3 Superstars WWE removed from its website, and 2 that were erased from the Hall of Fame

Hogan and Vince McMahon
Hogan and Vince McMahon

A major corporation such as WWE needs to always make sure that nothing it churns out is controversial to the point that it would create a massive uproar among the fans. A company having more than a billion social media followers needs to keep a tab on any and every possible shady matter that its employees are involved in, as it can result in a major PR disaster for them.

Over the years, a number of WWE Superstars, Hall of Famers, and legends have been involved in controversies that led to WWE taking strict action against them. If the deed is something along the lines of a wellness policy violation, it leads to the Superstar getting suspended for a short period of time. On some occasions though, the actions of a Superstar warrant a punishment of the highest order. In this slideshow, we will take a look at 3 WWE Superstars who were removed by WWE from its website, and 2 who were removed from the Hall of Fame.


#5 Jack Gallagher (removed from WWE's website)

Jack Gallagher
Jack Gallagher

'Gentleman' Jack Gallagher was one of the most popular Superstars on the WWE 205 Live brand. After spending around a decade on the independent scene, the English pro-wrestler made his way to WWE and bagged an opportunity to compete in the Cruiserweight Classic by defeating Pete Dunne. He feuded with the likes of Ariya Daivari, The Brian Kendrick, and a few others during his stint in WWE.

Gallagher never managed to win the Cruiserweight title during his four-year run with WWE. Back in June, Gallagher was one of the wrestlers who was accused during the Speaking Out movement on Twitter. WWE quickly announced that Gallagher had been released from the company. He was soon removed from WWE's official website.

#4 Jimmy Snuka (removed from the WWE Hall of Fame)

Jimmy Snuka's controversies stayed with him to the very end
Jimmy Snuka's controversies stayed with him to the very end

WWE legend Jimmy Snuka made waves when he connected a Superfly Splash on Don Muraco in their iconic Steel Cage match in 1983. Snuka was also involved in the main event of the first-ever WrestleMania and accompanied Hulk Hogan & Mr. T to the ring. Snuka was also The Undertaker's first victim at WrestleMania, and lost to The Deadman in the latter's first appearance at The Show of Shows, at WrestleMania 7. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 for his contributions to the business.

Back in 2015, Snuka was charged with involuntary manslaughter and third-degree murder for the death of his girlfriend, Nancy Argentino. The 72-year-old WWE veteran was removed from the Hall of Fame as well as WWE's official website. Around the same time, it was revealed that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Snuka was clearly in no condition to stand trial at this point, and passed away on January 15, 2017, in Florida.

#3 Travis Banks (removed from WWE's website)

Travis Banks is no longer affiliated with WWE
Travis Banks is no longer affiliated with WWE

Gentleman Jack Gallagher wasn't the only WWE Superstar whose career came to an end courtesy the Speaking Out movement. Around the same time, New Zealand pro-wrestler Travis Banks was also on the receiving end of some serious allegations.

His first WWE match was at WrestleMania Axxess in 2017, in a losing effort against Mustafa Ali and Rich Swann. Banks teamed up with TK Cooper in his first WWE outing. He later took part in the second United Kingdom Championship Tournament. He managed to reach the finals of the tournament but was defeated by Zack Gibson in the end.

Banks was accused by a female wrestler named Millie McKenzie a short while ago. WWE released Banks on June 26, and he was entirely removed from the official website as well. John Pollock of Post Wrestling confirmed the same on social media and stated that Travis Banks had been released by WWE. Banks went on to release a statement on Twitter, but it didn't help his case one bit.

#2 Hulk Hogan (removed from the WWE Hall of Fame)

Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan

WWE legend Hulk Hogan is widely regarded as the greatest sports entertainer of all time. Hogan found success in wrestling as a good guy as well as a bad guy, but his life outside the wrestling bubble was marred with a string of controversies that hampered his reputation for good. The lowest point of Hogan's career came when a controversial tape was leaked in which he was heard making racist remarks.

WWE immediately took action and removed Hogan from its website. Hogan was also erased from the Hall of Fame section. His merchandise from WWE Shop was also removed by the company. Hogan was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame three years later, a move that received a mixed response from the WWE Universe on social media. Hogan made his return to WWE at the 2018 Crown Jewel PPV, as a host for the Saudi Arabia event. Hogan has since made several appearances for WWE, including a quick cameo to kick off WrestleMania 35 last year.

#1 Chris Benoit (removed from WWE's website)

Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit's professional wrestling career spanned more than two decades and saw him becoming World Champion both in WCW and WWE. Benoit had been on the receiving end of a long string of chair shots throughout his career, and his diving headbutt didn't do his condition any favors. After Benoit didn't turn up for WWE's weekend events in June 2007, police launched an investigation and ended up discovering bodies of Benoit, his wife, and son in their home.

Vince McMahon took immediate action and Benoit's record was completely erased from the WWE website. Benoit was not mentioned again on WWE TV. If you have the WWE Network, you might have noticed that the description of every match Benoit has been a part of, doesn't mention his name at all. For instance, a Last Man Standing match between Edge and Benoit would be dubbed as "Edge competes in a Last Man Standing match". Benoit's heinous actions in the final moments of his life made sure that his legacy would never be acknowledged by WWE ever again.

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Edited by Kaushik Das
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