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While many may believe so, pro wrestling involves much more than just putting up good matches inside the squared circle. Ask any WWE Superstar and they'll tell you just how important the art of telling a good story is as far as captivating the crowd is concerned.
And thus we have the WWE Creative in place which is tasked with the job of taking into consideration a Superstar's gimmick, past history, ability on the mic, and in-ring wrestling ability to concoct engaging feuds and storylines.
While most storylines in WWE are scripted, the company has often taken note of real incidents playing out in the lives of the company's Superstars and used that to good effect to spin a yarn inside the ring. Let us now look at seven such instances where WWE blurred the lines between reality and kayfabe to give us storylines based on real-life situations.
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#7 Drake Maverick gets released by WWE
Let me start off by using the most recent occurrence of a real-life situation finding its way into a WWE storyline. Drake Maverick was one of the umpteen Superstars let go of by WWE on 15 April 2020 as a result of budget cuts.
Maverick put up a very emotional post of Twitter moments after the news of his release had become public but did confirm that he will still participate in the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship that was yet to commence at the time.
We've seen WWE make good use of the angle as Maverick has been portrayed as a distraught individual fighting the world and himself in a bid to win the tournament and get his job jack.
Interestingly, the former 205 Live General Manager is still in the running for the ultimate prize. He will square off against Kushida and Jake Atlas in a Triple Threat match next week on the Black and Gold brand that would decide who will face El Hijo del Fantasma in the final of the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament.
The angle certainly has been a hit with certain portions of the WWE Universe who've found a piece of themselves in the quest of a man trying his best to keep hold of his job in trying circumstances. And it's not just the underdog story, it's the fact that Drake Maverick has actually put up great matches in the process that really has the fans hooked.
#6 Bret Hart decides to bury the hatchet with WWE's head honcho
If you have been following WWE for some time now and do not live under a rock, you're probably aware of the Montreal Screwjob, the most controversial incident in the history of the company. In case you still need a refresher, you can check the details of the incident here.
The Hitman would end up having a real-life beef with both Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon as a result of the whole fiasco.
12 years on from that fateful incident at Survivor Series in 1997, Bret Hart would return to WWE and host the 4th January 2010 episode of RAW. Hart would then confront HBK and Vince in a bid to settle differences.
While Michaels would end up shaking hands with The Hitman, Mr. McMahon would low blow him, which renewed the on-screen animosity the two. The whole scenario was obviously a work because both Hart and Vince were already on talking terms in real life.
The storyline would conclude at WrestleMania 26 where Bret Hart emerged victorious over the WWE chairman in a No Holds Barred match.
#5 Maria Kanellis announces her pregnancy on WWE RAW
Back in July last year, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch were the hottest couple in WWE and would face off against Mike and Maria Kanellis in a mixed tag team match on RAW.
During the bout, it was The Man's turn to fight it out with Maria but the latter would escape outside the ring, grab hold of a microphone and announce that she's pregnant in a bid to prevent Lynch from attacking her.
While it may have shocked the WWE Universe, the announcement was very much real. However, WWE would then use the situation to build a storyline for Mike and Maria. The latter would berate her husband and claim that he wasn't man enough. Once Mike would win the 24/7 Championship, Maria would instruct him to lay down so that she could pin her and become the next champion.
Because she was pregnant at the time, other members of the WWE roster would hold off on trying to challenge for the 24/7 title. Mike would eventually win the championship back and drop it to R-Truth.
Both Mike and Maria were among the Superstars let go of by WWE on 15 April 2020 as a result of the budget cuts.
#4 CM Punk addresses Jeff Hardy's real-life issues on WWE TV
CM Punk had an impeccable feud with Jeff Hardy back in 2009 involving the World Heavyweight Championship. Moments after Hardy won the title at WWE Extreme Rules against Edge, Punk would cash in his Money in the Bank contract and get the win to claim the championship.
Following his title defense against The Charismatic Enigma at The Bash, Punk would take centerstage on SmackDown and shock the WWE Universe with a scathing promo where he took a dig at Hardy's history of drug abuse.
Punk is well known for being strictly against the consumption of drugs and alcohol while Hardy has a history with these vices. During the 1st July 2009 episode of SmackDown, this is how Punk would target Hardy's real-life issues:
"This is Polymyxin B Sulfate. I have to apply this to my eye three times a day. The only way you obtain this, is with a description from a doctor. Now, I know, you know a thing or two about subscription medication. What I don't think you realize, is that you have to go to a doctor to legally obtain some. Unlike you, Jeff, this is the only foreign substance I will allow in my body. So, if you wanna imitate me, why don't you try living a clean lifestyle? Why don't you try living a straight edge lifestyle?" [H/T: Cagematch]
Punk would then go on to add how he's never been to rehab and is a clean slate. The feud would end with both Punk and Hardy facing each other in a steel cage mage on SmackDown, with a loser leaves WWE stipulation. The latter would lose and eventually leave the company. The storyline was actually put in place to allow Hardy to leave WWE in order to recover from his injuries.
#3 John Cena and The Rock finally clash on WWE TV
John Cena and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson engaged in a lengthy feud in the early 2010s, one that saw the duo headline WrestleMania 28 and 29, the latter one being a match for the WWE Championship which Cena won.
Prior to the beginning of the feud though, Cena had criticized The Rock for leaving the WWE for pursuing a career as an actor. In an interview with The Sun in 2008, this is what Big Match John had to say about the Brahma Bull:
"Explain to me why he can't come back for a 15th Anniversary show or why he can't make an appearance at Wrestlemania. Simply put it's because he wants to be an actor....Just don't f*** me around and tell me that you love this when you are just doing this to do something else. That's the only thing that gets me really pissed off."
Now when The Rock made appear on WWE RAW in February 2011, he would cut a promo about being the host of WrestleMania 27 before insulting Cena for talking trash about him.
The Rock would even cost Cena his match against The Miz at 'Mania that year for the WWE Championship. The two would agree to face each other at WrestleMania 28 and The Brahma Bull would eventually pick up the win after delivering the Rock Bottom.
Cena and The Rock would clash at WrestleMania one last time the next year and Big Match John would finally get one over The Great One and win the WWE title in the process. Now a movie star himself, John Cena has gone on to apologize to The Rock for his previous comments.
#2 Matt Hardy-Lita-Edge love triangle rocks WWE
Matt Hardy started brewing trouble on social media back in early 2005 after learning that his then-girlfriend Lita whom he had been dating for close to six years was having an affair with one of Hardy's close friends in Edge. The misconduct on part of Hardy resulted in WWE releasing him and the heat garnered as a result allowed Edge and Lita to turn into a heel couple.
Fans, however, raised their voice in support of Hardy and WWE eventually brought him back. Hardy and Edge would face-off at SummerSlam that year but The Rated-R Superstar would reign supreme after a referee stoppage due to Hardy bleeding and not being able to continue. Hardy would then get his revenge at Unforgiven as he came up trumps in a steel cage match.
To end the rivalry, Edge and Hardy fought each other in a ladder match on WWE RAW Homecoming where the loser would leave the Red brand and the winner would be awarded The Rated-R Superstar's Money in the Bank briefcase. An interference from Lita would see Edge walk out the victor.
#1 CM Punk shocks WWE Universe with the Pipebomb
On the 27 June, 2011 episode of RAW, CM Punk would interfere in a Tables match between John Cena and R-Truth, helping the latter win. He would then go ahead and cut an unscripted promo highlighting how WWE would never give him the spotlight he deserves, Vince McMahon's brass rings, and John Cena getting opportunity after opportunity among other things.
By that time, Punk had actually gotten frustrated with the creative direction that he was given by the company and the fact that WWE allowed him to go out and speak his mind resulted in him striking a chord with the WWE Universe.
It had become clear by then that Punk and Triple H didn't see eye to eye. The Best in the World did go on to win the WWE Championship match against Cena at SummerSlam that year, but he was trumped minutes later by Alberto Del Rio who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase following an attack on Punk by Kevin Nash.
As has now been revealed by the man himself, Punk would also never get his wish of headlining WrestleMania fulfilled and WWE would give him the short end of the stick by firing him on his wedding day.
