While pro wrestling is a pre-scripted sport with fictionalized storylines, it’s not too uncommon for drama to follow wrestlers outside of the ring. As a result, numerous scandals have popped up in wrestling history, with tales of drug use, outside-the-ring confrontations, and legal trouble all providing fuel for programs like Dark Side of the Ring.

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There have been so many scandals over the years that there are loads that fans have forgotten about. Let’s take a look at 10 of these real-life incidents with the lineup of wrestlers involved including current top stars in WWE and beyond, relative footnoes, and even some of the biggest legends in the sport.

10 The DiBiase Family’s Embezzlement Scandal

Given that Ted DiBiase’s famous WWE gimmick was that of an absurdly wealthy guy throwing his riches around, it’s ironic that his family would get in trouble over financial dealings. In 2020, it was revealed that there was a huge embezzling scandal surrounding the Mississippi Department of Human Services, where DiBiase’s son Brett worked. Reportedly, Brett DiBiase was accused of funneling welfare money to Ted DiBiase Sr.’s ministry as well as to Ted DiBiase Jr., who was funding a motivational speaking career.

9 Matt Sydal Gets A Drug Charge In Japan

Drug charges in Japan are notoriously strict, and Matt Sydal found that the hard way in the fall of 2016. In September, Matt Sydal was traveling to Japan to defend NJPW’s NEVER Openweight Six-Man championship alongside Satoshi Kojima and Ricochet when he was arrested at the Kansai International Airport for having a little over two grams of marijuana in his backpack. As a result, spent weeks behind bars, eventually pleading guilty and getting three years probation. As for the Six-Man Title, it was stripped from all three and Dave Finlay replaced him in a match to win back the belts.

8 The Ken Patera McDonald's Incident

In 1984, former Olympian Ken Patera arrived in WWE, but ended up disappearing for over a year due to a run-in with the law months earlier. In April of 1984, Patera attempted to order food at a McDonald's in Wisconsin after the location had closed and allegedly threw a rock through a window, though he has since denied that he threw the rock.

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What made matters worse was the aftermath. Cops were sent to apprehend Patera at his hotel, but he and his roommate, wrestler Masa Saito, attacked the officers. For his role, Patera received two years in prison, and returned to the ring in the spring of 1987.

7 Hiroshi Tanahashi Gets Stabbed By His Girlfriend

One of the biggest scandals of Hiroshi Tanahashi’s career happened before he ever became the ace of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. In the fall of 2002, Tanahashi was dating TV reporter Hitomi Hara but attempted to break up with her for another woman. Hara ended up stabbing Tanahashi twice in the back, and drove himself to the hospital on his scooter. Tana thankfully recovered and returned to the ring a few months later, though he may have benefitted a little from the buzz surrounding him after the incident.

6 The Dumpster Gets A Drug Charge

For many fans, pro wrestling garbage man Duke “The Dumpster” Droese is the nadir of New Generation era WWE occupational gimmicks, with a 1994-1996 run ending with a loss to pro wrestling plumber T.L. Hopper. Droese moved on to a career in education after retiring in the early 2000s, but ended up making the news in 2013, albeit not for good pro wrestling reasons. Instead, he was arrested for selling painkillers including oxycodone to an job informant. In addition to a prison sentence and fines, Droese ended up losing his teaching career in the process.

5 IYO SKY Is Framed

As established, drug laws in Japan are strict, so getting charged can severely ruin a wrestler’s career, which nearly happened to Io Shirai — better known these days as WWE’s IYO SKY. In 2012, Shirai and then-boyfriend/fellow wrestler Nosawa Rongai were caught and charged with smuggling marijuana into Japan inside framed paintings of themselves supposedly gifted to them by a fan. It turned out, however, that the couple was framed — a talent agent with a grudge against Nosawa had put up another wrestler to put drugs on them in exchange for more bookings.

4 The Giant Punches A Fan

There’s no shortage of stories of wrestlers getting into fights with civilians in real life, though in modern times it’s considered more of a big deal. In 1998, after a WCW show at New York’s Nassau Coliseum, Paul Wight — then known as The Giant — ended up punching a fan at the adjacent Marriott Hotel, breaking the man’s jaw — and it was caught on surveillance cameras.

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However, the incident being caught on tape may have been the key to exonerating the future Big Show. Reportedly, the fan was harassing The Giant, with the-then 26-year-old getting physical after the fan went for a shove, and the courts agreed that it was self-defense.

3 Taka Michinoku’s Cheating Scandal

One more type of scandal that can seriously damage a career is one involving infidelity. In 2018, it was revealed that former WWE star and Japanese veteran Taka Michinoku had been cheating on his wife with another woman for about eight years, which resulted in some severe professional punishment for Michinoku. Following the revelation, Michinoku was fired from his own school/promotion, Kaientai Dojo, which rebranded as Active Advance Pro Wrestling (2AW), further distancing itself from Michinoku, who ended up founding a new promotion, Just Tap Out.

2 Seth Rollins Leaks

Much of wrestling’s modern controversies happen on the Internet, and happen so often that fans have likely forgotten older ones like the Seth Rollins nude photo scandal of 2015. In February of that year, Rollins’ Twitter account — which was reportedly hacked — posted a nude photo of Zahra Schreiber, an NXT talent that Rollins was seeing. In response, Rollins’ fiance at the time then released nude photos of the WWE star, making for an even bigger mess. In the aftermath, Rollins made a public apology and Schreiber ended up getting fired from WWE for posting Nazi imagery on social media.

1 Antonio Inoki’s Embezzlement Scandal

Over the course of his life, New Japan Pro-Wrestling founder Antonio Inoki was involved in a number of ventures including politics and investing in a biotech company called Anton Hisel, which was trying to create fuel from cane sugar. The biotech company took a huge loss, and it was revealed in 1984 that Inoki used New Japan money to keep Anton Hisel afloat. As a result, NJPW booker Hisashi Shinma took the fall and was fired from the company, while Inoki remained in power at NJPW thanks to the support of TV-Asahi, which aired NJPW programming.