10 Wrestlers Who Faced Backlash For Their Actions Outside The Ring

When it comes to professional wrestlers the focus from fans and management is often what they do inside the ring. Whether they're putting on entertaining matches or engaging the crowd with their promo skills is ultimately the most important thing to people, but their behavior outside of the ring does play an impact as well.

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Certain wrestlers have been involved in circumstances outside the ring which have caused a genuine backlash because of it. Sometimes that comes from the fans themselves and other times it is the company that has to make a stand, or at times it can be a combination of both if the behavior of a wrestler is too poor.

10 Sammy Guevara

Sammy Guevara has been involved in several controversies throughout his time in AEW, but the biggest took place when comments he had made about Sasha Banks were revealed. They came from a podcast he had been on, and it is something that caused a major uproar.

Fans weren't happy with the comments he made and it led to tons of backlash at the time. Guevara received plenty of negative comments from fans while he also got suspended for a period by AEW as well, with Tony Khan enforcing punishment because of it.

9 CM Punk/The Elite

Another AEW example of a wrestler receiving backlash came after the infamous 'brawl out' incident. CM Punk having a backstage fight with The Elite is something that caused huge backlash both from the fans and AEW management itself, with everyone involved getting suspended because of it.

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Not only that but the fanbase then ended up turning on whichever side they didn't agree with. All of Punk's fans opted to boo The Elite when they appeared and vice-versa which certainly created an interesting atmosphere.

8 Lio Rush

Social media is something that can be very beneficial to professional wrestlers in terms of promoting themselves, their storylines, and everything else that they're involved with. However, it can also be a negative situation, which is exactly what Lio Rush found out.

He tweeted about Emma following her release from the company in a mocking manner which is something that led to major backlash. This came from fans and fellow wrestlers, all of whom were shocked by his lack of respect.

7 Emma

Speaking of Emma, she has also faced backlash because of an incident outside of the ring in the past as she was released by WWE because of a shoplifting situation. WWE immediately decided to cut her, opting to not be involved in any of the negative press.

However, Emma ended up being reinstated on the same day after it was revealed to be a misunderstanding, but the fact she was cut straight away showcased the impact outside-the-ring decisions can have.

6 Tommy Dreamer

Tommy Dreamer has been involved in the wrestling business for a long time working all around the world for various promotions, and for the majority of that time, he managed to stay out of any controversy. However, his appearance on the plane ride from hell episode of "Dark Side Of The Ring" did cause him problems.

Dreamer made comments sticking up for Ric Flair after allegations had been made against him, and that was something that people didn't appreciate. Fans went against him while Impact Wrestling and Busted Open Radio suspended him for a period as well, adding to the backlash he received.

5 Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle is a recent example of someone who has suffered backlash due to actions from outside the ring, which ultimately led to him being released by WWE. The former United States Champion was given a lot of opportunities throughout his time with the company, but several outside-the-ring incidents led to backlash.

RELATED: Riddle's 10 Best Matches, According To Dave Meltzer

There were a lot of different issues he suffered, from being called out for his behavior towards women in his personal life to having to enter rehabilitation or exiting a plane drunk. Ultimately, WWE decided enough was enough and cut ties with him completely.

4 RVD

RVD had an incredible career over the years, putting on some fantastic matches and moments throughout his time in the industry, eventually leading him to become the WWE Champion. Unfortunately, being caught with some marijuana led to that run being cut short.

WWE had to suspend RVD for a period because of his actions, and that led to him dropping the WWE Championship. While he went on to remain a prominent part of the company, RVD never quite reached the same level of success again.

3 Robbie McAllister

Robbie McAllister was one-half of The Highlanders, who were a reasonably successful tag team that had a solid run throughout their time in WWE. However, an outside-the-ring decision by him ended up costing him his job, as McAllister decided to go and watch a taping at TNA and was shown on camera.

At the time he was a WWE Superstar, therefore doing that was something that the company didn't appreciate. He stopped being pushed and was eventually let go, showcasing the serious backlash he received.

2 Mandy Rose

Mandy Rose was thriving in NXT until her decision to release explicit content online took place. Considering WWE is a PG company it ended up being something she received a lot of backlash for. While the audience didn't react, the company ended up having her drop the NXT Women's Championship.

RELATED: 10 Best Looks Of Mandy Rose's WWE Career, Ranked

That was then followed by her being released by the company, which is something that shocked people considering how much success she was having at the time.

1 Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan might be one of the first people that think about when it comes to professional wrestling from those outside the industry, but fans of the business often see him in a different light. After racist comments he made privately became public, there was obvious backlash towards him.

WWE removed him temporarily from the Hall Of Fame, and while he was eventually reinstated he has never won over the fans completely. Whenever Hogan appears he is guaranteed a frosty reaction from the fans, and that is something that is never going to change.