History BigBad / ProfessionalWrestling

"The ultimate villain of the story, who's causing the problem the heroes must solve."

Note that Big Bad is not a catch-all trope for the biggest and ugliest villain of any given story. The Big Bad is the one who turns out to be behind several other seemingly independent threats.
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* Wrestling/VinceMcMahon during the Wrestling/WorldWrestlingFederation's invasion of Wrestling/JerryLawler's USWA in 1992. Vince would later become the big bad of his own company as he abused his power, initially to take down Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin but eventually just for the sake of it. He has dipped in and out of this status ever since.
* Dr. Cube has been a constant in Wrestling/KaijuBigBattel since its inception in 1996, though there are other rogues outside of his control, more often than not its all his fault.
* Wrestling/EricBischoff frequently in Wrestling/{{WCW}}, especially when he took the side of the Wrestling/NewWorldOrder in 1996.
* Since he was the owner, Wrestling/PaulHeyman frequently in Wrestling/{{ECW}}.
* Wrestling/TripleH on Monday Night Raw for most of Eric Bischoff's tenure as general manager, since Bischoff was usually bullied into doing whatever Trips wanted. Once Triple H let Bischoff get humiliated by [[Wrestling/NickDinsmore Eugene]] though, he grew a spine and stopped bending to Triple H's will.
* Triple H and Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon during Wrestling/TheAuthority angle.
* Wrestling/VickieGuerrero during most of her time as GM.
* Wrestling/{{CZW}} owner John Zandig when the roster invaded Wrestling/RingOfHonor staring in January of 2006. However, he had nothing to do with Wrestling/ChrisHero's initial antagonizing of ROH in 2005([[{{Foreshadowing}} though Hero threatened to get him involved]] if Wrestling/BryanDanielson refused to respond) or Hero's continued antagonism after the feud was "officially" ended by Homicide in July. On the other hand, Zandig is partially responsible for the existence of ROH anyway, so Hero's actions ended up being driven by his even when he wasn't involved.
* Perro Aguayo Jr. in 2008 when he took Los Perros Del Mal out of Wrestling/{{CMLL}} and launched an entire promotion [[VillainBasedFranchise with them as the center of attention.]] Héctor Garza was the one who originally made Aguayo evil though, so he could be considered the big bad for Perros Del Mal's CMLL run at least but didn't jump over to PDM until 2011.
* Wrestling/JohnLaurinaitis during the "vote of no confidence for Triple H conspiracy" angle on Raw.
* Jimmy Havoc was this for Wrestling/{{Progress Wrestling}} during his 600+ day reign as champion.
* Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} usually has story arcs that last for an entire season[[note]]year's worth of wrestling shows[[/note]], and so there have been several Big Bads over the course of the promotion's history.
** For Seasons 1 and 2, Blind Rage, leader of first the Night Shift then the Dark Breed.
** For Season 3, Wrestling/LarrySweeney, leader of Sweet 'n' Sour International
** For Seasons 4, 5 and 6, Chris Hero, leader of the Kings of Wrestling
** For Seasons 7 and 8, Wrestling/VinGerard, leader of the [=UnStable=]. He briefly formed a BigBadDuumvirate with Mitch Ryder of the Fabulous 3.
** For Seasons 9, Ares, leader of Wrestling/DieBruderschaftDesKreuzes.
** For Season 10, another duumvirate with Ares and Wrestling/SinnBodhi, leader of the Dark Army.
** Season 11 didn't quite have one - the first half of the season was spent with a number of heels contending for the vacant Big Bad spot while the {{face}}s feuded with GEKIDO. GEKIDO's leader 17 wasn't quite formidable to be the Big Bad though. Another top contender for the spot, [[Wrestling/LukeHarper Brodie Lee]], vanished abruptly[[note]]because he was signed by WWE[[/note]]. The second half of the season, the top contenders were Tim Donst and [[Wrestling/HunterJohnston Delirious]], but they were too concerned with their respective feuds against [=UltraMantis Black=] and Wrestling/EddieKingston to be Big Bads to the entire promotion.
** For Season 12, Wink Vavasseur, the corrupt Director of Fun as a NonActionBigBad.
** For Seasons 13 and 14, Wrestling/{{Deucalion}}, The Titan of Titor, the leader of the Flood. From ''National Pro Wrestling Day'' to ''You Only Live Twice'', it originally seemed Wrestling/JimmyJacobs was the leader, but instead was TheDragon then TheStarscream at the close of the season.
** For Season 15, Wrestling/{{Hallowicked}}, who claimed to be doing the bidding of an entity named [[GreaterScopeVillain Nazmaldun]] and formed a stable called the Nightmare Warriors.
** For Season 16, Nazmaldun was incarnated into the body of Wrestling/UltraMantisBlack. Since Mantis suffered a career-ending injury and no longer wrestles, this would make Nazmaldun a NonActionBigBad and Hallowicked his [[TheDragon Dragon]]. Jakob Hammermeier made a spirited grab for the title when he tried to use the mind-controlling device the Eye of Tyr on Hallowicked. However, it didn't work and Hallowicked stole the Eye from him.
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** For Seasons 9, Ares, leader of Die Bruderschaft des Kreuzes.

** For Seasons 13 and 14, Deucalion, The Titan of Titor, the leader of the Flood. From ''National Pro Wrestling Day'' to ''You Only Live Twice'', it originally seemed Wrestling/JimmyJacobs was the leader, but instead was TheDragon then TheStarscream at the close of the season.

** For Seasons 7 and 8, Vin Gerard, leader of the [=UnStable=]. He briefly formed a BigBadDuumvirate with Mitch Ryder of the Fabulous 3.

** For Season 10, another duumvirate with Ares and Sinn "Kizarny" Bodhi, leader of the Dark Army.

* BigBad: CHIKARA has many such villains that usually last for a year (or "Season") or two.

** For Seasons 7 and 8, Vin Gerard, leader of the [=Unstable=]. He briefly formed a BigBadDuumvirate with Mitch Ryder of the Fabulous 3.

* Wrestling/VinceMcMahon during the Wrestling/WorldWrestlingFederation's invasion of Wrestling/JerryLawler's USWA in 1992. Vince would later become the big bad of his own company as he abused his power, initially to take down Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin but eventually just for the sake of it.

* Wrestling/CHIKARA usually has story arcs that last for an entire season[[note]]year's worth of wrestling shows[[/note]], and so there have been several Big Bads over the course of the promotion's history.

** For Season 3, Larry Sweeney, leader of Sweet 'n' Sour International

** Season 11 didn't quite have one - the first half of the season was spent with a number of heels contending for the vacant Big Bad spot while the faces feuded with GEKIDO. GEKIDO's leader 17 wasn't quite formidable to be the Big Bad though. Another top contender for the spot, [[Wrestling/LukeHarper Brodie Lee]], vanished abruptly[[note]]because he was signed by WWE[[/note]]. The second half of the season, the top contenders were Tim Donst and Delirious, but they were too concerned with their respective feuds against [=UltraMantis Black=] and Eddie Kingston to be Big Bads to the entire promotion.

** For Seasons 13 and 14, Deucalion, The Titan of Titor, the leader of the Flood. From ''National Pro Wrestling Day'' to ''You Only Live Twice'', it originally seemed Jimmy Jacobs was the leader, but instead was TheDragon then TheStarscream at the close of the season.
** For Season 15, Hallowicked, who claimed to be doing the bidding of an entity named [[GreaterScopeVillain Nazmaldun]] and formed a stable called the Nightmare Warriors.
** For Season 16, Nazmaldun was incarnated into the body of [=UltraMantis Black=]. Since Mantis suffered a career-ending injury and no longer wrestles, this would make Nazmaldun a NonActionBigBad and Hallowicked his [[TheDragon Dragon]]. Jakob Hammermeier made a spirited grab for the title when he tried to use the mind-controlling device the Eye of Tyr on Hallowicked. However, it didn't work and Hallowicked stole the Eye from him.

** For Seasons 9, Ares, leader of Die Bruderschaft des Kreuzes with

* Jimmy Havoc was this for Wrestling/{{Progress Wrestling}} during his 600+ day reign as champion
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* Wrestling/{{CZW}} owner John Zandig when the roster invaded Wrestling/RingOfHonor staring in January of 2006. However, he had nothing to do with Wrestling/ChrisHero's initial antagonizing of ROH in 2005([[{{Foreshadowing}} though Hero threatened to get him involved]] if Wrestling/BryanDanielson refused to respond) or Hero's continued antagonism after the feud was "officially" ended by Homicide in July.

* Dr. Cube has been a constant in Wrestling/KaijuBigBattel since its inception in 1994, though there are other rogues outside of his control, more often than not its all his fault.

* Perro Aguayo Jr. in 2008 when he took Los Perros Del Mal out of Wrestling/{{CMLL}} and launched an entire promotion [[VillainBasedFranchise with them as the center of attention.]]

* Wrestling/{{CZW}} owner John Zandig when the roster invaded Wrestling/RingOfHonor staring in January of 2006. However, he had nothing to do with Wrestling/ChrisHero's initial antagonizing of ROH in 2005([[{{Foreshadowing}} though Hero threatened to get him involved]] should Wrestling/BryanDanielson refused to respond) or Hero's continued antagonism after the feud was "officially" ended by Homicide in July.

* Perro Aguayo Jr. in 2008 when he took Los Perros Del Mal out of Wrestling/{{CMLL}} and launched an entire promotion [[InTheirOwnImage with them as the center of attention.]]

* Wrestling/{{CZW}} owner John Zandig when the roster invaded Wrestling/RingOfHonor staring in January of 2006. However, he had nothing to do with Wrestling/ChrisHero's initial antagonizing of ROH in 2005 or Hero's continued antagonism after the feud was "officially" ended by Homicide in July.

* CZW owner John Zandig when the roster invaded Wrestling/RingOfHonor staring in January of 2006. However, he had nothing to do with Wrestling/ChrisHero's initial antagonizing of ROH in 2005 or Hero's continued antagonism after the feud was "officially" ended by Homicide in July.

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* Wrestling/EricBischoff
* Wrestling/JohnLaurinaitis
* Wrestling/PaulHeyman
* Wrestling/TripleH
* Wrestling/VinceMcMahon

* Wrestling/PaulHeyman

* Wrestling/Vince McMahon