The 2010s decade was drastically different than any other previous time for the wrestling industry with many changes. WWE remained the top dog with Impact Wrestling as their distant second competitor for most of that time. AEW formed at the end of the decade to create some excitement in the change that was hitting the wrestling world.

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Social media completely took off with promotions and wrestlers navigating a more prominent newer part of pop culture. It became easier for controversy to arise with things leaked online and wrestling stories creating conversations. Each of the following controversial stories from the 2010s completely rocked the wrestling landscape.

10 The Rock & John Cena's Personal Promos

WWE booked a dream match between The Rock and John Cena a full year in advance to build suspense and hype. The road to WrestleMania 28 featured Cena and Rock taking part in multiple intense promo segments that felt real in the moment.

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Cena and Rock got personal beyond the other’s comfort zone to create controversy. Rock was called out by Cena for writing promo lines on his wrist. The response of Rock saw him bringing up Cena’s real-life marriage troubles. Both guys crossed undefined lines to spark tension, but it led to great television.

9 Brock Lesnar & Chris Jericho Almost Fighting

SummerSlam 2016 featured a wild main event ending via referee stoppage when Brock Lesnar brutally bloodied Randy Orton. Fans were taken back at the violent visual, but so did a few wrestlers feeling concerned over Orton taking the stiff shots for real to his head.

Chris Jericho confronted Brock after the match leading to a huge scuffle between the two. Lesnar and Jericho were apparently face to face with threats exchanged. The fearlessness of Jericho saw him refusing to back down despite Brock being the favorite in any real fight between the two.

8 Hulk Hogan Fired By WWE For Racist Comments

WWE brought back Hulk Hogan to the company after many years away and the end of his TNA stint. Hogan returned to a legend ambassador role hosting WrestleMania 30 and took part in various other projects. However, the return of Hogan only lasted a little over a year.

A real-life sex tape of Hogan leaked with racist comments exposing him in multiple negative lights. WWE fired Hogan during that week and even removed him from the Hall of Fame. There was no association for years until WWE felt enough time had passed to bring him back.

7 Cody Rhodes Starting AEW Off By Shooting On WWE

The emergence of AEW to end the 2010s changed wrestling with a second major United States promotion. Cody Rhodes was the first AEW talent to instantly take aim at WWE with a direct message at the company’s first-ever event Double or Nothing 2019.

AEW made it clear they wouldn’t be shy about throwing shade when Cody took a shot at Triple H with his entrance. Rhodes used Triple H’s trademark sledgehammer weapon to hit the throne as the audience cheered. This seems funnier than controversial today since Cody now works for Triple H in WWE.

6 Roman Reigns Kicking Enzo Amore Off Tour Bus

Another silly but controversial story in wrestling ended with Enzo Amore getting kicked off a WWE tour bus. Enzo reportedly had backstage heat in WWE from day one since he was a bit obnoxious and didn’t care about how others perceived him.

Roman Reigns stood up for the rest of the wrestlers upset at Enzo for having a loud conversation on the bus when most wanted to relax after a show. WWE’s international tours are quite busy, and it led to Roman kicking Enzo off the bus for everyone to have a better time.

5 The Undertaker's Streak Ending

It is rare when an on-screen angle is so controversial that it moves into the real side of controversy. WWE booked arguably the most shocking finish in wrestling history when The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak ended at the hands of Brock Lesnar.

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The reaction led to many fans expressing unhappiness and feeling WWE ruined something they loved. Arguments could go both ways about if Brock needed the win, but it sparked controversy to cause those same arguments to be exchanged. Undertaker even talks about the decision taking him by surprise and feeling a little unsettled over it.

4 Bill DeMott Accused Of Abusing WWE Trainees

WWE had a surprising scandal surface when developmental trainer Bill DeMott was accused of verbally and physically abusing trainees. DeMott was the lead trainer in NXT when various wrestlers to work for WWE’s previous developmental systems detailed cruel actions to names following his orders.

Kenny Omega was a huge name to speak against DeMott as a reason why he didn’t want to stay in WWE’s system. DeMott was fired shortly into the allegations with Matt Bloom aka A-Train replacing him. WWE washed their hands of DeMott once the stories caught on with more media outlets.

3 WWE's Saudi Arabia Deal

The 2010s saw WWE signing one of their most lucrative deals when agreeing to run a couple of major events in Saudi Arabia each year. Ties to Saudi Arabia government put WWE in the negative spotlight since there were plenty of horrible actions done by those running the country.

Names like John Cena, Bryan Danielson and Kevin Owens pulled out at the time due to all the controversy associated with it. Changes like the WWE women being allowed to wrestle after a few shows and other touring brands working with Saudi Arabia led to the controversy dying down with the events still taking place.

2 Jeff Hardy Wrestling In TNA Under The Influence

TNA didn’t have a major run in the spotlight during the 2010s since they were a distant second to WWE with no real momentum. The Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff era essentially turned the company into a joke that they never truly recovered from.

One of the lowest moments from that time saw Jeff Hardy appearing in a PPV main event under the influence. TNA actually had some extra interest in this dream match between Hardy and Sting until fans saw the condition of Jeff. The all-time embarrassing night became a controversy the company couldn’t escape for quite some time.

1 CM Punk Walking Out Of WWE

Few wrestling conversations ever sparked as much online chatter and general controversy as CM Punk walking out of WWE. Punk was already a controversial figure as someone never shy to speak his mind. Some of the frustrations Punk expressed on television about Triple H and Vince McMahon ended up becoming part of their real stories.

Punk left WWE after a meeting with Vince and Triple H expressing his unhappiness in the company. Royal Rumble 2014 was the last time Punk wrestled for WWE. Fans chanting for Punk for many years afterwards and everyone having a strong opinion showed how controversial it was.