There is one in every family: the embarrassment. The junkie, the loser, the deadbeat … the eternal black sheep. There are the ones with whom relatives are ashamed to share a name. They come and go and when they're gone, the hope is that they will never return. That the lost cause will get lost somewhere in the great unknown.
When one is labeled as the family embarrassment there are but two ways to deal:
1) constantly attempt to change and finally attain some sense of acceptance.
2) Own every aspect of your being and live as you see fit while ignoring the predetermined notion of acceptance.
Should one be a failure, be the grandest failure of them all.
In many ways, the WWE is like a family: Vince McMahon serves as the patriarch to this dysfunctional union while those he has created essentially act as his children. Think of every past and present WWE Superstar as a McMahon child. They were created in WWE and fans watched as they developed and grew over time.
Of course, not everybody who came through the system was a success as Vince McMahon would experience a great deal of disappointment and embarrassment. And, it's not only McMahon creations who have left an embarrassing mark on the business. They come from everywhere and they quickly establish a presence.
This is a look at those who fans, promoters, and wrestlers alike can observe without any real sense of pride.
These are the top 15 people who are an embarrassment to wrestling:
15 15. Vince Russo
Vince Russo cannot be considered a complete failure in professional wrestling as his input and influence would play an important role in the creation of the Attitude Era, something for which many fans remain grateful.
However, away from WWE, Vince Russo seemed like less of genius and more of a buffoon as his handling of WCW would prove disastrous. Russo climbed aboard a sinking ship and did everything possible to ensure its finality.
The Vince Russo Era of WCW can be considered the most embarrassing time ever for the promotion.
14 14. Goldberg
The greatest thing ever created over in WCW was by far the unstoppable Goldberg. Here was a man who simply won matches; nothing pretty or scientific, just plain, old, brute force. And this formula worked well for a while.
However, as time rolled on, the shortcomings of Goldberg became evident. Goldberg was a former football player who lucked out with a look and a push. Goldberg liked to make money and disliked professional wrestling.
To those who love the craft of professional wrestling, Goldberg - like many others - can be considered an embarrassment to the industry.
13 13. Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones came into WWE with much hype and hope. The seven-foot-monster-of-a-man was thought to be a future top dog within the company. However, Jones sucked ... really, really sucked.
With the Attitude Era over and the Ruthless Aggression Era on the rise, Nathan Jones was supposed to fit in well with the new attitude (no pun intended) of WWE. Jones learned quickly that size is simply not enough to contend.
Watching a Nathan Jones match was cringe-worthy as not even an affiliation with The Undertaker could make Jones look like less of an embarrassment.
12 12. Chyna
When discussing the possibility of Chyna entering the WWE Hall of Fame on the Stone Cold Podcast, Triple H explained his stance; mentioning how a young fan searching Chyna on the internet would come across some rather racy material.
Chyna was once a dominate force in WWE but since her glory days with the company has become somewhat of a trainwreck. Chyna seemingly will not let go of the past and her affiliation with Triple H.
From a once celebrated female who battled it out with the boys to an embarrassment to the business. Chyna has fallen hard.
11 11. Insane Clown Posse
The face-painted rappers known as Insane Clown Posse have long been associated with professional wrestling. In fact, the duo of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope have competed in WWE, WCW, and ECW.
The clowns have also created their own promotion know as Juggalo Championship Wrestling, which is essentially a bad copy of Extreme Championship Wrestling; an embarrassment to hardcore wrestling fans.
Insane Clown Posse may love wrestling and that's fine, but do wrestling fans love them back? Not so much.
10 10. New Jack
In the 1990s, if ECW never existed, New Jack may have never attained any success in the professional wrestling industry. To be clear: New Jack is not a wrestler, not even close. New Jack is a maniac.
New Jack has literally sliced the forehead of a teenager (The Mass Transit Incident) and attempted to kill an opponent (Vic Grimes) during a match. Which wrestling school teaches these tactics?
To sum up: New Jack fit the description of ECW but is a complete embarrassment to the actual art of professional wrestling.
9 9. David Arquette
There are many famous fans of professional wrestling. Celebrities has long enjoyed and participated in the circus. However, the involvement of David Arquette in WCW has been the worst celebrity-wrestling related relationship ever.
In the year 2000. David Arquette starred in the horrific wrestling-based film "Ready to Rumble." This would lead to Arquette appearing on WCW television and actually capturing the World Heavyweight Championship.
WCW has presented its share of embarrassments, but David Arquette holding their top title is the worst of all.
8 8. Ed Ferrara
Ed Ferrara was a professional wrestling booker who worked closely with Vince Russo over the years. Ferrara and Russo would meet in WWE where they established a friendship before both heading over to WCW.
While working for the competition, Ed Ferrara would introduce to the wrestling world the most despicable of characters known as Oklahoma; a mockery of Jim Ross and his struggles with Bell's Palsy.
Sure, Ed Ferrara chipped in on the Attitude Era but aside from that has nothing much to be proud of in his embarrassing professional wrestling career.
7 7. Jim Cornette
While under contract with WWE, Jim Cornette was a great manager and mouthpiece. Cornette could run his mouth with the best and was very vocal in putting over WWE while putting down WCW.
However, aside from these accolades, Jim Cornette has always taken things too far. While entertaining at times, Cornette has said things over the years that simply make him sound like an embarrassment to professional wrestling.
The biggest problem with Jim Cornette is his inability to hear the other side of an argument; it is Cornette's word or nothing at all.
6 6. Eva Marie
To mention Eva Marie on such lists is to stomp an injured bird unable to take flight. However, it is difficult to ignore Marie's lack of contributions to the professional wrestling industry.
The times have changed for women in WWE. No longer is it acceptable to simply be beautiful. Sasha Banks and Bayley are stealing shows while Eva Marie is contributing to the horrors of reality television.
Eva Marie is "learning" the business according to Total Divas and Breaking Ground but remains an embarrassment to women's wrestling.
5 5. Mike Adamle
The stain of Mike Adamle cannot be removed from the fabric of WWE, no matter how hard they scrub. Adamle was brought into the company and became an immediate joke. The former sportscaster did not belong.
Mike Adamle fumbled over names and struggled though promos as the General Manager of Raw (who the hell thought that would work?). Adamle had absolutely no chance of getting over in the wrestling world.
WWE must forever live with the embarrassment of Mike Adamle as one of its worst acquisitions of all time.
4 4. Cameron
Chances are that a WWE fan who chooses a women's match as their favourite of all time will select Trish Stratus vs. Lita for the Women's Championship in the main event of Monday Night Raw.
When asked this question on Tough Enough by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Cameron chose Alicia Fox vs. Melina. This answer alone is a grand embarrassment to wrestling fans far and wide.
Of course, it doesn't end there: Cameron once attempted to pin Naomi while her former partner lay on her stomach. What an embarrassment.
3 3. Sid
The absolute worst wrestler of the 1990s, Sid Justice or Sycho Sid would somehow find his way to the top of both WWE and WCW; winning the WWE and WCW Championship twice in each promotion.
Sid was simply a mess on the mic and would often flub his lines during an interview or promo. Aside from his verbal inabilities, Sid was not much to remember inside of the ring. Does a classic Sid match exist? No.
Someone, somewhere in both major wrestling promotions believed Sid was not an embarrassment to wrestling. Oh, were they wrong.
2 2. Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter is in many ways the laughing stock of the wrestling world. You see, Dixie has a delusion that she and her team will make something memorable out of TNA, which fans know will never happen.
TNA is the WWE burial ground; a place where the old men who can no longer handle the grind of WWE can find a comfortable spot. Aside from the WWE guys, TNA stands as a breed of hacks who never quite made the big time.
Dixie Carter has no really grasp on professional wrestling. One must wonder: how much longer will she continue to embarrass herself and fans?
1 1. Hulk Hogan
No matter what, the name Hulk Hogan will never fizzle out of the wrestling conversation. Hogan propelled WWE back in the 1980s and although he has dealt with a number of controversial issues, Hogan is never forgotten.
However, the one-and-only Hulk Hogan is not without his share of embarrassment. From the recent racist remarks scandal to his public divorce to his movie career to tacky product endorsements to the behavior of his children.
Hulk Hogan has helped professional wrestling a great deal throughout his career but The Hulkster has done just as much to hurt and embarrass the industry.