10 Most Controversial WWE Shows Ever

5. SmackDown - July 7, 2005

The angle on the July 7, 2005, episode of SmackDown, which saw The Undertaker attacked by five masked men and garrotted with piano wire before Daivari was carried off like a martyr, probably would have been controversial on its own due to its terroristic overtones and similarity to the real-life beheading of American hostage Nick Berg. 

What kicked things into overdrive is that on the same day it aired, the London Bombings occurred. The coordinated terrorist attack on the UK capital’s transport system ended up taking 52 lives and causing 784 injuries. Since SmackDown had been taped three days earlier and aired many hours after the bombings, WWE faced intense criticism from the media for not editing it out of the show. 

The negative reaction was swift and WWE did alter the version of the show that went out later in international markets (including the UK). The bad publicity forced WWE to change plans for the masked terrorists to appear on further episodes of SmackDown, while UPN went one better and demanded that Muhammad Hassan never again appear on their network. WWE acquiesced and Hassan was written out of storylines following his loss to ‘Taker at The Great American Bash, which was his last appearance for the company.