Respect and following the unwritten code of conduct is crucial in the professional wrestling business, with wrestlers expected to treat people kindly behind the scenes. For the most part, that is what happens, because it is a business where that is an important situation for everyone.
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However, every once in a while issues creep through where people end up misbehaving, showing a lack of respect, and incorrectly treating a co-worker. Whether this is another professional wrestler or a member of staff, there have been several incidents where things have not gone in the way that they should have done. This has been an unfortunately common occurrence even across major promotions like WWE and Impact Wrestling.
10 Michael PS Hayes
Michael PS Hayes is someone with a lot of experience in the wrestling world, and a person that is well aware of what is appropriate, so when he was suspended for racist remarks to Mark Henry, there was some surprise amongst fans. However, this type of behavior is completely unacceptable, and, surprisingly, he was even allowed back into his post.
While the company did make the right decision in terms of suspending him, there is no doubt that harsher restrictions could easily have been implemented here to make a true stance.
9 JBL
There have been countless incidents and stories regarding JBL's behavior over the years behind the scenes where he has gone overboard or treated someone poorly and without respect. While a lot was put down to hazing, there have been too many issues that have shown his true colors.
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This isn't just with his fellow wrestlers either as he treated former WWE writer Jensen Karp so poorly that he ended up quitting his job. JBL would call him names, while also refusing to learn what he was called, which was disrespectful.
8 Randy Orton
Randy Orton has been very open and honest about the fact he wasn't a great person to be around when he was younger in the business, as his behavior was often a major problem. Thankfully, he was able to clean up his act and become a true professional, but there were several incidents when he wasn't that way.
Orton once decided to shoot firecrackers at Maria Kanellis, which is a dangerous decision to create. Meanwhile, he also once decided to go to the toilet inside of someone's bag, showcasing no respect for his fellow worker.
7 Alicia Fox
During one live event, Alicia Fox ended up appearing drunk as she went out to compete, which is one of the most unprofessional things that a professional wrestler can do. When people get inside the squared circle they must show respect to their opponent, particularly when it comes to looking after them.
Safety is the most important thing in wrestling, yet that isn't what was on the mind for Fox on this particular occasion. While nobody ended up being hurt, Fox got away with one, because something could easily have gone wrong in this situation, which is why it was a poor decision.
6 Mr. Perfect
Ribbing and pranks are something that often take place behind the scenes in professional wrestling, and sometimes it can end up going too far and becoming unprofessional. That was the case in the past with Mr. Perfect, who was notorious for pranking people backstage whenever he could.
One time saw him mix laxatives into Yokozuna's food, which ended up being so bad that he needed to be taken to use the toilet, with this being something that put his health at risk, which is always a step too far when it comes to pranks.
5 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar is a fantastic wrestler, but he is well known for standing up for himself and having no problem ensuring that whatever he wants to happen. This is how he has earned some great contracts over the years, but he ended up getting away with treating none other than Vince McMahon unprofessionally.
The night he retained the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34 should have been a great one for him, yet for some reason that is not the way he felt. Lesnar got to the back and launched the title at McMahon, acting out unprofessionally.
4 Jeff Hardy
The majority of the time when a wrestler acts unprofessionally to their coworkers, that is something that happens behind the scenes and is kept quiet. For Jeff Hardy, his worst incident for TNA just so happened to be in the main event of Victory Road when he was high and drunk inside the ring.
It was clear that Hardy was out of it, and the match had to be legitimately ended immediately by Sting for the health and safety of both men, which led to outrage from the fans due to Hardy's behavior.
3 Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair is another wrestler who took her issues into the ring to act unprofessionally during a title exchange between her and Becky Lynch. The two former friends had legitimately fallen out, but were supposed to swap titles following the brand split, which saw them both move in opposite directions.
She opted to not go through with the segment as was planned, which led to an awkward exchange in the ring, with the tension being felt by the fans. That then spilled on backstage with issues between them, showcasing that even dominant champions can act poorly.
2 Tessa Blanchard
At one point in time, Tessa Blanchard was considered to be one of the most exciting wrestlers in the business, but she ended up acting unprofessionally and reportedly was racist toward one of her fellow workers, where she ended up spitting in their face.
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Unsurprisingly, this led to the vast majority of wrestling promotions blacklisting her, with Blanchard's momentum being completely halted. It proved how certain actions can bring an end to a career in the business, and there are times when that is certainly warranted.
1 Bill DeMott
Bill DeMott may not have had a major main event-level career in his own right, but he did end up getting an important position as a head coach for WWE's Performance Center early on, but this is where his unprofessionalism appeared. He was notorious for bullying some of the younger wrestlers.
He would use slurs against them that were derogatory, not showing the respect he should have done, particularly since he was the authority figure in this role. He also reportedly physically harmed other wrestlers, which ultimately led to him losing his job due to the nature of the issue.
