyone around them to function.
Guys who bring the heat on themselves.
In the long and storied history of the WWE (and WWF) there have been a significant number of wrestlers who have made life an absolute nightmare for the backstage crew and the other guys on the roster.
This list will pick the five worst.
One:
Paul Heyman
An easy one to start us off.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone in the business with much sympathy for Paul.
His us-against-them mentality during his ECW reign had already made him enemies in the WWE before he signed on in 2001.
The reputation he earned during his stint in the WWE is that of a sniveling, deceitful, backstabber who is not above talking trash about someone behind their back.
That being said, his ability to book matches and feuds, nurture young talent and draw audiences to arenas is nearly unparalleled.
Two:
Lex Lugar
Make no mistake, Lex Luger was a big draw in his day.
But with success came the inevitable ego-swelling, and by the time he joined the WWF in 1993, he was already a nightmare to deal with.
His attitude to backstage crew was terrible, and when he wasn't put in main-event feuds, huge strops were sure to follow.
He also left the company on extremely bad terms, jumping ship back to Eric Bischoff and WCW without letting the company know firsthand.
It should be noted that Luger has since become a born-again Christian and works with the WWE on their Wellness Policy.
There is hope for some!
Three:
Scott Hall
Best known to WWF fans as Razor Ramon, Hall based his persona on Al Pacino's character from the movie Scarface.
But similarly to Tony Montana, Hall's life and career were ruined by his drug use and alcoholism.
His personal demons made him a nightmare to deal with, and that prevented him from ever achieving legendary status in the industry.
Most notably, he was fired from the WWE months into his 2002 comeback after setting fire to road agent Michael Hayes' hair and later falling unconscious on the infamous Plane Ride from Hell.
Unfortunately, his battle with drug and alcohol use continues to this day.
Four:
Bill Goldberg
If there's one thing Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff can agree on, its that Bill Goldberg was a nightmare to work with.
A nice guy away from the business, but a terror to all around him during his stints in WCW and WWE.
Like so many, success early in his career inflated his ego to a monstrous size, and when he wasn't booked the way he thought he should be, Lord have mercy on the poor soul who got in his way.
His final match with the equally heat-seeking Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX left a bad taste in the mouths of fans as well.
Chances of a future comeback: Zero.
Five:
Vince McMahon
Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images
Let's get one thing straight before we start: Vince McMahon is the main reason I'm even writing about the WWE right now and not WCW.
This Man. Pure and simple.
But boy is he a pain behind the scenes.
The archetypal millionaire boss who more resembles that of a Dictator; the tyrant who divides and rules, never hesitating to step on the little guy to make a buck.
All in the good name of entertainment!
Rumour has it that he's begun to mellow with old age.
I don't believe it.
In any business, there are always the guys who make it hell for everyone around them to function.
Guys who bring the heat on themselves.
In the long and storied history of the WWE (and WWF) there have been a significant number of wrestlers who have made life an absolute nightmare for the backstage crew and the other guys on the roster.
This list will pick the five worst.
One:
Paul Heyman
An easy one to start us off.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone in the business with much sympathy for Paul.
His us-against-them mentality during his ECW reign had already made him enemies in the WWE before he signed on in 2001.
The reputation he earned during his stint in the WWE is that of a sniveling, deceitful, backstabber who is not above talking trash about someone behind their back.
That being said, his ability to book matches and feuds, nurture young talent and draw audiences to arenas is nearly unparalleled.
Two:
Lex Lugar
Make no mistake, Lex Luger was a big draw in his day.
But with success came the inevitable ego-swelling, and by the time he joined the WWF in 1993, he was already a nightmare to deal with.
His attitude to backstage crew was terrible, and when he wasn't put in main-event feuds, huge strops were sure to follow.
He also left the company on extremely bad terms, jumping ship back to Eric Bischoff and WCW without letting the company know firsthand.
It should be noted that Luger has since become a born-again Christian and works with the WWE on their Wellness Policy.
There is hope for some!
Three:
Scott Hall
Best known to WWF fans as Razor Ramon, Hall based his persona on Al Pacino's character from the movie Scarface.
But similarly to Tony Montana, Hall's life and career were ruined by his drug use and alcoholism.
His personal demons made him a nightmare to deal with, and that prevented him from ever achieving legendary status in the industry.
Most notably, he was fired from the WWE months into his 2002 comeback after setting fire to road agent Michael Hayes' hair and later falling unconscious on the infamous Plane Ride from Hell.
Unfortunately, his battle with drug and alcohol use continues to this day.
Four:
Bill Goldberg
If there's one thing Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff can agree on, its that Bill Goldberg was a nightmare to work with.
A nice guy away from the business, but a terror to all around him during his stints in WCW and WWE.
Like so many, success early in his career inflated his ego to a monstrous size, and when he wasn't booked the way he thought he should be, Lord have mercy on the poor soul who got in his way.
His final match with the equally heat-seeking Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX left a bad taste in the mouths of fans as well.
Chances of a future comeback: Zero.
Five:
Vince McMahon
Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images
Let's get one thing straight before we start: Vince McMahon is the main reason I'm even writing about the WWE right now and not WCW.
This Man. Pure and simple.
But boy is he a pain behind the scenes.
The archetypal millionaire boss who more resembles that of a Dictator; the tyrant who divides and rules, never hesitating to step on the little guy to make a buck.
All in the good name of entertainment!
Rumour has it that he's begun to mellow with old age.
I don't believe it.