It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about a work, a shoot, or a worked shoot; the world of professional wrestling is a wild, crazy, and unpredictable place. Over the years, we’ve had incredible, emotional, and powerful wrestling moments, but we’ve had just as many, if not more, utterly insane incidents, both in and outside of the squared circle.
Here are 32 such wrestling moments that left people in a state of shock, and we’ll be surprised if you don’t join them after reading this crazy history of the sport.
Brock Lesnar Ending Undertaker's WrestleMania Winning Streak
WrestleMania 30 should be remembered as the night Daniel Bryan finally defeated the Authority and won the WWE Heavyweight Championship, but more than a decade later is mostly remembered for one of the matches on the undercard: The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar. Taker, 21-0 at the “Granddaddy of Them All” heading into NOLA, suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of the Beast Incarnate in what is the most shocking finish in WrestleMania history.
John Cena's Heel Turn
Something that many thought would never happen (and in the Vince McMahon regime, it never would have), John Cena finally turned heel after winning the Elimination Chamber and a trip to WrestleMania 41, in March 2025. The longtime fan favorite hit then-WWE Champion Cody Rhodes with a low blow heard around the world when he sided with The Rock and Travis Scott as fans watched in disbelief.
The Mass Transit Incident
ECW was known for taking things way too far, and one of the most shocking examples of this came in the form of the Mass Transit Incident. Basically, a 17-year-old aspiring wrestler going by the ring name Mass Transit lied about his age and teamed up with D-Von Dudley against The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa Saed). Partway through the match, New Jack bladed the teen’s forehead, resulting in some serious injuries and eventually a lawsuit against the promotion.
Jerry Lawler And Andy Kaufman Fight On Late Night
Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman had one of the greatest feuds in wrestling history, and part of that iconic story revolves around their July 1982 appearance on Late Night, where the King of Memphis wrestling and the comedian got into it. Though the pair were in on it, they didn’t let anyone else know before it all went down and made late-night TV history.
Stone Cold Teams Up With Vince McMahon
For those of us who grew up in the ‘90s, there was no feud more iconic than Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon. The “working man takes on his boss” dynamic of the years-long program created some of the most iconic moments in wrestling history. It also led to one of the most shocking moments when the Texas Rattlesnake sided with Mr. McMahon at WrestleMania 17, ticking off millions of fans in the process.
Mae Young Gives Birth To A Hand
Everyone likes to act like the Attitude Era was the greatest period of wrestling. Though there were great matches, programs, and moments throughout the late ‘90s, there were also some truly bizarre instances, like the time Mark Henry got Mae Young pregnant, resulting in the elderly wrestling pioneer giving birth to a human hand. Yes, a hand.
David "Doctor D" Schultz Smacks John Stossel
There have been times when wrestling has gotten a little too real and way too uncomfortable. Look no further than the time David “Doctor D” Schultz slapped the crap out of John Stossel after the 20/20 reporter questioned the authenticity of wrestling. Schultz, who was on the rise before the incident, never recovered from the notorious slap.
Hulk Hogan And The Rock Steal The Show At WrestleMania 18
The Immortal One vs. The Great One will forever go down as one of the most electric matches in WrestleMania history. Sure, this iconic one-on-one bout should have headlined the 2002 event, but they stole the show anyway. The face-to-face in the ring, the double turn, the post-match work with the NWO, it was epic.
Vince McMahon Tears Both Quads At The 2005 Royal Rumble
A lot can happen at the Royal Rumble, and we saw that in 2005 when Vince McMahon tore both of his quads running into the ring after John Cena and eventual winner Batista fell out of the ring at the same time. The sight of McMahon on his butt yelling at the ref is something that fans will never forget.
Mick Foley's Hell In A Cell Fall
Mick Foley being thrown off the Hell in a Cell structure at the 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view has become one of the defining moments of the hardcore legend’s career, as well as the Attitude Era. We’re still shocked, nearly 30 years later, that he survived the 16-foot fall onto the announce table.
The ECW Chair Throwing Incident
The Hardcore Heaven 1994 “Chair Throwing Incident” is one of those moments that made ECW one of the most notoriously insane wrestling companies of the ‘90s, and all time. Basically, after the Public Enemy’s interference stopped Terry Funk and Cactus Jack’s match, the Funkster asked fans for a chair. He had no idea everyone would throw their seats at the same time, though.
The Montreal Screwjob
Is it real, or is it an elaborate work to help properly begin the Attitude Era? That’s a question wrestling fans have been asking for the better part of 30 years. The infamous incident, known as the Montreat Screwjob, saw Bret Hart’s WWF Championship run, as well as his time in the company, come to an abrupt and chaotic end in November 1997.
Hulk Hogan Turns Heel
Hulk Hogan turning heel by siding with the Outsiders at Bash at the Beach ‘96 is one of those turning points in wrestling. The longtime babyface going bad is something fans never thought they’d see, but they did, and it kick-started one of the biggest booms in wrestling history.
Seth Rollins Turns On The Shield
Before he was the Visionary, the Monday Night Messiah, or even the man behind the “Heist of the Century” at WrestleMania 31, Seth Rollins came up as a member of the Shield. Well, that all ended in June 2014 when Rollins turned on Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose and sided with the Authority, kicking off his Hall-of-Fame-worthy singles career.
Brian Pillman's Home Invasion
The late great “Flyin’” Brian Pillman gave wrestling fans one great moment after another before his untimely passing in October 1997, but he was also at the center of one of the WWF’s wildest incidents: the night Stone Cold invaded his house. The craziest part of the ordeal came when Pillman pointed a gun at his former “Hollywood Blondes” teammate.
Vince McMahon Shows Up On WCW Monday Nitro
One thing fans never thought they’d see was Vince McMahon showing up on Monday Nitro, but that’s what happened in March 2001 when the WWF Chairman appeared on screen after buying the company for pennies on the dollar. The laugh, the audacity, and the fact that the “Monday Night War” was over made this something we’ll never forget.
Adam Page Drinking Swerve Strickland's Blood
AEW Full Gear 2023 saw one of the craziest, bloodiest, and most extreme wrestling matches of all time, when Adam Page and Swerve Strickland put it all on the line in their Texas Death Match. If staples, barbed wire, and chairs weren’t enough, Hangman took things to the next level by drinking his opponent’s blood. Like, what?
CM Punk's 'Pipe Bomb' Promo
CM Punk’s “Pipe Bomb” promo in June 2011, the one where he put John Cena and the rest of WWE on watch, is one of those moments that’ll define not only his career but 2010s wrestling in general. The worked-shoot style of the extended monologue, the viciousness of his words, and the Summer of Punk that followed make this one we’ll never forget.
Robocop Saves Sting
There have been some wild cameos in wrestling over the years, but few come close to the utter insanity of RoboCop saving Sting in WCW. After the WCW mainstay was attacked and put in a cage by the Four Horsemen, Detroit’s finest came down the aisle to save his blonde bud.
Shane McMahon Tears His Quad At WrestleMania 39
Injuries are a common occurrence in wrestling, and everyone is going to get hurt in the ring at some point or another. Well, that time came for Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 39 when the part-timer stepped into the ring for the first time in a while. What’s so shocking about this is the fact that he somehow tore his quad when climbing into the ring.
The Judy Bagwell On A Forklift Match
Late-stage WCW was a strange and unpredictable place, where gimmick matches were turned up a few notches. One of the wildest came at New Blood Rising in 2000 when Buff Bagwell wrestled Kanyon, not for the gold, but to get his dear old mom off a forklift parked at ringside. We’re not making this up.
Vader Attacks A TV Show Host
During a Spring 1997 tour of the Middle East, the late Vader appeared on Good Morning Kuwait, a morning talk show where he and the Undertaker were discussing the WWF with the host. Though Taker stayed in line, Vader didn’t take too kindly to Bassam Al Othman’s questions about the legitimacy of the sport, resulting in the 400-pound monster attacking the journalist. According to the Sun, Vader was detained, and wrestling was banned in the country for some time.
Jon Moxley Putting A Bag Over Bryan Danielson's Head
AEW takes things to the extreme at times, and one of the best (or worst) examples of this happened at All Out 2024 when Jon Moxley turned on his Blackpool Combat Club stablemate Bryan Danielson by putting a bag over his head in an attempt to put him to sleep. It was intense, to say the least.
The Finger Poke Of Doom
There’s long been a debate about what killed WCW, but one of the biggest deciding factors is the “Finger Poke of Doom” from a January 1999 episode of Monday Nitro. On the same night, Mick Foley won his first WWF Championship on Raw (which WCW spoiled), Hollywood Hogan defeated WCW Champion Kevin Nash by poking him in the chest, revealing their warring NWO factions were working together. WCW never beat WWF in the ratings and would close two years later.
Brock Lesnar Nearly Paralyzes Himself At WrestleMania 19
Brock Lesnar’s had some incredible WrestleMania matches, but his first was nearly is last. Taking on Kurt Angle for the WWE Undisputed Championship at WM 19, Lesnar attempted a Shooting Star Press from the top turnbuckle and landed on his head inchese away from Angle’s prone body. It’s a miracle he survived.
The Katie Vick Incident
One of the most despicable actions by a heel in wrestling, Triple H once dressed up like Kane and acted like he was making love to his dead girlfriend at a funeral home. A lot of folks say the Attitude Era set a low bar for WWE, but this incident from the Ruthless Aggression days is one of the worst things to ever happen in the company.s
Big Boss Man Shows Up At Big Show's Dad's Funeral
Big Boss Man showing up at Big Show’s dad’s funeral has to be one of the most insane yet hilarious things to happen in wrestling. The pre-taped segment featuring the heel taunting his rival at a graveyard is the stuff of legend, as is Big Show being dragged behind a car at its conclusion.
Kane Sets The Undertaker's Casket On Fire
Kane and Undertaker’s feud in 1997 and 1998 is one of the wildest programs from the Attitude Era, and a highlight of the wrestlers’ respective careers. Costing his half-brother a victory in his signature match (a casket match) at Royal Rumble ‘98, Kane went even further by setting the coffin on fire with Taker still inside.
The Undertaker Tries To Embalm Steve Austin
Near the end of the ‘90s, the Undertaker became the most evil heel in WWF, especially during his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. One of the craziest moments came when the Ministry kidnapped Austin and attempted to embalm him. Obviously, Taker’s plan failed, but many of us thought we were about to see our favorite wrestler die on live TV.
Shane McMahon Being Suplexed Through A Sheet Of Glass
Shane McMahon would do anything to impress the fans (and his dad) when he got into the ring. That includes being suplexed through a sheet of glass by Kurt Angle at King of the Ring 2001. After a failed attempt (McMahon hit the glass but it didn’t shatter), Angle tried again, and McMahon went crashing through the shattered pane.
Brock Lesnar Mops The Floor With John Cena At SummerSlam 2014
Brock Lesnar defeating Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 wasn’t his only show-stopping performance in 2014, as the Beast Incarnate absolutely destroyed John Cena for the WWE Championship at that year’s SummerSlam. The crowd, which was fiery all night, was left in shock as Lesnar squashed the fan-favorite.
The Shockmaster's Debut
The Shockmaster was supposed to be the next big monster of WCW when the wrestler formerly known as Typhoon made his debut in 1993. However, his crashing and falling through the wall (losing his mask in the process) quickly put a stop to that and gave wrestling one of the most hilarious moments of all time.
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