WWE/TNA News: The 25 Biggest Sociopaths in Pro Wrestling History

Webster's dictionary defines a "sociopath" as someone who behaves in a dangerous or violent way toward other people and does not feel guilty about such behavior.

Not only has pro wrestling had an abundance of these type of characters throughout its storied history, they've celebrated them. 

Whether they've been designed, storyline-driven characters or just sociopaths by nature, pro wrestling fans have prayed witness to an array of dangerously entertaining personalities. 

25. Teddy Long: Militant Manager

Teddy Long's racial gimmick, as a disgruntled pro-black manager intent on showcasing black athletes as superior to Caucasians, was entertaining in all of Long's sociopathic glory.

Given free reign to go after "the man," Long was effective in getting heat on Rodney Mack, his prized talent, and was leaps and bound better than the shell of a GM he has halfheartedly portrayed for years.

24. Mike Knox: Pain Connoisseur

The WWE really dropped the ball with Mike Knox, especially during his unspectacular run as a off-colored monster heel with an epic beard who enjoyed pain. 

Knox's athleticism despite his 300-pound frame was showcased in spurts, but he never really seemed to click the way he could have.

23. Goldust: Controversy Mongerer

The Goldust character was known, rather non-endearingly, as the bizarre one.  Wearing body paint and a homo-erotic full body suit, everything about the Dustin Runnels creation was designed to incite a reaction out of every one of its witnesses, and boy did it ever. 

Goldust was never afraid to push the envelope, and even after he broke character as Dustin Runnels, during an interview on RAW where he walked out on his wife, Goldust returned as bizarre and controversial as ever--this time, wearing blackface. 

A tamer, less bizarre version of Goldust is now recovering from shoulder surgery, and a match with younger brother Cody seems to be the payoff for what may be his last great feud.

22. Randy Orton: a Sociopath Both in and out of the Ring

Randy Orton's current character is certainly that of a sociopath, but his controversial behavior in his early days was a whole nother form of sociopathic behavior. 

As an upstart WWE superstar with limitless potential, Orton developed a reputation as a backstage cancer who was kept under contract only because his talent.

Orton was suspended multiple times for substance abuse violations, accused of harassment by former WWE Divas, and his antics outside of the ring even included him smoking a funny cigarette backstage.

Orton has since cleaned up his act, but ironically enough, remains as psychotic on camera as he was off of it during his initial days on the WWE main roster.

21. Ken Shamrock

Ken Shamrock was billed as the world's dangerous man upon his debut in the WWE, however shortly into his run he appeared to be the world's craziest man with multiple bursts of rage punctuated by his signature "Get out of my way!" line. 

Shamrock's trademark tantrums helped him gain unlikely support from wrestling crowds despite being prominent in the MMA world, and he was one of the bigger stars at the front-end of the WWE's Attitude Era.

20. "Sycho Sid"

Sycho (yes, that's how they spelled it) Sid's run in the WWE just before the dawning of the Attitude Era proved to be successful as the man once known as Sid Vicious had adopted a psychotic gimmick that lead him to a pair of WWE Championship reigns.  

Sid's intensity made him very volatile as he often went over the top in expressing his anger and physicality on others.

19. Teddy Hart: Embattled Hart Family Memeber

Despite bridges in pro wrestling proving to be flame-retardant, Teddy Hart has succeeded in unequivocally burning all of his. 

Once a promising member of organizations ranging from TNA to WWE Developmental territories, Teddy Hart's headstrong ways and lack of self-control have contributed to one of the more troubled members of the iconinc Hart family spending his career on the outside looking in.  

18. Macho Man Randy Savage: Macho Madness!

There's a reason that they used to call the late "Macho Man" Randy Savage Madness.  Savage's intense passion for his craft was rarely bottled up, and when it came out at times he became scary. 

Savage's falling out with Hulk Hogan, a split generated by paranoia, was a strong example of Savage's sociopathic tendencies taking over his psyche.  The split lead to one of the better WrestleMania main events of all time between Savage and Hogan at WrestleMania V.

17. Luna Vachon: Crazy Diva

Forget Melina Perez, Luna Vachon was the original crazy diva.  With a gritty voice that would make scratched chalkboards deaf, and a look that would stand out at a biker rally for clowns, Luna looked like a pro wrestler especially during a time where the WWE was more character-driven. 

A member of the legendary Vachon wrestling family, Luna was a good worker, however she wasn't provided with ample competition during a time where women's wrestling was even more de-emphasized as it is now. 

Sitll, Luna made the best of what she was given as she served as one of WWE's most deranged managers of the 80's and 90's before tragically passing away in August of last year.  

16. Ravishing Rick Rude: Narcicisstic Lothario

"Ravishing" Rick Rude was caught up in his own self-adoration to the point of delusion as one of the most brilliant heels of all time. 

Far from a cocky heel, or even a pretty-boy heel, Rude's portrayal of a sex-driven, Lothario, inspired by the vintage male porn-star, had added layers of depth and purpose that just are not seen in most heels that flamboyant. 

Despite his own flamboyancy, Rude never relied on strictly on bells and whistles to get himself over as he always knew how to cut spot-on promos to keep fans emotionally invested in his downfall.

15. Shawn Michaels: Backstage Drama Queen

The tale of Shawn Michaels will always be told in two parts: Old Shawn Michaels, and new Shawn Michaels.  The new Shawn Michaels will tell anybody, to a man, that the old Shawn Michaels was a sociopath. 

Perhaps the entire clique should be included as one unit on this list, as this handful of WWE superstars were notorious for sheltering themselves from the rest of the locker room all while having a profound influence on Vince McMahon's ultimate decisions. 

Old Shawn Michaels was known for his unwillingness to "do the job," and twice vacated WWE Championships due to curiously-timed announcements of injury. 

Michaels' development of faith caused a personal renaissance of sorts when Michaels returned to the ring in 2002 armed with a cross and close to another decade of main event-level wrestling.

14. Gene Snistsky: It Wasn't His Fault

Gene Snitsky's psychotic behavior began wit hthe "it wasn't my fault" campaign following his inadvertent bump of Kane that lead to Kane bumping into then-wife Lita (kayfabe) which lead to the two losing their baby. 

Snitsky went on to tell anyone who was listening that the ordeal wasn't his fault, and when that didn't get over he permanently painted his teeth yellow and worked as a monster heel until he was released from his contract.

13. The Undertaker: Living Dead Man

The Undertaker's legendary deadman character rarely speaks or interacts with other individuals.  His form of communication includes physical altercations and at one time sacrifices were considered somewhat normal on RAW broadcasts featuring his likeness. 

Through it all, one of the most ridiculous on-paper suggestions for a character has helped revolutionize the wrestling business, and Mark Calloway, the man who portrays the Undertaker, has built a hall-of-fame career out of it.

12. Sabu: Suicidal, Homocidal, Sociopathic

If you don't believe that Sabu is a sociopath, just watch one of his matches as he seems just as content with injuring himself as he does his opponents. 

Never known for his promos, Sabu was a man of little to no words, and did almost all of his talking in midair while flying from a chair onto one of his unlucky opponents.

11. Abyss: TNA's Resident Monster Heel

The Abyss is TNA's answer to Kane, and like the Big Red Machine, Abyss is a sociopath who seems to have trouble functioning on a day-to-day basis. 

Once donning white garbs reminiscent of a mental patient, Abyss' hardcore style of wrestling mimics a reckless state of mind that has made him one of the most dangerous and intimidating wrestling characters in company history.

10. George "The Animal" Steele: WWE's Answer to Frankenstein

George Steele will always be known for biting turnbuckles and his insane facial expressions.  The Frankenstein-like wrestler was very popular during the original golden age or pro wrestling, and was instrumental in the classic WrestleMania III showdown between the late Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat.

9. Raven: Cult-Leader of Raven's Flock

Raven was not only a sociopath, but he used his gift of gab to convince others to join the ministry of unorthodoxy which he named "Raven's Flock."

Known for cutting promos in dark areas while seated in his signature slumped, desolate disposition, Raven took wrestling fans on an awkward ride into his dark mind with every well-thought-out word. 

8. Kane: The Dangerous Big Red Machine

From his original "Big Red Machine" incarnation to his current state, Kane has always been one of the bigger sociopaths in wrestling. 

Kane debuted in the WWE as the emotionally scarred younger brother of the Undertaker.  His feud with Taker turned dark when he pulled stunts such as lighting the Undertaker's casket on fire while the deadman still lay inside--before, of course, the Undertaker mysteriously disappeared.

No matter how much he evolves or changes, the Kane character has always been built around the psychotic tendencies of a seven-foot monster.

7. Hulk Hogan: Real American, Notorious Politician

Hulk Hogan is the most beloved, yet hated, pro wrestler of all time.  His actions in front of a camera seemed harmless as superman comebacks, leg drops, and pose downs sent fans home happy for several years during Hogan's historic pro wrestling career. 

However Hogan's backstage antics have negatively contributed to his legacy as, over a course of years, Hogan has garnered a reputation of being a shameless "worker" concerned with keeping himself in the spotlight to the detriment of the promotion and talent around him.

In the last few years or so, Hogan has caught flack for making ill-timed, baffling remarks including insensitive comments about John Graziano, who was left in a vegetative state following a tragic car accident involving Hogan's son Nick. 

Hogan also, more recently, shoved his yellow boot in his mouth with controversial comments about Edge once a serious neck injury forced the future WWE hall-of-famer to retire.

6. Brian Pillman: The Late Loose Cannon

The late Brian Pillman went from the rather campy "Flyin' Brian" in WCW to the "Loose Cannon" in WWE.  He was the guy known for pulling gun on Stone Cold Steve Austin when Austin broke into his house, in quite possibly one of the most memorable moments in RAW history. 

Pillman was always prone to attack, and the crazy look in his eyes were borderline ubiquitous.  During his 90's WWE run, Pillman was a member of the Hart Foundation which gave him some much-needed direction given his tendencies of instability.

5. Vince McMahon: Billionaire Sociopath

Vince McMahon's workaholic ways have their share of side effects, and one of them include tendencies of sociopathic behavior. 

Known for a fuse as short as his attention span, Vince McMahon has been criticized for having a massive ego that tends to cloud his better judgment.  McMahon's most recent outburst featured the WWE chairman losing it after hearing his name mentioned on television (despite previously approving the script that included the infamous mention) as he felt such a mention would dampen his ensuing return to TV.

4. Chris Jericho: An Honest Man...to a Fault

Chris Jericho was brilliant in his latest gimmick as a disillusioned heel who considered himself an honest man trapped in a sea of liars and cheats.  While Jericho oftentimes did a good job justifying his actions and unpopular opinions of his opposition, he went about his business in an erratic and narcissistic way that made him stand out as one of the better heels in the WWE. 

Jericho's feud with Shawn Michaels in 2008 helped his character take off as he became another rare example of a wrestler who only got better as his career progressed.

3. Mankind: Dark, Deranged Manchild

Mick Foley's original Mankind character was perhaps too dangerous to be allowed in public.  Accompanied by Paul Bearer for much of his run, Mankind was a deranged, psychotic individual who was liable to pounce at any minute.

2. The Iron Sheik: Legendary Madman

The Iron Sheik, present day, is not equipped to travel in public by himself, making him one of the greatest sociopaths of them all. 

Constantly ranting incoherently about vintage wrestlers who he is not too fond of, the Iron Sheik does not play well with others.  The WWE Hall-of-famer has even made his inadvertently comedic strife into a comedy act in and of itself.

1. Warrior: the Ultimate Sociopath

If ever there were to be a live action dictionary definition of a pro wrestling sociopath, the Ultimate Warrior (now known simply as Warrior) would be the prime example. 

Portraying a character that was a sociopath in his truest form, s a grunting, screaming, powerhouse who devoured everything within one mile of a guardrail, Warrior's success as the wildly popular "Ultimate Warrior" seemed to be a product of his own sociopathic tendencies being amplified to the umpteenth degree. 

Following a "contract dispute" where Warrior reportedly held up Vince McMahon for money shortly before competing in a SummerSlam match, Warrior was hastily fired only to be brought back for a burning bridges reunion tour.  Upon his third return, Warrior missed several dates for WWE live events and was the same difficult-to-work-with prima dona that lead to his undoing during his momentous first run. 

Warrior can now be seen cutting shoot promos on Hulk Hogan, whom he rivaled in popularity in the 80's.

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