“I was taken off TV for 6-7 months” – Former WWE superstar reveals how WWE punished him for shining in a Royal Rumble match

Former WWE superstar Paul London was punished by the WWE once for overselling a move and stealing the show.

WWE has a strange way to discipline their talents. Insubordination is not tolerated on this tight ship. Reportedly, a lot of wrestlers in the past have undergone disciplinary actions for not obeying orders. Perhaps being put on a losing streak is one way the WWE uses to restore order and straighten their superstars.

Former WWE superstar Paul London experienced a lot of hostility during his stint in the company. In his interviews, he has been vocal about his issues with the company during his time. Out of all grievances that he has expressed, this one takes the cake.

In 2005, at the PPV event of Royal Rumble, the former cruiserweight champion was eliminated by Gene Snitsky after he was hit by a massive clothesline on the apron that led London to be eliminated. What was Paul’s fault here? His fault was overselling the move.

Right after the impact, London flipped backward and fell outside the ring, getting eliminated. London got too much attention than he deserved and according to the script, he was not supposed to shine. Although his elimination was iconic and makes the top 10 list of best eliminations at Royal Rumble, London later had to bear the brunt of the dissension from the powers that be.

WWE did not want London to become a subject for discussion on TV and by overselling the move, London was cursed to be the guy who puts others over. Following the incident, London was on a long-time losing streak and was poorly booked the entire year. 

According to London, he was taken off TV for 6-7 months for overselling the move. London explained in an interview with Jason Diba that former producer Michael Hayes told him backstage after the incident that it was good, but it was “too” good.

“I was taken off TV for 6-7 months because they felt that I stole the moment,” London said. 

As wrestling fans, we all know how exciting it is to watch the superstars overselling the moves. One of the most iconic and comical oversells was seen in the match between Shawn Micheals and Hulk Hogan where Shawn sold every hit from Hulk as if he was hit by a truck. 

Paul London was fired for smiling on TV

In 2008, London was fired for the most ridiculous reason. According to the storyline, Vince McMahon was going to die in his limo due to an explosion. The undertone of the situation was somber as Vince made his way to his limo going through superstars who were lined up. Paul London stood there with a bright smile on his face as Vince walked by. Because it was caught on TV, Vince was infuriated and decided to fire London.

After his release, London worked for the indies reuniting with his former tag team partner, Brian Kendrick.