9 Absurd Wrestling Conspiracy Theories, According To Reddit

Wrestling, due to the idea of kayfabe has had many secrets and hidden sides. The mystique and allure behind wrestling were peeled back in the last few decades, but that doesn't mean that there are no more secrets within wrestling.

The good folks over at Reddit still try to get their heads around some conspiracies involving companies like WWE and AEW and try to think of their own most logical ones. The world of wrestling is rife with conspiracies, and most of them seem too crazy to be real. These stories most likely are untrue but are just too interesting to be left behind.

9 Who Is Coach Tony K?

DeathValleyDriver Forums was a message board used in the early 2000s to discuss wrestling news and stories, before the likes of Reddit came about. The site was host to many conspiracies, and as such, an infamous thread on the forums spread about wrestling conspiracies, and the wildest ones anybody could think of or believe in.

The 'Sleaze' Thread, as it is remembered today, is memorable not only for the NSFW conspiracies on there but also due to the fact that an account named 'Coach Tony K' started it. One can only wonder where they are today, and what they must be doing.

8 Sheamus Won His First World Championship By Accident

A lot of people were very surprised when Sheamus managed to beat John Cena to become a WWE Champion in what was a short career up until that point. The finish of the match was controversial, with Sheamus 'pushing' Cena from the top turnbuckle, who fell through the table for the new WWE Champion to be crowned.

The netizens of Reddit don't believe that Sheamus was meant to win that match and the title at all. They believe that the entire incident, and ending to the match occurred as a 'botch' and that the match's ending was a complete accident.

7 Vince McMahon Set Up Dr. D To Take The Fall

This is a conspiracy based on an old-school event, that was nonetheless big for its time. 'Dr. D' David Schultz was a wrestler who was never near the main event but was an active part of the WWE roster. On December 28, 1994, an interview by 20/20 reporter John Stossel was taking place with Dr. D, who was being asked about pro-wrestling and its secrets. The interview went wrong, with Schultz slapping Stossel, and the case going to court.

According to Schultz, and later Reddit, it was Vince who put Dr. D up to this, and asked Schultz to rough up Stossel and intimidate him. Not many in the industry agree with this perception, but it is compelling. Vince supposedly told him to rough Stossel up, but let Schultz take the fall once the case blew up.

6 Hulk Hogan Had A Black Eye At WrestleMania 9 Because Of Randy Savage

WrestleMania 9 is regarded as one of the worst 'Manias in existence. The main event was ruined by Hulk Hogan, who ran in after Bret lost, and beat Yokozuna for the title in a sour ending. One thing that could be noticed during Hogan's run-in was his very prominent black eye. While Hogan claimed to have gotten it from a jet-ski, some wrestling fans on Reddit believe a different story.

Some fans on Reddit claim that Hogan got that black eye due to an altercation with Randy Savage, who punched him after finding Hogan trying to flirt with Miss Elizabeth. This conspiracy, despite just being guesswork from a fan, makes far more sense than what Hogan claimed happened, that's for sure.

5 Cody Is Dustin Rhodes' Son, Not Dusty Rhodes'

Cody Rhodes is very famously the son of The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes. The grandson of a plumber is the second-born son of Dusty Rhodes, and is currently in the WWE. His brother, Dustin Rhodes is in AEW, and their ancestry and family history are very well known.

But that may not be the case. Some Redditors theorize that Cody may actually be Dustin's son, and not Dusty's. As per this theory, they believe that Dustin got someone pregnant when he was in his teens, and Dusty decided to have Cody be his son instead of having Dustin be the father. This theory makes sense due to the practice being common earlier to cover up teenage pregnancy.

4 Scott Steiner Made Up With WWE To Protect Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker, the son of Rick Steiner and nephew of Scott Steiner is the current NXT Champion. He is the top wrestler in NXT, and is most likely being prepared for a main roster run that includes many World Title runs. The Steiner descendant is being positioned as the next face of the WWE.

In what seemed to be a big surprise, the Steiner Brothers were inducted into the 2022 Hall of Fame. Scott Steiner's troubles and anger with the WWE were very well known. Some Redditors believe that Scott chose to make peace with the WWE in order to remove any obstacles from Bron Breakker's path, as he did not want his animosity with the WWE to ruin his nephew's career in the business.

3 Shawn Michaels' Career-Ending Injury Was Not Actually Career-Ending

The Undertaker Vs Shawn Michaels Casket Match

Suffering an injury during the 1998 Royal Rumble, Shawn Michaels had to retire. But 4 years later, Shawn returned to the ring and was somehow even better than before he left, almost as if his back was never injured.

And that may just be the case, according to a few Redditors. Although they all believe that Shawn's injury was legitimate, they believe that it was substance addiction that kept him out of wrestling for so long. Shawn suffered from intense addiction issues until he went to rehab in 2002, and was canned from an appearance at WrestleMania 17 for that reason. This theory seems to be very possible, as herniated discs do not take that long to recover, and Shawn's issues with addiction are very well-known.

2 Vince McMahon Sent Vince Russo To WCW To Kill It

In 1999, Vince Russo's stock was the highest it would ever be when he was one of the creative heads in a WWE that was having the highest-rated TV shows on a weekly basis. Focusing on crash-style television and dealing with mounting pressure from McMahon, Russo decided to go to WCW and make sure they win the Monday Night Wars.

Except, that was not how fate planned things out for Russo, who instead became the primary cause of WCW's implosion. Some Redditors actually believe Russo was sent by McMahon to kill WCW from the inside. Looking at the sudden move to WCW, and the sheer madness that made WCW's downfall inevitable makes you wonder, and despite never knowing the truth, it would make sense.

1 The Montreal Screwjob Was A Work

The Montreal Screwjob is an event that blurs the lines between reality and kayfabe to such an extent that any theory around it could be possible. One very interesting take, echoed by Scott Hall, is that the Screwjob was a work, to increase the ratings of a failing WWE, who was also now losing its biggest star.

The Screwjob is the most definitive event in wrestling, and an event shrouded in mystery to such an extent that only 4 people truly know what happened. Although it very much is false, the theory of the Screwjob being a work is an interesting train of thought to have, to understand an event that still carries such a mystique around it.