7 Times WWE Fans Were The Worst
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These fans took it too far.
Less than 40 years ago--when fans still thought professional wrestling was real--things were simpler. Fans cheered the good guys and booed the bad guys. They accepted the narrative at face value. And even if savvy fans knew there was some funny business going on, they played along.
But today, fans know too much. It's led to a post-modern mess, where instead of criticizing the heels for cheating or cheering the heroes for winning, fans react to the performers behind those characters.
And correspondingly, when fans heckle, they cut deeper and meaner than ever before. Here are 7 times that WWE fans took things too far, when they decided they'd rather be the worst type of troll rather than a genuine spectator. And if you liked this list, be sure to check out our galleries on WWE Urban Legends and WWE Superstars trolling their fans. And check back at Gamespot Universe on July 15, when WWE Extreme Rules airs live on the WWE Network. We'll be covering the event all evening.
7. An NXT Takeover Audience Cannot Shut Up For 30 Seconds
At the first NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, Triple H wanted to do something special for the show's opening. He would start the show in the ring of the Barclays Center, with the lights down, and give a monologue. Then, when he raised his arms, the house lights would go up, revealing the a full house of cheering NXT fans. Pretty cool idea right?
Triple H asked the Brooklyn crowd to stay silent for 30 seconds, to sell the illusion that the arena was empty before the lights came up. Unfortunately, as you can see from watching this clip, they didn't listen, and chanted for everything from Chyna to CM Punk. There is even an unverified report that fans chanted for Chris Benoit, the former WWE Superstar who killed his wife, his son, and himself. This is why we can't have nice things.
6. The WWE Divas Receive Some Ugly Chants
The Raw after Wrestlemania has a notoriously rowdy, chant-heavy crowd filled with hardcore WWE fans, many of whom traveled for hundreds or thousands of miles to be there. But the crowd in San Jose after Wrestlemania 31 took the cake, and not in a good way.
Usually, the anti-Cena portion of the crowd chants, "Cena sucks!" But when Nikki Bella (who's dating Cena), Brie Bella (who's married to Daniel Bryan), Natalya (who's married to Tyson Kidd), and Naomi (who's married to Jey Uso) were performing in the ring, some fans chanted, "You suck Cena!" "You suck Bryan!" "You suck Tyson!" and "You suck Uso!" It was an embarrassment, and eventually, the rest of the crowd started chanting "We love Divas!" to drown them out.
5. The WWE Universe Heckles the New Universal Title Belt
At WWE Summerslam (2016), Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon unveiled the new, Raw-exclusive, WWE Universal Championship title belt. The first holder would be either Seth Rollins or Finn Balor, based on the outcome of that evening's title match.
But the look of the belt didn't sit right with some fans. The Brooklyn crowd booed and heckled the belt. And this would have been tolerable had it stopped there. Instead, the fans continued booing and chanting "This belt sucks!" for the entire subsequent match. Later, both Mick Foley and Seth Rollins would log onto social media and chastise the fans for their behavior.
4. Roman Reigns Haters Hijack the Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is an event when nearly every WWE Superstar drops his or her schtick for several hours, to honor the veterans who paved the way for their profession. It's expected that the audience conducts itself similarly; formal wear is encouraged, and WWE reminds the audience to be respectful at all times.
Unfortunately, a group of Roman Reigns haters couldn't hold themselves together. And when the camera panned over to Reigns in the crowd, they booed loudly, even though he was simply there, out of character, to pay his respects to his forebears. The first time, no one was affected, and Reigns even showed some humor about it. But the second time, the reaction was so loud that inductees The Rock 'n' Roll Express, at what should have been a career-defining moment, thought they were being booed instead of Reigns.
3. Dean Ambrose Fans Hate On Renee Young
It's not easy being a WWE Superstar on social media; these performers put up with a lot of verbal abuse and sexual harassment on a daily basis. But WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose has a devoted female fanbase that is outright vicious to his wife, WWE commentator Renee Young. Young commented on it once, in an Instagram post where she called her adult trolls "maniacs," and said this about her younger tormentors:
"I really wish people could focus on more important things in their lives, rather than stay up way past your bedtimes on a school night and try and tear down other people. It’s exhausting and it’s stupid and it’s so sad."
Even Summer Rae once had to step in on Young's behalf:
"TO EVERYONE IN THESE COMMENTS: I feel so so very sorry for most of you. The fact that you actually take your OWN precious time out of your day to make these lame comments is so weird. Like REALLY odd. Kinda creepy even that the infatuation with someone's personal life of a person you don't know could be THAT strong."
2. Fan Tries To Knock Eddie Guerrero Off A Ladder
Back in the day, fans would jump over the barricade, but it would be for (debatably) more noble reasons; if you think it's real, and your favorite wrestler's life is at risk, why wouldn't you try and interfere? But nowadays, there's no excuse. Fans who jump the barricades are simply looking to make a spectacle and hijack the show.
The worst fans put the health and lives of the performers in danger. In 2002, Eddie Guerrero was defending the Intercontinental Championship against Rob Van Dam in a ladder match on Raw. And an Oilers jersey-clad fan jumped in the ring and tried to knock Guerrero off the ladder. Fortunately, Guerrero jumped off the ladder before it went flying. He even got a punch and a kick in on his attacker, before the referee Earl Hebner and the security guards dragged him out of the ring.
1. Crazed Fan Tosses a Briefcase at Roman Reigns' Head
Again, a fan put a performer's health in danger. This time, it took place in Victoria, B.C.; Roman Reigns was wrestling at a live house show against Bray Wyatt, when a Money in the Bank briefcase replica went sailing through the air, striking Reigns in the back of the head.
Reigns was knocked woozy, and he spent some time recovering in the corner of the ring before finishing the match. The fan, meanwhile, was arrested, and although no one pressed charges, he was banned from all future WWE live events.