Pro wrestling is an industry built on illusion. From kayfabe storylines to “worked shoots” that blur the lines between reality and fiction, the entire business thrives on making fans question what’s real and what’s not. Over the years, though, some myths have taken on a life of their own; whispered about in locker rooms, argued over on message boards, and passed down like campfire stories at indie shows.
But here’s the thing: not all of them are true. Some are flat-out wrong, others are exaggerations, and a few are so ridiculous you almost want them to be real because they make wrestling seem even wilder.
Today, let’s bust ten of the most persistent myths in wrestling history with a little insider talk and a lot of SEO-friendly keyword goodness for the wrestling fans searching for this stuff at 3 a.m.
The Montreal Screwjob Was 100% a Shoot
For decades, fans have treated the Montreal Screwjob like gospel: Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels went rogue, screwed Bret Hart out of the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 1997, and wrestling was never the same.
Except it’s not quite that simple.
Yes, Bret didn’t know the exact finish, and yes, he punched Vince backstage, which sounds pretty shoot to me. But over time, interviews from Earl Hebner, Jim Cornette, and even Bret himself have revealed there was way more conversation and planning behind the scenes than we were led to believe.
Some fans now believe it was a “worked shoot” meant to generate controversy and give Vince the Mr. McMahon character. Others argue Bret was partially aware but thought the screwjob would go down differently. Whatever the truth, it wasn’t the completely blindsiding betrayal that WWE documentaries love to sell.
Hulk Hogan Did Not Slam André the Giant for the First Time Ever
If you only watched WWE growing up, you’d think WrestleMania III was the first time anyone had ever lifted André off his feet. Gorilla Monsoon and Vince McMahon sure sold it that way. Hogan himself has told the story so many times that it’s practically a folk tale.
But here’s the truth: André had been slammed dozens of times before that night. Harley Race slammed him. Stan Hansen slammed him. Hell, Hogan himself slammed André during their AWA run years earlier.
What made WrestleMania III special wasn’t that it was the “first time,” it was that it happened in front of 93,000 screaming fans in the Pontiac Silverdome, with cameras rolling for one of the biggest shows of all time. That doesn’t make it any less legendary, but it does mean Hogan’s story about “not knowing if he could do it” probably deserves a little side-eye.
Dustin Rhodes’ Seven Promo Was Not a Real Shoot
One of the most famous moments from late-era WCW is Dustin Rhodes, dressed in creepy white facepaint as the character Seven, coming out on Nitro and completely trashing the gimmick live on air. It was pure gold; for years, fans swore it was an unscripted shoot where Dustin went rogue and buried WCW creative, specifically that dastardly Vince Russo.
The reality? Dustin later admitted the whole thing was a work, and even funnier, the Seven character was his own idea to begin with. He pitched it, they greenlit it, and when it didn’t land the way he hoped, they all agreed to pivot.
So yes, the “shoot promo” was fully scripted, and the guy shooting was actually taking aim at himself. That’s wrestling, baby.
Undertaker Did Not Borrow His Snake Pants From The Godfather
For years, one of the stranger myths floating around online was that during Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness run, the snakeskin-print pants he wore once were borrowed from The Godfather (a.k.a. Charles Wright).
Undertaker himself has laughed about this one. According to him, those pants were 100% his idea, and the wardrobe department actually told him not to wear them. He did it anyway and fans never forgot.
So no, they weren’t borrowed from Papa Shango’s closet. They were Undertaker’s own attempt to spice up his look, and it became one of those weird one-night-only fashion choices that wrestling fans still argue about on Reddit at 2 a.m.
The TNA Electrified Cage Was Not Vince Russo’s Idea
The 2007 Lockdown PPV featured one of the most mocked gimmick matches of all time: the Electrified Steel Cage Match between Team 3D and LAX. The crowd chanted “Fire Russo!” the entire time, blaming him for what they saw as one of TNA’s dumbest booking decisions ever.
Except here’s the kicker: it wasn’t Russo’s idea.
Russo has said in multiple interviews that he actively tried to talk management out of doing it, but the higher-ups insisted. The execution was so bad (complete with blinking lights and cartoonish sound effects) that it became an internet meme for years.
So, sorry, Vince Russo haters. You can blame him for plenty of things, but this one’s not on him.
The Ultimate Warrior Was Never Replaced
This one might be my favorite because it’s so ridiculous. After The Ultimate Warrior returned to WWE in 1992 with shorter hair and a slightly smaller frame, fans started spreading the rumor that the “real” Warrior had died and WWE had replaced him with a lookalike.
This myth was so widespread that even friends of mine growing up believed it. But Jim Hellwig (later legally known as Warrior) never left the company until he chose to in 1996. He just changed his look, as wrestlers tend to do, and fans weren’t used to seeing him without the big, wild mane.
If you still think there were two Warriors, I’ve got bad news: there weren’t, and you probably still think Paul McCartney died in 1966.
Vince McMahon Never Banned the Word “Wrestling”
Another favorite internet myth is that Vince McMahon banned the word “wrestling” entirely and forced announcers to say “sports entertainment” at all times.
The truth is more nuanced. Vince did prefer “sports entertainment” as branding (partly to get around athletic commission fees), but the word “wrestling” was never completely forbidden. It was still used in commentary, on titles (“World Wrestling Entertainment”), and occasionally in promos.
It’s not that Vince banned it; he just wanted it said a whole lot less.
Championship Belts Aren’t Solid Gold
This one’s quick but worth clarifying: No, WWE title belts are not made of solid gold.
They’re typically made of leather with gold-plated zinc or brass plates. They’re nice belts, sure, but you couldn’t melt one down and retire on the proceeds. Sorry to crush your million-dollar dream if you were planning a belt heist Ocean’s Eleven-style. As a bonus myth, the titles aren’t as light as wrestlers make them look. They’re dozens of pounds and actually quite the arm workout to raise in the air.
Austin 3:16 Was Not 100% Off-the-Cuff
Stone Cold Steve Austin’s legendary King of the Ring promo in 1996 is often described as completely off-the-cuff, a moment of pure inspiration that changed wrestling forever.
Austin himself has clarified that while he came up with the idea quickly, it wasn’t just a random ad-lib. He thought about it after hearing Jake Roberts cut biblical promos that night, pieced the line together, and then delivered it with perfect timing. He even took the time to okay the promo through producers prior to reciting it.
So yes, it was brilliant, but it wasn’t a total fluke.
Foley’s Cell Fall Was Not Supposed to Happen
Finally, we get to the most terrifying myth of them all: the idea that Mick Foley’s chokeslam through the Hell in a Cell roof in 1998 was planned.
Nope.
Only the first fall, the one where he was thrown off the top of the cell through the announce table, was agreed upon. Even then, the Undertaker wasn’t so sure about doing it. The second fall, however, where the roof panel broke under the weight of Foley and Undertaker, was an accident. Mick could have been killed. That’s why Jim Ross’s commentary sounded so real… because it was real.
The End?
Wrestling has always thrived on blurring the lines between truth and fiction, but sometimes the myths just refuse to die. Whether it’s Hogan rewriting history, Dustin Rhodes working the fans with a fake shoot promo, or the internet unfairly blaming Russo for the world’s worst electrified cage match, the truth is usually way more interesting than the myth.
The best part? These myths will keep popping up every few years as new fans discover the business, and we’ll get to bust them all over again.
What other wrestling myths do you think deserve to be debunked? Did we miss a favorite of yours? Drop it in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going, because wrestling fans never stop arguing about this stuff. And honestly? That’s half the fun.
