What would you do to make every embarrassing photo of yourself disappear? Sure, we can turn a blind eye to most of them, cringing simultaneously. But everyone has a select few that they wish could be banished from existence, never to be seen again. Thankfully, most everyone qualifies as an average Joe or Jane. Cameras are far less interested in our boring and mostly drama-free lives.
WWE superstars, however, have a way of finding themselves in front of the digital eye at the most inopportune times, some more than others. It's one thing to suffer the scripted embarrassments wrestling is famous for. It's an entirely different story when the embarrassment comes outside the squared circle – totally unplanned.
Wrestlers, past and present, have to deal with touchy-feely fans. Life on the road brings hordes of fans to your doorstep, never mind the partying that goes on and the level of embarrassment that lurks in every drink consumed after a great show. It really is a one-of-a-kind lifestyle that, for all the jokes made about the profession, requires its participants to be physically and mentally strong if they hope to succeed.
With that said, here are 15 photos of WWE superstars (past and present) that prove not every photo is a treasure to behold...
15 CM Punk And Matt Hardy (With Nikki Bella And Eve Torres)
The sassy Bella is at it again. This time, with CM Punk, Eve Torres, and Matt *DELETE* *DELETE* *DELETE* *DELETE* *DELETE* Hardy – this photo coming prior to him breaking entirely. Kudos to Hardy for double fisting and avoiding the needless charade of lining up every seven minutes. Nikki is proudly displaying a seven-eighths empty cup. Punk is busy contemplating his transition to MMA, and Torres is the always present photo leaner – every photo has somebody aggressively leaning.
Looking at it again, THEY ARE ALL LEANING! Now I'm wondering if it's the presence of the camera, or perhaps the alcohol that's causing them all to sway. Notice Hardy's left-hand placement.
14 Scott Hall And Undertaker
Mark Callaway (The Undertaker) and Scott Hall are two wrestling legends. However, they may wish this photo disappeared entirely. Don't get me wrong, it's beyond legendary but a photo such as this, in today's social climate, could hurt one's reputation at some point or another. And while I don't anticipate that to be the case here, you simply never know.
Hall has been out of wrestling for a long time but did make an appearance on RAW 25 somewhat recently as part of the 25 year anniversary of the show – check it out here (he looks out of it, no!?) As for the Undertaker, rumours continue to circulate about his possible participation in WrestleMania. John Cena has been pushing hard for a WrestleMania dream match. There is a twist though – apparently, if he does wind up returning, it will be as Biker Taker. It's about time we saw him ride again.
13 Braun Strowman Backseat Snacking
Snacks on snacks on snacks. A man the size of Braun Strowman needs a lot of fuel. A mountain of a human, Strowman is seen taking up the back seat of what appears to be a large vehicle. Along for the ride is a Strowman sized bag of white cheddar popcorn. He looks totally willing to allow this moment to be captured for eternity, doesn't he?
Dietary observations aside, the big man's wardrobe is the main focus here. Colour clashing and shorts that seem a few sizes too small. Playing a loose cannon on screen is a far cry from Strowman's actual demeanour. Many of his wrestling colleagues describe him as a kind, warm-hearted jokester. He certainly appears to be just that here. I think he should wrestle in this getup, if only for one night.
12 Ronda Rousey Is The New Kid On The Block
The newest (and nastiest) kid on the WWE block, 'Rowdy' Ronda Rousey transitioned from MMA to WWE, fulfilling a lifelong dream for the Judoka. Following her second consecutive defeat in a UFC Octagon, Rousey disappeared from the public eye. She eventually popped back up, and rumours quickly swirled about a move to WWE. Rousey has long been a fan of wrestling dating back to her childhood. She will soon get a chance to shine on its biggest stage, WrestleMania, when she alongside Kurt Angle battles Triple H and Stephanie McMahon – one of their arms is 100-percent getting broken.
In the meantime, Rousey (whose nickname came after she asked the original Rowdy one, Roddy Piper if she could use it) should hunt down whoever took the above photo and teach them a lesson or two. Not her finest moment, although she'd probably argue getting knocked out was far more embarrassing. She's probably right.
11 Attitude Era
The Attitude era of wrestling was one of the craziest times in wrestling's history. The roster was littered with stars and some of the game's biggest names made their way in the Attitude era: The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, D-X, etc...
Speaking of D-X, here are the two founding members enjoying a nice healthy snack filled with nutrients and vitamins to keep their bodies strong. These days, wrestlers need to focus more time and energy on their bodies and minds given the increasingly demanding schedules they face. Not the worst photo ever taken, but there's just something funny about people eating bananas.
10 Dave Bautista And Ric Flair: Wooooo!
The Nature Boy Ric Flair, not so long ago, suffered a major health scare that forced him into a lengthy hospital stay. At one point, some figured we would lose the legendary leg crippler – several of his vital organs failing at different times during the health episode...
BUT as he's done so many times before, Flair defied the odds. Now, well on his way to a full recovery, Flair has had to table his partying habits as part of his new lifestyle – I thought red wine was good for the heart? Meanwhile, Dave 'Animal' Bautista will seemingly have to find another drinking buddy now that the stylin', profilin', jet-flyin' Nature Boy has been forced into a clearer and much slower lane in life.
9 FCW Days
Before they were stars in WWE, Dolph Ziggler and Nikki Bella were members of the Florida Championship Wrestling Promotion (FCW) – whose parent company was actually WWE! – FCW defunct in 2012.
Dolph and Nikki actually dated for a time which if you didn't know I'm sure you could've predicted as much given Nikki's expression in this photo – not to mention her touchy arm around Zig's neck. By now we all know that didn't last, with Nikki instead opting to marry a guy nobody can see... Not to be forgotten from this photo is ring announcer Lilian Garcia, doing her best rocker impersonation. May I also just say the bar they are at looks extremely gritty. The FCW doesn't exactly send its stars to the glitz and glam establishments, do they?
8 Daniel Bryan Post-Show Hoot
This photo is littered with WWE talent – Daniel Bryan, both Bellas, Y2J Chris Jericho, The Miz, Beth Phoenix, Rosa Mendes, and last but not least, Zach Ryder. All of them decided to hit up a local popular chicken wing restaurant with an Owl mascot following a show. Why there of all places!? Rumour has it this photo came at the beginning of Bryan and Brie Bella's relationship. Something tells me you should avoid Hooters in the beginning stages of a relationship, no? Come to think of it, you should avoid it at all stages...
But I digress and accept the fact people like what they like. Hard Workers deserve to blow off steam at a fun establishment! Finally, where is everybody? The place looks empty. I have so many questions...
7 Andre The Giant Power Hour
102 beers in 45 minutes...twelve bottles of wine in 3 hours...the Giant's beverage of choice? 40-ounce pitchers of mixed booze – hold the mix. Read more about his drinking accomplishments in this USA Today article from 2016. Andre the Giant was an icon who transcended wrestling. He was a kind, gentle and unfortunately tortured soul, suffering from nearly intolerable pain brought on by his size. Alcohol along with heavy doses of pain medication numbed Andre's pain according to those close to him during his living years.
At 7-4 and in excess of 500 pounds, his back was under perpetual stress. Despite that, it was hard to spot him when he didn't have a smile on his face. A true gentle giant. As for why or how this photo is embarrassing for Andre. It isn't. But it certainly is for the other guy. Is there something in one of Andre's five drinks? What has captured this guy's unrelenting gaze?
6 Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose And The Usos
The WWE takes its superstars from city-to-city. Some superstars are subjected to truly grueling schedules. For Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, and The Usos, partying is still very much a part of being a WWE personality. Despite partying not being as much a part of the wrestling culture today as it was in past eras, there remains a select few that enjoy one (or many) drinks following a show – four of them are right here.
I always figured Jericho to be a classy gentleman, so the Grey Goose makes sense here. But KFC on the side? Am I to believe these guys are just slamming vodka and rippin' chicken? I can see Ambrose doing that, but not the others (Sorry Dean).
5 Paige Makes A New Friend
The present-day wild child on the WWE roster, Paige has found herself in the center of countless non-scripted storylines. Having admitted to hooking up with multiple women in the past, one such instance is captured here with her slipping some tongue to a fellow female at a party. Paige has battled depression issues following the release of infamous "tapes" involving her. She has had somewhat of a roller coaster ride with the WWE. When on her game, Paige can captivate a crowd, both as a heel and babyface character.
Recently, it's been nice to see Paige rediscover her groove as a heel. Leading the diva trio, Absolution, she has redeemed herself after some hard times inside and outside the squared circle. That sort of hard work and dedication deserves a kiss, no?
4 John Cena With His Ex-Wife
This photo looks way worse than it is, mostly because John Cena's wife (now ex-wife) appears as though she's finished... Cena, prior to Nikki Bella, was married. For the better part of his early WWE days, he was known as a party animal, being spotted regularly in moments like this. Ever since Cena adopted his present-day persona, he's had to clean up his act – it's kind of difficult to be a role model to children when you're bumping and grinding ladies at the club (and being photographed doing so).
Cena continues to be a polarizing figure in WWE, with many fans still choosing to boo him despite his super babyface character. Haters gonna hate I suppose, and Cena being the ultimate professional, rarely allows it to affect him. He remains one of the best to ever step foot inside a WWE ring.
3 Jeff Hardy: Party Extreme
The other member of Team X-Treme has a long history of overdoing it on the party scene. Jeff Hardy, back in 2011, showed up to a TNA show high out of his mind. His continued battles with addiction have forced him out of action several times in his career. His first return to WWE years ago ended following a failed substance test.
Outside of wrestling, his struggles have been well documented. Here, he is with a fan and former diva Candice Michelle (a party animal herself). Hardy has shown little regard for his body in the ring, with his high flying antics. Unfortunately, he's failed to take care of himself outside the ring as well, though recently it's been reported he has made significant strides in his personal life. One of my favourites of all-time, we all should be pulling for him. He's undoubtedly one of the greatest high flyers the WWE has ever seen.
2 Triple H And Stephanie McMahon: Sleeping Beauty
All those years ago, wrestling fans remember Stephanie McMahon's dream wedding being ruined by Triple H. Originally meant to marry Test, the Boss' Daughter wound up getting hitched with a long-haired Triple H.
Passed out in the passenger seat, Stephanie is driven to the altar by HHH. Nothing about this photo seems consensual! Obviously a made-for-TV moment, it's hard to imagine a real-life marriage withstanding the trouble a photo such as this would bring to a couple's doorstep. This remains one of the more dramatic and, in many ways, comedic storylines I've seen from start to finish.
1 Bone Street Krew
Started from the bottom, now we're here... This photo, according to many, is the most famous photo involving 'WWE Partiers'. Led by the Undertaker, there was a backstage group known as the Bone Street Krew. Together, they would frequently hit the town following shows.
Packed with present and future Hall of Famers, this moment remains one of the more iconic moments in WWE history. It's always been a brotherhood, and more recently a Sisterhood as well. Making us all believe their in-ring feuds are full of authentic hatred is a skill. In reality, these guys and gals love one another like family (for the most part). RIP Paul Bearer...
