5 controversial WWE segments that grabbed headlines

WWE today is known for being a family friendly show, and for providing entertaining television for people of all ages. Although WWE wasn’t always as age appropriate as it is now, arguably the most famous era in professional wrestling history – the Attitude Era - focused on delivering edgy content which generated great ratings for TV.Along the way, WWE aired some of the most outrageous storylines and angles, and although Vince McMahon and the WWE shy away from any negative publicity today, they had no issues with putting on some really controversial segments earlier which polarized the fans between pro-wrestling and entertainment.In this article, we take a look at five such segments.

#1 Vince McMahon makes Trish Stratus bark like a dog

In today’s world, where women demand equal rights as men, and aren’t afraid to speak against sexism, one wonders just how the WWE got away without much negative publicity after the chairman of the biggest sports entertainment organization in the world made one of his employees bark like a dog. What made it worse was him asking Trish to get on all fours while doing it!

Vince and Trish always had a rocky on – screen relationship, but one wouldn’t have imagined that things would escalate to such an extent. In one of the most controversial moments in the history of the company, Vince McMahon made the former WWE women’s champion and the Hall of Famer get down on all fours and bark like a dog!

#2 Mae Young gives birth to a hand

During the time when the Attitude Era was in full swing in the company, WWE pulled every possible stunt in the book. From having a character who was a transgender to having some Asians chop Val Venis’s penis off, WWE pushed the envelope with most of its storylines, but the night when Mark Henry and a 77 year old Mae Young delivered a rubber hand as their love child would have to take the icing on the cake.

During early 2000, Mark Henry started dating Mae Young, and the couple soon made it public that Mae was pregnant with Henry’s child. Fast forward to a couple of months later during a controversial segment, Mae Young gave “birth” to a bloody rubber hand! WWE even poked fun at themselves several years later, showing Mae Young’s hand all grown up.

Due to explicit content issues, we haven’t displayed the video on our site. You can watch it at this link.

#3 Edge and Litas live celebration on RAW

Edge was one of the most underrated superstars on the roster, while Lita was one of the company’s top heels. WWE used their real life controversy and what resulted was pure magic.

Edge and Lita instantly became the most hated superstars on the roster, and Edge finally won the “big one”, winning the WWE championship from John Cena. Edge then did something that was unheard of in the WWE – the same company that kept pushing the envelope during the Attitude Era, and made everyone raise their eyebrows with their antics.

Edge told the world that they would be having a live sex celebration on RAW the next night.

Sure enough, on the next episode, Edge and Lita got under the covers and made out, and the segment became the highest rated segment on RAW in over a year, dragging a 5.2 rating! This not only made Edge one of the most controversial champions in WWE history, but also gave the fans a glimpse of Lita, who was seen unclothed under the sheets.

Due to explicit content issues, we haven’t displayed the video on our site. You can watch it at this link.

#4 The Big Boss Man drags Big Shows fathers casket

WWE nowadays is all about family values and family TV, but there was a period in the company when the organization bordered on criminal offense, and one such instance happened during the Big Boss Man–Big Show feud.

Although no one quite understood why the rivalry began in the first place, Boss Man made Show’s life a living hell, and the WWE decided to take things up a notch. They introduced Show’s father, who was a cancer patient, and Boss Man went from lying about his father’s death, to actually dragging his casket through the cemetery with Big Show on top!

For those who might be confused with the above paragraph, Boss Man was the ultimate bad guy who not only teased Show about his father’s death, but literally gate-crashed his funeral and dragged away his body!

#5 Triple H making out with Katie Vick

The number one spot goes to none other than Triple H, to no real surprise. In what is arguably the most controversial segment to have made it to TV, Triple H made his rivalry with Kane a little too personal, and warned Kane that he would reveal his secret to the whole world. Triple H then accused Kane of killing his girlfriend, and then of necrophilia! Triple H then aired a video of himself dressed as Kane, dry-humping a mannequin in a casket!

When we look back, it is almost unbelievable that a company that shies away from negative publicity aired something related to necrophilia. On the other hand, people also argue that the fans have become more sensitized, and hence, something like the Attitude Era can never be replicated in the WWE. Either way, everyone agrees with the fact that this segment should have never made it on-air.