10 Times WWE & Pro-Wrestling Fights Turned REAL

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For decades, WWE kept up the idea of kayfabe—that everything you see is authentic. However, in recent years, they’ve let the curtain slip to acknowledge that “sports entertainment” is a work of fiction. But what happens when the lines become blurred, and the intense in-ring action actually does turn real? Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down 10 terrifying times pro-wrestlers lost their cool, and didn’t pull their punches.

#10: Charlotte Flair vs Nia Jax

In the wrestling world, a match that goes violently offscript is called a “shoot,” and boy did one take place during a 2021 “Raw” match between Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax. Because wrestling is such a high-risk activity, respect and cooperation are required by both participants to ensure safety. Those ingredients were totally missing when these two titans, who were already notorious for being hard to work with, went head-to-head. It’s unclear if tempers flared before they stepped into the ring, but early parts of the match were noticeably stiff—meaning the women struck each other with excessive force. Tension continued to build as the two began sandbagging, or failing to properly sell the other’s moves to make them seem weak. Microphones around the ring picked up several verbal disagreements, which actually sounded like the two throwing threats around. The cringe-inducing bout came to an end when Jax dropped her on her back with devastating power, and pinned the champion.

#9: Raja Jackson vs Syko Stu

This vicious attack was so shocking, it brought an indie wrestling federation to nationwide headlines. In August 2025, KnoX Pro Wrestling Academy put on a local event where MMA legend Rampage Jackson’s son, Raja, was set to intervene in a match featuring wrestler Syko Stu. The two established the feud in a backstage moment, when Stu smashed a beer can over Raja’s head. Despite this being a work, Raja seemed agitated, so Stu stepped in to offer an apology and ensure things could still run smoothly. The entire night’s events were recorded on livestream, as Raja jumped in the ring and slammed Stu with such force that he knocked him unconscious. Raja then laid into the fallen wrestler with a barrage of punches so violent that Stu had to be hospitalized. The story gets even stranger, because Raja then stated that he was told to really hit Stu by higher-ups. The promotion denies these allegations, with many calling for Raja to be arrested.

#8: Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs “Macho Man” Randy Savage

These two legends had an absolutely epic feud in the ‘90s, which saw one of the most bizarre shoots to ever take place—considering it wasn’t the wrestlers, but a reptile that inflicted too much damage. Roberts, who used a snake named Lucifer to taunt his opponents, came up with the idea to have the serpent bite Savage during a heated segment. Roberts actually agreed, but things quickly went off the rails when Lucifer refused to let go. In fact, the snake began to sink its fangs deeper and gnaw at Savage, while Roberts desperately tried to pry it off. Since the moment was pre-taped, the televised version was edited down. However, the live audience was subjected to several minutes of excruciating torture. Multiple wrestlers had to run down to the ring to help detach the cobra, and Savage suffered a severe reaction to the bite. Although Lucifer had been de-venomized, Savage still developed a high fever, and required a brief hospitalization to treat his ballooning arm.

#7: Chris Jericho vs Shane McMahon

Shane-O-Mac, the son of Vince McMahon and one of WWE’s all-time greatest nepo-babies, was never a full-time wrestler. In fact, he’s wavered heavily over how involved he should be with the company. Though when he’s committed, he’s committed (take the infamous dive off the cell at “WrestleMania”). The over-zealous “wrestler” got a bit too aggressive with Chris Jericho during a 2016 “Survivor Series” match. Although not out of anger, Shane landed a few punches to Jericho’s face with far more force than required. This sent Jericho into a bit of a rage outside the ring. In order to put the part-timer in check, he delivered a firm boot to the chest that sent Shane flying. But this instance of Jericho giving Shane his receipts was far from over! With Shane finally laid out, Jericho made a few audible calls, signalling that he was done taking stiff shots, and Shane needed to show more restraint.

#6: Kurt Angle vs Daniel Puder

During a 2004 episode of “Smackdown,” Tough Enough competitor Daniel Puder was a bit too eager to show off his wrestling abilities against Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle. After a quick squash match where Angle accidentally broke his opponent Chris Nawrocki’s ribs, the adrenaline-fueled hothead challenged the group of hopefuls to step into the ring with him. When Puder actually accepted, the bell rang and the unplanned match was underway. In a live call, the referee instructed the men to have a “freestyle” match. But when Puder put Angle in a Kimura Lock that threatened to break his arm, the ref had to quickly cut the segment short by counting to three despite Puder’s shoulder being up. The amateur attempted to shake the hall-of-famer’s hand, but Angle wasn’t having it. Later, at the “Royal Rumble,” Chris Benoit, Hardcore Holly, and Eddie Guerrero gave Puder a pretty legitimate beatdown to teach him a lesson, and he was released from the company soon after.

#5: Sexy Star vs Rosemary

During a four-way match at Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide’s “TripleMania,” Sexy Star began to shoot on Rosemary for reasons that are still unknown. During the finish, she applied too much torque on an armbar submission, refusing to let go even after Rosemary tapped out. This hyperextension actually popped Rosemary’s arm out of place, resulting in a minor injury. In the aftermath, Sexy Star broke her silence to declare that this was all a work, but Rosemary took to Twitter insisting that Sexy Star was lying, went off-script, and should never step foot in the locker room again. Ultimately, Rosemary got her wish. Sexy Star was stripped of her title and hasn’t appeared at the federation since. Numerous promoters also spoke out to ensure that she would be blacklisted from other organizations.

#4: Perry Saturn vs Mike Bell

In the early 2000s, Perry Saturn joined WWF as a formidable heel. However, one controversial match against a local wrestler completely derailed his career. On a taping of “WWF Metal,” Saturn was booked in a squash match against jobber Mike Bell. A botched arm drag caused Saturn to land awkwardly, after which he legitimately attacked Bell out of anger. Because Saturn viewed Bell’s poorly executed move as a lack of respect, he was intent on dishing out the same dose of pain by tossing the unknown out of the ring onto his neck. Rather than pinning Bell, Saturn continued to deliver receipt after receipt until the match was over. WWF executives were not pleased with Saturn’s flare-up, and in retaliation he received an immediate character change. He was now saddled with a dopey gimmick that saw him in love with a mop named “Moppy.” Saturn was no longer seen as a legitimate threat in the division, and would never reach those pre-incident heights again.

#3: JBL vs The Blue Meanie

At the 2005 ECW “One Night Stand” PPV, a major brawl erupted in the ring featuring nearly the entire roster. Amidst the action was The Blue Meanie, who’d recently taken to the internet to voice how top-guy JBL was a bit of a bully. Unfortunately for him, JBL was in the ring too, and he was out for revenge. During the rumble, JBL can be seen laying into Blue Meanie, pulling his shirt over his face and landing shots that Meanie couldn’t see coming. The controversial moment left Meanie bloodied, but he’d get the last laugh in an upcoming edition of “Smackdown.” During a match against JBL, his buddy Stevie Richards delivered an incredibly stiff chair shot that split JBL open, and gave the brute a concussion.

#2: Yoshiko vs Act Yasukawa

Amongst the most grizzly real-life brawls, this 2015 Stardom match completely upended a burgeoning career. The all women’s, Japanese wrestling federation had been dominated by Yoshiko for years. But up-and-comer Act Yasukawa, who was totally over with the fans, threatened to upend that reign. The younger, fitter, and now more popular Yasukawa sparked jealousy within Yoshiko, who was not prepared to give her opponent an easy fight. Yoshiko immediately asserted her power with a flurry of closed-fist attacks. With the challenger visibly swollen and leaking blood, the referee attempted to warn the veteran that she needed to go easier. Yoshiko ignored these pleas, and continued to inflict ghastly amounts of damage. The injuries were so severe that Yasukawa had to completely retire from wrestling, and has only made a few very small appearances since. Companywide repercussions rolled out as a result of the devastating match, including the release of Yoshiko.

#1: Earthquake vs Koji Kitao

When these two former sumo wrestlers collided at 1991’s “Wrestlefest,” it was more than just the integrity of the ring that had been shaken. Kitao was known for his bad attitude, having been fired from multiple organizations for misconduct. And his bout against Earthquake was no different. Aggravated by a series of holds Earthquake performed, Kitao lashed out by throwing a table at his opponent. Amidst this temper tantrum, fans began to turn on the bad boy wrestler, who delivered a stiff slap and went for a dangerous eye gouge. A staredown ensued, and when the referee attempted to intervene, Kitao legitimately kicked him across the ring. This resulted in a disqualification, but Kitao still wasn’t finished. In one of the most shocking outbursts, Kitao grabbed a mic and shouted to the crowd, "Wrestling is fake! I’d never lose a real fight to Earthquake!” This was a major faux-pas, and a number of infuriated WWF wrestlers were prepared to jump Kitao when he came back around the curtain. He was fired from the promotion, and would only make a few small appearances after the incident.

Which of these moments do you remember seeing play out live? Did you realize things had taken a turn for the worse? Let us know below.