As per latest reports, over 2.77 billion people visit social media sites around the world. The numbers are expected to get as high as 3 billion in just the next two years. Undoubtedly, social media has its own advantages and disadvantages. Most WWE Superstars use social media - mostly to build their rivalries and to keep fans updated.
With new technology evolving every day, a programmer's biggest challenge is to keep everything encrypted. It’s crucial in today’s time when almost everything can get hacked. I know what you’re thinking. Why should I know these things? Well, you have a point. This is not our job to keep these things in mind.
But still, we all use social media (including WWE Superstars). Encryption and other technology related things just fly over our head, which is why we don’t focus on them a lot. For an average person, it may not be a big deal, but to celebrities, it is a severe issue. Many Superstars have got their social media accounts hacked, and it has hurt many of them. These are 5 WWE Superstars who were also a victim of this.
#5 John Cena
Seeing cryptic posts in John Cena’s Instagram account, many fans have wondered if his account was hacked or not. If you haven’t noticed yet, the bio section clearly says that everything will be posted without explanations.
Even though his social media accounts are currently safe, in 2012, however, an anonymous person got access to The Champ’s Twitter. The hacked posted several photos and messages to people around the world. But, it didn’t take long before things got solved.
Two years later, Cena’s Facebook page got hacked, with the hacker posting a topless picture of an old man. In a matter of minutes, everything got resolved, and since then, no such incident happened again.
#4 Rhyno
Rhyno isn’t a popular name among the WWE Universe. Considering he's a former ECW Champion, it’s quite surprising. Since joining WWE, however, the creative team never let him reach his full potential. Although he has won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship with Heath Slater.
Their reign ended after 83 days, and since then, Rhyno has only worked as a jobber. Recently, news emerged that he has retired now and as a proof, WWE removed him from their “Current Superstars” section on WWE.com.
A year ago, Rhyno’s Twitter got hacked. Not only did his username changed and all tweets got deleted, but the hacker also encouraged fans to buy bitcoins. Making things bad to worse, a fan registered a new account using “Rhyno313” username. However, things quickly got resolved, and the wrestling veteran got his account (and username) back. Some fans also revealed that they got irrelevant messages under Rhyno’s name.
#3 Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon is one of the most powerful women in WWE. She isn't a wrestler, but her voice is enough to destroy someone. However, in the digital world, she doesn't have many controls. In 2016, the Billion Dollar Princess got hacked, not only once but two times.
Earlier that year, she informed fans that her Instagram account had been hacked. Someone changed her profile name to “bro tweets” and also posted some random images and videos. The webmaster team at WWE resolved the issue quickly, and things got back to normal.
Later that year, Stephanie got hacked - once again - but this time it was her Facebook page. It took a while before WWE (and Facebook) got aware of the situation but then it took no time in getting things fixed for the Ladyboss. Now, it seems like WWE's social media team is taking special care of her account to make sure it doesn't get hacked again.
#2 Cesaro
The WWE Universe has always appreciated the way Cesaro has performs in the ring. He has the potential to become a top-class Superstar in WWE but Vince doesn't want him to be pushed. It is why many fans are upset and angry at the same time.
What's interesting is that this caused his account getting hacked. In 2016, a fan hacked Cesaro's Twitter account and posted several tweets against Vince McMahon and WWE. The hacker went as far as saying that it would be better for WWE if Vince gets cancer. Some fans were shocked after seeing these types of things but it was clear that it wasn't Cesaro who was saying these things.
Before things could get any worse, WWE resolved the issue quickly. However, the Swiss Sensation still hasn't received the push we asked for. Although, he did make a name for himself in the tag team division.
#1 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has always been vocal about WWE and his relationship with Superstars working there. He has revealed many secrets of Triple H and Vince McMahon through his podcast and interviews, but this time, the case is a bit different.
In 2015, Jericho's Twitter account got hacked. At first, nothing seemed suspicious but then the hacker group “Galvanize Mob” started posting offensive tweets against WWE (with the main focus being on Triple H and Vince McMahon).
I can't share images of the tweets here, but if you wish, you can take a look at them here. Unsurprisingly, it took no time for Jericho in getting his account back. Later, the tweets got removed from his profile. Since then, no such incident has happened with the listmaker.
So this was my take on this topic. If you have an interesting story to share then feel free to tell me through the comment section.