On a random night back in July 2022, I was scrolling through YouTube and looking for something to watch. Someone had reposted a portion of an episode of “Wrestling’s Most Despised” by Kayfabe Commentaries, which was part of KC’s “Wrestling’s Most…” line of shoot interviews.
In the series, KC would open the floor to fans across the world to vote for who they thought was “Wrestling’s Most…” to match whatever topic was coming up. Once the votes were tallied, the episode would feature a countdown of the top vote getters. A cast of characters such as The Blue Meanie, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, Bill Apter, and more would appear on the show, reacting to the list. They would give their unfiltered opinions on the names included, sharing why they felt the names did, or didn’t, belong.
Anyway, it was a fun enough topic that I decided to “borrow” the idea for a column. I chose a bunch of wrestling personalities who receive a ton of hate (real life hate, not because of an on-screen character they play), and I talked about whether I felt the hate they get was… you guessed it… warranted or unwarranted.
Almost three years later, the wrestling landscape has changed a ton. There are a lot of people who are getting hated on at this very second, and I want to talk about them.
I tried to avoid using any of the same names from the original column, but I had to include one particular name. Approximately six weeks after the column, this person was involved in something that led to an entirely new wave of hate come their way. Almost one year later, this person was involved in yet another moment in time that had people hating what was happening. Three months later, there was yet ANOTHER thing that took place, causing even more people to throw hate in this person’s direction. It would be foolish of me to not list this person again.
This won’t be listed in any particular order. On top of that, someone not being listed here means one of a few things… they were either included in the first edition of this column, didn’t make the cut due to time constraints, or I just don’t feel that their case is interesting enough to talk about.
Finally, don’t forget what I mentioned earlier… this has nothing to do with any on-screen characters these people portray, and everything to do with them as real life human beings.
Let’s rock.
Bruce Prichard
Why He’s Hated: Long viewed as one of the biggest “Yes Man” suck-ups in wrestling history, he has been attached at Vince McMahon’s hip for decades. If you’ve listened to his podcast, you have heard him angrily defend almost every universally panned creative decision that Vince has ever made, while immediately dismissing any criticism from people who have ever had anything negative to say about Vince, or about the company, as a whole. He may need his lips surgically removed from Vince McMahon’s asshole.
The Verdict: I’m one of the aforementioned people who have listened to his podcast, and sure enough, I don’t think he has ever felt a Vince McMahon idea was a bad one. I’m not expecting him to sit there and say “fuck Vince McMahon” on the show, especially during the years when Vince was still his boss, but if you’re not going to be honest, what’s the point in even having a podcast to begin with? This one is pretty easy. Warranted.
Dwayne Johnson
Why He’s Hated: Above all else, many people feel that his “nice guy” routine is just that… a routine. They feel he tries too hard to manufacture a persona on social media, and that it comes across as being incredibly see-through. In the world of wrestling, though, a lot of fans are upset that his power under the TKO umbrella means that he can do whatever he wants to do without any repercussions, as evidenced by him shaking up the Road To WrestleMania two years in a row, even though people weren’t asking for any of it.
The Verdict: I don’t think there’s any doubt that at least SOME of what Dwayne Johnson puts out into the world about his persona is manufactured. From telling his “seven bucks” story ad nauseam to always having some sort of cameras rolling when he does something nice for people, it becomes a little fishy. I do think, however, that a lot of it is legit. I’ve heard from a bunch of people that have met him under one circumstance or another, and they all tell stories that make it seem like he’s a genuine person. When it comes to whatever hand he has in WWE’s creative, I’m torn. On one hand, I wasn’t a fan of how last year’s WrestleMania story was fiddled with for what seemed like no reason, but in the end, it all worked out perfectly. This year’s “change” hasn’t really led to anything worth complaining about, and we might not even see him on-screen again before WrestleMania, so that might be moot, anyway. Unwarranted.
Charlotte Flair
Why She’s Hated: She is a 14-time World Champion, and won those 14 titles in less than seven-and-a-half total years on the main roster. That doesn’t even count her two reigns as NXT Women’s Champion, or he reign as one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Even with her looks and in-ring abilities, many fans across the world feel that she wouldn’t be where she is without her Hall Of Fame father. When she’s healthy, it’s pretty much a guarantee that she’s going to be in possession of a championship, or at least in contention for one.
The Verdict: If you were to ask me if I’m tired of the Charlotte Flair act, my answer would be quick and easy… yes. She is an insanely one-dimensional character, being the exact same person as a face or as a heel. I do think she’s a lot better in the ring than her “haters” give her credit for, and I continue to say that she looks like a SUPERSTAR at all times, but sheesh, she’s difficult to watch. That’s not all on her, though. She receives a lot of hate for her positioning on the cards, but unless she was given complete creative control in her contract, or if she was named as the lead booker, there are other people at fault. How many times is she going to be presented as a face? It never works, but it keeps happening, only for a change to be made almost immediately because nobody buys her as someone to root for. She’s doing a really good job in her current role, working a program with Tiffany Stratton, because she’s believable in this cocky “Queen” character. More of that, please. Unwarranted.
Sean Ross Sapp
Why He’s Hated: Dave Meltzer has already turned people off to wrestling “news” reporters and sites, so anyone even remotely similar to him is in the public’s crosshairs from the start. SRS notoriously clashes with many people on social media, ranging from troll accounts to names from the sport’s past like Disco Inferno or Vince Russo, leaving many to wonder if he lets people get to him too easily. A few other incidents from the Fightful Twitter account have also led people to accuse Sean of everything ranging from a drug addiction to marital infidelity, and just about everything in between.
The Verdict: Can I be completely transparent with all of you? I have been friends with Sean for a long, long time. He and I go way back to before he was involved in the wrestling news game. That makes this a weird one for me, but I’ve always been honest with all of you, and that isn’t going to change now. I do think he spends far too much time and energy dealing with negativity on social media. At the same time, though, he has built himself and Fightful up so much that he is dealing with the way people view the “brand” now. If someone tells a lie about me on social media, it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. However, if someone tells a lie about him on social media, it could lead to the loss of jobs and tens of thousands of dollars. I’d fight for that, too, especially with all of the ridiculous things that people have said about his wife and deceased relatives. I also know for a fact that he isn’t involved in any “scandals” that take place on the official Fightful social media accounts. He doesn’t post there, and he hasn’t in years. As the face of the site, though, everyone seems to assume every tweet, post, article, and podcast involves him 100% of the way. A lot of the hate thrown in his direction is based on people not being used to social media accounts firing back at them. You can say whatever you want to people on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and so on. Any sort of account with a larger following usually doesn’t respond to the negativity, either because they simply don’t see it, or they don’t want to drag themselves down to that level. With Sean, he will gladly fire back at you. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen someone unleash an R-rated diatribe against him, calling him all sorts of names, but when he fires back with one sentence, they get up in arms about how much of an “asshole” he is. That’s not how it works, folks. If you’re mad at “dirt sheet” culture, that’s fine. Mad at how much his name has grown in the business over the last several years? Okay. If you don’t find him entertaining or funny, that’s also perfectly fair. The level of shit he gets for doing his job, and doing it well, though… that’s insane. Unwarranted.
Chris Jericho
Why He’s Hated: Once one of the most beloved wrestlers in the business by internet fans, he has seemingly overstayed his welcome by continuing to wrestle long after his prime. His AEW run has seen him have success, but it has also seen accusations of selfishness, with fans feeling that nobody else benefits by feuding with him, nor by teaming with him. He and his wife have also received a lot of negative reactions to their political views and the things that they support.
The Verdict: As the great philosopher Kenneth Ray Rogers once said… “You got to know when to hold ’em. Know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run. You never count your money when you’re sitting at the table. There’ll be time enough for counting when the dealing’s done.” I’m not sure that Chris Jericho has ever heard that, but it would be good advice for him to live his life by. He’s going to be 55 years old later this year, and not only are his best days long behind him, but they aren’t even visible in the rear view mirror anymore. I’m not saying he’s an awful liability in the ring. Far from it, actually. He can still get in there with the right opponent and show why he’s going to end up in damn near every pro wrestling Hall Of Fame there is one day. However, it’s just not worth it to have him around anymore. When AEW first started, I said he was the perfect choice to be the company’s first World Champion because he was still capable of having those entertaining performances, and because AEW needed the power of his name to help them attract viewers. Now, five years later, Jericho has been taking valuable television and pay-per-view time away from young wrestler after young wrestler. Even the notoriously hardcore “we love any and everything AEW does” fan base has turned their backs on him, calling for him to retire. Not a single wrestler has gotten over by working with him, either as an opponent or as an ally. Yes, Tony Khan is at fault for some (most?) of this, because he continues leaning on Jericho when he shouldn’t. Somewhere in the deepest recesses of Jericho’s mind, though, he needs to know that he, indeed, needs to know when to fold ’em. Warranted.
Pat McAfee
Why He’s Hated: When it comes to his commentary, his style is a lot to deal with for wrestling fans that are used to a particular type of thing. He clearly has carte blanche to say what he wants, and without a “script” of any kind to follow, he takes full advantage of it, speaking and yelling whatever comes to his mind at any given moment. His commentary, as well as his show hosting in the “real” sports world, caters to a certain “frat boy” demographic that a lot of people find incredibly annoying.
The Verdict: He and Michael Cole represent the “new era” in WWE to the absolute fullest. Gone are the awful days of commentary, with Vince McMahon’s stupid ass yelling and screaming in people’s ears and forcing them to regurgitate the same terrible catchphrases over and over again. McAfee is someone who is able to unabashedly be himself on commentary now. He’s the same on WWE programming as he is on his podcast as he is on the old NFL Network countdown shows that he used to be on, and so on. Whether or not that’s a good thing depends on your personal tastes and preferences. I think he has a great, sharp sense of humor, but I think he’s best used in small doses, perhaps in a similar fashion to how AEW uses Jim Ross. Hearing Pat McAfee for three hours is a chore for me. He’s way too over-the-top for my liking. If he were to call a match or two here and there, or be involved in a pre-show or post-show, I’d be all for it. That would be fun. If we’re talking about him on The Pat McAfee Show, my answer would be different, but here, I’m going to go with Unwarranted. I don’t want him to go away forever. Instead, I just want a little less of him.
Tony Khan
Why He’s Hated: Originally, the hate aimed in his direction largely had to do with his social media activity. He was always over-the-top in the way he would praise the AEW product, hyping up things that happened and promising on things yet to happen. A lot of the “tribalism” in wrestling is attributed to him, never being afraid to take shots at WWE, and especially NXT, when it served him. When AEW was defeating NXT in the ratings and viewership number “battles” they had, he would be the first to brag and boast. However, once NXT turned the tides, he went completely silent. These days, the hate aimed at him is due to his booking decisions. There are far too many people on the roster not being used “properly” in the eyes of fans, and his focus on in-ring quality over storylines has left people feeling disappointed. Even when viewership and attendance numbers were dwindling, he never changed direction in any way.
The Verdict: If you’ve read my columns before, you already know where I’m going with this one. I love the AEW roster and what the various men and women are capable of pulling off in the ring. With that said, I think every single one of them is being held back by Tony Khan, his booking, and his overall decision making. He has said that he books for “the sickos” because that’s what he is and that’s who he cares about. That has been pretty clear. It’s obvious that he books the shows to feature the type of pro wrestling that he enjoys, and that the diehard AEW fan base enjoys. When all measurable numbers began dwindling for AEW, he never changed course and started doing things differently. Some people find that to be an honorable trait, but I think he’s doing a great disservice to the people on the AEW roster by not trying to cater to as many different groups of wrestling fans as possible. For as long as any wrestling historian can remember, a wrestling company was at its best when it was as much of a “variety show” as can be, offering a little bit of something for any and every type of fan tuning in on television or buying a live show ticket. AEW has the potential to be every bit as big a player on the global market as WWE. I really do believe that. They just need a different person, or at least a different mindset, when it comes to many of their creative decisions. Warranted.
Paul Levesque
Why He’s Hated: Some of his hate goes all the way back to his prime as a top-tier heel in the company, when fans felt he “buried” other wrestlers simply because he was married to the daughter of the boss. No matter what he did in his career, there were always fans who felt he didn’t “deserve” it, and only achieved it because of his wife. Now that he is the boss, he gets even more hate because of the numerous scandals that the company has been involved in recently. How much did he know about the things that Vince McMahon has been accused of through the years? Did he participate in what Vince McMahon has been accused of through the years? Why does he continue the working relationship with the Saudi Arabian government? The list goes on. On top of all that, the McMahon family’s relationship with Donald Trump is a point of contention for the seemingly left-leaning pro wrestling fan base.
The Verdict: If you’ve read my stuff through the years, you already know my thoughts on Triple H, the wrestler. He was going to be a top tier player, with or without a marriage to Stephanie McMahon. Perhaps you could make an argument that he wouldn’t be a 14-time World Champion without marrying into the McMahon family, but he was going to make it one way or another. As an executive in the wake of Vince McMahon’s departure from the company, he was placed in a very lucky spot. Vince was so bad at what he did, especially over the last several years, that any change was automatically going to be viewed in a positive light. “Papa H” hasn’t been perfect as the creative boss in WWE, but in my opinion, he has delivered far more positives than negatives. He has helped make WWE programming as hot as it has been in forever. Kudos to many people for that, and he’s certainly one of them. As for those pesky rumors… that’s what makes this a super difficult thing to deal with. In any of the Vince McMahon legal documents made public, there was no reason for anyone to believe Paul Levesque was involved in any of the mistreatment that Janel Grant has allegedly dealt with. That didn’t stop people from talking, of course. Some of it was AEW trolls, saying that Vince and Triple H were both guilty of heinous acts. Others were “social media detectives” that looked at every minute detail of the documents, and even looking at the layout of the old Titan Towers, saying that there’s no way Vince could’ve done everything he was accused of doing without Triple H knowing about it, simply based on the proximity of their offices in the building. I would be wrong on multiple levels to “judge” Paul Levesque on things like the Janel Grant lawsuit. If it comes out one day that he did, in fact, know about what was going on, or even participated in it himself, that becomes a different story. Until that happens, though, I simply have to go with what we know and what we “know.” Because of that, I’m going to go with Unwarranted. Perhaps he could work a little harder to get women and/or minorities on pay-per-views, but hey, maybe we’ll discuss that in the next edition of the “Warranted or Unwarranted” series.
Logan Paul
Why He’s Hated: The job of a heel in wrestling is to get a negative reaction out of you. For the most part, fans are able to separate an on-screen heel from their real-life counterpart. For one reason or another, though, fans boo Logan Paul, the on-screen heel, but also boo Logan Paul, the human being. At bare minimum, you have fans who feel he hasn’t “paid his dues” and is receiving a push he hasn’t “earned.” Then, you have fans who feel his on-screen character isn’t an act whatsoever, based on seeing him in his pre-WWE days, where he has always been the same person. Throw in his numerous controversies as a YouTube personality, and you have a lot of people who simply feel Logan Paul isn’t a good person.
The Verdict: Warranted. That was easy. I haven’t seen a single redeeming quality from him as a human being, going all the way back to his early social media days well over a decade ago. As a professional wrestler, I’ve given him tons of praise, saying that he is absolutely, positively a future WWE Champion if he were to dedicate himself to the craft on a full-time basis. Almost all of the hate he gets from people has very little to do with him as a wrestler, though, making my selection quick and painless.
CM Punk
Why He’s Hated: I covered a ton of reasons why in the first edition of this column, but since then, he has earned hate for how his time in AEW ended, as well as his return to WWE. He butted heads with seemingly half the AEW roster at one point or another, leading to multiple physical altercations that ultimately saw his time there come to an end two years after debuting. His return to WWE was met with a ton of people, both inside and outside of the business, calling him a “hypocrite” because of all the things he said about the company and various people in it through the years. He’s in rarified air when it comes to hate, as he will have people mad at him no matter what he says or does.
The Verdict: Welp. Here we go. Arguably the most polarizing person that the pro wrestling business has ever seen, Punk is going to make people mad at all times, whether he’s trying to or not. I’ve been very clear in my opinion that Tony Khan made a huge mistake in essentially choosing Jack Perry over Punk. Perry couldn’t draw flies if he were covered in warm cow shit. Meanwhile, AEW let one of the biggest stars in the business walk right over to the “competition” and help make a gazillion dollars for them. Once Punk was back on the market, it made sense for WWE to step in and see if he wanted to shock the world. Yes, money talks. Obviously, Punk didn’t return to WWE for free just to stick it to AEW. He probably received one of the most lucrative contracts the business has ever seen, and that made his decision a lot easier. Maybe it’s the money, maybe it’s growing up, maybe it’s the lack of Vince McMahon, maybe it’s being away from the “children” he left behind in AEW… whatever it is, this seems to be a different CM Punk than we’re used to. A different Phil Brooks. He seems happy, and almost at peace with everything in his life. He has been able to take a lot of the pain and anger he had inside of him, and turn it into some very entertaining feuds since returning to WWE. If you’re a diehard AEW fan, I completely get why you would be upset with him. I can’t help but feel that at least some of that is sour grapes, though, especially when you see what he has done since leaving the company compared to what Jack Perry has done in that span. I’m just saying. Unwarranted.
You’re up. I’ve listed ten wrestling personalities here, but now I want to hear from you. Do you think the hate they receive is warranted? You don’t have to go through all ten of them, but I’d like to know if you think I’m right or not. As always, feel free to hit me up in the comments section below, or on Bluesky (@aaronhyden.bsky.social), and let me know what’s on your mind.
Now, let’s get to my Weekly Power Rankings, followed by closing things out with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this column together.
Weekly Power Rankings
Brody King vs Kyle Fletcher: I’m going to say this again… it’s beyond time that AEW finds a way to truly push Brody King as a singles wrestler. He continues to prove that he can have very entertaining matches with opponents of all shapes, sizes, and styles. Do the right thing, TK.
CM Punk, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins: Once again, the star power involved in this feud is off the charts. To make this segment even better, I like the selling point of Punk finally getting a WrestleMania main event spot, and how emotional that made him. Then, the icing on the cake came in the form of Punk revealing that the Mania main event wasn’t the favor he has coming from Paul Heyman. That’s a good hook, making this a very successful segment overall.
John Cena: He continues to do good promo work as a heel, but I think we need to proceed to the next stage now. We need to see a vicious, violent side out of him. The inevitable attack on R-Truth is going to make people lose their minds. It also remains incredibly weird that we haven’t heard a single word from The Rock, or about The Rock, since Cena’s heel turn. I know that Dave Meltzer said that something is going on with that behind the scenes, but my goodness… it was the biggest wrestling moment of the last few decades, orchestrated by Rock, and he has been completely non-existent since it happened.
Naomi: I enjoyed the video package on Smackdown, making her look like a mentally disturbed person. She did a good job getting that across without being too corny. When they turned her heel, I was hoping she wouldn’t just be the same “feel the glow” character while fighting faces, and it appears that she’s going to be something different. I appreciate that.
“Switchblade” Jay White vs Kevin Knight: Kevin Knight is another good addition to the AEW roster. However, as is the case with everyone that joins the company, it’s all up to Tony Khan now to make him look important and worth the signing. TK’s track record there is spotty, to say the least. Here’s hoping, I guess.
Mark Briscoe vs Konosuke Takeshita: Takeshita’s hot streak continues. Briscoe, on the other hand, has successfully moved on to the “I’m going to be a tough opponent, but you’ll probably beat me” phase of his career. It has been quite the journey for him.
Dragon Lee vs El Grande Americano: A really good mix of in-ring excellence and comedy wrestling. I’m still trying to figure out who EGA really is. I’m not 100% sure, but I think WWE may have rehired Odyssey Jones for the gig.
The Usos vs A-Town Down Under: This was the first time Jimmy and Jey had teamed up since the January 3rd episode of Smackdown, but that was in a six-man tag. If you want their last televised straight up tag match, you have to go back to Money In The Bank 2023, when they teamed up to defeat Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. It was a cool moment to see them reunite again, even if it was a temporary thing.
Jamie Hayter vs Billie Starkz: It was good to see Billie Starkz continue to get time on AEW programming. At the same time, it was also good to see Jamie Hayter pick up momentum as she tries to get back to the heights she was at before she went down with her injury. A win/win here.
Stephanie Vaquer vs Fallon Henley: Nice double duty night for Vaquer, but this was the best part for her. Fallon has done a really good job of improving in the ring, and she was a nice opponent for the double champion.
Andre Chase vs Ethan Page: The former leader of Chase U continues to be a zombie, walking around NXT aimlessly. He lost a lot of momentum when the Chase U storyline was shut down, but he’s still good enough in the ring to be involved in rankings like this.
Immortal Moment: We’re really inducting matches into the WWE Hall Of Fame, huh? What a time to be alive. If you’re going to choose a match to kick things off, I have no complaints with their decision. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13 remains my favorite match of all-time, so I’m glad to see it get the love.
Bron Breakker vs Penta: I wasn’t expecting a clean finish, as I’m thinking we’re building to Bron defending his title against multiple opponents at WrestleMania, so I wasn’t really disappointed here. What we did get was fun while it lasted, at least.
Lexis King vs Je’Von Evans: I’m not sure that Lexis King is doing much for the Heritage Cup, but hey, this was a fun match. I guess that counts for something, right?
This Week’s Playlist: “Tantrum” by Will Smith & Joyner Lucas… “Texas On The Map” by Lil Keke, Paul Wall & Bun B… “Afterlife” by Evanescence… “Infection” by Memphis May Fire… “Paralyzed” by Memphis May Fire… “Taniwha” by Alien Weaponry & Randy Blythe… “Breaks Me Down” by Employed To Serve… “Ruins Of Insanity” by The Man-Eating Tree… “I Need Your Glory” by Earnest Pugh… “Fast Life” by Kool G Rap & Nas… “Everything About You” by Ugly Kid Joe… “Epic” by Faith No More… “Hunger Strike” by Temple Of The Dog… “Bound For The Floor” by Local H… “The Red” by Chevelle… “Tonight” by Seether… “Silhouettes” by Smile Empty Soul… “Addicted” by Saving Abel… “Bad Girlfriend” by Theory Of A Deadman… “Invincible” by Adelitas Way… “Broken Dreams” by Shaman’s Harvest… “Across The Nation” by The Union Underground… “Paralyzer” by Finger Eleven… “One Thing” by Finger Eleven… “Slow Chemical” by Finger Eleven
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