Line #40 BerserkButton/ProfessionalWrestling


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14	When a nice, normal character suddenly goes into a rage, you've hit his BerserkButton.
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16	* Wrestling/AJStyles in the PWG Bola 2005 after his match with Chris Bosh, Bosh cut a promo similar to Stone Cold Steve Austin's Austin 3:16 and when he got to the John 3:16 bit of the promo, AJ Styles took offense since he was a Christian, snatched the microphone off Chris's hand and said "You can drop me on my head all you want, but don't you EVER quote my Jesus or I will break, your, neck!
17	* Wrestling/AndreTheGiant, normally a GentleGiant, was taunted about his size by some mooks outside a bar in Europe; they then got into their car to drive away, but Andre ''grabbed the car and tipped it over,'' with all four of them inside it. The police never bothered to press charges against Andre, likely because they didn’t believe their story.
18	** Another time, in the waning years of his career (his gigantism had made even standing too long painful), Andre became so disgusted with The Wrestling/UltimateWarrior constantly hitting him too hard with a sloppy clothesline night after night, he simply ''put up his fist'' and [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Warrior ran right into it, knocking himself out]]. The next night, Warrior was gentle as a lamb with Andre. Back in the locker room, Wrestling/BobbyHeenan said Andre told him "He's learning."
19	** In Main/{{Kayfabe}}, during his feud with [[Wrestling/JakeRoberts Jake "The Snake" Roberts]], you dare not say the word "snake" because he'd go after you. Didn't matter if you were Wrestling/BobbyHeenan (whom Andre grabbed at least once, this during a live-arena podium interview when they were talking about how they were planning to literally kill Roberts)... you were going to get it if you said the dreaded s-word.
20	* Tipping or spilling the APA ([[Wrestling/RonSimmons Faarooq]] and [[Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield Bradshaw]])'s beer is just asking for them to beat your ass.
21	* A sure way to bring out a certain wrestler to interrupt a promo is to say something that plays on his CatchPhrase. For example, the time Wrestling/BookerT said his own CatchPhrase, "Don't hate the playah, hate the game" to Wrestling/TripleH, who is also nicknamed 'The Game'.
22	* For former [[BigYes "YES!" Man]] [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]], people shouting "YES!" at him has been a major Berserk Button since Summer 2012, as he'll tend to respond to these shouts with a very annoyed [[BigNo "NO!"]]
23	** This has since changed in the last two years due to his HeelFaceTurn, as he encourages and even ''leads'' these chants, and the crowd is more than delighted to indulge him when he calls for either one.
24	** And now, the "New" Daniel Bryan is back to that being his Button, along with... well, pretty much anything the crowd does... and anything any Superstar does to entertain them.
25	* Don't touch "Dashing" Wrestling/CodyRhodes' face, unless you want to see him throw a huge tantrum and run towards the nearest mirror to check his reflection.
26	** This has now become a button for Wrestling/TheMiz, who would hate for anyone to mess up his "money maker".
27	* Do not, I repeat, do not, call, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCsfWJ5ogc0 Damien Demento]], a jobber.
28	* Festus was a GentleGiant until the bell rang, thus triggering his Berserk Button.
29	** And it worked in reverse, too; when the bell rang again, usually after a victory, Festus visibly reverted to his gentle self. Savvy opponents took advantage by ringing the bell themselves, forcing his tag team partner Jesse to ring it ''again'' to re-trigger him.
30	* When Cactus Jack (Wrestling/MickFoley) was a heel in ECW, he got crowd heat by portraying himself as a Wrestling/{{WCW}} shill and referring to Wrestling/EricBischoff as "Uncle Eric". When he walked away from a match, Wrestling/TommyDreamer tried to get him to come back out by insulting his wife and his kids. When Dreamer said, "Bischoff's a homo", that got him.
31	* [=GreenLanternFan=] is one of the most reviled figures in wrestling, even moreso than Wrestling/VinceRusso. That said, if you want to infuriate a horde of smarks, bring his name up in conversation. Steve Corino absolutely hates the man, going as far as to insult his family at ROH's "Fight of the Century." Allison Danger, Bully Ray, and Wrestling/EddieKingston also have less than zero respect for him.
32	* Don't ever call Homicide your "nizzle" unless you're in the mood to drink Drano.
33	* Don't make bald jokes about Wrestling/HulkHogan.
34	* Mocking Wrestling/JimRoss will inevitably incur the wrath of EVERYONE. God help you if Wrestling/JimCornette, Wrestling/JerryLawler, or Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin find out about it themselves.
35	** Matt Striker is slowly becoming this for Lawler, as well.
36	* In a July 11, 2011 promo, Wrestling/JohnCena claimed that he was an underdog to Wrestling/CMPunk... but then Punk retaliated that ''he'' was the underdog, while Cena was the face of the company. And then rubbed salt into the wound when he compared him to his "hometown" (West Newbury, MA, but the show was in Boston so that's what got named) - going over its underdog history as insinuators of the American Revolution and the [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Boston Red Sox]] - but saying that now they were a dynasty, [[YouAreWhatYouHate they'd become the New York Yankees]]. Cena promptly punched him in the face.
37	* Do '''NOT''' make fun of Wrestling/JohnLaurinaitis' voice.
38	** Unless you're the {{Face}} [[Wrestling/JohnCena of the whole]] WWE.
39	* In the spring of 2006, Wrestling/{{Kane}}'s Berserk Button became any mention of the date May 19th. This was the day his mother and stepfamily died in a fire. It was also the date of release for his film ''Film/SeeNoEvil''.
40	** It was also the date of the infamous [[Wrestling/{{TheKliq}} Clique]] farewell (also known as the "Curtain Call"), where Wrestling/ShawnMichaels, [[Wrestling/ScottHall Razor Ramon]], [[Wrestling/KevinNash Diesel]] and [[Wrestling/TripleH Hunter Hearst Helmsley]] broke {{Kayfabe}} by engaging in a group hug at Madison Square Garden on what was Diesel's and Razor's last appearance before going off to Wrestling/{{WCW}}. Shawn was the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE Champion]] at the time, so he was untouchable and Diesel and Razor were leaving. This left Hunter to take the fall, losing his push to King of the Ring and getting saddled with months of jobbing for [[Wrestling/JakeRoberts Jake "The Snake" Roberts]] and "Wildman" Marc Mero.
41	** May 19, 1991 was also the date of the first ''Wrestling/{{WCW}} [=SuperBrawl=]'' [=PPV=], featuring the debut of Wrestling/KevinNash's [[OldShame Oz]] gimmick.
42	*** A year earlier, it was the date of the ''NWA Capitol Combat'' [=PPV=], which featured another huge Website/{{WrestleCrap}} moment, Franchise/{{RoboCop}} rescuing Wrestling/{{Sting}} from a ringside cage after he had been attacked by the Four Horsemen.
43	* In the 1980s, the Mongolian Stomper did a [[TheGimmick gimmick]] where he had to wear [[{{Kayfabe}} protective headgear]], since he would normally be unstoppable but if the fans cheered too much for his opponents he would become disoriented and unable to stop his {{Face}} opponents from making comebacks and winning.
44	* Do not call "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff "Paula".
45	* A documentary on pro wrestling showed a clip from an interview with Wrestling/{{Vader}}. He was a nice guy, but that stopped when the interviewer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkHwvid6WY8 asked him if wrestling was fake]]. Leon slapped him in the head several times and said, "Does ''that'' feel fake to you?!"
46	** Another earlier incident had David Schultz [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrX9Ca7LSyQ being asked by John Stossel]], who was doing an investigative report on pro wrestling. According to Schultz, [[Wrestling/VinceMcMahon Vince [=McMahon=]]] told him to beat up Stossel, threatening to fire Schultz if he didn't. Schultz's career pretty much disappeared after that.
47	** Even implying that pro wrestling is fake is this to the majority of wrestlers, especially to those who were around in the old territory days. Matt Borne himself has stated in an interview that to him, using the word "fake" [[FisticuffProvokingComment is fighting words]].
48	* ''Never'' try to [[http://www1.skoftenmedia.com/images/gifdump/155/24.gif remove a luchador's mask]]; they wear it for a reason...
49	** On a slightly related note: Don't taunt a former Professional Wrestler turned Mixed Martial Artist by wearing a Wrestling/ReyMysterioJr mask to your match with him as Mike Cook unfortunately did to Wrestling/BobbyLashley. Bobby was visibly annoyed and then proceeded to choke Cook out. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pLPvQ30Dj0 entire match]] barely lasted 25 seconds.
50	* Typically, when fans jump the rail or even flinch in a threatening manner toward a wrestler, the wrestler's first act is to beat the holy hell out of the fan. Even [[https://youtu.be/hj6QoYTSPhQ?t=20 referees]] are not to be messed with.
51	* According to Wrestling/LannyPoffo and various others who have worked with him, Wrestling/RandySavage had at least three RealLife ones:
52	** Making a pass at Wrestling/MissElizabeth (or at least he thought you were), he was infamously overprotective of her in-and-out of Kayfabe, often locking her away from other wrestlers and approaching strangers telling them to stop staring at her.
53	** Calling him "Not-So-Macho Man," although at least Wrestling/GorillaMonsoon (who referred to him as such on many occasions) got away with it. Ring announcer Mel Phillips once introduced him as the "former Intercontinental Champion," which nearly got him slugged.
54	** Telling him he's too old to wrestle. (which is why he left for Wrestling/{{WCW}} at the end of 1994).
55	** Making fun of his bald spot.
56	** And the WWF pressed all three of them in their preposterous "Nacho Man" skits in the mid-90s. It's speculated by Lanny to be part of the reason why Randy and WWE seemed to be at odds until the former's death in 2011.
57	* [[Wrestling/RubyRiott Heidi Lovelace]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFtLNLBhqW8 faced]][[Wrestling/ChristinaVonEerie "The Punk Princess" Christina Von Eerie]] in the semi-final of the Woman's Tournament at ''QPW Trouble With Angels'' on September 13, 2014. Christina questioned Heidi calling herself "The Punk-Rock Ragdoll" and called her a [[PretenderDiss poseur]]. The fans picked up on it and Heidi said, [[SeriousBusiness "That is the worst thing that you can say to anyone"]], leading to Heidi FlippingTheBird to Christina.
58	* Wrestling/JimCornette: In addition to insulting Wrestling/JimRoss, Cornette really treats wrestling as SeriousBusiness, so the following things tend to make him go on long-winded, profanity filled, PretenderDiss rants:
59	** He really hates Wrestling/VinceRusso for his many awful booking decisions.
60	** {{Garbage Wrestler}}s and hardcore match variations.
61	** Ridiculous storylines and comedy matches/wrestlers. One wrestler of this type that he hates almost as much as Russo is Wrestling/KennyOmega.
62	** [[SpotMonkey Excessive high-flying]], especially in Wrestling/LuchaUnderground and Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling.
63	** Many of the GimmickMatches, especially if they encourage hardcore wrestling and/or have ridiculous stipulations.

Context BerserkButton / ProfessionalWrestling