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In real-life, which wrestlers are jerks (and which are nice)?

75K views 102 replies 78 participants last post by  NotGuilty 
#1 ·
In real-life (not kayfabe), who are the true good-guys and who are the true bad-guys?

Obviously, none of us know these wrestlers personally, but you can give answers based on wrestlers' interviews, fan stories, or books, etc. I'll start:

JERKS

1). CM Punk easily tops the list. Unnecessarily gave a nasty, profanity-laced interview in which he bad mouthed WWE employees a few years ago, and some wrestlers have spoken badly about him.

2). Ultimate Warrior. Bret Hart in his book spoke about the way Warrior always stayed away from the other wrestlers by using private jets and private locker rooms at shows, like a snob. Bret also recalls a time when a cancer-stricken kid, with no hair on his head, came with his family backstage with Warrior paint on his face, yet Warrior blatantly refused to speak to the child when every other wrestler did.

3). 1990s Shawn Michaels. I shouldn't have to explain, right?

4). JBL. He bullied smaller wrestlers backstage (e.g. Brian Kendrick, Paul London), as suggested by Bob Holly's book and various interviews.

NICE-GUYS

1). Chris Benoit. Yes, he-who-shall-not-be-named-on-WWE-shows-ever-again tops this list. I've heard many fans say that Benoit was always super-friendly during autograph sessions, as he would ask people their names, ask where they're from, and make jokes, etc. even after security informed him that he needed to wrap up the autograph session.

2). Post-2002 Shawn Michaels and Sting --- Both are born-again Christians.

3). Goldberg. Bret in his book describes him as a sweetheart, despite Goldberg's being the one to end Bret's career and leave him with life-long injuries. He says that Goldberg emotionally apologized to him many, many times, which doesn't always happen (see Owen Hart's never calling Austin in the hospital).

4). Eddie Guerrero. Supposedly befriended everyone in the locker room during his time, and he was known to be a charming prankster.

Who else?
 
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#2 ·
Heard that Hogan is really good to his fans and that Randy Orton has a bad reputation (there's a video of him getting a cigarette from a mob of teenage girls not signing one autograph or even acknowledging that they're screaming his name).
 
#3 ·
Oh yes -- I forgot about Orton. Supposedly, he has a bad temper. I heard a story about his trashing a whole hotel room because of bad service (or something like that). There was also a time when he shouted, "STUPID! STUPID! STUPID" at Kofi Kingston on live TV after a botch.
 
#6 ·
Kevin Nash is a massive "jerk".
 
#8 ·
The Iron Sheik had an appearance at a bar in Pittsburgh. My friends and I got to meet him. Extremely nice and willing to talk to us. He was also extremely drunk lol. I wish I could find the picture I took with him.
 
#11 · (Edited)
JERKS

1). CM Punk easily tops the list. Unnecessarily gave a nasty, profanity-laced interview in which he bad mouthed WWE employees a few years ago, and some wrestlers have spoken badly about him.

2). Ultimate Warrior. Bret Hart in his book spoke about the way Warrior always stayed away from the other wrestlers by using private jets and private locker rooms at shows, like a snob. Bret also recalls a time when a cancer-stricken kid, with no hair on his head, came with his family backstage with Warrior paint on his face, yet Warrior blatantly refused to speak to the child when every other wrestler did.

3). 1990s Shawn Michaels. I shouldn't have to explain, right?

4). JBL. He bullied smaller wrestlers backstage (e.g. Brian Kendrick, Paul London), as suggested by Bob Holly's book and various interviews.
Not a big Punk fan but to my knowledge he never turned down a request to meet a dying fan/wish death on someone in the business like Bobby Heenan (Warrior) and never either majorly hold down careers (Michaels to Vader) or fuck around with peoples personal lives (Michaels and Candido). I wouldn't have him top the list, or even on it to be honest.

Edit: Found the article where he shits on Heenan (among other people). Here's a "gem" from it

About Bobby Heenan:

As for you, Booby Heenan, it’s just too difficult to keep a straight face talking about the pure two-faced bag of shit you are (and have always been), what, with you also actually wearing one as a piece of body jewelry. You are dying, dis-eased on the inside, and no more time is left to get back any of the integrity that matters the most on death’s bed. Imagine what it will be like, lying there taking in your last breaths, knowing you whored yourself out your whole life, and had to, in your final years, be faced with emptying your own personal shit bag affirming to you the true value of what you achieved in your life. Not even Vince could come up with a better finish than this. Karma is just a beautiful thing to behold.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Punk in front of Warrior, 90's HBK, Iron Sheik, New Jack and Austin? Punk bad mouthed the WWE and doesn't seem super approchable, that's it. Austin beat his wife, Warrior was a open homophobic who did worse things to wwe and talked shit about formerco-workers who just passed away, the other 3 I don't think much needs to be said...

Punk actually bought Joey Mercury's house so he wouldn't go homeless, I would put him in my nice list.

Also, there are stories of Benoit being a piece of shit before 2007 (like JBL), I wouldn't put him in my nice list
 
#15 · (Edited)
There's so many instances of fans having both good and bad experiences with the same wrestlers that it's difficult to really say who is a jerk and who is a saint. CM Punk is often decried as a bad dude but he also saved Joey Mercury from homelessness with no expectation of being paid back. Randy Orton has had numerous temper tantrums but he's also been super nice and casual with many fans. Brock Lesnar is short with people but he's generally always polite; him being anti-social doesn't instantly make him an a**hole.

People just need to be cognisant of the fact that wrestlers are in a tough business where they work extremely hard almost every day of every week each year and often have limited free time away from cameras. If a wrestler is short with someone at an airport, they're more than likely just stressed and want to be alone. About the closest definitive answers to the "is a jerk" and "is a nice person" questions are;

Jerk
New Jack - Almost everyone hates his guts due both to his brutal shoot attacks on both veteran and rookie wrestlers as well as his general behaviour around fans.

Saint
Kane - I don't think anyone has ever had a bad experience with him, he's widely regarded as the nicest guy in wrestling. Hell, the Hardy's stole his seat on a plane flight which was hugely frowned upon back then and he was just like "it's all good" and sat in another chair without even a hint of irritation or anger.
 
#17 ·
Roman was a dick when I met him, Tamina seems to be one too.

Nicest I've met/acknowledged fans: Neville, Cody, Erick Rowan, Fandango, Uso's, Chris Jericho, Ryback, Natalya, Bray (had to walk and talk, he was in a rush), Becky, Sasha, Kalisto.

Dicks/wouldn't even acknowledge fans: Tamina, Luke Harper, Roman.
 
#63 ·
I don't think modern day hunter is a piece of shit. Well his not as bad as he was in the past. Don't forget he broke character to check up on a kid in the crowd and his jobbed to Connor.

And randy has matured a lot and also reassured Shane's kids of his safety at survivor series after that spear spot.

I also quoted you cause Davey Richards and his mentor deserve a mention in this list of jerks.

Having held up indie promotions for more money etc.

Nicest people tend to be your indy guys, your Japan guys. Your naks, styles, balor, Owens, zayn etc
 
#20 ·
Based on stories i have heard from many people
Nice to fans- cena, Natalya, paige, bellas, Bayley, charlotte
Mean-Roman, punk, Sasha, hhh, Lesnar
 
#26 ·
One thing to keep in mind.

Most people are a mix of good and bad, or "nice" and "jerk" if you will. Of course, some people tend to be consistently jerks or nice guys. But, it all depends on how and when you catch them.

If the nicest guy on the list just missed his flight and got yelled at by Vince the night before all while having the flu in some god-forsaken spot in the world where he would rather not be - then he is probably going to snap your head off when you come barging up wanting an autograph and a chat.

On the other hand, I once had a great conversation and several beers with Brian Kobbs. Though he has a reputation as a jerk he was a very nice guy that day.

Even the nicest guy can be a jerk sometimes. Even the biggest jerk can be a nice guy sometimes.
 
#23 ·
I could not have an opinion on this since I don't live in USA, thus don't have the chance of saluting wrestlers, or reading wrestlers books, where I assume most opinions of jerk and nice wrestlers come...
 
#25 ·
Chris Hero is probably the kindest wrestler that I've had the opportunity to meet. Both times I've talked to him, Ive gotten to carry a conversation with him far longer than most wrestlers and he is just as much a fan as he is a pro. Great guy.

Mick Foley was also nice to meet for sure, my biggest mark out moment of meeting a wrestler with the only close ones being Terry Funk and Jake Roberts.

One guy who people might be surprised was really nice is Scott Steiner. He was a cool, laid back guy.
 
#29 ·
Nice Guys:

1. The Haitch-uhh (duh-uhh).

2. Steph - Encourages and empowers others like nobody else.

3. Vince - Never holds grudges-uhh.

4. Batista - Respects women like nobody else.

5. Hogan - Loves cultural and ethnic diversity of our great nation-uhh.

Honorable mention: Taker, Shawn, Naitch, Kane, Rocky, Sheamus, Nash, Hall.


Jerks:

1. Austin - Wife beating racist.

2. C- Punk - Holds grudges. Whines all the time.

3. Randy - Shits in wrong places.

4. X-Pac - Shits in wrong places. Gets his asshole ripped inside and outside the ring-uhh.

5. Cena - Buries careers.

Honorable mention: Tiny Peepee Rollins, B+ Bryan, Bret The Grudge Man Hart.

:trips2
 
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