10 Infamous Pro Wrestling Squash Matches
Not every squash match is forgettable
2. The Rockers vs. The Genius & Chuck Austin
It’s amazing to think now, but decades ago it was not uncommon for barely-trained wannabe grapplers to wrestle on global television.
WWE needed a constant supply of warm bodies for their stars to squash and they often were not properly vetted and their inexperience unquestioned.
That was the case for Chuck Austin, just six months into his training when he somehow convinced WWE officials to let him perform at their television tapings in in Tampa, Florida on December 11, 1990.
Tagging with Lanny ‘The Genius’ Poffo against The Rockers, Chuck was (in theory) in great hands with three experienced pros around him.
However, Austin took Marty Jannetty’s Rocker Dropper finisher incorrectly, spiking himself head-first into the mat.
Paralysed upon impact, Chuck Austin ended up suing WWE parent company Titan Sports and was ultimately awarded $10 million from them and $1.5 million from Jannetty.
Following Chuck’s accident – which has left him wheelchair-bound and living in significant pain – WWE changed their policy and only hired jobbers with a proven track record or significant in-ring experience.
The tag match never aired on television, though clips of it were used in news broadcasts about the incident.
