10 Dark Truths About WWE

10 Dark Truths About WWE

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re exploring the darkest and most disturbing scandals, facts, and allegations involving WWE and its wrestlers throughout the promotion’s long history.

WWE in Saudi Arabia

After spending a few years performing house shows in Saudi Arabia, WWE announced the first pay-per-views in the country with 2018’s “Greatest Royal Rumble.” Immediately, many fans and critics were unhappy with the decision. To begin with, women weren’t allowed to perform at the event. It wasn’t until multiple PPVs later, with 2019’s “Crown Jewel,” that women were allowed to wrestle, albeit with altered gear. Due to Sami Zayn having Syrian heritage, and with Syria having issues with Saudi Arabia, he was absent. Several other wrestlers refused to go to other Saudi events, including Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, and John Cena. Tensions grew further in the wake of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, the wrestler’s plane being held at the airport, and various human rights concerns.

Rita Chatterton's Ordeal

In 2017, WWE claimed that Jessika Carr was the first woman referee to officiate in their ring. However, that wasn’t the case. In 1985, despite pushback from some officials, Chatterton was the first woman referee. However, a year later, she was fired from the promotion. In 1992, while on “Geraldo,” Chatterton accused WWE owner Vince McMahon of assaulting her, which contributed to her departure. After the interview aired, McMahon and his wife, Linda, issued a lawsuit against Rivera and Chatterton. However, the case was abandoned with several other scandals dominating McMahon’s attention. In 2022, when further misconduct allegations emerged -- more on that later -- Chatterton sued McMahon for $11.75 million. The case was settled shortly after.

The Murder of the Iron Sheik's Daughter

One of the greatest to step inside the ring, the Iron Sheik’s life collapsed in 2003 when his daughter, Marissa Jeanne Vaziri, was murdered. After an argument with her boyfriend, Charles Warren Reynolds, she reportedly attempted to get him to leave their apartment, but he killed her. During the trial, the Sheik hid a razor blade in his mouth and planned to get revenge against Reynolds, only for the Iranian wrestler to be stopped by his family. Reynolds was convicted of the crime and died in jail in 2016. Following Marissa’s murder, the Sheik’s substance issues, which he'd had for a while, spiralled out of control further. After stints in rehab, his wife leaving for several years, and multiple relapses, Sheik became sober in 2013.

The Original Screwjob

In 1985, Wendi Richter was enjoying her second reign as WWE’s Women’s champion. Yet behind the scenes, she was clashing with McMahon over pay and allegations that she’d refused to sign a new contract, which Richter denied. At her first title defense, she took on the masked wrestler, the Spider, at Madison Square Garden. Yet the match turned into a shoot when the Spider pinned Richter, and the ref counted to three despite her kicking out. In the aftermath, the Spider was revealed to be the Fabulous Moolah. 12 years later, McMahon went back to that well again. With reigning champion Brett Hart mirroring Richter’s situation, he was a victim of the Montreal Screwjob, where the referee claimed the Canadian had submitted, when he hadn’t.

Sable's Lawsuit

In the early days of WWE’s Attitude Era, Sable was one of the biggest names on the roster. Shortly after losing the Women’s Championship to Debra in 1999, Sable quit the company. She then issued a $110 million lawsuit against WWE for harassment and unsafe working conditions. WWE counter-sued, leading to an out-of-court settlement. Another wrestler who sued WWE was Dawn Marie. In 2006, she filed a suit, claiming the company fired her after discovering she was pregnant. The case was settled in 2007. Speaking of pregnancy, there were allegations that Kharma, AKA Awesome Kong, was punished for becoming pregnant. After suffering a miscarriage and struggling with her mental health and weight as a result, she was released by WWE in 2012.

The Fabulous Moolah's Alleged Exploitation

For 2018’s “WrestleMania 34,” WWE announced “The Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal.” After all, she was a trailblazer in the industry, holding title belts for a record amount of time. However, instead of being a tribute to her wrestling legacy, it opened a hornet's nest of scandal. Allegations resurfaced that Moolah had exploited women who were students at her wrestling school. This included taking a chunk of the wrestler’s income from bookings, not paying her trainers, and using backstage politics to cement her status in wrestling. Yet one of the biggest allegations was that when booking her students at promotions, she offered the women as intimate leverage, leading to allegations of assault. With the backlash, WWE quietly changed the name of the battle royale.

Jimmy Snuka & the Death of Nancy Argentino

With a long history of winning titles and putting on amazing matches, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka was an unsung legend of the industry. However, in 1983, shortly after performing for WWE, the emergency services arrived at his motel room to find his mistress, Nancy Argentino, badly hurt from an attack. Unfortunately, she didn’t survive. With a history of arrests for attacking Argentino, suspicion immediately fell on Snuka. However, he wasn’t charged with the crime. That changed in 2015 when Snuka was arrested for Argentino’s murder, which he pleaded not guilty to. In 2016, Snuka was deemed unfit to stand trial, causing the charges to be dropped in 2017. Shortly after, Snuka passed away, leaving Argentino’s case unanswered.

The Steroids Case

During the trial of Dr. George Zahorian III, who was later convicted for illegally supplying anabolic steroids, he alleged that he’d provided the controversial substances to WWE wrestlers. This sparked the authorities to investigate the company. In 1994, Vince McMahon was brought to trial on allegations he’d given steroids to wrestlers. To boost their case, the government brought in former WWE wrestler Nailz as a witness. He was fired two years ago for attacking McMahon, and later, Nailz issued a lawsuit claiming that he was assaulted by the owner. However, with Nailz’s history with McMahon and announcing he hated the owner, doubts were placed in the jury’s mind. In the end, McMahon was found not guilty. Afterwards, the WWE put a focus on smaller wrestlers.

The Chris Benoit Murders

After no-showing an event in 2007, where he was scheduled to win a title, the next night on “WWE Raw,” McMahon announced the sad news that Chris Benoit, a fan favorite wrestler, had passed away. As a result, the rest of the show was in the Canadian’s honor. However, the truth then emerged. Over the weekend, Benoit had killed his wife, Nancy, and his son, Daniel. He then took his own life. Findings later found that Benoit had severe CTE, and doctors compared his brain to that of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient. Following the confirmation of the murders, WWE distanced itself from Benoit’s crimes by removing him from promotional material and avoiding featuring him in any released archive footage.

Vince McMahon Trafficking Scandal

In 2022, WWE’s board of directors discovered McMahon had spent millions to settle lawsuits against him for misconduct. As such, he briefly retired from WWE before returning in 2023. However, in 2024, Janel Grant issued her lawsuit against him, which led to McMahon’s resignation once again. She alleged that when working for WWE from 2019 to 2022, she was forced into intimate acts with McMahon, as well as being assaulted by him. He then trafficked her to others working for WWE, including John Laurinaitis, and videos of her were used to entice Brock Lesnar to sign a new contract. McMahon has denied the allegations. In 2024, Grant agreed to halt her lawsuit to provide the authorities a chance to investigate the case.

What other dark scandal about WWE did we miss from the video? Let us know below.