Berserk Button/Professional Wrestling

When a nice, normal character suddenly goes into a rage, you've hit his Berserk Button.

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• 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 referees are not to be messed with.
• Festus was a Gentle Giant until the bell rang, thus triggering his Berserk Button.
  • And it worked in reverse, too; when the bell rang again, usually after a victory, Festus visibly reverted to his gentle self. Genre Savvy opponents took advantage by ringing the bell themselves, forcing his tag team partner Jesse to ring it again to re-trigger him.
• A sure way to bring out a certain wrestler to interrupt a promo is to say something that plays on his Catch Phrase. This contributor feels that the cleverest use of this was when Booker T said his own Catch Phrase, "Don't hate the playah, hate the game" to HHH who is also sometimes known as the Game.
• And speaking of HHH, should you bring harm to Ric Flair, he and Shawn Michaels will not be happy campers. Unless, of course, it's Triple H bringing the harm.
  • Don't even bring out Hunter's kids and Stephanie for that matter. Just don't. Paul Heyman learned that lesson the hard way.
• Do not mention Roman Reigns's family if you're feuding with him. Drew McIntyre found that out the hard way.
• A documentary on pro wrestling showed a clip from an interview with Leon White (Big Van Vader). He was a nice guy, but that stopped when the interviewer asked him if wrestling was fake. Leon slapped him in the head several times and said, "Does that feel fake to you?!"
  • Another earlier incident had David Schultz being asked by John Stossel, who was doing an investigative report on pro wrestling. According to Schultz, Vince McMahon told him to beat up Stossel, threatening to fire Schultz if he didn't.
• Andre the Giant, normally a Gentle Giant, 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.
  • Another time, in the waning years of his career (his gigantism had made even standing too long painful), Andre became so disgusted with The Ultimate Warrior constantly hitting him too hard with a sloppy clothesline night after night, he simply put up his fist and Warrior ran right into it, knocking himself out. The next night, Warrior was gentle as a lamb with Andre. Back in the locker room, Bobby Heenan said Andre told him "He'll learn."
• Don't ever call Homicide your "nizzle" unless you're in the mood to drink Drano.
• Threatening Lacey with a railroad spike is a surefire way to have either Austin Aries or Jimmy Jacobs attempt to murder someone.
• Tipping or spilling the APA's beer is just asking for them to beat your ass.
• Do not, I repeat, do not, call, Damien Demento, a jobber.
• PRINCESS PEACH IS A TRAMP!
• Green Lantern Fan is one of the most reviled figures in wrestling, even moreso than Vince Russo. 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."
• Mocking Jim Ross will inevitably incur the wrath of EVERYONE. God help you if Jim Cornette, Jerry Lawler, or Steve Austin find out about it themselves.
  • Matt Striker is slowly becoming this for Lawler, as well.
• Don't touch "Dashing" Cody Rhodes' face, unless you want to see him throw a huge tantrum and run towards the nearest mirror to check his reflection.
• Attacking HBK's family or faith in any way—physically, mentally, financially—is a great way to communicate to him you really don't need your bones anymore. Vince McMahon, Chris Jericho, and JBL all discovered this the hard way.
• In a July 11, 2011 promo, John Cena claimed that he was an underdog to CM Punk... 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 Boston Red Sox - but saying that now they were a dynasty, they'd become the New York Yankees. Cena promptly punched him in the face.
  • Cena's best bud, Zack Ryder is definitely off limits. Once you go after Ryder, Cena will definitely give you an attitude adjustment, and then some. Look no further than Cena beating the holy freaking hell out of Jack Swagger on the 1/16/20 edition of Raw for proof.
• Learn from Christian's example and do NOT slap Sheamus or spit in the face of Randy Orton.
• Oh, good God. Don't even think about making personal attacks towards either the mother, father, or sister of CM Punk. Just ask Christian on exactly why.

CM Punk: (While holding Christian in a submission with enough force to get officials involved) THIS IS YOU, CHRIS! THIS IS GONNA BE YOU, CHRIS!!!

• Do NOT make fun of John Laurinaitis' voice.
  • Unless your the Face of the whole Professional Wrestling industry.
• Never try to remove a luchador's mask; they wear it for a reason...
• If you see a male wrestler getting beaten by a Diva, even if it’s a bitch slap, DON’T laugh at that guy or risk retribution. Someone learned this the hard way when he saw another one getting slapped by a diva.
• Invoking Rhea Ripley's name means asking getting your ass whooped. When Io Shirai cuts a promo after defeating Candice LaRae, she calls out Ripley, Bianca Belair, and Shayna Baszler. Only for Rhea's music to kick in. Rhea's response?

Rhea: If you ever spit my name out of your mouth again, then I have no problem shutting you up too!

• Lacey Evans is a devoted mother outside of the wrestling ring. Threatening her daughter also means asking for a Woman's Right from the Sassy Southern Belle, as Sasha Banks and Bayley found out the hard way.
• Alberto Del Rio hates it anyone messing his cars. The dude is reduced to a crying mess when Edge trashes his car after his match in WrestleMania XXVII.
• Whenever Rey Mysterio's son, Dominick is involved in his father's storyline, Rey will go Papa Wolf as expected. This is shown when Brock Lesnar drags Dominick out of the crowd and F5 the poor kid in the ring. In retaliation, Rey sends Cain Velasquez—Lesnar's UFC opponent whom he beaten for the UFC Heavyweight Champion in 2010—to lecture him not to mess with the Mysterio family.
• Any mere mention or insult to The Miz's family is a sure way to piss him off. Both Baron Corbin and Shane McMahon all found that out the hard way.

The Miz (his reply to Corbin): And if you talk about my pregnant wife again, I'll kick your fucking teeth down your throat!

• Elias doesn't like being interrupted when he's about to sing, unless if you want to be in a receiving end of a guitar to the face.