WWE is no stranger to controversy. There have been several situations in the past, where the promotion has come under fire for its storylines or gimmicks. But beyond that as well, over the years, the promotion has employed wrestlers who have been immensely controversial in their own right.

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The most recent example would be Lars Sullivan, who is in the middle of a substantial push after his return to WWE programming. The Freak is far from the only wrestler to have been controversial outside the ring. There have been a fair share of pro wrestlers to have worked in a WWE ring, who have proven to be exceptionally controversial over the years.

10 Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan WWE Champion

Hulk Hogan was instrumental in turning WWE into the biggest pro wrestling promotion in the world. He was the face of WWE for years, headlining countless WrestleManias and winning numerous championships along the way.

But outside the ring, Hogan was nothing like his superhero in-ring character. He repeatedly engaged in backstage politics to benefit his own career, while forcing the promotion's hand when it came to pushing certain stars. Hogan also turned out to be a racist, which led to him being briefly fired by WWE, but they ended up bringing him back into the fold soon after.

9 Jaxson Ryker

The Forgotten Sons

The Forgotten Sons had the potential to take the main roster by storm. Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler, and Jaxson Ryker had proven that they could deliver in the ring during their NXT run. But things didn't really work out very well on the main roster.

Their characterization was extremely confusing; they seemed to be heels, but WWE kept playing up their history in the Marines which many fans find to be a heroic vocation. Things got worse when Ryker took to Twitter, pledging his support to Donald Trump at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. He was widely criticized by colleagues, and the promotion had no choice but to take The Forgotten Sons off programming indefinitely.

8 Zahra Schreiber

Zahra Schreiber

Most WWE fans don't even know who Zahra Schreiber is, and those who do know, probably forgot she was ever a part of the roster. Schreiber was thrust into the spotlight when it was revealed that Seth Rollins had cheated on his fiancé with her. The entire ordeal resulted in some less-than-flattering images of Rollins making their way to the internet.

Schreiber's career with the promotion came to a sudden end when it was revealed that she appeared to have a fondness for Nazi memorabilia. To their credit, WWE fired her almost immediately, bringing an end to a career that never really got started.

7 John "Bradshaw" Layfield

JBL WWE

John "Bradshaw" Layfield, better known to fans as JBL, rose to prominence when WWE rebranded The Acolytes as The APA. Soon after, he was pushed as a singles star, even having a run with the WWE Championship.

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For years, JBL has been regarded as one of the biggest bullies backstage. There have been several instances where wrestlers and other employees have accused him of making their lives a living hell. JBL's bullying was under the spotlight when he targeted Mauro Ranallo, which eventually played a part in him leaving the promotion down the line.

6 Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels posing

Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest in-ring workers of all time. He has inspired a generation of wrestlers and has worked some of the finest matches the industry has ever seen. But there is no denying that before Michaels found solace in spirituality, he was not a good person.

Not only did he have serious issues with substance abuse, but he also engaged in backstage politics on several occasions, refusing to lose big matches or putting over stars he didn't like. Most damningly, he was an integral part of the Montreal Screwjob, one of the most infamous angles in the history of pro wrestling.

5 The Ultimate Warrior

The Ultimate Warrior

Alongside Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior was one of the biggest stars in WWE when the promotion was still turning into a worldwide phenomenon. While his name is central to WWE's philanthropic efforts (Warrior Award), it is doing so by wiping the legend's slate clean.

The Warrior shocked people when he made several racist and homophobic remarks at college appearances, in addition to essentially mocking Hurricane Katrina victims. He was also upset over Martin Luther King Jr. having a day named after him, while targeting the LGBTQ+ community as well, at a Conservative Alliance event.

4 Brock Lesnar

Brocl Lesnar Wrestlemania Universal Champion

For the last several years, WWE has been repeatedly criticized for putting top championships on Brock Lesnar, despite him working a part-time schedule. To his credit, Lesnar has put on some truly great matches, but that hasn't made up for the fact that there have been occasions where he has essentially held championships hostage.

He has also courted a fair amount of controversy over the years, most notably for steroid possession and hunting infractions. Lesnar has also been accused of sexual harassment, alleged to have occurred in the early 2000s, according to former WWE employee Terri Runnels who claims Lesnar purposefully exposed himself to her.

3 Triple H

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon Champions

Triple H is one of the most decorated WWE Superstars of all time. He has also been instrumental in turning NXT into one of the hottest and most exciting pro wrestling shows in the world. But there is no doubt that he would not have received plenty of the opportunities he did if he hadn't participated in backstage politics.

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His relationship with Stephanie McMahon undoubtedly helped his career. It was a calculated decision on The Game's part, who cast aside Chyna almost immediately, forcing her out of the promotion as well. That is just one example where Triple H has used his influence backstage to benefit his career at the expense of others. The Game would later become notorious for using his "golden shovel" to bury other performers.

2 Lars Sullivan

Lars Sullivan WWE

There was a time when WWE wanted Lars Sullivan to have a WrestleMania feud with John Cena, but that never materialized. More recently, it was reported that WWE was planning a feud with The Freak and Brock Lesnar, but that didn't work out either. It is painfully obvious that someone backstage is extremely high on Sullivan.

He has managed to keep getting pushed despite him being revealed as a homophobe and racist. If that wasn't enough, fans also revealed that he had an experience with homosexual pornographic movies. Sullivan is one of the least liked wrestlers in the locker room, but he continues to be featured prominently, probably because Vince McMahon is still a fan.

1 The Fabulous Moolah

The Fabulous Moolah

Over the course of her lifetime, The Fabulous Moolah was regarded as a trailblazer and one of the greatest workers of all time. She was instrumental in putting women's wrestling on the map, paving the way for stars like Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, AJ Lee, and Sasha Banks decades later.

But after her death, her legacy was tarnished beyond redemption when it was revealed that she had exploited several women wrestlers, both financially and sexually. It was shocking. She was also accused of using her standing in the industry to put herself over at the expense of others on multiple occasions.

NEXT: 10 Most Controversial Characters In WWE History