WWE has given major airtime to many a thrill-seeking personality over the years, but perhaps none more so than Shane McMahon.
Heading into the Attitude Era and thriving in it, Mick Foley is arguably one major yardstick for punishment inflicted on the human body in the course of staging a professional wrestling event.
From his infamous Hell in a Cell battle with The Undertaker in 1998 and his brutal encounter with Randy Orton at Backlash years later, Foley has pretty much done it all – the resulting damage seeing him recently shelve plans for one, final farewell match.
But while Foley – who wrestled as Cactus Jack, Dude Love and Mankind during his storied career – had fans wincing at his antics, he was at least a full time, fully-trained performer. McMahon, meanwhile, was not.
The son of disgraced former WWE emperor Vince McMahon, Shane was thrust into the business at an early age, working in all manner of backstage roles before transitioning to work in front of the camera as a commentator, character villain and wrestler.
While not competing in a huge amount of matches over his career – less than 130 compared to Foley’s 1,500 plus, according to Cagematch stats – he arguably subjected himself to even more pain and hell than the hardcore legend.
Don’t just take our word for that, though. To remind you of some of what you may have tried to forget, talkSPORT.com has profiled five of Shane McMahon’s wildest WWE moments:
Kurt Angle, Shane McMahon and the glass
We’re arguably starting at the top, and with arguably the most renowned Shane McMahon bump of all time courtesy of the 2001 King of the Ring battle with Kurt Angle.
The pair were left battered by the showdown; Angle breaking his tailbone after a heavy fall on the entrance ramp, and McMahon rendered almost lifeless after one spot went wrong.
Angle had suplexed his rival into what he expected was sugar glass behind him, only for plexiglass, which is harder to shatter, to have been used on the staging in question instead.
McMahon promptly bounced straight back off the sheet, clattering his head and landing with a thud. The two stars, disorientated, took a minute two gather themselves before inexplicably trying the spot again – thankfully succeeding second time around.
Hurled through a car window by AJ Styles
The vast majority of Shane McMahon’s lethal antics took place in and around commentary tables, top ropes and anything at great height.
His 2017 feud with AJ Styles at least provided something different, with McMahon portraying an on-screen authority figure at the time and Styles incensed at the failure of his ‘boss’ to grant him a high-profile WrestleMania bout.
The two promptly ran into each other backstage and all hell broke loose, Styles eventually launching McMahon headfirst through a car window, which provided a brilliant sound and visual for the watching television audience.
McMahon gingerly made it back to his feet to confirm he’d be Styles’ opponent for what proved to be a cracking Mania a few weeks later.
Failing miserably before Snoop Dog saves the day
We’d noted that McMahon has taken an incredible number of risks and sustained unbelievable damage in the ring over the years, but not all ended up producing iconic, gravity-defying scenes.
Take WrestleMania 39 for example. On Night 2 of the show, McMahon showed up to challenge The Miz and wrestle him after Miz had set his sights on celebrity host Snoop Dog.
The rap legend ended up ‘refereeing’ the match but, moments in, McMahon attempted a routine leap frog, one of the more straightforward moves in a wrestler’s arsenal, and legitimately tore his quadriceps in the process.
WWE improvised and essentially had Snoop Dog step into the breach, beating Miz with a People’s Elbow while poor McMahon lay slain.
Steve Blackman sends Shane McMahon flying
Almost 25 years ago, McMahon fell perhaps fell the furthest distance of any of his ridiculous WWE falls in trying to escape rival Steve Blackman.
The pair had already beaten each other about the place with various weapons in and around the ring before a chase of sorts broke out, Blackman wielding a kendo stick and McMahon beginning to climb the side of the huge arena video screen as a result.
The former European Champion kept climbing, and climbing, to the point fans feared something stomach-churning was about to happen. They weren’t wrong.
After one final, decisive blow with the stick and with a handily placed dumpster positioned below, McMahon – now towering above his foes and the entire crowd – let go and fell the 50 or so feet down.
Missing the Mark at WrestleMania
Poor Shane McMahon has such a rich history of putting his body on the line for the entertainment of watching viewers, but it seems it so often seemed to get him absolutely nowhere.
The perfect case in point would be WrestleMania 32, and McMahon’s battle with legend The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell.
Again there was extra curricular activity as the pair took themselves outside the structure and, as he seemed unable to resist temptation, McMahon proceeded to climb it.
With designs on finishing off Taker, real name Mark Calaway, who’d been laid out on the commentary table below, McMahon came unstuck yet again.
Whilst the thrill-seeker was in mid air, the Deadman slid off the table, his foe crashing through it and landing in a heap – providing a great visual along the way.
News Summary:
- Car windows, 50ft falls and serious injuries live on TV: Five of daredevil Shane McMahon’s most brutal WWE moments
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