10 Matches That Led To Wrestlers Getting Fired

Anytime a wrestler steps into the ring they are expected to perform at their highest level and to do so as safely as possible. Of course, things can always go wrong in wrestling as that is the nature of the business, but as long as nothing is reckless or done intentionally, then there tend to be no problems.

However, over the years there have been times when that hasn't been the case and issues between wrestlers have been created inside the ring. Some matches have ended up having a much bigger impact than they were originally intended, and have resulted in people losing their jobs for a variety of different reasons.

10 Mr. Kennedy (Raw, 5/25/09)

One of the most well-known examples of a wrestler being fired because of a match was in a 10-man tag team encounter as Mr. Kennedy's time with the company ended up being let go. This was all down to backstage politics at the time as Randy Orton ended up complaining about Kennedy.

Orton was dropped high on his neck during the match by Kennedy, and while it didn't seem to be an intentional situation it was something that Orton wasn't happy about. His complaints worked out though as Kennedy ended up being fired, despite his potential.

9 Arn Anderson (Live Event, 2019)

Arn Anderson's firing in 2019 was proof that even those who are not actually in the ring competing in a match can end up losing their job because of what happens. At a live event in 2019, Anderson was the producer for a match that featured Alicia Fox, but she turned up to the event drunk.

She was dealing with personal issues at the time, but competing while being drunk brings a lot of risks to the talent in the ring in terms of safety. Anderson was the man who paid the price for allowing her to compete that night, and he lost his job with the company.

8 Bryan Clark (Unforgiven, 2001)

At the 2001 Unforgiven event, Bryan Clark was working alongside Brian Adams in the tag team known as KroniK, and they got the chance to compete against The Brothers Of Destruction. While it was a big moment for the two men, this match ended up being a disaster and was poorly received.

It was so poorly received that WWE ended up cutting ties with Clark and the company released him. While the same punishment wasn't dished out to anybody else, Clark took the heat and ended up being moved on.

7 Brad Maddox (Live Event, 2015)

Live events can allow a little more flexibility in terms of what a wrestler can get away with as there are no television restrictions to deal with, but there are still rules in place that Vince McMahon demands from his talent, and at a show in 2015 Brad Maddox crossed that line.

At a live event, Maddox was competing and decided to rile the fans up to get himself some heat. It's a decision that made sense, but the language he used didn't, and with McMahon being in attendance he decided to let him go.

6 Abraham Washington (Raw, 7/30/12)

Someone else who was fired for a promo during a match was Abraham Washington, with the former wrestling manager crossing the line with a joke about Kobe Bryant which was certainly not appropriate for television.

He would stand at ringside with a microphone attached to him so he could talk trash to those in the ring that was competing against the Prime Time Playas. However, he crossed the line with this particular comment and WWE decided to part ways with him.

5 Eugene (Raw, 8/10/09)

Eugene was always a popular gimmick with wrestling fans, and while it wouldn't be accepted today, during its time there's no denying it was popular. WWE brought him back in 2009, and things began with a match against The Miz, who was working as The Calgary Kid at the time as he had to earn a contract.

While the match went by without a hitch, Eugene got to the back and ended up being let go from WWE. This was because Vince McMahon wasn't impressed with his weight, so he cut ties with him immediately.

4 Chavo Guerrero (TNA, 11/23/13)

TNA's Feast Or Fired match is an interesting concept, and one that sees one wrestler end up with a pink slip. It's something that is supposed to be done in storyline in the same way as a loser leaves town match, but when Chavo Guerrero was involved, TNA legitimately tried to fire him.

He was asked if he was leaving the company after it and Guerrero admitted it was the most disrespected he has ever been. Ultimately, he didn't get fired because he got his lawyer to check it which wasn't allowed, and instead he quit.

3 Teddy Hart (ROH Main Event Spectacles, 2003)

Teddy Hart has always been a curious wrestler that has brought a lot of question marks with the things he says and does, and that was clear during the steel cage scramble he was involved in for Ring Of Honor. For some reason when the match was done, he decided to stop selling the impact of the match.

He then went on to hit high-flying moves from the top of the cage to showcase his athletic behavior, but it made no sense and ruined the entire encounter. It's something the talent and company weren't impressed by, and led to him being fired.

2 Buff Bagwell (Raw, 7/2/01)

When WWE purchased WCW there was a lot of excitement about what that would mean for the wrestling business, but few expected the first 'WCW' main event match under the WWE umbrella to be Booker T vs. Buff Bagwell. However, that's what got booked and it ended up being a disaster.

Originally, WWE were going to try and push the two as different brands, but this match was so bad that Vince McMahon nixed the idea, and he also let go of Bagwell in the process as he was unimpressed by the performance.

1 The Ultimate Warrior (SummerSlam, 1991)

Attempting to blackmail Vince McMahon is never something that is going to end well, and that is what The Ultimate Warrior found out firsthand at SummerSlam, 1991. He believed that the company owed him money and he demanded that it came to him then or he wouldn't compete that night.

While McMahon did give him his money, the moment he got back into Gorilla Position after the match he was let go and fired. It was nothing to do with his performance in the ring, but the fact he had forced McMahon to pay him extra simply to compete, knowing that WWE had built a lot of the show around him.