10 Absolute WORST Wrestling Moments Of 2023

8. Shane McMahon's Return

Cody Rhodes Roman Reigns
WWE.com

Sorry, the title was clickbait.

This was the best, obviously, but in an effort to keep this list about the protection of kayfabe and how wrestling is supposed to look, there were fewer embarrassments as grand as Shane McMahon's at WrestleMania 39.

Making his first appearance since being fired by his own Father one year earlier, 'The Money' returned to be the second opponent for show host The Miz in as many nights, generating a nice nostalgia pop that would have at least justified the short brawl had everything gone to plan.

But it did not.

"Shane's still got it", Michael Cole gleefully exclaimed as a WrestleMania rematch ostensibly kicked off, but it was over before he'd completed the sentence - McMahon fell awkwardly on a leapfrog, tore his quad and lay there in agony as Miz improvised a mini-match with Snoop Dogg instead. This calamitous showdown was the last on-screen appearance of the man once considered the heir to the family business. He was left looking at the lights in that respect too.

 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett