10 Times Wrestlers Didn't Know They Were Live

Pro wrestling is a TV-focused business, so if you want to be a top star, you have to know how to come across well on-screen.

This can either be through pre-taped vignettes or via live segments. It doesn’t matter which one, just as long as you don’t get them mixed up.

Unfortunately, that’s precisely what these bewildered bone-benders did. This is 10 Times Wrestlers Didn’t Know They Were Live. 

10. Drew McIntyre Sings Oasis - WWE Clash At The Castle 2022

The first Clash at the Castle pay-per-view in 2022 could have ended with Drew McIntyre raising the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship above his head. Instead, it ended with him doing karaoke. 

Following his loss to Roman Reigns in the show’s main event after interference by the debuting Solo Sikoa, Drew was joined in the ring by boxer Tyson Fury, who for some reason began singing ‘American Pie.’ This prompted McIntyre to lead the tens of thousands inside the Principality Stadium in a rendition of ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ by Oasis. 

Drew noted before he began singing that he wasn’t sure if the show was still on the air and McIntyre revealed to Cultaholic years later that the post-main event antics was the worst moment of his life. 

“I was so happy getting Clash in Wales and getting the first stadium show since SummerSlam '92 and getting the main event. I wasn’t happy getting screwed and the worst moment of my life singing that stupid song afterwards. But I’m very happy that you persevered, you believed, you kept working and you might just get a redo and it’s not just a redo, it couldn’t be any more perfect. It’s literally in Glasgow, where I went to uni for four years. 30 minutes from here is where I grew up. We’ve got to make it right this time because me, my family, the UK can’t take another shot through the heart like what happened last time. It will collapse the entire UK, so Drew McIntyre has to win and will win this time,” McIntyre said.

Unfortunately for Drew and everyone who paid the high prices for a ticket at Clash at the Castle 2024, McIntyre did indeed fail to win a world title again following interference from CM Punk. 

9. Matt Riddle Forgets What He Was Going To Say About Scooters - March 29, 2021 Episode Of WWE Raw

Matt Riddle expressed his unique personality while he was employed by WWE and that was shown in full effect on the March 29, 2021 episode of Raw. 

At a time when his gimmick revolved around a love of scooters, Riddle zoomed up to then-Raw Women’s Champion Asuka to ask her a bunch of questions, including if scooters were big in Japan. 

Riddle quickly got his tongue tied, however, and after saying “Japan” a few times, he abandoned the segment, scootering off as Asuka looked on in bewilderment. Riddle later admitted he had no idea the segment was airing live, saying: 

“Well, let’s talk about that promo. Usually when they go live, they tell you. And sometimes you go through a couple of rehearsals beforehand. I had the scooter and they had just gave it to me, and they said, ‘We don’t want to see you. Go about 20 yards that way and roll down.’ So as I roll down, one I didn’t know it was live TV, and two, the promo they originally had was me talking about how I’d been to Japan before, which I hadn’t, and how I’d go to underground robot fights. I was going to ask Asuka if scooters would be a big hit in Tokyo, Japan.

“Yeah, I forgot everything. I forgot everything the second I rolled up. ‘Hey Asuka, do you think scooters are… do you think a scooter…’ I forgot what I was saying. And then the people behind the camera are like [waving at him to come back]. Now granted, at least I didn’t say, ‘What’s the line?’ or I said the F-word or something. I didn’t do that, I was just like, ‘I forgot what I was saying.’ Which, to be fair, happens all the time to me. I see the guys behind the camera going [waving with both arms.] And I look and I roll by, and Asuka finishes it. I’m like, ‘Was that it?’ And I can’t talk because cameras are rolling. So I [mouth silently, ‘Was that it?’ And they go, ‘Yeah!’ [And I show my excitement and pump my fists].”

Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard reportedly found the entire situation hilarious, while Randy Orton also thought it was funny. Orton and Riddle would begin teaming together soon after as RK-Bro. 

H/T WrestleZone

8. Alicia Fox Strikes Nia Jax - September 5, 2016 Episode Of WWE Raw

Alicia Fox, who was with WWE for 17 years, played an unhinged character known for violent temper tantrums directed at other members of the roster. On the September 5, 2016 edition of Raw, Nia Jax was the target of an outburst that got a little too real. 

The erratic superstar started throwing things around in a fit of rage, accidentally flinging a tissue box directly into Jax’s face. You could tell it was an accident because Fox briefly forgot she was on camera and looked genuinely concerned for her real-life friend. 

For around two seconds, the madness stopped. Then, upon remembering she was on live TV, Fox got right back into character and screamed in Jax’s face before getting shoved backwards over a table.

7. Kevin Dunn On WWE NXT Season Three

Kevin Dunn isn’t even a wrestler but he’s made such a big impact on the world of wrestling that it felt appropriate to include him here.

For five decades, Dunn was a key part of the WWE machine, serving not only as an executive producer of the company’s TV output, but also as one of Vince McMahon’s most trusted advisors. He is most infamous for controlling the majority of WWE’s visual output, being responsible for the use of incessant, frantic camera cuts during matches. 

Dunn’s influence also extended to the old game show version of NXT and Dunn, by accident, could be heard inside the WWE production truck due to a microphone likely being left on and his voice could be heard throughout an episode of NXT season three. It was very low in the mix and you couldn’t always work out what he was saying, but it was there. 

Considering how reclusive Dunn was during his time with WWE, this was like discovering full-colour footage of Bigfoot in the wild.

6. Mick Foley Speaks To Heated Rival The Rock - WWE Rock Bottom

The In Your House: Rock Bottom pay-per-view featured a night-long story of Mr. McMahon trying to talk Mankind out of his scheduled WWE Title match with The Rock. 

Following what he believed to be a successful meeting with Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy in his boiler room office, McMahon smugly strutted away, turning down a corridor, only for Mick Foley to be shown chatting to The Rock backstage. The footage isn’t super clear, but if you slow it down and focus on that one portion of the shot, you can clearly see the unmistaken outline of Mick Foley speaking away with his supposed blood rival.

This would have been a bad enough blooper but it also showed the segment between McMahon and Foley was a pretape, unless Mick Foley suddenly learned how to teleport. 

Regardless, McMahon’s attempts to stop Mankind failed and he challenged The Rock for the WWE Title in the semi-main event, even defeating Dwayne Johnson after forcing him to pass out with Mr. Socko. Before Mankind could be announced as the new champion, however, Vince McMahon screwed Foley and declared The Rock was still the champion because Rocky didn’t tap out.

Fortunately for us all, Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy won the big one just a few weeks later on the January 4, 1999 episode of Monday Night Raw.

5. Road Warrior Hawk Walks Into Vader's Interview - WWE In Your House: No Way Out Of Texas

The Road Warriors were two of the toughest wrestlers during their heyday and they would regularly stiff people in the ring, no-sell dangerous moves, and always gave the impression that they were about three seconds away from starting a legitimate brawl. 

Prior to his big match with Kane at In Your House: No Way Out Of Texas, Vader gave a fired-up interview to Sunny on the pre-show. As he was in full flow, a door to the left of the shot opened and out walked Road Warrior Hawk, who clearly had no idea that this corridor was being used for a promo. 

You couldn’t write this sort of comic timing. The door opened, Hawk walked out, immediately noticed there was a camera, then backed out of shot without saying a word, his eyes bulging out of his head like he was in Looney Tunes.

To only make the situation that much worse/better, the Legion of Doom weren’t even advertised on the card which really telegraphed LOD’s run-in to make the save for Justin Bradshaw during his NWA North American Title match against Jeff Jarrett.  

4. Kane Kindly Opens The Door For Eve Torres - February 13, 2012 Episode Of WWE Raw

He might have been presented as a fire-summoning, chokeslamming demon from the depths of Hell on WWE TV, but that image was slightly tarnished during Kane’s 2012 feud with John Cena. 

On the February 13 episode of Monday Night Raw, Kane kidnapped Eve Torres - the girlfriend of Cena’s friend Zack Ryder and the future object of John’s affections. With the heroic babyface pursuing the monster backstage, the broadcast was supposed to cut to the masked fiend shoving Torres into the back of an ambulance.

Unfortunately, the production team cut way too early, accidentally showing Kane holding the door open for Eve as she gently placed herself inside the vehicle. He eventually slammed the door a few seconds later. 

This production botch was cut out of all future broadcasts of the show. In the moment, however, it was too late.

3. Bob Backlund Kindly Asks The Person He's Supposed To Attack To Stand Up - March 20, 2000 Episode Of WWE Raw

Bob Backlund returned to WWE in 2000, forming a brief but memorable partnership with a young Kurt Angle. Backlund managed the Olympic gold medallist during the build to WrestleMania 2000, but was fired by his charge a few weeks into their run. 

According to Angle himself, a botch from the March 20 edition of Raw is what led to the Hall of Famer getting the boot. The two submission specialists were walking backstage when they encountered an extra sat on a production crate. Backlund was supposed to put him in the Crossface Chickenwing, but the former WWE Champion thought he was meant to be standing up. Backlund then asked the extra to get to his feet, before turning to the camera to ask if they could do it again. They couldn’t, because this was a live segment. 

Not long after this embarrassing screw-up, Backlund would be gone from WWE TV. Angle said about the segment on his podcast: "I think that was the deciding factor. When Bob went and did that, they just went, 'We've had enough of Bob Backlund, we're gonna move on."

H/T Wrestling Inc.

2. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross Stop Wrestling - March 13, 2020 Episode Of WWE SmackDown

The pandemic was a strange time for everyone. Nobody knew how to handle this new world, least of all the wrestling business, which was adjusting to putting on shows without a live audience. 

This unique wrinkle had unintended consequences for the March 13, 2020 episode of SmackDown. In the first episode of WWE programming to be broadcast under quarantine rule, not only was Triple H on commentary, but an extraordinary sight occurred during a match of Bayley & Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross when, instead of continuing to wrestle during commercial breaks like they would in normal circumstances, the four talents stopped when they thought nobody was watching. 

Unfortunately, different countries received different feeds of the show, so some viewers saw this kayfabe-shattering spectacle live and in colour. 

1. "It's Live, Pal" - WWE In Your House

Sycho Sid wasn’t exactly known for his coherent promos. The former WWE Champion would regularly spew verbal spaghetti to the delight of sadistic fans the world over, but a microphone mishap from the first In Your House event might be his finest work. 

Ahead of his main event match with Diesel, the big man was asked by Jim Ross if he was prepared to take the offence his opponent was ready to dish out. After struggling to say “sceptics”, Sid suddenly uttered: "Let me do this again." Jim Ross responded with the immortal line, "No it's live, pal."

This was botch perfection, from the look on Sid’s face to the speed of JR’s comeback, which was ultimately capped off by Ross calling the future Sid Vicious a “man of few words.”