5 Times WWE stars criticized other people's storylines

Nowadays, WWE Superstars only have to scroll through their social media timelines to receive instant feedback about their matches and storylines.

As well as fans’ opinions, it is easy for current-day WWE Superstars to find out what various colleagues and WWE legends have to say about their weekly storyline developments.

For example, WWE commentator Corey Graves interviews somebody associated with WWE every week on his podcast, and he also chimes in with his own opinions on the biggest storylines that people are talking about.

WWE legend Mick Foley has also been known to discuss WWE matters with his fans on social media, while the likes of AJ Styles and Paige have told stories about their careers on their Twitch channels.

Now, while the majority of WWE stars remain positive about the company’s on-screen product, some people have taken the bold approach of letting everybody know exactly what they think about certain storylines.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five WWE storylines that were criticized by other WWE stars.

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#5 Ember Moon criticized Sasha Banks and Bayley's WWE dominance

The Golden Role Models held all the gold in WWE

Although WWE Superstars are assigned to certain brands these days, Sasha Banks and Bayley were allowed to appear on all three of WWE’s main shows in the summer of 2020 following their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship victory over Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.

Banks and Bayley also held the WWE RAW Women’s Championship and WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship, respectively, in the build-up to SummerSlam 2020, meaning they held every title that is available to female Superstars on RAW and SmackDown.

Speaking on a Twitch stream in July 2020, WWE Superstar Ember Moon acknowledged that The Golden Role Models were performing well in their roles as the top villains across WWE’s women’s divisions.

However, she questioned why WWE decided to put so much emphasis on the same two women when the spotlight could have been given to other female Superstars, including the departing Kairi Sane.

“Sasha and Bayley have done a great job with the limited roster, but there are too many people sitting at home to tie up all the titles with two people.”

Moon’s comments came after Sane was attacked backstage by Bayley during a RAW Women’s Championship match between Asuka and Banks. Asuka opted to help her friend, which meant Banks won the match via countout.

“I was kind of upset. The match was superb, but I don't like the fact that knowing it was Kairi's last appearance. I don't know if that's the way you should go.” [H/T Wrestling Inc.]

Speaking to Bleacher Report, Bayley responded to Moon’s remarks by claiming that she and Banks were taking control of the women’s divisions in WWE because they did not see anybody else stepping up to the plate.

#4 Big E criticized Brock Lesnar’s WWE Championship win over Kofi Kingston

Big E has made no secret of the fact that he did not like the way that Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship reign came to an end.

Kingston won WWE’s most prestigious title from Daniel Bryan in one of the biggest feel-good moments of WrestleMania 35. The New Day member then defended the title against Superstars including Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler and Randy Orton over the next six months.

In October 2019, Kingston was faced with the toughest challenge of them all when he was booked to defend his title against Brock Lesnar on the first episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX.

Unfortunately for Kingston, he lost to Lesnar in just eight seconds and he never received a WWE Championship rematch.

Kingston did not create a fuss about WWE's booking decision, according to Big E, but he could not say the same for himself.

“I was irate when I found out about it. That’s a testament to Kofi. I’m not going to say no one else in the industry, but very, very few people would have that same approach and be able to move on and not have this feeling of sour grapes and that they were wronged.” [via The New Day’s Feel The Power podcast]

In storyline, Lesnar went on to feud with Cain Velasquez and Rey Mysterio in the weeks that followed, while Kingston admitted that he did not deserve a rematch due to the manner of his defeat.

#3 Mick Foley criticized the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble

Mick Foley took his WWE criticism to a whole new level when he smashed his own daughter’s television after the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble.

In the weeks leading up to the show, Batista returned to WWE for the first time in four years. Many people, including the man himself, wanted The Animal to return as a heel, but WWE’s decision-makers wanted him to work as a babyface.

Batista’s in-ring comeback was announced at a time when Daniel Bryan’s “Yes Movement” phenomenon was more popular than ever. Bryan had already cemented his status as WWE’s top good guy at that stage, which meant it was inevitable that fans would want him to win the Royal Rumble.

Unfortunately for the WWE Universe, it was not to be. Bryan, who lost to Bray Wyatt earlier in the night, did not even participate in the Rumble match. Batista, meanwhile, entered the match at No.28 and outlasted everyone to book his spot in the WrestleMania XXX main event.

As you can see in the video above, Foley decided to protest against Bryan’s omission from the match by destroying his daughter’s television with a baseball bat.

#2 Corey Graves criticized the Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley storyline on WWE RAW

The love triangle storyline between Bobby Lashley, Lana and Rusev featured prominently on WWE RAW between September 2019 and January 2020.

Relationship storylines often cause debates amongst the WWE Universe, and this one was no different.

After a ‘Divorce Court’ segment headlined the final episode of WWE RAW before Crown Jewel 2019, WWE commentator Corey Graves spoke about the controversial angle on his After The Bell podcast.

“Something that I don’t think you will enjoy – because God knows I haven’t – is this endless soap opera between Rusev and Lana and Lashley. My god, let it end. Let the suffering stop. I don’t feel bad for Rusev. I think Rusev looks ridiculous.”

Graves added that he struggled to get invested in the storyline because it came across like it was created by somebody who has never been in a relationship before.

The long-term story ended in January 2020 after Lashley and Lana defeated Rusev and Liv Morgan in a tag team match on WWE RAW.

Three months later, Rusev received his release from WWE as a cost-cutting measure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

#1 WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley criticized Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels

Mick Foley did not like WWE's handling of Bret Hart's exit

Mick Foley was not the only WWE Superstar who criticized the WWE Survivor Series 1997 main event, but he was the only one who felt so strongly about the situation that he decided to quit his job.

Heading into the pay-per-view, the departing Bret Hart was under the impression that he was going to retain the WWE Championship via disqualification against Shawn Michaels.

However, to prevent WCW-bound Hart from potentially showing up on WCW programming with the WWE Championship, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon changed the finish to the match at the last minute without The Hitman knowing.

The finish saw Michaels lock in the sharpshooter submission on Hart. Referee Earl Hebner then signalled for the end of the match, even though Hart did not submit, and Michaels won the WWE Championship in one of the most controversial moments in WWE history.

Speaking to Seaway News in 2014, Foley discussed his decision to no-show the episode of WWE RAW after Survivor Series. He also confirmed that he originally planned to leave WWE due to the incident.

“There was a Monday Night RAW that I missed following that pay-per-view out of protest. Then when my wife read my contract to me over the phone and I realized I'd just breached my contract and couldn't work anywhere in the world for five years.”

Needless to say, Foley stayed with WWE and continued to create memorable moments for many years after Survivor Series 1997.