WWE: 5 Fans Who Got Banned from the Wrestling Company Forever

synopsis

WWE thrives on fan following. The roaring crowds, the chants, the signs: fans are the heart of professional wrestling. But sometimes, they take it way too far. Over the years, WWE has had to make tough calls and permanently ban individuals from ever attending their events again. Whether it was rushing to the ring, causing harm to wrestlers, or pulling off reckless publicity stunts, these fans crossed the line and paid the price.

Here are five instances where WWE had no choice but to show someone the door. For good.

1. The Seth Rollins Spear Incident (2021)

During a live episode of Monday Night RAW at the Barclays Center, a fan broke through security and tackled Seth Rollins as he was making his way up the entrance. The tackle was aggressive, blindsiding Rollins and derailing the segment.

WWE released a statement condemning the act, and security immediately caught the man. Reports later revealed the fan was scammed by a fake Seth Rollins account on social media, which manipulated him into thinking he was helping Rollins. Regardless, WWE handed him a lifetime ban.

2. The Bret Hart Hall of Fame Tackle (2019)

During the 2019 Hall of Fame ceremony, while Bret "The Hitman" Hart was giving his induction speech alongside Natalya, a fan ran towards the ring and tackled the WWE legend to the ground. Natalya too was visibly shaken looking at how things unravelled. 

The fan was immediately surrounded by WWE superstars including Dash Wilder, who gave a punch. Bret Hart, despite being in his 60s and a stroke survivor, escaped serious injury. WWE confirmed the individual was arrested and banned from all future events.

3. The CM Punk Stage Invader (2012)

Back in 2012 during a live RAW show in Sacramento, CM Punk had just exited the ring when a fan came up from behind and pushed him. Punk, who initially thought it was part of the crowd enthusiasm, retaliated with a backhand to the face.

WWE launched an immediate investigation, and though Punk wasn’t held accountable, the fan who initiated contact was banned permanently. WWE doubled security for future events after this encounter. It was one of the rare times a physical confrontation between a wrestler and fan made air.

4. The 1997 Fan Interference During Austin vs Owen Hart

During a match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Owen Hart, a fan sneaked into the ring attempting to get himself into the action. The fan was quickly neutralized by both Austin and Hart, but what followed was no act. The man was dragged out, arrested, and received a lifetime ban. WWE used the moment internally to reinforce its zero-tolerance policy on fan interference.

5. The YouTuber Prankster Who Interrupted SmackDown (2015)

In 2015, YouTuber ‘Famous’ hit the headlines when he pranked WWE by sneaking into a live SmackDown episode and making it ringside with a championship belt, posing as a new wrestler.

While it seemed like a harmless stunt, WWE didn't see it that way. The man was blacklisted, arrested for trespassing, and banned from all WWE properties and live events. WWE felt the risk to both talent and production crews by unauthorized individuals backstage or ringside.