10 Scariest WWE Moments

Happy Halloween, Cultaholic.com readers!

To celebrate this most spooktacular of holidays, we're going to look at ten of the scariest moments in WWE history.

That's not 'scary' in the way of a nasty injury or other serious situation that has fans fearful, but rather in storyline terms.

And while we've been introduced to the likes of The Boogeyman, Papa Shango and Gangrel over the years, it's not always these otherworldly personas that are responsible for scary moments.

The scariest moments in WWE have usually been things that play on our fears or phobias, like being buried alive, set on fire, bitten by a snake or sacrificed by a satanic cult leader.

You know, things like that.

10. Big Daddy Ghoul

WWE Network

Diesel and The Undertaker's 1996 feud wasn't an all-timer or anything, but it certainly had its moments.

The Deadman emerging from a hole in the ring during Big Daddy Cool's WWE Title match with Bret Hart at In Your House 6 was great, and the eventual match at WrestleMania 12 was a worthwhile brawl.

The most memorable moment of their programme, however, involved some of The Phenom's trademark supernatural shenanigans.

A couple of weeks before their showdown at the Showcase of the Immortals, Diesel was wrestling Barry Horowitz on Raw when his attention was drawn to a casket being delivered to ringside by Paul Bearer.

Most assumed that 'Taker would be waiting inside, but when Diesel (after winning the match) took the lid off it and pulled back the plastic he was met with his own image.

It was a shocking reveal and a great piece of trickery, as WWE spliced in a pre-recorded closeup shot of Kevin Nash himself laying there and made sure not to show the dummy.

Diesel's frightened reaction sold the ominous warning wonderfully.

9. Savage By Name...

WWE

If you think of Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage, you're likely to immediately flash back to their epic, showstealing encounter at WrestleMania III.

Still regarded by many as one of - if not the - greatest WrestleMania match ever, it was a technical tour de force that, in many ways, changed the business forever.

It shouldn't be forgotten, though, that The Dragon and the Macho Man's Intercontinental Title bout was taking place on the back of a very effective and, in many ways, rather scary angle.

The two met on the November 22, 1986 episode of Superstars of Wrestling, with Steamboat challenging for Savage's IC strap. It ended in a countout, but most don't remember the match quality (it was good, duh) or the result, but rather Randy's post-match attack.

He first hurt Ricky by hitting him while his throat was draped across the guardrail at ringside, before dragging him inside and coming off the top rope with the ring bell.

It looked like he was trying to decapitate him, as Steamboat convincingly convulsed in pain and was stretchered out of the arena while the commentators speculated on his condition.

For the kids eating their cereal and watching this on their television at home, it must have been terrifying. WWE just didn't really do this sort of angle in that era.

8. The Ultimate End?

WWE.com

The Ultimate Warrior, an inherently silly gimmick, was involved in all sorts of nonsense, whether it was having a 'curse' put on him by Papa Shango and spewing up black goo or being locked in a room of snakes by Jake Roberts.

Those were far from frightening to anyone above the age of five, but much more effective was the Funeral Parlour segment that saw The Undertaker seal Warrior in an 'air-tight' casket.

The Deadman attacked Warrior as he was, erm, 'conversing' with Paul Bearer, decking him with the urn before scooping him up and putting him in the coffin.

Soon, panicked officials tried to pry it open with a crowbar and, when that wouldn't work, drilled holes in the side of it so our face-painted hero could breathe while trapped in there.

Vince McMahon, Roddy Piper and Randy Savage sold it brilliantly on commentary, reminding the audience how long Warrior had been in the casket while leading the calls for it to be opened (which it eventually was).

A passed-out Warrior was then given CPR and successfully revived but, for a minute, fans were convinced he was gone.

7. The Big Boss Hang

WWE.com

As we've already established thus far, sometimes the scariest things in WWE aren't to do with some spooky character or a plot ripped from the trashiest bargain bin horror film, but rather when real danger - or even death - are involved.

Both were in play when Ministry of Darkness era Undertaker met Big Boss Man inside Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania XV.

Though the match itself was awful and up there with the worst Cell matches ever, the post-match scene sure had everyone talking.

After 'Taker had extended his 'Mania winning streak, his ministry cohorts The Brood  - Edge, Christian and Gangrel - repelled from the ceiling and, under instruction from their dark overlord, put a noose around the neck of the man from Cobb County, Georgia.

The rope was then attached to the steel structure and, as the would-be vampires ascended, so too did the Cell, with Boss Man hanging from it.

Obviously he wasn't really being hanged, but it was visually impressive and Ray Traylor did a very convincing sell job.

It was in poor taste and was another shock stunt from the Attitude Era that had no real long-term meaning or impact, but it sure was scary (in theory, anyway).

6. The Fiend Emerges

WWE.com

The character eventually went completely off the rails and was involved in some of WWE's worst stuff ever, but the build up to the Fiend's emergence and his actual debut at SummerSlam 2019 were done beautifully.

The vignettes inside his Firefly Fun House were some of the most intriguing content WWE had produced in a while and Bray played the whole thing suitably menacingly as Mr Rogers as directed by David Lynch.

After months of build, The Fiend finally made his first public appearance and accepted Finn Balor's challenge for a match. It gave us the first glimpse of Wyatt's new creation, but we'd get our first proper look at him at his pay-per-view outing with the Extraordinary Man.

The presentation of his first entrance was fittingly eerie, as he came out into almost complete darkness, holding a lantern made up to look like his former guise.

The music, camera work, mask and body language all combined to create something that looked genuinely dangerous when, if done differently, it could have looked really hokey.

The Fiend then destroyed Balor in convincing fashion, before exiting back into the darkness...

5. Like A Scalded Dog

WWE Network

More attempted murder now, as WWE's most beloved pyromaniac tried to set another person on fire.

Kane had previously tried to burn The Undertaker alive (at Royal Rumble 1998) and, fresh from being unmasked and morphing into the slasher movie villain of your nightmares, the Bid Red Machine now wanted everyone to suffer.

Inbetween giving Eric Bischoff a Chokeslam off the stage and Tombstoning Linda on it, Kane travelled to WWE headquarters to have a sit-down interview with Good Ol' JR.

Ross (and Steve Austin in the arena) were trying to get to the bottom of Kane's inner turmoil and, well, it didn't exactly go according to plan.

Their pleas fell on deaf ears and The Devil's Favourite Demon responded to the inquisition by beating Ross down, dousing him in gasoline and setting him on fire.

The piped-in screams were just a tad much, yes, but seeing a man get burned alive is never less than a harrowing experience.

I bet the commentator would have tasted delicious with a little bit of JR's Original BBQ Sauce.

4. The Indoctrination Of Dennis Knight

WWE.com

On the whole, the Ministry of Darkness saga was usually too outlandish to be taken at all seriously, but on occasion they did things that were quite unsettling.

Embalmings, hangings, satanic weddings - all great stuff, I'm sure you'll agree.

One of the The Ministry's most chilling acts was the abduction, brainwashing and indoctrination of Dennis Knight, formerly of the Godwinns and Southern Justice tag teams.

He was tied up and held captive in some sort of evil dungeon, before being brought out for his transformation into Mideon.

Knight lay unconscious on a stone slab, as a rambling Undertaker monologue played over the PA system, before The Lord of Darkness cut his own wrist, filled a cup with his blood, had the hog farmer drink from it and then carved his symbol into his tummy as Knight began to 'levitate'.

Someone (Vince Russo) had clearly been reading their Clive Barker books, but the segment - cheesy as it was - had the desired effect.

And if the sight of Acolyte Bradshaw rocking a goatee, leather pants and a tight black t-shirt doesn't shake you to your very core then, well, you're made of sterner stuff than me.

3. Mankind Snaps On Jim Ross

WWE.com

Jim Ross probably shouldn't have been too surprised that his sitdown with Kane ended up badly for him, as JR had previous experience when it came to an interview going off the rails and ending in pain for the man in the black hat.

In 1997, WWE attempted to flesh out the Mankind character by airing a revealing interview with the masked man in segments over several weeks on Raw.

The interviews made Mick Foley's alter-ego more relatable and sympathetic, as he told of a torturous existence filled with heartbreak and scars both mental and physical.

While the segments softened the edges of the man who had done some barbaric things to his fellow superstars, the interview turned at the end when Mankind completely lost the plot and threatened Ross, before beating him down and putting him in the Mandible Claw.

What made this so creepy was how close to the action the camera got, combined with Foley's frenzied noises and JR's screams and pleas for help.

It was sinister and unpredictable and did much for the career of Mrs Foley's Baby Boy. Great performances from all involved, including the production people.

2. Happy Birthday, Aliyah

WWE.com

Unstoppable monsters with supernatural powers may be scary, but they're not quite as scary as some of the other unnerving characters who are more based in reality.

The likes of Nailz (disgruntled criminal out for revenge), Waylon Mercy (southern gentleman who can snap at any moment) and our straight-edge saviour, CM Punk.

Punk was the leader of the Straight Edge Society cult - sorry, I mean group - and was angling for a match with Rey Mysterio, when he interrupted the masked man and his family as they were in the ring asking the crowd to sing 'Happy Birthday' to his young daughter Aliyah.

Not one to spoil a part, Punk picked up where the crowd left off and gave his own creepy rendition of the tune.

He then began intimidating and threatening Rey, his wife and kids, as they eventually left rather than suffer the wrath of the Second-City Saint. As they were leaving, Punk continued singing Happy Birthday as a tormented Mysterio looked on.

Here it was not so much violence (though Punk did give Rey a big old slap), but the threat of violence that made this so daunting.

1. Savage Gets Snakebit

WWE.com

One of the scariest wrestlers WWE has ever seen didn't need to rant and rave or resort to cheap tricks. Jake Roberts had a naturally threatening aura, and only needed to speak in hushed whispers and wield a snake to send his opponents running.

He was at the peak of his powers when trying to goad the 'retired' Randy Savage back into the ring, first crashing his and Miss Elizabeth's wedding reception after SummerSlam 1991 and then taking things to a whole new level when he unleashed one of his serpent friends on the Macho Man.

Jake successfully trash talked Savage into leaving his position at the commentator's desk for the squared circle, before blindsiding him and tying his arms in the ropes.

After that, he took out his cobra and had it latch onto Randy's bicep.

For real.

No CGI or robot snakes here, as Savage was willing to let the de-venomed cobra - aptly named Lucifer - take a chunk of flesh out, if it sold the angle well enough and led to increased ticket sales.

Snakes are a common fear and WWE exploited that brilliantly with one of the most shocking and realistic angles they have ever done.